Lightweight kernel operating system

<p>A lightweight kernel (LWK) operating system is one used in a large computer with many <a href="/facts/Central_processing_unit/Jxp1bqMV">processor</a> cores, termed a <a href="/facts/Parallel_computing/nQzcpzQt">parallel computer</a>.
</p><p>A <a href="/facts/Massively_parallel/dX7W2Nxs">massively parallel</a> <a href="/facts/High-performance_computing/HT9NwGAN">high-performance computing</a> (HPC) system is particularly sensitive to <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> overhead. Traditional multi-purpose operating systems are designed to support a wide range of usage models and requirements. To support the range of needs, a large number of system processes are provided and are often inter-dependent on each other. The computing overhead of these processes leads to an unpredictable amount of processor time available to a parallel application. A very common <a href="/facts/Parallel_programming_model/20l85p0g">parallel programming model</a> is referred to as the <a href="/facts/Bulk_synchronous_parallel/vV0PtdpF">bulk synchronous parallel</a> model which often employs <a href="/facts/Message_Passing_Interface/BEuBgDpm">Message Passing Interface</a> (MPI) for communication. The synchronization events are made at specific points in the <a href="/facts/Application_code/gg1KaTN0">application code</a>. If one processor takes longer to reach that point than all the other processors, everyone must wait. The overall finish time is increased. Unpredictable operating system overhead is one significant reason a processor might take longer to reach the synchronization point than the others.
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Lightweight kernel operating system open-in-new

Lightweight kernel operating system