Prioritized disk IO infrastructure on Linux (BOF)

The purpose of this BOF is to discuss the addition of priorities to disk IO operations, and related infrastructure, to mainstream Linux.

Such functionality would - among other uses - allow file systems to give real-time guarantees (such as a minimum rate for reading or writing files).

This BOF is initiated by the group developing the Active Block-IO Scheduling System (ABISS) at Philips Research Eindhoven, but is intended for all developers and potential users working on or interested in this kind of technology. Designs proposing similar infrastructure have been discussed recently on linux-fsdevel and related mailing lists.

We envision to start the BOF with brief (5 minutes or shorter) presentations of current IO priority schemes and real-time file system architectures on Linux, outlining their goals, design, and status.

This would be followed by a discussion to clarify goals, APIs, infrastructure requirements, e.g. constraints on IO schedulers (elevators), and further directions for work and cooperation towards the addition of such functionality to the Linux kernel.