Re: Syslets, Threadlets, generic AIO support, v6

[Posted May 30, 2007 by corbet]

From:		Zach Brown <zach.brown-AT-oracle.com>
To:		Jeff Garzik <jeff-AT-garzik.org>
Subject:		Re: Syslets, Threadlets, generic AIO support, v6
Date:		Tue, 29 May 2007 16:09:31 -0700
Cc:		linux-kernel-AT-vger.kernel.org, Ingo Molnar <mingo-AT-elte.hu>, Linus Torvalds <torvalds-AT-linux-foundation.org>, Arjan van de Ven <arjan-AT-infradead.org>, Christoph Hellwig <hch-AT-infradead.org>, Andrew Morton <akpm-AT-zip.com.au>, Alan Cox <alan-AT-lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>, Ulrich Drepper <drepper-AT-redhat.com>, Evgeniy Polyakov <johnpol-AT-2ka.mipt.ru>, "David S. Miller" <davem-AT-davemloft.net>, Suparna Bhattacharya <suparna-AT-in.ibm.com>, Davide Libenzi <davidel-AT-xmailserver.org>, Jens Axboe <jens.axboe-AT-oracle.com>, Thomas Gleixner <tglx-AT-linutronix.de>

> You should pick up the kevent work :)

I haven't looked at it in a while but yes, it's "on the radar" :).

> Having async request and response rings would be quite useful, and most 
> closely match what is going on under the hood in the kernel and hardware.

Yeah, but I have lots of competing thoughts about this.

For the time being I'm focusing on simplifying the mechanisms that
support the sys_io_*() interface so I never ever have to debug fs/aio.c
(also known as chewing glass to those of us with the scars) again.

That said, I'll gladly work closely with developers who are seriously
considering putting some next gen interface to the test.  That todo item
about producing documentation and distro kernels is specifically to bait
Uli into trying to implement posix aio on top of syslets in glibc.

'cause we can go back and forth about potential interfaces for, well,
how long as it been?  years?  I want non-trivial users who we can
measure so we can *stop* designing and implementing the moment something
is good enough for them.

- z