Unlocking Better Performance with Linux 6.3: Exploring the Networking Subsystem

The Linux 6.3 kernel brings a range of networking updates and driver enhancements to provide better networking performance and lower latencies. The most prominent new feature is BIG TCP for IPv4, which had previously only been available for IPv6 traffic and is now available for IPv4 traffic too. This allows for larger TSO/GRO packet sizes, leading to improved speeds, particularly in the 25~100+ Gbit networking space. Comparing benchmarks of the IPv4 BIG TCP patch series shows some very positive results.

The Linux 6.3 kernel also extends the Intel ICE driver to support BIG TCP for IPv6 and adds support for minimal WiFi 7 Extremely High Throughput (EHT) reporting, WiFi 7 EHT channel puncturing, and removes static WEP support. There are also various BPF enhancements and trampoline support for s390x and RISC-V 64-bit hardware.

New hardware support is available too, with the Linux 6.3 kernel adding NVIDIA BlueField 3 DPU Ethernet support, i.MX93 SoC support, Qualcomm’s WiFi 7 ath12k device support, and Realtek RTL8188EU WiFi adapter support.

Overall, the new networking subsystem feature updates in the Linux 6.3 kernel are sure to provide better performance, lower latency, and support for a range of new hardware. This will ensure Linux remains a popular choice for data centers and those users who need high-speed networking performance.