Re: [PATCH v3 7/7] cgroup: document cgroup v2 freezer interface

From: Roman Gushchin
Date: Mon Nov 19 2018 - 12:43:03 EST


On Sat, Nov 17, 2018 at 12:02:28AM -0800, Mike Rapoport wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Fri, Nov 16, 2018 at 04:38:30PM -0800, Roman Gushchin wrote:
> > Describe cgroup v2 freezer interface in the cgroup v2 admin guide.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Roman Gushchin <guro@xxxxxx>
> > Cc: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: linux-doc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: kernel-team@xxxxxx
> > ---
> > Documentation/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.rst | 26 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+)
> >
> > diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.rst
> > index 184193bcb262..a065c0bed88c 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.rst
> > +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.rst
> > @@ -862,6 +862,8 @@ All cgroup core files are prefixed with "cgroup."
> > populated
> > 1 if the cgroup or its descendants contains any live
> > processes; otherwise, 0.
> > + frozen
> > + 1 if the cgroup is frozen; otherwise, 0.
> >
> > cgroup.max.descendants
> > A read-write single value files. The default is "max".
> > @@ -895,6 +897,30 @@ All cgroup core files are prefixed with "cgroup."
> > A dying cgroup can consume system resources not exceeding
> > limits, which were active at the moment of cgroup deletion.
> >
> > + cgroup.freeze
> > + A read-write single value file which exists on non-root cgroups.
> > + Allowed values are "0" and "1". The default is "0".
> > +
> > + Writing "1" to the file causes freezing of the cgroup and all
> > + descendant cgroups. This means that all belonging processes will
> > + be stopped and will not run until the cgroup will be explicitly
> > + unfrozen. Freezing of the cgroup may take some time; when the process
>
> "when the process is complete" sounds somewhat ambiguous, it's unclear
> whether freezing is complete or the process that's being frozen is
> complete.
>
> Maybe "when this action is completed"?
>
> > + is complete, the "frozen" value in the cgroup.events control file
> > + will be updated and the corresponding notification will be issued.
>
> Can you please clarify how exactly cgroup.events would be updated?
>
> > + Cgroup can be frozen either by its own settings, either by settings
>
> ^ A cgroup ... and maybe there are more "a" and "the" that should be
> fixed, it's hard for me to tell.
>
> Also, I believe "either ..., or ..." sounds better than "either ...,
> either ..."
>
> > + of any ancestor cgroups. If any of ancestor cgroups is frozen, the
> > + cgroup will remain frozen.
> > +
> > + Processes in the frozen cgroup can be killed by a fatal signal.
> > + They also can enter and leave a frozen cgroup: either by an explicit
> > + move by a user, either if freezing of the cgroup races with fork().
>
> ditto
>
> > + If a cgroup is moved to a frozen cgroup, it stops. If a process is
>
> ^ process?
>
> > + moving out of a frozen cgroup, it becomes running.
>
> ^ moved

Hello, Mike!

Thanks for the review! I agree with all comments above; fixes queued for v4.

>
> > + Frozen status of a cgroup doesn't affect any cgroup tree operations:
> > + it's possible to delete a frozen (and empty) cgroup, as well as
> > + create new sub-cgroups.
>
> Maybe it's also worth adding that freezing a process has no effect on its
> memory consumption, at least directly.

Hm, isn't it the expected behavior?

In any case, I assume that cgroup.freeze knob description is not the best place
for a such explanations. Maybe it's better to add a standalone paragraph with
the description of the frozen process state, what's expected to work, what's
not, etc. I'd return to this question a bit later, when we'll agree on the user
interface and the implementation.

Thanks!