Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.
Removing the Big Kernel Lock
kerneltrap.org — Linux creator Linus Torvalds indicated the only acceptable way forward was to completely remove the Big Kernel Lock.
califloridan- 24 diggs
- digg it
- ElectricKetchup, on 05/16/2008, -0/+3It's about time someone started that large task!
- 4DFX, on 05/16/2008, -0/+8Ok, I must ask... What is the Big Kernel Lock?
- califloridan, on 05/16/2008, -0/+12The BKL is a way that kernel developers ensure mutual exclusion in the Linux kernel. Its basically one giant spinlock that kernel code can use to block all other kernel code from executing. This is particularly bad design for machines with more than one processor/core since it only allows one processor/core to run kernel code at a time.
Removing the BKL altogether can help reduce response times, and is particularly helpful for real time processing, since more than one process will be able to perform I/O at the same time (making I/O MORE predictable as the number of CPUs/cores scales up), among other things. Of course parallel applications will benefit from this as well.
- califloridan, on 05/16/2008, -0/+12The BKL is a way that kernel developers ensure mutual exclusion in the Linux kernel. Its basically one giant spinlock that kernel code can use to block all other kernel code from executing. This is particularly bad design for machines with more than one processor/core since it only allows one processor/core to run kernel code at a time.
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2008 —
Content posted by