Understanding Transparent Superpage Management

Superpages (2 MB pages) can reduce the address translation overhead for large-memory workloads in modern computer systems. We clearly outline the sequence of events in the life of a superpage and explore the design space of when and how to trigger and respond to those events. We provide a framework that enables better understanding of superpage management and the trade-offs involved in different design decisions. Quicksilver, our novel superpage management system, is designed based on the insights obtained by using this framework to improve superpage management.