TLDR: Transparent Huge Pages (THP) is a memory management feature in the Linux Kernel that automatically uses large memory pages to improve performance by reducing TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) misses. Introduced in Linux Kernel 2.6.38 in 2011, it enables applications to benefit from huge pages without requiring manual configuration, making it ideal for workloads involving large datasets or high memory access rates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_table
THP works by allocating memory in larger page sizes, typically 2MB or 1GB, instead of the standard 4KB pages. This reduces the overhead of maintaining large page tables and improves TLB efficiency, resulting in faster memory access. The Linux Kernel handles THP transparently, meaning applications do not need to be modified to take advantage of this feature. However, it includes tunable parameters that allow administrators to enable, disable, or configure THP based on system requirements.
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/mm/transhuge.html
While Transparent Huge Pages provide significant performance benefits, they can also introduce latency in scenarios where memory fragmentation prevents efficient allocation of huge pages. Tools like `madvise` and monitoring utilities help optimize THP usage for specific workloads. By balancing the trade-offs between memory overhead and performance gains, THP remains a valuable feature in modern Linux systems, particularly in databases, virtualization, and high-performance computing environments.