Re: 32-bit linux
- From: Mladen Gogala <gogala@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: JBECKSTROM@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 05:26:08 +0000
On 11/24/2004 02:45:01 PM, Jeffrey Beckstrom wrote:
> Our initial thought was we could combine our current two-tier apps
> servers for the Oracle Apps by putting all of the test instances on
> one
> set of two-node linux boxes.
> =3D20
> However, if we are stuck to a total of 4g, this will not help since =20
> in
> w2k, we are already using 1.3+ G per instance. Or would each oracle
> process on linux have its own 4g limit meaning we could have several
> large instances running.
Ah, that is the problem! Winduhs architecture is based on threads. =20
Threads, as opposed to processes, share the same address space. Thing =20
is done like this: any operating system has a structure that defines a =20
process. The structure normally contains user credentials, address of =20
the segment table for the user mode of operation, the segment table for =20
the kernel mode of operation and the set of registers. Each segment has =20
a page table and is mapped to a virtual address in the user's kernel =20
address space. Kernel address space is global within itself. That means =20
that the each address in kernel space points to the same location in =20
different processes. Each process has its own segments. In pre-ELF =20
unixes, they used to be called stack, text, data and BSS. Now it is not =20
so, each shared library mapped into your process is a segment and has =20
its own page table.
Kernel of each OS has a structure called process table which contains a =20
list of the structure of the above type. Each process has its own =20
process structure pointing to its own set of segment and page tables.
Add stem cell research and modern biology into the brew and allow =20
process entries to spawn "children", which are not fully adult =20
processes, but minor processes, sharing the same page tables. That =20
means that the threads are sharing the same address space.
The 4GB limit applies to ALL of the threads because they all share the =20
same page tables (address space).
Oracle on "processes" Winduhs (SMON, PMON,LGWR,DBWR and ARCH) are all =20
threads, which means that the code for each them must be subtracted =20
from the common address space, decreasing therefore the space available =20
for SGA and severely reducing your potential for a good BCHR. That was =20
done because Winduhs doesn't support POSIX compliant IPC services, so =20
the only way for the two processes to share an area of memory is to =20
share the address space. Programming threads is quick and easy because =20
threads synchronization is much simpler then using semaphores or a =20
post-wait device.
Unix processes are created using "fork" system service which clones a =20
process from its parent and creates a copy of its page tables marking =20
them as copy-on-write in the process. That is, I believe, explained in
detail by Bach in "Magic Garden Explained" and "Toccata & Fugue". VMS
has had a system service called $CREPRC (or something like that) which =20
would create it from the scratch, without cloning. Copying symbol =20
tables required quite a bit of I/O
The point is that oracle on non-winduhs OS-es is process based, not =20
thread based. Each process is its own animal and doesn't trespass onto =20
address spaces of the others. Code for LGWR operates in completely =20
separate address space from the code for SMON and both have nothing in =20
common with the code for the DBWR. The only space they share is called
Shared Global Area, otherwise known as SGA.
POSIX shared memory or System V shared memory, as it is sometimes =20
called, is, essentially, a memory mapped device which creates a special =20
type of page tables and calls like shmat, shmget or shmop are =20
implemented as calls to a driver. Implementation of the system services
as "change mode to kernel" traps with special arguments is beyond the =20
level of this message.
Bottom line is that despite both Linux and Win2k being 32 bit systems, =20
the usable memory area is much larger on the Linux system.
To make the long story short, Windows sucks. Have a pleasant =20
thanksgiving.
--=20
Mladen Gogala
Oracle DBA
--
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