Tuning the buffer cache
Shoshana Abrass
shoshana at pdi.UUCP
Fri May 24 11:59:58 AEST 1991
We're thinking of tuning the buffer cache to speed disk i/o.
We often have to read two large files alternately (for example,
a geometry model, then a texture map, then the model, then the
map, etc...) and we'd like to keep both (or many) of these
files in the cache, if possible. (Yes, we're looking at alternate
schemes, but this is a fast hack. The two files are read by
separate processes that exit after reading, BTW.)
The 'documentation' in /usr/sysgen/master.d/master.c says
#define NBUF 0 /* # buffers in disk buffer cache */
/* autoconfigure if 0 */
What does 'autoconfigure' mean? does this configure when you
compile the kernel, or does it dynamically change depending on
what your file usage profile is? And what's a real number that
I can set this to, or how can I find out what it's autoconfigured
to now?
And while I'm on the subject.... Someone at my company is strongly
of the belief that MIPS-based operating systems have the capability
of running a RAM disk. Without flaming about the viability of this
solution, can anyone confirm or deny it?
Thanks for any help.
-shoshana
shoshana at pdi.com
pdi!shoshana at sgi.com
...uunet!sgi!pdi!shoshana
--
More information about the Comp.sys.sgi
mailing list