

The logarithmic scale used for the graphs, in this case showing the data for the MIPS platform, means that any outliers would be visible as peaks in the yellow and red area With the help of its embedded farm, set up in November 2010, the Open Source Automation Development Lab (OSADL) has tested and analysed Linux's experimental real-time (RT) capabilities. The OSADL analysed a total of 73 billion automated test cycles recorded over the last 12 months on more than 50 computers running mainline RT kernels on a range of CPUs.

No outliers were observed during any of the tests, with maximum latencies clearly demarcated on all platforms. The OSADL has sorted the test results by platform and made them up into 3D graphs, which are all available on its web site. The logarithmic scale used means that any one-off high latencies would be clearly visible as spikes.

The OSADL originally built the QA (Quality Assurance) farm to carry out regular testing of the Linux kernel and real-time patches to detect any problems. It updates to the latest real-time kernel regularly, enabling developers to detect and resolve any problems at an early stage.

(crve)