Performance Analysis: io_uring vs libaio Across Linux Kernel Versions and IOMMU Considerations
By
tanelpoder
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
This article examines the performance evolution of Linux's asynchronous I/O interfaces, comparing traditional libaio with the newer io_uring across different kernel versions. The analysis reveals that while io_uring generally outperforms libaio, its performance improvements have been inconsistent across kernel releases, with some versions showing regression. The article also uncovers an unexpected IOMMU-related performance trap that can significantly impact io_uring performance in certain configurations.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledIt is surprisingly hard to find concrete numbers showing how this performance evolved across kernel versions.
Most benchmarks compare APIs on a single kernel, leaving the historical picture unclear.
io_uring performance improved significantly after the initial releases.
The article also uncovers an unexpected IOMMU-related performance trap.
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