Cache Pathology Report of Linux System Calls

Explore the intricacies of Linux system call cache behavior in this 39-minute conference talk from linux.conf.au. Dive into the challenges of poor cache utilization on modern CPUs and its impact on kernel and application performance. Learn about SHIM-PT, a high-frequency profiler designed to help developers understand the relationship between code and kernel cache usage. Discover how this tool correlates CPU performance counters with instruction flows of system calls, providing valuable insights into cache pathology. Follow along as the speaker demonstrates the importance of kernel performance and analyzes cache usage in system calls using Kafka as a workload. Gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of poor cache locality and how it affects Linux system performance.