Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!mcnc!philabs!prls!mips!winchester!mash From: mash@winchester.UUCP (John Mashey) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Unix kernel locality of reference Message-ID: <102@winchester.UUCP> Date: Sun, 18-Jan-87 18:53:10 EST Article-I.D.: winchest.102 Posted: Sun Jan 18 18:53:10 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 21-Jan-87 22:37:40 EST References: <14295@amdcad.UUCP> <1666@hoptoad.uucp> Reply-To: mash@winchester.UUCP (John Mashey) Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA Lines: 23 In article <1666@hoptoad.uucp> gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes: >The January 1987 (vol 38 #1) issue of the H-P Journal contains an >article on the HP3000 series 70 cache, which goes into great detail on >how they instrumented the older models to determine what cache >parameters to change in the new model. One quote from the article, >and a reference: >"...it has been shown that operating systems have rather poor locality >compared to user programs." They don't give a derivation for this finding. >The reference: >A. J. Smith, "Cache Evaluation and the Impact of Workload Choice",... Another good reference is: Douglas W. Clarke and Joel S. Emer, " Performance of the VAX 11/780 Translation Buffer: Simulation and Measurement", ACM Trans. on Computer Systems 3(1), pp31-62 (Feb 1985). Of course, this is about locality in the TLB, which is different from that of cache locality. However, it does give good numbers and analysis. [Kernels are worse in both cases, as it happens.] -- -john mashey DISCLAIMER: UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!mips!mash, DDD: 408-720-1700, x253 USPS: MIPS Computer Systems, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94086