Tokyo, JAPAN - March 17, 2004 --
The Enterprise OS Business Unit of VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (VA Linux), Japan's leading Linux and Open Source solutions provider, today announced, based on growing market awareness, the strengthening of consulting and support services for the Linux kernel.

VA Linux began full-fledged operations centered on Linux kernel development and technology consulting in March of 2002. VA Linux has been involved in the development of various components which compose the Linux kernel (scheduler, VM, file system, TCP/IP, etc.) and today specializes in kernel analysis, strengthening of kernel functionality, and the improvement of kernel efficiency. Notably, VA Linux has been active in the development of support for enterprise systems.

In 2003 the Enterprise OS Business Unit, which is centered on the development of, support and consulting for the Linux kernel, gained new corporate clients and sales increased over 148% from sales in FY 2002.

Va Linux's representative development project has been adding and improving the functionality of the Zerocopy NFS, which, in the implementation of the Linux NFS, allows for NFS server Zerocopy within the Linux kernel and cuts down on wasteful internal processes. Last year VA Linux also began working on developing a function to facilitate the Memory hotplug and has released hotremoval, which allows for intelligent memory removal.

In regard to the Zerocopy NFS, all code is included in the highly stable Linux Kernel 2.6 release, and VA Linux is currently carrying out active discussions with the kernel development community to promote similar developments for the Memory hotplug in the next Kernel release. VA Linux is not only working on these two areas, but is also striving to solve various issues within the Linux Kernel, improve its efficiency, and provide the most suitable kernel for its clients.

Based on these successes, from today forward, VA Linux intends to strengthen support and consulting services for the Linux kernel.

Based on the needs of clients, VA Linux's support and consulting services provide ways to improve the Linux kernel through analysis and, hence, increase functionality and efficiency and also, from the standpoint of the kernel's mission critical system architecture, provide system analysis and new ideas for systems, alleviate system issues, and so forth.

Until recently, VA Linux only offered similar services to specific large-scale corporations, but now intends to broaden its services to a wider clientele. Contractual terms will be decided through consultations with individual clients.

Furthermore, VA Linux is working to improve and bolster its Enterprise OS Business Unit's personnel and internal infrastructure. As in the previous quarter, VA Linux expects further growth this quarter. VA Linux's kernel support and consulting services are intended for Linux-based enterprise systems and clients who plan on implementing global Linux systems. VA Linux is actively approaching corporate clients, who have specific needs for product development, and government agencies. VA Linux anticipates further business growth.

"From VA Linux's inception in September of 2000, we have been preparing for the coming of the Linux age, immersing ourselves in the core of Linux, the kernel, and also with other operating systems at the source-code level. We have also worked to accumulate the technological know-how needed for developing the Linux kernel on a worldwide level," explained Hirokazu Takahashi, head technology officer for VA Linux. "Today, domestically, we are an unparalleled Linux kernel technology group. The fact that a group of developers such as are ourselves is having such increased opportunities for direct contact with corporate clients is indicative of the bright future that awaits Linux and VA Linux."

About VA Linux Systems Japan K.K.

http://www.valinux.co.jp/
VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (Here after referred to as VA Linux) offers a high level of technology consulting and solutions based on Linux and Open Source software. VA Linux was established in September 2000 and has continued to grow. Today, VA Linux is one of Japan's most technologically advanced leaders in the Linux and Open Source fields.

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Reference Material

* Zerocopy NFS

Under Linux kernel 2.4, when the NFS server processes Read requests, memory is copied from the page cache to the NFS send buffer. This is then copied to the socket buffer within the layered protocol and the network driver carries out a send process.

This issue has been improved Under Linux kernel 2.6 so that the page used in the page cache is sent directly to the layered protocol and, when possible, is also sent as is to the network driver as well. Through this, obviously, overhead created by wasteful copy processes is eliminated and the amount of useful data that is purged from the processor's internal memory cache is eliminated.

Hirokazu Takahashi, head technology officer of VA Linux, was responsible for this implementation under the Linux kernel.

* Linux Memory Hotplug

The Memory hotplug is a function that actively adds and removes memory modules while the target system is running. This is particularly needed in enterprise systems, where a high degree of open availability is needed.

The Memory hotplug function differs from device-based hotplugs and there are still many issues being faced before its implementation is fully realized.

Architecturally speaking, one point to pay specific attention to is for creating conditions in which it is possible to continue to use important data that has been allocated to memory modules even after removal of a given memory module has transpired.

Reference URL
http://people.valinux.co.jp/~iwamoto/mh.html
http://people.valinux.co.jp/~taka/hpageremap.html