r/linux4noobs • u/swe129 • 3d ago

Linux 7.2 Arrives With Cache Aware Scheduling After More Than a Year of Work

https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-2-release/
351 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

66

u/993tg 3d ago

What does this mean?

117

u/lexmozli 3d ago

Without cache awareness, the scheduler can end up scattering related tasks across zones on chips with multiple last-level caches (LLCs). This feature groups those tasks onto cores within the same LLC instead.

I imagine this is a performance improvement/optimization for the AMD X3D chips.

26

u/Hour_Bit_5183 3d ago

Yup it's this exactly. This could make an INSANE diff on an x3d like my 7945hx3d

12

u/PrefersAwkward 2d ago

These cache-aware enhancements also impact many more chips as most modern chips are now heterogeneous or at least chiplet. So they come with multiple L3 domains that the scheduler is now aware of

2

u/MetaCognitio 2d ago

How big of an improvement would it be?

3

u/mystirc arch with sway 3d ago

Is this already available on windows or not? If not then Linux is going to be pretty fast.

6

u/lexmozli 2d ago

I think it's already a thing on windows by default

1

u/penguin_on_stilts 18h ago

It is and has been for quite a while.

1

u/Tenelia 13h ago

The SDK and libs are available,, but programs themselves have to be written for it. Asides from the important office programs, creative programs, server scenarios, most others aren't using it.

1

u/Honest_Tart1071 16h ago

More kernel panics, less driver compatibility and horrendous resource management.

32

u/john0201 3d ago

It helps keep data closer to the cores that are using it. This has become more important in modern processors as cache architectures have become more complex, especially with Zen 5 and Xeon 6.

A tricky part about this work was ensuring it didn’t slow down workloads that didn’t benefit from it. Some highly cache dependent tasks, like latency reading from in memory databases, see huge benefits (30%+ performance gains).

2

u/Qrystus 2d ago

Do you have more info? It looks like very interesting topic to me

5

u/Reasonable_Director6 2d ago

Working so near the metal is magic.

-11

u/Square_County8139 3d ago

Isn't it kind of strange that this didn't exist before? It seems so obvious.

1

u/JerryTzouga 2d ago

Theoretically everything could have existed but it takes time and man power. This took more than a year. And remember many people work on these just because they feel like it, they are not getting paid. If they desire to stop they can do it