Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:55:19 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:55:09 -0400 Received: from [63.109.146.2] ([63.109.146.2]:35322 "EHLO mail0.myrio.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:54:50 -0400 Message-ID: From: Torrey Hoffman To: "'Timothy D. Witham'" , Linux Kernel List Subject: RE: a quest for a better scheduler Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 16:53:27 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Timothy D. Witham wrote : [...] > I propose that we work on setting up a straight forward test harness > that allows developers to quickly test a kernel patch against > various performance yardsticks. [... (proposed large server testbeds) ...] I like this idea, but could the testbeds also include some resource-constrained "embedded" or appliance-style systems, and include performance yardsticks for latency and responsiveness? It would be unfortunate if work on a revised scheduler resulted in Linux being a monster web server on 4-way systems, but having lousy interactive performance on web pads, hand helds, and set top boxes. How about a 120Mhz Pentium with 32MB of RAM and a flash disk, a 200 Mhz PowerPC with 64 MB? Maybe a Transmeta web pad? For the process load, something that tests responsiveness and latency - how about a set of processes doing multicast network transfers, CPU-intensive MPEG video and audio encode / decode, and a test app that measures "user response", i.e. if X Windows was running, would the mouse pointer move smoothly or jerkily? The "better" scheduler for these applications would make sure that multicast packets were never dropped, the MPEG decode never dropped frames, and the "user interface" stayed responsive, etc. Also, I would not mind a bit if the kernel had tuning options, either in configuration or through /proc to adjust for these very different situations. Torrey Hoffman Torrey.Hoffman@myrio.com - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/