Merge pull request #2867 from jasonrandrews/review2

Review Fastpath Learning Path

Author: jasonrandrews

content/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/fastpath/_index.md

@@ -1,20 +1,19 @@
 ---
-title: Fastpath Kernel Build and Install Guide
+title: Benchmark on Arm servers with different Linux kernels using Fastpath
 
 draft: true
 cascade:
     draft: true
 
 minutes_to_complete: 45
 
-who_is_this_for: Software developers and performance engineers who want to explore benchmarking across different kernel versions with Fastpath on Arm.
+who_is_this_for: This is an advanced topic for software developers and performance engineers who want to benchmark and compare different Linux kernel versions on Arm servers.
 
 learning_objectives:
-    - Understand how Fastpath streamlines kernel experimentation workflows
-    - Provision an Arm-based build machine and compile Fastpath-enabled kernels on it
-    - Provision an Arm-based test system, also known as the System Under Test (SUT)
-    - Create a test plan consisting of kernel versions and benchmark suites 
-    - Launch an Arm-based Fastpath host to orchestrate the kernel benchmarking process on the SUT
+    - Build custom Linux kernels for Arm systems using tuxmake and Fastpath
+    - Configure and provision Arm-based EC2 instances for kernel testing
+    - Create and execute test plans that compare kernel performance across versions
+    - Analyze benchmark results to identify performance differences between kernels
 
 prerequisites:
     - An AWS account with permissions to create EC2 instances

content/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/fastpath/_next-steps.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+# ================================================================================
+#       FIXED, DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE
+# ================================================================================
+weight: 21                  # Set to always be larger than the content in this path to be at the end of the navigation.
+title: "Next Steps"         # Always the same, html page title.
+layout: "learningpathall"   # All files under learning paths have this same wrapper for Hugo processing.
+---

content/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/fastpath/analyze_benchmark_results.md

@@ -1,26 +1,24 @@
 ---
-title: "Analyze the Benchmark Results"
+title: "Analyze the benchmark results"
 weight: 14
 
 layout: "learningpathall"
 ---
 
 ## Review benchmark results
 
+To inspect the outputs stored in the `results/` directory, use the sample commands output when `generate_plan.sh` completed. Some examples are below:
 
-
-To inspect the outputs stored in the `results/` directory you can use the sample commands output when `generate_plan.sh` completed.  Some examples are below:
-
-### List swprofiles involved from tests saved in the *results* folder:
+### List swprofiles from tests
 
 To see the swprofiles (kernels) tested and stored in the results directory, run:
 
-```commandline
+```console
 source ~/venv/bin/activate
 ~/fastpath/fastpath/fastpath result list results-fastpath_test_010826-1837 --object swprofile
 ```
 
-If you followed the tutorial exactly, you should see output similar to:
+The output is similar to:
 
 ```output
 +------------------+----------------------+
@@ -58,12 +56,15 @@ If you followed the tutorial exactly, you should see output similar to:
 
 ### View relative results per kernel
 
-To see the relative results for each kernel, run the following commands:
+To see the relative results for each kernel, run the following command:
 
-```commandline
-  ~/fastpath/fastpath/fastpath result show results-fastpath_test_010826-1837 --swprofile fp_6.19.0-rc1-ubuntu --relative
+```console
+~/fastpath/fastpath/fastpath result show results-fastpath_test_010826-1837 --swprofile fp_6.19.0-rc1-ubuntu --relative
 ```
-Relative in this case means that the statistics displayed are relative to the mean. In addition to the min/mean/max, you are also given the confidence interval bounds, the coefficient of variation and the number of samples, similar to:
+
+Relative in this case means that the statistics displayed are relative to the mean. In addition to the min/mean/max, you're also given the confidence interval bounds, the coefficient of variation, and the number of samples.
+
+The output is similar to:
 
 ```output
 +------------------+--------------------+--------+----------+--------+----------+--------+--------+-------+
@@ -75,10 +76,11 @@ Relative in this case means that the statistics displayed are relative to the me
 
