Stress testing the Linux operating system kernel

Automated software testing allows you to run the same tests over a period of time to ensure that the content you compare is truly comparable. In this article, the members of the Linux Test Project team shared their work with Linux. The methods, principles, and scripts and tools of the tests used by the kernel for pressure.

In testing for Linux kernel version stability, it is necessary to explicitly declare and prove why the version is stable or unstable. However, it has not been proven and proven that current system-wide stress tests can test the stability of the Linux kernel as a whole. This paper presents a method for creating a system-wide Linux stress test and proving the correctness of its results. Different Linux developers, users, and distributions use their own methods to test the stability of the kernel. However, the underlying information about what tests they have decided to run, the code they cover, the level of pressure they have reached, and so on, are not published, which greatly reduces the value of the results.

Using lab machines and tests from the Linux test Project Suite, we developed a test portfolio based on system resource utilization statistics to provide sufficient pressure to the system. We analyzed this combination test to determine which parts of the Linux kernel were used in test execution. We then modified the combination test to increase the percentage of code coverage while maintaining the desired high strength system pressure. The resulting stress tests cover enough parts of the Linux kernel to help with the stability statement and support it with data on system usage and kernel code coverage.

The four steps of the combined test method are: Test selection, System resource utilization evaluation, kernel code coverage analysis, and final stress test evaluation.

Select Test

Test selections include selecting a test to accomplish two things:

-testing should be able to achieve high levels of resource utilization in the main kernel areas such as CPU (s), memory, I/O, and networks.

-The test should adequately overwrite kernel code to help support the stability statement generated from its results.

Whenever possible, use automated or easily modified tests to support automated operations. Automated actions can make testing faster and repeatable, and help reduce the risk of human error. Another aspect to consider when choosing the right test is to use an application that can publish results freely. It is best to choose a test and test suite that strongly advocates open source methods and/or GPL to help ensure the simplicity of the release process.

Evaluating System Resource Utilization

The combination of tests you choose must bring enough pressure to the resources of your system. The four main aspects of the Linux kernel can affect the response and execution time of the system:

-CPU: The time used to process data on a machine's CPU (s).

-Memory: Time to read and write data from real memory.

-I/O: Time to read and write data from disk storage.

-Networking: Time to read and write data from the network.