Canonical ships Ubuntu images on AWS with an AWS-optimized kernel that supports most workloads and is continually tested across all instance types. Some applications, however, require specific kernel capabilities, such as larger memory pages or deterministic scheduling. For these cases, Canonical offers additional kernel variants tailored for specialized performance needs.
ARM 64K pages kernel
The standard ARM kernel uses 4K pages, which is suitable for most compute scenarios. But memory-intensive workloads, especially those requiring high throughput, can see meaningful performance gains with larger page sizes. This is common in High Performance Computing and machine learning, where memory pressure and Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) activity play a major role.
For these scenarios, Canonical provides an AWS-optimized kernel variant with 64K pages, available starting from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
When to use it
Use the 64K pages kernel if your workload:
- Performs large sequential memory operations
- Is HPC, ML training, or large data processing
- Shows TLB pressure or memory bottlenecks in profiling
How to install it
This kernel is openly available as a deb package and thus can be installed with apt:
sudo apt install linux-aws-64k
For a detailed, step-by-step guide, follow our official documentation
Real-time kernel
The real-time kernel is available on both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures. It is designed for workloads that require predictable and deterministic event handling, prioritizing low latency and consistent response times over raw throughput. Common use cases include IoT, automotive systems, and Telco environments, especially when developers need a cloud-based digital twin for development or simulation.
Real-time kernels are available with an Ubuntu Pro subscription.
When to use it
Use the real-time kernel if your application:
- Replicates a real-time system on the cloud (digital twins of local hardware)
- Require deterministic response times for external events
- Is sensitive to scheduling jitter
How to install it
Launch an Ubuntu Pro AMI on AWS and enable realtime with the following command:
sudo pro enable real-time
Then reboot.
Final comments
Selecting the right kernel variant helps ensure that your Ubuntu workloads on AWS deliver the performance, predictability, and efficiency your applications need. Whether you’re optimizing memory-heavy compute tasks or enabling real-time responsiveness, Ubuntu provides supported, AWS-optimized options for every scenario.
To learn more about these variants, follow our official documentation