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diff --git a/doc/manual/advanced-topics/cores-vs-jobs.xml b/doc/manual/advanced-topics/cores-vs-jobs.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..eba645faf879 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/manual/advanced-topics/cores-vs-jobs.xml @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" + xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" + xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" + version="5.0" + xml:id="chap-tuning-cores-and-jobs"> + +<title>Tuning Cores and Jobs</title> + +<para>Nix has two relevant settings with regards to how your CPU cores +will be utilized: <xref linkend="conf-cores" /> and +<xref linkend="conf-max-jobs" />. This chapter will talk about what +they are, how they interact, and their configuration trade-offs.</para> + +<variablelist> + <varlistentry> + <term><xref linkend="conf-max-jobs" /></term> + <listitem><para> + Dictates how many separate derivations will be built at the same + time. If you set this to zero, the local machine will do no + builds. Nix will still substitute from binary caches, and build + remotely if remote builders are configured. + </para></listitem> + </varlistentry> + <varlistentry> + <term><xref linkend="conf-cores" /></term> + <listitem><para> + Suggests how many cores each derivation should use. Similar to + <command>make -j</command>. + </para></listitem> + </varlistentry> +</variablelist> + +<para>The <xref linkend="conf-cores" /> setting determines the value of +<envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar>. <envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar> is equal +to <xref linkend="conf-cores" />, unless <xref linkend="conf-cores" /> +equals <literal>0</literal>, in which case <envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar> +will be the total number of cores in the system.</para> + +<para>The total number of consumed cores is a simple multiplication, +<xref linkend="conf-cores" /> * <envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar>.</para> + +<para>The balance on how to set these two independent variables depends +upon each builder's workload and hardware. Here are a few example +scenarios on a machine with 24 cores:</para> + +<table> + <caption>Balancing 24 Build Cores</caption> + <thead> + <tr> + <th><xref linkend="conf-max-jobs" /></th> + <th><xref linkend="conf-cores" /></th> + <th><envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar></th> + <th>Maximum Processes</th> + <th>Result</th> + </tr> + </thead> + <tbody> + <tr> + <td>1</td> + <td>24</td> + <td>24</td> + <td>24</td> + <td> + One derivation will be built at a time, each one can use 24 + cores. Undersold if a job can’t use 24 cores. + </td> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td>4</td> + <td>6</td> + <td>6</td> + <td>24</td> + <td> + Four derivations will be built at once, each given access to + six cores. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>12</td> + <td>6</td> + <td>6</td> + <td>72</td> + <td> + 12 derivations will be built at once, each given access to six + cores. This configuration is over-sold. If all 12 derivations + being built simultaneously try to use all six cores, the + machine's performance will be degraded due to extensive context + switching between the 12 builds. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>24</td> + <td>1</td> + <td>1</td> + <td>24</td> + <td> + 24 derivations can build at the same time, each using a single + core. Never oversold, but derivations which require many cores + will be very slow to compile. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>24</td> + <td>0</td> + <td>24</td> + <td>576</td> + <td> + 24 derivations can build at the same time, each using all the + available cores of the machine. Very likely to be oversold, + and very likely to suffer context switches. + </td> + </tr> + </tbody> +</table> + +<para>It is up to the derivations' build script to respect +host's requested cores-per-build by following the value of the +<envar>NIX_BUILD_CORES</envar> environment variable.</para> + +</chapter> |