[$] In search of faster this_cpu operations
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May 19, 2026
The kernel's this_cpu operations are meant to speed access to per-CPU variables. They are more optimal on some CPUs than others, though. During a memory-management-track session at the 2026 Linux Storage, Filesystem, Memory Management, and BPF Summit, Yang Shi proposed a fundamental, and somewhat controversial, change to how these operations work in order to provide better performance on a wider range of architectures.
Discussion in the ATmosphere