 You can run it again for the other kernel:
 
-```commandline
+```console
 ~/fastpath/fastpath/fastpath result show results-fastpath_test_010826-1837 --swprofile fp_6.18.1-ubuntu --relative
 ```
-with output similar to:
+
+The output is similar to:
 
 ```output
 +------------------+--------------------+--------+----------+--------+----------+--------+--------+-------+
@@ -92,12 +94,11 @@ with output similar to:
 
 To compare the relative results between both kernels, run:
 
-
-
-```commandline
+```console
 ~/fastpath/fastpath/fastpath result show results-fastpath_test_010826-1837 --swprofile fp_6.19.0-rc1-ubuntu --swprofile fp_6.18.1-ubuntu --relative
 ```
-with output similar to:
+
+The output is similar to:
 
 ```output
 +------------------+--------------------+-----------------------+---------------------+
@@ -108,4 +109,6 @@ with output similar to:
 ```
 We see 6.18.1 is performing slightly better than 6.19-rc1 in this benchmark.
 
-More examples of analyzing results can be found in the [*fastpath* Results User Guide](https://fastpath.docs.arm.com/en/latest/user-guide/resultshow.html).
+More examples of analyzing results can be found in the [Fastpath Results User Guide](https://fastpath.docs.arm.com/en/latest/user-guide/resultshow.html).
+
+When you're done testing, remember to terminate your EC2 instances and clean up any other AWS resources you created to avoid unnecessary charges.

content/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/fastpath/build_setup.md

@@ -1,31 +1,31 @@
 ---
-title: "Setup Build Instance"
+title: "Set up the kernel build host"
 
 weight: 3
 
 layout: "learningpathall"
 ---
 
-## Provision the build host
+## Provision the kernel build host
 
-CPU-optimized instances compile kernels quickly, so in our example, an AWS Graviton `m6g.12xlarge` instance is used. It will be referred to as the *build* machine throughout the rest of the guide.
+CPU-optimized instances compile kernels quickly, so in our example, an AWS Graviton `m6g.12xlarge` instance is used. It will be referred to as the kernel build host throughout the rest of the guide.
 
 {{% notice Note %}}
-The following steps involve launching an EC2 instance.  You can perform all EC2 instance creation steps via the AWS Management Console instead or AWS CLI.  For step-by-step instructions to bring up an EC2 instance via the console, consult the [Compute Service Provider learning path](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/csp/) for detailed instructions.  A tutorial from AWS is also available via [Get started with Amazon EC2](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EC2_GetStarted.html).
+The following steps involve launching an EC2 instance. You can perform all EC2 instance creation steps using the AWS Management Console or AWS CLI. For step-by-step instructions to bring up an EC2 instance using the console, see [Get started with Arm-based cloud instances](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/csp/) or the AWS tutorial [Get started with Amazon EC2](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EC2_GetStarted.html).
 {{% /notice %}}
 
-Create build host with the following specifications:
+Create the kernel build host with the following specifications:
 
-1. **Name** — *fastpath-build*
-2. **Operating system** — *Ubuntu*
-3. **AMI** — *Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Arm)*
-4. **Architecture** — *64-bit Arm*
+1. **Name** — fastpath-build
+2. **Operating system** — Ubuntu
+3. **AMI** — Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Arm)
+4. **Architecture** — 64-bit Arm
 5. **Instance type** — `m6g.12xlarge`
-6. **Key pair** — *Select or create a key for SSH*
-7. **Security group** — *allow SSH inbound from your IP and cluster peers*
-8. **Storage** — *200 GB gp3*
+6. **Key pair** — Select or create a key for SSH
+7. **Security group** — Allow SSH inbound from your IP and cluster peers
+8. **Storage** — 200 GB gp3
 
-There are many different ways to create this instance, and a few different methods are demonstrated below.  Choose the method which suits you best.  
+There are many different ways to create this instance, and a few different methods are demonstrated below. Choose the method that suits you best.  
 
 {{< tabpane >}}
   {{< tab header="AWS Console" img_src="/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/fastpath/images/ec2_setup.png">}}
@@ -160,102 +160,73 @@ EOF
   {{< /tab >}}
 {{< /tabpane >}}
 
-When the instance reports a `running` state, note the public and private IP addresses as BUILD_PUBLIC_IP and BUILD_PRIVATE_IP.  You'll need these values later.
+When the instance reports a `running` state, note the public and private IP addresses as BUILD_PUBLIC_IP and BUILD_PRIVATE_IP. You'll need these values later.
 
-## Clone the Kernel Build repository on the build machine
+## Clone the Kernel Build repository on the build host
 
-The Kernel Build repository contains build scripts and configuration files needed to easily compile kernels. To clone the repository:
+The kernel build repository contains build scripts and configuration files to compile kernels. 
 
-1. SSH into the `m6g.12xlarge` host using the configured key pair.
+To clone the repository, first, SSH into the `m6g.12xlarge` host using the configured key pair.
 
