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Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager
- By Mel Gorman
- Published Apr 29, 2004 by Prentice Hall. Part of the Bruce Perens'Open Source Series series.
- Copyright 2004
- Dimensions: 7x9-1/4
- Pages: 768
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-13-145348-3
- ISBN-13: 978-0-13-145348-7
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Product Author Bios
MEL GORMAN specializes in documenting open source software. He holds a MSc in Computer Science from the University of Limerick, Ireland, and has served as an instructor there. He has worked as a system administrator, applications developer, and consultant, and has been researching Linux memory management for more than two years. Currently he is an applications developer with J2EE technologies at IBM, Dublin.
Finally, a comprehensive guide to the Linux VM!
VM's behavior affects every Linux kernel subsystem and dramatically impacts overall performance. But until now, there was only one way to understand VM: study the poorly documented source one line at a time. Now there's an easier, faster alternative. This book describes VM in unprecedented detail, presenting both theoretical foundations and a line-by-line source code commentary. It systematically covers everything from physical memory description to out-of-memory management. Coverage includes:
- Linux VM 2.4 architecture in depth-with diagrams and call graphs
- Physical memory description, page tables, address spaces, and memory allocation
- High memory, swapping, shared memory, and much more
- Expert guidance for analyzing the code of any open source project
- New Linux 2.6 kernel features in every chapter
Well organized and superbly written, Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager will be indispensable to every kernel programmer and researcher.
CD-ROM INCLUDED
Complete VM Learning Lab! Contains the author's new toolkit for exploring VM, including a browsable version of kernel source, CodeViz call graph generator; and VMRegress for analyzing and benchmarking VM. Also includes all code commentary in HTML, PDF, and plain text formats.
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Non-trivial subject, By
This review is from: Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager (Paperback)
A slightly unusual book from Prentice-Hall. If you peruse a list of their recent offerings, this book stands out as rather more specialised. Certainly, in general there is no shortage of linux books, from a variety of publishers. But typically such books are aimed at using linux or they describe applications built atop it. Whereas the technical ability and interest in actually understanding and changing any operating system (not just linux) acts as a tremendous barrier. Hence, the potential audience for Gorman's book is quite exclusive. An upside is that it reduces the potential competition from other authors and publishers.Gorman is attempting an outreach to potential linux developers. The book has two parts. The first explains key concepts for the VMM. He quickly gets into the issues, with little preamble. In other words, you need at a minimum to be fluent in C, and have some acquaintance with the ideas of memory management, though not necessarily with linux. Each algorithm in... Read more
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Nuts and bolts of Linux VM, not for beginners, By
This review is from: Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager (Paperback)
If the title of the book is a hint that it is not for the masses, then the additional information one is presented with is a definite confirmation of this fact.The book is an in depth look into intricate workings of one of the most complicated and sophisticated parts of any OS that supports virtual memory concepts. As such, it is not an easy read for people who are not familiar with programming and general OS concepts, and since, to be honest, most people today do not fall into this category, this book has a very specific audience. In short, if you do not already know how TLB operates, do not even look at it. The text itself is nicely organized, hierarchy is well defined, concepts explained. Detailed description of logic is supported by the code examples that are dissected in detail, and in my mind provide an excellent learning resource. One drawback that caused 4 stars, instead of 5, is the lack of common terminology; rather, author explains in his... Read more
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Meets its goal, By rdf "rdf_acm" (Cambridge, Ma. USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager (Paperback)
The book's goal "a detailed view of the Linux VM as implemented in 2.4.22" -- as I think the specification of the version to that level of detail indicates, it is not a theoretical exercise.Given that goal the book is well structured, building up from from basic functionality and giving references to both theory and measurement as appropriate There's ~500 pages of annotated source that's preceded by a clear ~200 page discussion of its functionality and behavior |
Praise For Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager
Online Sample Chapter
Table of Contents
Preface.
1. INTRODUCTION.
2. Describing Physical Memory.
3. Page Table Management.
4. Process Address Space.
5. Boot Memory Allocator.
6. Physical Page Allocation.
7. Noncontiguous Memory Allocation.
8. Slab Allocator.
9. High Memory Management.
10. Page Frame Reclamation.
11. Swap Management.
12. Shared Memory Virtual Filesystem.
13. Out Of Memory Management.
14. The Final Word.
A. Introduction.
B. Describing Physical Memory.
C. Page Table Management.
D. Process Address Space.
E. Boot Memory Allocator.
F. Physical Page Allocation.
G. Noncontiguous Memory Allocation.
H. Slab Allocator.
I. High Memory Mangement.
J. Page Frame Reclamation.
K. Swap Management.
L. Shared Memory Virtual Filesystem.
M. Out of Memory Management.
References.
Code Commentary Index.
Index.
About the Author.
Downloadable Sample Chapter
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