Re: Kernel Reliability !!
Simon Patience (sp@albion.engr.sgi.com)
Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:27:43 -0800 (PST)
In article <828r40$88nhv@fido.engr.sgi.com>, you write:
|> On Fri, 3 Dec 1999, Sean Hunter wrote:
|> > On Fri, Dec 03, 1999 at 05:31:01AM -0800, Jene S Quois wrote:
|> > > Expanding the same question, what are the
|> > > features that have been incorporated into the
|> > > Linux kernel for high-availability,
|> > > high-reliability and servicability ?
|> >
|> > I don't know what "servicability" is supposed to mean.
|>
|> "servicability" is a term coined by IBM to describe a set of O/S features
|> that help system programmers and field engineers do problem determination
|> more quickly. their goal was "first-time" capture of all information
|> needed to diagnose a problem.
|>
|> this might include such things as kernel tracing and kernel-level
|> debugging available (optional) in production kernels, automated panic dump
|> capture, powerful kernel crash analysis tools, and extensive documentation
|> and training available for system programmers who want to solve these
|> problems themselves. it also might include special coding conventions
|> (like "eye-catchers" in dynamically allocated blocks so dump analysis
|> could identify how memory is used), and sophisticated logging of hardware
|> error events like machine checks and disk errors.
|>
|> linux doesn't include these as standard features -- they are "value-adds"
|> provided by independent patches and software distributors like Red Hat.
SGI has developed almost all the things you mentioned, kernel tracing,
debugging, powerful crash analysis tools, as well as other things like
kernel lock metering and kernel profiling. Patches for all of them can
be downloaded from our open source web site http://oss.sgi.com/projects
along with many other open source technologies from SGI.
Simon.
--
Simon Patience Phone: (650) 933-4644
Silicon Graphics, Inc FAX: (650) 962-8404
1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy Email: sp@sgi.com
Mountain View, CA 94043-1389
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/