Re: minimal VM usage version of Squid

>> We found major memory wins by switching malloc libraries. Libc malloc and
>> GNU malloc simply cannot cope with squid's memory allocation patterns and do
>> a VERY poor job when memory runs low. We gained a factor of 4 performance
>> in low memory situations just by changing the malloc library. Unfortunately
>> the malloc library we used is not in the public domain...

>Still, it would be nice to know which commercial version of the
>malloc library gives this performance boost. Could you give us some
>details?

        Basically you want a malloc library that does 3 things:

1) Groups like-sized malloc requests together on a single VM page
2) Separates the allocataion meta-data from the allocated space onto separate
   VM pages.
3) Ensures all new allocations happen as low down in the VM space as possible,
   so when load drops off on squid, allocated pages that aren't needed anymore
   can get paged out.

        The malloc library we used is not available publically but I understand
there are malloc libraries out there which will do the same sorts of things.

        Stew.
Received on Thu Jan 09 1997 - 15:30:57 MST