Enterprise Linux IT: The New Linux Speed Trick

“Linux kernel 2.6 introduces improved IO scheduling that can
increase speed–‘sometimes by 1,000 percent or more, [more] often
by 2x’–for standard desktop workloads, and by as much as 15
percent on many database workloads, according to Andrew Morton of
Open Source Development Labs. This increased speed is accomplished
by minimizing the disk head movement during concurrent reads.

“There are two scheduling policies included in kernel 2.6: the
anticipatory scheduler, and the deadline scheduler. Kernel 2.6 lets
the user choose which scheduling method to use, Linus Torvalds, the
creator of Linux, told NewsFactor. ‘Right now, that choice is made
globally at boot time and can’t be changed later,’ he said, ‘but
that may still change…'”

Complete Story