epoll

epoll is a high-performance I/O event notification system in Linux, essential for handling large-scale asynchronous network operations in server-side game development. Unlike select or poll, it uses an event-driven model, reducing CPU overhead and improving scalability. Game servers leverage epoll to efficiently manage thousands of concurrent connections, responding only when events occur, minimizing system calls, and optimizing resource usage—making it ideal for multiplayer games and real-time applications.