Chapter 12. Kernel
Kernel version in RHEL 7.6
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6 is distributed with the kernel version 3.10.0-957. (BZ#1801759)
The kdump FCoE target has been added into the kexec-tools documents
This update adds the
kdump Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) target into the kexec-tools documents. As a result, users now have better understanding about the state and details of kdump on FCoE target support. (BZ#1352763)
The SCHED_DEADLINE scheduler class enabled
This update adds support for the
SCHED_DEADLINE scheduler class for the Linux kernel. The scheduler enables predictable task scheduling based on application deadlines. SCHED_DEADLINE benefits periodic workloads by guaranteeing timing isolation, which is not based only on a fixed priority but also on the applications' timing requirements. (BZ#1344565)
User mount namespaces now fully supported
The mount namespaces feature, previously available as a Technology Preview, is now fully supported. (BZ#1350553)
kernel.shmmax and kernel.shmall updated to kernel defaults on IBM Z
Previously, applications that required a large amount of memory in some cases terminated unexpectedly due to low values of the
kernel.shmmax and kernel.shmall parameters on IBM Z. This update aligns the values of kernel.shmmax and kernel.shmall with kernel defaults, which helps avoid the described crashes. (BZ#1493069)
Updated aQuantia Corporation atlantic Network driver
The aQuantia Corporation Network driver,
atlantic.ko.xz, has been updated to version 2.0.2.1-kern and it is now fully supported. (BZ#1451438)
Thunderbolt 3 is now supported
This update adds support for the Thunderbolt 3 interface. (BZ#1620372)
Intel® Omni-Path Architecture (OPA) Host Software
Intel Omni-Path Architecture (OPA) host software is fully supported in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6.
Intel OPA provides Host Fabric Interface (HFI) hardware with initialization and setup for high performance data transfers (high bandwidth, high message rate, low latency) between compute and I/O nodes in a clustered environment.
For instructions on installing Intel Omni-Path Architecture documentation, see: https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/network-and-i-o/fabric-products/Intel_OP_Software_RHEL_7_6_RN_K34562.pdf (BZ#1627126)
opal-prd rebased to version 6.0.4 on the little-endian variant of IBM POWER Systems
On the little-endian variant of IBM POWER Systems, the opal-prd packages have been upgraded to upstream version 6.0.4, which provides a number of bug fixes and enhancements over the previous version. For example:
- Performance in High Performance Computing (HPC) environments has been improved.
- The
powernv_flashmodule is now explicitly loaded on systems based on Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), which ensures that the flash device is created before theopal-prddaemon starts. - Error on the first failure for soft or hard offline is no longer displayed by the
opal-prddaemon. (BZ#1564097, BZ#1537001)
