Re: [RFC][PATCH 00/26] sched/numa

[Ingo Molnar <mingo@kernel.org>]

* Christoph Lameter <cl@linux.com> wrote:

> On Mon, 19 Mar 2012, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> 
> > > I wonder how we can verify that the automatic migration 
> > > schemes are a real benefit to the application? We have a 
> > > history of developing a kernel that decreases in 
> > > performance as development proceeds. How can we make sure 
> > > that these schemes are actually beneficial overall for all 
> > > loads and do not cause regressions elsewhere? [...]
> >
> > The usual way?
> 
> Which is merge after a couple of benchmarks and then deal with 
> the regressions for a couple of years?
>
> [...]

No, and I gave you my answer:

> Obviously any such scheme must be a win in general for it to be 
> default on. We don't have the numbers to justify that - and I'm 
> sceptical whether it will be possible, but I'm willing to be 
> surprised.
> 
> I'm especially sceptical since most mainstream NUMA systems tend 
> to have a low NUMA factor. Thus the actual cost of being NUMA is 
> pretty low.
> 
> That having said PeterZ's numbers showed some pretty good 
> improvement for the streams workload:
> 
>  before: 512.8M
>   after: 615.7M
> 
> i.e. a +20% improvement on a not very heavily NUMA box.
> 
> That kind of raw speedup of a CPU execution workload like 
> streams is definitely not something to ignore out of hand. *IF* 
> there is a good automatism that can activate it for the apps 
> that are very likely to benefit from it then we can possibly do 
> it.
> 
> But a lot more measurements have to be done, and I'd be also 
> very interested in the areas that regress.
> 
> Otherwise, if no robust automation is possible, it will have to 
> be opt-in, on a per app basis, with both programmatic and 
> sysadmin knobs available. (who will hopefully make use if it...)
> 
> That's the best we can do I think.

Thanks,

	Ingo

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