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Performance Tuning: Make It Fast

Performance tuning optimizes your system. Make it faster. More efficient.

Here's the thing: Most systems are fast enough. But when they're not, tune them.

CPU Tuning​

CPU Governors​

# View current governor
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor

# Set governor
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor

Governors:

  • performance = Maximum speed
  • powersave = Energy efficient
  • ondemand = Adjusts based on load

My take: Performance governor = maximum speed. Use it when you need speed.

Memory Tuning​

Swap Configuration​

# View swap
free -h

# Adjust swappiness
sudo sysctl -w vm.swappiness=10

My take: Swap is slow. Reduce swappiness. Use more RAM.

I/O Tuning​

I/O Scheduler​

# View scheduler
cat /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler

# Set scheduler
echo deadline | sudo tee /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler

My take: I/O scheduler affects disk performance. Choose the right one.

When to Tune​

Tune when:

  • System is slow
  • High workload
  • Performance critical
  • Resource constrained

Don't tune when:

  • System is fast enough
  • Don't need optimization
  • Premature optimization

My take: Tune when needed. Don't tune prematurely.

Common Mistakes (I've Made These)​

  1. Premature optimization: Optimize when needed. Not before.

  2. Too many changes: Change one thing at a time. Test results.

  3. Not measuring: Measure before and after. Know if it helps.

  4. Wrong settings: Settings depend on workload. Choose right ones.

  5. Ignoring defaults: Defaults are usually good. Don't change unless needed.

Real-World Examples​

Set Performance Governor​

echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor

Reduce Swappiness​

sudo sysctl -w vm.swappiness=10

Set I/O Scheduler​

echo deadline | sudo tee /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler

What's Next?​

Now that you understand tuning, you can optimize performance. Or learn about Containers for modern deployment.

Personal note: Tuning seemed complex at first. Then I tuned a slow system. Now I understand it. Tune when needed. Don't overthink it.