Re: [PATCH 00/05] robust per_cpu allocation for modules

From: Steven Rostedt
Date: Sat Apr 15 2006 - 16:18:10 EST



On Sat, 15 Apr 2006, Nick Piggin wrote:

> Steven Rostedt wrote:
>
> > would now create a variable called per_cpu_offset__myint in
> > the .data.percpu_offset section. This variable will point to the (if
> > defined in the kernel) __per_cpu_offset[] array. If this was a module
> > variable, it would point to the module per_cpu_offset[] array which is
> > created when the modules is loaded.
>
> If I'm following you correctly, this adds another dependent load
> to a per-CPU data access, and from memory that isn't node-affine.
>
> If so, I think people with SMP and NUMA kernels would care more
> about performance and scalability than the few k of memory this
> saves.

It's not just about saving memory, but also to make it more robust. But
that's another story.

Since both the offset array, and the variables are mainly read only (only
written on boot up), added the fact that the added variables are in their
own section. Couldn't something be done to help pre load this in a local
cache, or something similar?

I understand SMP issues pretty well, but NUMA is still somewhat foreign to
me.

-- Steve

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/