Linux Scheduler Implications for Real-Time Networking
Description
With the advent of research on the next generation of mobile communications 6G, LIS is engaged in exploring architectures and architecture extensions for networking hardware, as well as improving the interaction between SmartNIC hardware, operating system, and application software. As 6G aims to support mission-critical applications, the demand for deterministic, real-time processing within network infrastructure has become paramount. The recent mainline integration of the real-time scheduler in Linux presents a unique opportunity to explore how operating system scheduling decisions directly impact networking performance in time-sensitive environments.
The incoming traffic load and with it the computing requirements on network processing nodes such as edge servers can span multiple magnitudes in a matter of milliseconds and less. This makes the task of load balancing and efficient scheduler decisions increasingly difficult, especially considering additional requirements like priority-awareness.
This thesis investigates the critical intersection of Linux scheduling policies and real-time networking performance. The research goals of this thesis include:
- Evaluating the performance implications of different Linux scheduling policies on networking performance
- Analyzing how scheduling decisions affect deterministic behavior in time-sensitive networking applications
- Assessing efficient load balancing mechanisms and the availability of priority-awareness for specific flows
- Identifying and potentially developing SmartNIC extensions to enhance Linux scheduling decisions
Prerequisites
- Good experience with Linux, Command Line Tools and Bash scripting
- Programming skills in C and Python
- Practical experience with the Linux Kernel, Kernel tracing functionality and low-level software
- Solid understanding of operating system concepts and hardware/software interactions
Contact
Marco Liess, M.Sc.
Tel.: +49.89.289.23873
Raum: N2139
Email: marco.liess@tum.de