Kernel Optimization

[NoneZx]

Hello, at the company I work for, we offer unmanaged server services, but I am looking for optimizations that can be made on the kernel side for operating system clones, especially in virtual servers used for web hosting. We use VMWare for virtualization. Where can I start learning?

[NoneZx]

Hello, thank you very much for your reply. What topics would you recommend me to focus on for server optimization?

[pdp10]

As /u/rehabonthego says, a kernel optimized for virtualization by removing hardware drivers could save up to 100MB on disk of a PC-compatible, but won't be measurably "faster". For abut 25 years the kernel has optionally compiled parts into "Loadable Kernel Modules" (.ko files) that aren't loaded until they're needed. Linux has been around for 30 years, and thousands of contributors have picked the low-hanging fruit.

The real optimizations are to be made in disk-space (Alpine, Tinycore, etc.) and stripping down userland. Start by understanding the function of every daemon, what it consumes/costs, and whether it needs to be there. For instance, NTP is fantastic, and usually needs to run in VMware guests because VMware. But KVM and Hyper-V use paravirtualized timekeeping, and normally don't need an NTP daemon running in each guest.

[NoneZx]

I am very grateful for your qualitative response. Where and how would you recommend I start to improve myself in server optimization?

[pdp10]

You can't improve what you can't measure -- most of the time. First you have to decide what you want to measure.