VRQ patch v4.8.1-vrq0 is released, all-in-one patch is available. linux-4.8.y-vrq branch has been pushed to bitbucket and github.
What's new
1. Sync up with 4.8 mainline scheduler code changes.
2. Introduced skip list as queue data structure. For detail information about the implementation of skip list, please reference to my previous posts(#1, #2, #3) and also the original skip list design idea from CK.
3. Based on the feedback of users, sticky and caching features are turned off for NORMAL policy tasks, which give max interactivity experience for desktop&gaming usage(commit is here). Further tuning may still be needed, but it looks that it's the best choice out of the 4 debug patches, based on the feedback information so far.
4. Workaround fix for a boot-up issue caused by preempt task solution.
5. A v2 fix for smp_processor_id() preempt code usage in smpboot_thread_fn().
PS:
The policy based sticky/caching feature is almost done, unlike the interactivity switcher in original BFS, this feature provide throughput and interactivity at the same time. "At the same time" not means a task can both throughput and interactivity all together, it means that throughput tasks and interactivity tasks can run all together. Just assign the right policy to the tasks.
Enjoy VRQ for 4.8 kernel, :)
BR Alfred
