Re: [PATCH v4 08/17] mm/sparse-vmemmap: support section-based vmemmap optimization

From: Muchun Song

Date: Mon Aug 24 2026 - 07:10:17 EST




On 2026/8/24 16:59, Mike Rapoport wrote:
Teach sparse-vmemmap population code to use the compound page order
when deciding whether a vmemmap page can be optimized.

With this information, the common sparse-vmemmap population path can
allocate or reuse shared tail vmemmap pages directly instead of relying
on HugeTLB-specific handling.

This centralizes vmemmap optimization logic in the sparse-vmemmap code,
based on section metadata, and prepares for sharing the same mechanism
across different users of vmemmap optimization, including HugeTLB and
DAX.

Signed-off-by: Muchun Song <songmuchun@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

diff --git a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
index b770fe2428fd..737d50bdd3ef 100644
--- a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
+++ b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
@@ -186,6 +186,11 @@ static __meminit struct page *vmemmap_get_tail(unsigned int order, struct zone *
return tail;
}
+#else
+static inline struct page *vmemmap_get_tail(unsigned int order, struct zone *zone)
+{
+ return NULL;
+}
#endif
static pte_t * __meminit vmemmap_pte_populate(pmd_t *pmd, unsigned long addr, int node,
@@ -193,12 +198,24 @@ static pte_t * __meminit vmemmap_pte_populate(pmd_t *pmd, unsigned long addr, in
unsigned long ptpfn, unsigned long flags)
{
pte_t *pte = pte_offset_kernel(pmd, addr);
+ unsigned long pfn = page_to_pfn((struct page *)addr);
+
if (pte_none(ptep_get(pte))) {
pte_t entry;
- void *p;
+
+ if (vmemmap_optimizable_pfn(pfn) && ptpfn == (unsigned long)-1) {
+ unsigned int order = pfn_to_section_order(pfn);
+ struct zone *zone = pfn_to_zone(pfn, node);
+ struct page *page = vmemmap_get_tail(order, zone);
+
+ if (!page)
+ return NULL;
+ ptpfn = page_to_pfn(page);
+ }
if (ptpfn == (unsigned long)-1) {
- p = vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(PAGE_SIZE, node, altmap);
+ void *p = vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(PAGE_SIZE, node, altmap);
+
What do you think about adding a helper function here, e.g something
like

Better than mine. More clear.


diff --git a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
index 0aa0ab4f8b11..933b122f9937 100644
--- a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
+++ b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
@@ -191,6 +191,23 @@ static inline struct page *vmemmap_get_tail(unsigned int order, struct zone *zon
}
#endif
+static void * __meminit vmemmap_alloc_pte(unsigned long pfn, int node,
+ struct vmem_altmap *altmap)
+{
+ unsigned int order = pfn_to_section_order(pfn);
+ struct zone *zone = pfn_to_zone(pfn, node);
+ struct page *page;
+
+ if (!vmemmap_optimizable_pfn(pfn))
+ return vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(PAGE_SIZE, node, altmap);
+
+ page = vmemmap_get_tail(order, zone);
+ if (!page)
+ return NULL;
+
+ return page_address(page);
+}
+
static pte_t * __meminit vmemmap_pte_populate(pmd_t *pmd, unsigned long addr, int node,
struct vmem_altmap *altmap,
unsigned long ptpfn, unsigned long flags)
@@ -201,19 +218,8 @@ static pte_t * __meminit vmemmap_pte_populate(pmd_t *pmd, unsigned long addr, in
if (pte_none(ptep_get(pte))) {
pte_t entry;
- if (vmemmap_optimizable_pfn(pfn) && ptpfn == (unsigned long)-1) {
- unsigned int order = pfn_to_section_order(pfn);
- struct zone *zone = pfn_to_zone(pfn, node);
- struct page *page = vmemmap_get_tail(order, zone);
-
- if (!page)
- return NULL;
- ptpfn = page_to_pfn(page);
- }
-
if (ptpfn == (unsigned long)-1) {
- void *p = vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(PAGE_SIZE, node, altmap);
-
+ void *p = vmemmap_alloc_pte(pfn, node, altmap);
if (!p)
return NULL;
ptpfn = PHYS_PFN(__pa(p));

if (!p)
return NULL;
ptpfn = PHYS_PFN(__pa(p));
@@ -217,7 +234,8 @@ static pte_t * __meminit vmemmap_pte_populate(pmd_t *pmd, unsigned long addr, in
}
entry = pfn_pte(ptpfn, PAGE_KERNEL);
set_pte_at(&init_mm, addr, pte, entry);
- }
+ } else if (WARN_ON_ONCE(vmemmap_optimizable_pfn(pfn)))
+ return NULL;
return pte;
}
@@ -406,6 +424,9 @@ int __meminit vmemmap_populate_hugepages(unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
pmd_t *pmd;
for (addr = start; addr < end; addr = next) {
+ unsigned long pfn = page_to_pfn((struct page *)addr);
+ const struct mem_section *ms = __pfn_to_section(pfn);
+
next = pmd_addr_end(addr, end);
pgd = vmemmap_pgd_populate(addr, node);
@@ -421,7 +442,7 @@ int __meminit vmemmap_populate_hugepages(unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
return -ENOMEM;
pmd = pmd_offset(pud, addr);
- if (pmd_none(pmdp_get(pmd))) {
+ if (pmd_none(pmdp_get(pmd)) && !section_vmemmap_optimizable(ms)) {
void *p;
p = vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(PMD_SIZE, node, altmap);
@@ -439,8 +460,11 @@ int __meminit vmemmap_populate_hugepages(unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
*/
return -ENOMEM;
}
- } else if (vmemmap_check_pmd(pmd, node, addr, next))
+ } else if (vmemmap_check_pmd(pmd, node, addr, next)) {
+ if (WARN_ON_ONCE(section_vmemmap_optimizable(ms)))
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
continue;
+ }
if (vmemmap_populate_basepages(addr, next, node, altmap))
return -ENOMEM;
}
@@ -620,6 +644,33 @@ void __init sparse_init_subsection_map(void)
sparse_init_subsection_map_range(start, end - start);
}
+int __meminit section_nr_vmemmap_pages(unsigned long pfn, unsigned long nr_pages,
+ struct vmem_altmap *altmap, struct dev_pagemap *pgmap)
+{
Can we do all code movements in separate patches?

Yes.

Maybe even move this to the previous patch and update the changelog to
say "move code around in preparation ..."

Make sense. Will do next version.

Muchun,
Thanks.