Abstract

We consider how to improve the performance of file caching by allowing user-level control over file cache replacement decisions. We use two-level cache management: the kernel allocates physical pages to individual applications (allocation), and each application is responsible for deciding how to use its physical pages (replacement). Previous work on two-level memory management has focused on replacement, largely ignoring allocation. The main contribution of this paper is our solution to the allocation problem. Our solution allows processes to manage their own cache blocks, while at the same time maintains the dynamic allocation of cache blocks among processes. Our solution makes sure that good user-level policies can improve the file cache hit ratios of the entire system over the existing replacement approach. We evaluate our scheme by trace-based simulation, demonstrating that it leads to significant improvements in hit ratios for a variety of applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationUSENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference
PublisherUSENIX Association
ISBN (Electronic)1880446626, 9781880446621
StatePublished - 1994
EventUSENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference - Boston, United States
Duration: Jun 6 1994Jun 10 1994

Publication series

NameUSENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference

Conference

ConferenceUSENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period6/6/946/10/94

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Science(all)

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