SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time

Concurrent and Novell know latency matters. It's the difference between mere survival and the ability to compete aggressively in today's demanding financial markets. With real-time Linux computing solutions by Concurrent and Novell, financial services organizations worldwide can enjoy improved performance in their mission-critical applications—at lower costs and with increased profitability.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time, is the low-risk, high-performance, real-time Linux solution for complex financial services applications. Concurrent and Novell provide solutions you can count on and that deliver the following:

• Faster, more consistent data delivery
• Zero latency spikes in your critical financial applications
• Real-time manageability of market data across your entire trading environment
• Real-Time Extensions, which gives you the low cost of Linux with proven and trusted real-time capabilities
• NightStar Tools for advanced development and analysis
• Guaranteed high-speed transaction processing
• The value and dependability of low-latency Linux servers for your demanding applications

More Information

• Novell & Concurrent Whitepaper on Real-Time Linux
• Concurrent/Novell Press Release
• More info on Concurrent

Powerful Performance

A version of the popular SUSE Linux kernel enhanced with Concurrent's field-proven, real-time Linux extensions, Real-Time Extensions will give you guaranteed performance and ultra-low latency. Moreover, Real-Time Extensions comes packaged with a Novell Premium Service agreement, so you get the worldwide technical support, training and consulting you need for successful application deployment. Real-Time Extensions also supports Concurrent's powerful NightStar tools for debugging and analyzing complex, time-critical Linux applications.

• With Real-Time Extensions, you'll benefit from the following:
• Improved performance
• Lower costs
• Guaranteed response and performance
• Greater business agility
• Increased productivity and operational efficiency
• Fast, dependable support and services
• Industry-leading support

True Real-time SUSE Linux

Built on the SUSE Linux kernel, Real-Time Extensions is specifically engineered for real-time enterprise computing needs. Real-Time Extensions provides a single-kernel environment that directly controls all system operations. Complex real-time applications require that file I/O, networking and graphics be controlled deterministically together with real-time tasks. Only Real-Time Extensions ensures this determinism.

Guaranteed Response Time

In multiprocessing systems, Real-Time Extensions allows individual CPUs to be shielded from interrupt processing, daemons and other Linux tasks. Processor shielding provides a highly deterministic environment where interrupt response and transaction execution time is guaranteed. Real-Time Extensions offers a guaranteed kernel response time of less than 30 microseconds.

Novell Premium Service

The Concurrent and Novell partnership offers single-point-of-contact support to financial-services firms. Real-Time Extensions with Novell Premium Service provides a reliable release cycle and a complete enterprise software ecosystem for Linux technical support, training, consulting and indemnification. The Novell commitment to open source and open standards, combined with expertise in Linux integration, helps business of all sizes deploy Real-Time Extensions quickly and confidently.

Complete Real-time Development Environment

Real-Time Extensions offers a full set of tools for efficient development of real-time applications, including Intel or GNU compilers and debuggers. Real-Time Extensions also supports Concurrent's powerful NightStar real-time tools set, which includes a source-level debugger, a run-time analyzer, a periodic scheduler, a real-time data monitor and a system and application tuner. NightStar provides a robust GUI for non-intrusive debugging and analysis of real-time multiprocessing applications.

Custom Professional Services

Concurrent Special Systems and Novell Consulting are available to design and deliver a wide range of custom software for the Real-Time Extensions environment. Concurrent engineers can develop drivers for I/O boards of your choice, rehost legacy application software, develop new applications and provide performance analysis and system tuning.

About Concurrent

For 40 years, Concurrent has developed technology solutions that successfully enable our customers to address time-critical needs. Serving a multitude of markets globally, Concurrent supports a world that demands precise information and entertainment content instantaneously.

Overview

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time is an industry standard, real-time version of the open source Linux operating system for Intel/AMD-based multiprocessors. SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time provides the guaranteed performance needed in time-critical and hard real-time environments. RTE is the ideal Linux solution for a broad range of deterministic applications such as financial trading, telecommunications, modeling, simulation, data acquisition, industrial control and medical imaging systems. Properly configured, RTE guarantees that a user-level application can respond to an external event in less than 30 microseconds.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time achieves its superior real-time performance through key kernel enhancements developed by Concurrent Computer Corporation. RTE includes all the standard features of SUSE Linux including its user-level commands, utilities and system administration. RTE user libraries provide access to its value-add features that are not part of other Linux offerings. RTE is fully compatible with standard Linux user-level APIs, thus Linux applications written for other Linux distributions will run without modification.

Complete Development Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time for SUSE Linux offers a full set of tools for efficient development of time-critical applications. In addition to the standard GNU C, C++, and Fortran compilers, Concurrent's MAXAda 95 language environment is available as an option. RTE also supports Concurrent's powerful NightStar™ application development tool set that includes a source-level debugger, run-time analyzer, periodic scheduler, data monitor and performance tuner. NightStar provides a robust graphic interface for non-intrusive control, monitoring, analysis, and debugging of multi-threaded and/or multiprocessor applications.

Scalable SMP and Processor Shielding

In tightly-coupled symmetric multiprocessing systems, SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time allows individual CPUs to be shielded from interrupt processing, daemons, bottom halves, and other Linux tasks. RTE processor shielding provides a highly deterministic execution environment where interrupt response and the time it takes to execute a transaction can be guaranteed.

Multithreading and Preemption

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time Linux kernel allows multiple processes to execute in the kernel simultaneously. The kernel protects key data structures and critical sections of code with semaphores and spin locks to preserve system integrity.

