Bootup Time Improvement for Embedded Linux using Snapshot Images Created on Boot Time

Abstract

This paper introduces a method to improve the snapshot boot method, so as to enhance the booting speed of an embedded Linux-based system and increase its efficiency. Snapshot boot is a method using the suspend/resume function in order to save and restore the current tasks' information. It enhances the booting speed by processing a restoration of the previous tasks from the bootloader, instead of processing the Linux booting. The biggest problem with snapshot boot is that it takes a long time to create images and then save them to the storage device during the suspend process, because it targets every page. In addition, if the switch is turned off while creating an image, then the image is not created, and the resume process cannot be executed. The method advocated in this paper creates the snapshot image only once and utilizes the image to enhance the booting speed and stability. 1