[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > When you get your machine running without a kernel > let me know. The kernel is the key to the O/S. If you > don't need networking and don't have many interrupts, > then it probably doesnt matter that much.
The kernel represents only a small part of total system utilization and throughput. Even if everything is single-threaded through the kernel, you can still get performance benefits from multiple processors, because they can run userland processes in parallel. If total system load is 5% kernel and 80% userland in a UP environment, and moving to a MP environment doubles kernel overhead, total system load has still increased by only 5%. In general, many things must be single-threaded through the kernel because of the need for proper synchronization. Thus, the kernel always shows more negative effects from MP than the system as a whole, but since it is so small in the overall picture, MP still improves global performance. -- Anthony _______________________________________________ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
