Re: [RFC PATCH 2/5] mm/page_alloc: use smallest fallback page first in movable allocation

From: Vlastimil Babka
Date: Fri Oct 14 2016 - 06:52:49 EST


On 10/14/2016 03:26 AM, Joonsoo Kim wrote:
On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 11:12:10AM +0200, Vlastimil Babka wrote:
On 10/13/2016 10:08 AM, js1304@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>From: Joonsoo Kim <iamjoonsoo.kim@xxxxxxx>
>
>When we try to find freepage in fallback buddy list, we always serach
>the largest one. This would help for fragmentation if we process
>unmovable/reclaimable allocation request because it could cause permanent
>fragmentation on movable pageblock and spread out such allocations would
>cause more fragmentation. But, movable allocation request is
>rather different. It would be simply freed or migrated so it doesn't
>contribute to fragmentation on the other pageblock. In this case, it would
>be better not to break the precious highest order freepage so we need to
>search the smallest freepage first.

I've also pondered this, but then found a lower hanging fruit that
should be hopefully clear win and mitigate most cases of breaking
high-order pages unnecessarily:

http://marc.info/?l=linux-mm&m=147582914330198&w=2

Yes, I agree with that change. That's the similar patch what I tried
before.

"mm/page_alloc: don't break highest order freepage if steal"
http://marc.info/?l=linux-mm&m=143011930520417&w=2

Ah, indeed, I forgot about it and had to rediscover :)



So I would try that first, and then test your patch on top? In your
patch there's a risk that we make it harder for
unmovable/reclaimable pageblocks to become movable again (we start
with the smallest page which means there's lower chance that
move_freepages_block() will convert more than half of the block).

Indeed, but, with your "count movable pages when stealing", risk would
disappear. :)

Hmm, but that counting is only triggered when we attempt to steal whole pageblock. For movable allocation, can_steal_fallback() allows that only for
(order >= pageblock_order / 2), and since your patch makes "order" as small as possible for movable allocations, the chances are lower?

And Johannes's report seems to be about a regression in exactly this
aspect of the heuristics.

Even if your change slows down the breaking high order freepage, but,
it would provide just a small delay to break. High order freepage
would be broken soon and we cannot prevent to decrease high order
freepage in the system. With my approach, high order freepage would
stay longer time.

For Johannes case, my approach doesn't aim at recovering from that
situation. Instead, it tries to prevent such situation that
migratetype of pageblock is changed.

Thanks.