Using phase behavior in scientific application to guide Linux operating system customization

In this paper, we present the design of a system that automatically generates application-specific Linux images for scientific applications that execute using batched cluster resources. Key to our approach is the use of recurring patterns in program performance, i.e., phase-behavior, that can be exploited potentially to guide automatic Linux customization and to enable significantly higher levels in program performance. We overview project and present a set of preliminary results that show the potential of our approach.