-    ```output
-    ssh -i ~/.ssh/gcohen1.pem ubuntu@34.216.87.65
+For more background, refer to the [Install required dependencies](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/kernel-build/how-to-1/#install-required-dependencies) of the kernel build Learning Path.
 
-    $ ssh -i ~/.ssh/gcohen1.pem ubuntu@54.174.185.226
+Run the commands from that section on the build host. 
 
-    Warning: Permanently added '54.174.185.226' (ED25519) to the list of known hosts.
-    Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.14.0-1018-aws aarch64)
-
-    System information as of Thu Jan  8 18:12:07 UTC 2026
-
-      System load:  0.35               Users logged in:        0
-      Memory usage: 0%                 IPv4 address for ens66: 172.31.110.110
-
-    Last login: Thu Jan  8 18:12:14 2026 from 217.140.103.82
-    ubuntu@ip-172-31-110-110:~$
-    ```
-
-2. Open the [Install and Clone section](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/kernel-build/how-to-1/#install-required-dependencies) of the install guide from your workstation.
-
-3. Run each command from that section on the build machine.  It should be similar to the following (always refer to the above link for the latest command line):
-
-
-```output
-$ sudo apt update
-$ sudo apt install -y git python3 python3-pip python3-venv build-essential bc rsync dwarves flex bison libssl-dev libelf-dev btop yq
-$ cd
-$ git clone https://github.com/geremyCohen/arm_kernel_install_guide.git ~/arm_kernel_install_guide
-$ cd ~/arm_kernel_install_guide
-$ chmod +x scripts/*.sh
-
-WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.
-Hit:1 http://us-east-1.ec2.ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports noble InRelease
-Get:2 http://us-east-1.ec2.ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports noble-updates InRelease [126 kB]
-Get:3 http://us-east-1.ec2.ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports noble-backports InRelease [126 kB]
-Get:4 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports noble-security InRelease [126 kB]
-...
-0 upgraded, 104 newly installed, 0 to remove and 43 not upgraded.
-Setting up build-essential (12.10ubuntu1) ...
-Setting up libssl-dev:arm64 (3.0.13-0ubuntu3.6) ...
-Setting up python3-pip (24.0+dfsg-1ubuntu1.3) ...
-Cloning into 'arm_kernel_install_guide'...
+```console
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install -y git python3 python3-pip python3-venv python-is-python3 build-essential bc rsync dwarves flex bison libssl-dev libelf-dev btop yq jq
+git clone https://github.com/geremyCohen/arm_kernel_install_guide.git ~/arm_kernel_install_guide
+cd ~/arm_kernel_install_guide
+chmod +x scripts/*.sh
 ```
 
-## Building with the Kernel Build utility script
+## Building with the kernel build utility script
 
-With the repository cloned, you can now produce kernels with *fastpath* support.
+With the repository cloned, you can now produce kernels with Fastpath support.
 
