Test and analysis of Linux kernel and core OS components

Article Title: test and analysis of Linux kernel and core OS components. Linux is a technology channel of the IT lab in China. Includes basic categories such as desktop applications, Linux system management, kernel research, embedded systems, and open source.

This article records the test results and analysis of the Linux kernel and other core OS components, from the library and device drivers to the file system and network, the test scope does not include, all tests were conducted under quite unfavorable conditions and took a long time.

The IBM Linux Technology Center (LTC) was established in August 1999 to allow the success of Linux to work directly with the Linux development group. Its more than 200 employees make it one of the largest open source code developers team. They provide code ranging from patching to structured kernel changes, from file systems and internationalization to GPL 'd drivers. They are also committed to tracking Linux-related development within IBM.

LTC is particularly interested in Linux scalability, applicability, reliability, and system management-all aimed at making Linux more suitable for enterprises. They have made many contributions to the Linux community, including enabling Linux to work on S/390 hosts and porting JFS log file systems to Linux.

Another core task of LTC is to perform professional testing on Linux in lab conditions by testing commercial projects. LTC, together with SGI, OSDL, Bull, and Wipro Technologies, contributed to the LTP Linux testing project (LTP ). The following is the result of a long and comprehensive test on the Linux kernel by using the LTP kit. As you may guess, Linux has withstood the continuous stress test.

Test results

The following summary is based on the test and observation results during running:

* The Linux kernel and other core OS components-including libraries, device drivers, file systems, networks, IPC and memory management-run stably and complete all the expected runtime periods, no serious system faults.

* Each operation has a high success rate (over 95%) and only a small number of expected intermittent faults, which are the results of testing designed to overload resources at the same time.

* Linux system performance does not decrease during long running.

* In the SMP system, the Linux kernel is correctly extended to use hardware resources (CPU, memory, and hard disk ).

* The Linux system can well withstand the continuous full-load (over 99%) and extremely heavy memory pressure of the CPU.

* The Linux system correctly handles the overload.

The test proves that the Linux kernel and other core components are reliable and stable within 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days, it can provide users with a robust, enterprise-level environment that runs for a long time.

Linux reliability measurement

Target

For IBM Linux Technology Center, the objective of Linux reliability is to use the LTP test suite to test the Linux operating system for a long time, the focus is on the workload related to the Linux user environment (see references to learn more about LTP ). Instead of proving defects.

Test environment overview

This document describes the test results and analysis of Linux reliability measurement tests over the last 30 and 60 days using the LTP test suite. The SuSE Linux Enterprise Server v8 (SLES 8) is used as the testing kernel and the IBM pSeries Server is used as the testing hardware. A specially designed LTP stress test scenario is used to concurrently run a wide range of kernel components while using network and memory management, and generate high workload pressure on the test system. The Linux kernel, TCP, NFS, and I/O test components are designed for heavy workloads.

Test

30 days

PSeries 30-day LTP pressure execution result

* Machine: p650 LPAR

* CPU: (2) Power4-1.2 GHz

* Kernel: Linux 2.4.19-ull-ppc64-SMP (SLES 8 SP 1)

* LTP version: 20030514

* 99.00% average CPU usage (User: 48.65%, system: 50.35%)

* 80.09% average memory usage (8 GB)

Observed results:

* On the p650 LPAR, SLES 8 PPC64 runs successfully within 30 days.

* The test tool is LTPstress. Test cases are executed in parallel and serial mode.

* The Kernel, TCP, NFS, and I/O test components are all aimed at heavy workload.

* Successful rate: 97.88%.

* No serious system faults.

 

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