Re: [PATCH] mm: readahead: remove redundant ra_pages in file_ra_state

From: Ni zhan Chen
Date: Fri Oct 26 2012 - 03:20:04 EST


On 10/26/2012 03:09 PM, Fengguang Wu wrote:
On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 03:03:12PM +0800, Ni zhan Chen wrote:
On 10/26/2012 02:58 PM, Fengguang Wu wrote:
static void shrink_readahead_size_eio(struct file *filp,
struct file_ra_state *ra)
{
- ra->ra_pages /= 4;
+ spin_lock(&filp->f_lock);
+ filp->f_mode |= FMODE_RANDOM;
+ spin_unlock(&filp->f_lock);

As the example in comment above this function, the read maybe still
sequential, and it will waste IO bandwith if modify to FMODE_RANDOM
directly.
Yes immediately disabling readahead may hurt IO performance, the
original '/ 4' may perform better when there are only 1-3 IO errors
encountered.
Hi Fengguang,

Why the number should be 1-3?
The original behavior is '/= 4' on each error.

After 1 errors, readahead size will be shrinked by 1/4
After 2 errors, readahead size will be shrinked by 1/16
After 3 errors, readahead size will be shrinked by 1/64
After 4 errors, readahead size will be effectively 0 (disabled)

But from function shrink_readahead_size_eio and its caller filemap_fault I can't find the behavior you mentioned. How you figure out it?

Regards,
Chen


Thanks,
Fengguang


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