Speeding up Linux System Calls on the Power Architecture

The system call is the gateway to the kernel. The kernel provides services to applications via system calls, like a library provides services via library calls. System call performance is important f …

The system call is the gateway to the kernel. The kernel provides services to applications via system calls, like a library provides services via library calls. System call performance is important for many workloads, and especially for bragging rights. In this presentation, Nicholas will introduce system calls, explain how the Power ISA system call instruction works, and how the Linux/powerpc code work. Nicholas will then talk about some performance analysis and improvements he has been working on for Linux/powerpc syscalls, culminating with an implementation of the new system call instruction introduced in the IBM POWER9 processor.