Improving the performance of Linux operating system via buffer cache partitioning and prefetching

Abstract

Buffer caching is an integral part of the operating system. In this paper, we propose a scheme that integrates buffer cache management and prefetching via cache partitioning. The scheme, which we call SA-W(2) R, is simple to implement, making it a feasible solution in real systems. In its basic form, for buffer replacement, it uses the LRU policy. However, its modular design allows for any replacement policy to be incorporated into the scheme. For prefetching, it uses the LRU-One Block Lookahead (LRU-OBL) approach, eliminating any extra burden that is generally necessary in other prefetching approaches. Implementation studies based on the GNU/Linux kernel version 2.2.14 show that the SA-W(2) R performs better than the scheme currently used, with a maximum increases of 23% for the workloads considered.