 Normally, to manually build, you'd have to:
 
   - Update the host and install proper versions of every kernel build dependency
-  - Find and utilize the current stock kernel config 
+  - Find and use the current stock kernel config
   - Clone the upstream kernel tree to fetch the desired versions and clean the tree between builds
-  - For each kernel version, copy the base config into the workspace, and append all *fastpath*-specific options
+  - For each kernel version, copy the base config into the workspace, and append all Fastpath-specific options
   - Run tuxmake for each kernel with the proper options
-  - Repeat the entire process for the second tag, ensuring the builds don’t collide
+  - Repeat the entire process for the second tag, ensuring the builds don't collide
   - Verify both kernel directories contain the required files
-  
-But do not fear... Using ```scripts/kernel_build_and_install.sh``` bundles all those steps together in a single easy-to-use command.
 
-### Which kernels should you build and test against with Fastpath?
-The answer to this question depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  
+The `scripts/kernel_build_and_install.sh` script bundles all those steps together in a single easy-to-use command.
+
+### Which kernels should you build and test with Fastpath?
 
-If you are running through the *fastpath* tutorial for the first time and getting used to how it works, its fine to use the arbitrary kernel versions given in *fastpath* Example 2, which are v6.18.1 and v6.19-rc1.
+The answer to this question depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
 
-Once you are familiar with the process and you wish to explore and test further, choose any specific kernel versions, based on your use case.  
+If you're running through the Fastpath tutorial for the first time and getting used to how it works, use kernel versions v6.18.1 and v6.19-rc1.
+
+Once you're familiar with the process and want to explore and test further, choose any specific kernel versions based on your use case.  
 
 ## Compile and build Fastpath-enabled kernels 6.18.1 and 6.19-rc1
 
 {{% notice Note %}}
-Warning messages are expected at compile-time.  Warnings can be safely ignored, however fatal errors should be investigated.
+Warning messages are expected at compile-time. Warnings can be safely ignored, however fatal errors should be investigated.
 {{% /notice %}}
 
-To compile kernels with *fastpath* options:
+To compile kernels with Fastpath options:
 
-1. On the build machine, ```cd``` into the `arm_kernel_install_guide` folder you just cloned. 
+On the build host, navigate to the `arm_kernel_install_guide` folder you just cloned. 
 
-```command
+```console
 cd ~/arm_kernel_install_guide
 ```
 
-```output
-ubuntu@ip-172-31-110-110:~/arm_kernel_install_guide$
+Open the [Custom tags with Fastpath enabled](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/kernel-build/how-to-3/#build-custom-tags-with-fastpath-enabled) section from the Learning Path, and follow the instructions to run the build script. 
+
+```console
+./scripts/kernel_build_and_install.sh --tags v6.18.1,v6.19-rc1 --fastpath true
 ```
 
-2. Open the [Custom tags with *fastpath* enabled](/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/kernel-build/how-to-3/#build-custom-tags-with-fastpath-enabled) section from the install guide, and follow the instructions to run the build script. It should be similar to the following (always refer to the above link for the latest command line):
+The output should be similar to the following (always refer to the above link for the latest command line):
 
 ```output
-$ ./scripts/kernel_build_and_install.sh --tags v6.18.1,v6.19-rc1 --fastpath true
 
 [2026-01-08 18:13:14] Updating apt metadata
 Kernel build settings:
@@ -275,8 +246,8 @@ I: build output in /home/ubuntu/kernels/6.19.0-rc1-ubuntu
 [2026-01-08 18:32:06] [v6.19-rc1-2] Build artifacts are located in /home/ubuntu/kernels/6.19.0-rc1-ubuntu+
 ```
 
-The script will now build two kernel images.  This process may take some time -- on a `m6g.12xlarge` instance, expect approximately 30 minutes for both kernel builds to complete.
+The script builds two kernel images. This process may take some time. On a `m6g.12xlarge` instance, expect approximately 30 minutes for both kernel builds to complete.
 
-4. Monitor the console output for the `BUILD COMPLETE` message. 
+Monitor the console output for the `BUILD COMPLETE` message.
 
-Once finished, you will be ready to move on to the next step, where you prepare the *fastpath* host.
+Once finished, you're ready to move on to the next step, where you prepare the Fastpath host.