Processes executing in the RTE kernel can also be preempted, i.e. forced to relinquish a CPU involuntarily. The RTE kernel can transfer control from a lower priority process to a higher priority process except when the lower priority process is executing in a critical kernel section. To provide deterministic response, many critical sections of the kernel have been tuned and optimized to dramatically shorten non-preemptable conditions. These changes are key to allowing a high-priority process to respond immediately to an external event, even when the CPU is currently in use.

Semaphores internal to SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time also support priority inheritance to prevent priority inversion when multiple threads of an application are competing for operating system resources.

Single Kernel Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time is a standard Linux designed to fully support time-critical applications. RTE provides a true single-kernel programming environment that directly controls all system operation. Complex time-critical applications often require that high-speed file I/O, networking and graphics be performed deterministically together with real-time task scheduling. Only RTE's single-kernel design ensures determinism and high-speed performance of all these features.

Frequency-Based Scheduler

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time's Frequency-Based Scheduler (FBS) is a high-resolution task scheduler that enables the user to run processes in cyclical execution patterns. FBS controls the periodic execution of multiple, coordinated processes utilizing major and minor cycles with overrun detection. A performance monitor is also provided to view CPU utilization during each scheduled execution frame.

Real-Time Clock & Interrupt Module

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time supports Concurrent's Real-Time Clock & Interrupt Module (RCIM), a multifunction PCI card designed for time- critical applications that require rapid response to external events. Eight programmable timers and twelve input and output external interrupt lines are available. Any interrupt source can be distributed to other systems for synchronizing multi-system applications. The RCIM also includes a high-resolution synchronized clock to provide a common time base across multiple systems. A GPS option allows system time to be synchronized with GPS standard time. High-stability crystal oscillator options provide for accurate time keeping without an external time source.

NightStar™ Development Tools

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time supports Concurrent's powerful set of NightStar graphical development tools. Users can schedule, monitor, debug, and analyze their time-critical applications locally on their systems or remotely from a PC or laptop. Each tool runs on the target system non-intrusively, thus preserving the determinism of the application and allowing the debugging of time-sensitive problems. NightStar tools enable application designers to reduce software development time and maximize productivity when developing Linux solutions.

NightView™ Source-level Debugger

NightView allows users to simultaneously debug multiple threads in one or more processes. NightView provides the ability to change program executables and modify or display data without stopping or interrupting the program. Breakpoints, watchpoints and data monitorpoints are automatically patched into the application and execute at full application speed without affecting time-critical application performance. NightView includes an interactive memory debugger that helps find and eliminate memory and heap allocation problems during the debug process.

NightTrace™ Event Analyzer

NightTrace is a graphical tool for analyzing the dynamic behavior of applications. NightTrace can log events from multiple processes executing simultaneously on multiple CPUs. NightTrace combines user defined application events with kernel events to present a synchronized view of an entire system. Traceable RTE Linux events include individual system calls, context switches, machine exceptions, page faults, and interrupts. NightTrace allows users to zoom, search, filter, summarize, and analyze events in a wide variety of ways.

NightSim™ Scheduler

NightSim is a tool for building applications that require predictable, cyclic process execution. Ideal for simulation, NightSim allows developers to control and dynamically adjust multiple coordinated processes, their priorities, and CPU assignments. Users can control and monitor the performance of their applications by displaying period execution times, minimums and maximums, and can take action when frame overruns occur.

NightProbe™ Data Monitor

NightProbe is a tool for monitoring, altering, and recording data values within multiple executing programs or threads. NightProbe shares the virtual memory of the monitored program so that there is no impact on execution speed. NightProbe can be used in a development environment as a tool for debugging, analysis, prototyping, and fault injection, or in a production environment to create a GUI control panel for program input and output.

NightTune™ System and Application Tuner

NightTune provides a graphical interface to system facilities for monitoring and tuning application and system performance. Users can monitor the priority, scheduling policy, CPU assignment and CPU usage of user applications. NightTune also monitors system CPU usage, context switches, interrupts, memory paging and network activity.

Professional Services

Concurrent's Special Systems Group is available to design and deliver a wide range of custom software for the RTE environment. Concurrent engineers can develop drivers for I/O boards of your choice, rehost legacy application software, develop new applications, and provide performance analysis and system tuning. Concurrent can assist customers in addressing solution complexities that result from rapid changes in technology. Our technical expertise ensures timely delivery of state-of-the-market custom products designed to meet critical end-user needs.

Novell Premium Service

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time is packaged with Novell® Premium Service which offers the worldwide technical support, training and consulting needed for successful application deployment. Premium Service can be customized to meet individual response time and coverage needs. Novell Training Services enables an application staff to implement systems more efficiently and identify potential problems.

Features

• Real-time Linux® operating system for Intel® and AMD based multiprocessors
• Real-Time Deterministic Performance
  • Guaranteed interrupt response time
  • Preemptive, multithreaded, reentrant kernel
  • Low latency enhancements
  • Priority inheritance
  • Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)
  • User-level preemption control
  • Post/Wait services
  • Minimal dispatch latencies
  • CPU shielding
  • Per CPU Hyper-threading control
  • Dynamic and static load balancing
  • Frequency-based scheduling
• Industry Standards
  • Linux Standard Base (LSB)
  • POSIX 1003.1
  • POSIX 1003.1b
  • Semaphores and signals
  • Shared memory
  • Message queues
  • Memory locking
  • Asynchronous and synchronous I/O
  • Execution scheduling
  • High-resolution clocks and timers
• Novell Premium Service
  • Technical Support Requests
  • Training
  • Consulting
  • Performance Tuning
• Optional NightStar real-time development and analysis tools
  • Source level debugger
  • Event analyzer
  • Periodic scheduler
  • Data monitor
  • System and application tuner