Publication details

D. B. de Oliveira, D. Casini, T. Cucinotta. "Operating System Noise in the Linux Kernel," IEEE Transactions on Computers, June 2022

Abstract

As modern network infrastructure moves from hardware-based to software-based using Network Function Virtualization, a new set of requirements is raised for operating system developers. By using the real-time kernel options and advanced CPU isolation features common to the HPC use-cases, Linux is becoming a central building block for this new architecture that aims to enable a new set of low latency networked services. Tuning Linux for these applications is not an easy task, as it requires a deep understanding of the Linux execution model and the mix of user-space tooling and tracing features. This paper discusses the internal aspects of Linux that influence the Operating System Noise from a timing perspective. It also presents Linux’s osnoise tracer, an in-kernel tracer that enables the measurement of the Operating System Noise as observed by a workload, and the tracing of the sources of the noise, in an integrated manner, facilitating the analysis and debugging of the system. Finally, this paper presents a series of experiments demonstrating both Linux’s ability to deliver low OS noise (in the single-digit µs order), and the ability of the proposed tool to provide precise information about root-cause of timing-related OS noise problems.

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DOI: 10.1109/TC.2022.3187351

BibTeX entry:

@article{deOliveira2022,
	doi = {10.1109/tc.2022.3187351},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1109%2Ftc.2022.3187351},
	year = 2022,
	publisher = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ({IEEE})},
	pages = {1--12},
	author = {Daniel Bristot de Oliveira and Daniel Casini and Tommaso Cucinotta},
	title = {Operating System Noise in the Linux Kernel},
	journal = {{IEEE} Transactions on Computers}
}

Last updated on
13 August 2025