MLOCK (LINUX KERNEL)

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this image about Linux mlock (memory locking):

  1. Basic Concept
  • mlock is used to avoid memory swapping
  • It sets special flags on page table entries in specified memory regions
  1. Main Use Cases
  • Real-time Systems
    • Critical for systems where memory access delays are crucial
    • Ensures predictable performance
    • Prevents delays caused by memory pages being moved by swapping
  • Data Integrity
    • Prevents data loss in systems dealing with sensitive data
    • Data written to swap areas can be lost due to unexpected system crashes
  • High Performance Computing
    • Used in environments like large-scale data processing or numerical calculations
    • Pinning to main memory reduces cache misses and improves performance
  1. Implementation Details
  • When memory locations are freed using mlock, they must be explicitly freed by the process
  • The system does not automatically free these pages
  1. Important Note mlock is a very useful tool for improving system performance and stability under certain circumstances. However, users need to consider various factors when using mlock, including:
  • System resource consumption
  • Programme errors
  • Kernel settings

This tool is valuable for system optimization but should be used carefully with consideration of these factors and requirements.

The image presents this information in a clear diagram format, with boxes highlighting each major use case and their specific benefits for system performance and stability.Copy