Re: [PATCH 0/3] VM throttling: avoid blocking occasional writers
From: Peter Zijlstra
Date: Wed Mar 14 2007 - 09:18:58 EST
Hi,
I've been working on an alternative solution (see patch below). However
I haven't posted yet because I'm not quite satisfied and haven't done a
lot of testing.
The patch relies on the per backing dev dirty/writeback counts currently
in -mm to which David Chinner objected. I plan to rework those as percpu
counters.
I think my solution might behave better because it fully decouples the
device throttling.
---
Scale writeback cache per backing device, proportional to its writeout speed.
akpm sayeth:
> Which problem are we trying to solve here? afaik our two uppermost
> problems are:
>
> a) Heavy write to queue A causes light writer to queue B to blok for a long
> time in balance_dirty_pages(). Even if the devices have the same speed.
This one; esp when not the same speed. The - my usb stick makes my
computer suck - problem. But even on similar speed, the separation of
device should avoid blocking dev B when dev A is being throttled.
The writeout speed is measure dynamically, so when it doesn't have
anything to write out for a while its writeback cache size goes to 0.
Conversely, when starting up it will in the beginning act almost
synchronous but will quickly build up a 'fair' share of the writeback
cache.
> b) heavy write to device A causes light write to device A to block for a
> long time in balance_dirty_pages(), occasionally. Harder to fix.
This will indeed take more. I've thought about it though. But one
quickly ends up with per task state.
How it all works:
We pick a 2^n value based on the vm_dirty_ratio and total vm size to act as a
period - vm_cycle_shift. This period measures 'time' in writeout events.
Each writeout increases time and adds to a per bdi counter. This counter is
halved when a period expires. So per bdi speed is:
0.5 * (previous cycle speed) + this cycle's events.
Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@xxxxxxxxx>
---
block/ll_rw_blk.c | 3 +
include/linux/backing-dev.h | 7 +++
include/linux/writeback.h | 10 ++++
kernel/sysctl.c | 10 +++-
mm/page-writeback.c | 102 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
5 files changed, 119 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
Index: linux-2.6/include/linux/backing-dev.h
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/include/linux/backing-dev.h
+++ linux-2.6/include/linux/backing-dev.h
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ struct backing_dev_info {
void *congested_data; /* Pointer to aux data for congested func */
void (*unplug_io_fn)(struct backing_dev_info *, struct page *);
void *unplug_io_data;
+
+ /*
+ * data used for scaling the writeback cache
+ */
+ spinlock_t lock; /* protect the cycle count */
+ atomic_long_t nr_writeout; /* writeout scale */
+ unsigned long cycles; /* writeout cycles */
};
Index: linux-2.6/include/linux/writeback.h
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/include/linux/writeback.h
+++ linux-2.6/include/linux/writeback.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
#ifndef WRITEBACK_H
#define WRITEBACK_H
+#include <linux/log2.h>
+
struct backing_dev_info;
extern spinlock_t inode_lock;
@@ -89,11 +91,19 @@ void throttle_vm_writeout(gfp_t gfp_mask
/* These are exported to sysctl. */
extern int dirty_background_ratio;
extern int vm_dirty_ratio;
+extern int vm_cycle_shift;
extern int dirty_writeback_interval;
extern int dirty_expire_interval;
extern int block_dump;
extern int laptop_mode;
+extern long vm_total_pages; /* reduce dependancy stuff */
+static inline void update_cycle_shift(void)
+{
+ unsigned long dirty_pages = (vm_dirty_ratio * vm_total_pages) / 100;
+ vm_cycle_shift = 2 + ilog2_up(int_sqrt(dirty_pages));
+}
+
struct ctl_table;
struct file;
int dirty_writeback_centisecs_handler(struct ctl_table *, int, struct file *,
Index: linux-2.6/kernel/sysctl.c
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ linux-2.6/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -612,6 +612,14 @@ static ctl_table kern_table[] = {
static int zero;
static int one_hundred = 100;
+static int proc_dointvec_vm_dirty_ratio(ctl_table *table, int write,
+ struct file *filp, void __user *buffer, size_t *lenp,
+ loff_t *ppos)
+{
+ int ret = proc_dointvec_minmax(table, write, filp, buffer, lenp, ppos);
+ update_cycle_shift();
+ return ret;
+}
static ctl_table vm_table[] = {
{
@@ -663,7 +671,7 @@ static ctl_table vm_table[] = {
.data = &vm_dirty_ratio,
.maxlen = sizeof(vm_dirty_ratio),
.mode = 0644,
- .proc_handler = &proc_dointvec_minmax,
+ .proc_handler = &proc_dointvec_vm_dirty_ratio,
.strategy = &sysctl_intvec,
.extra1 = &zero,
.extra2 = &one_hundred,
Index: linux-2.6/mm/page-writeback.c
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/mm/page-writeback.c
+++ linux-2.6/mm/page-writeback.c
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ int dirty_background_ratio = 10;
* The generator of dirty data starts writeback at this percentage
*/
int vm_dirty_ratio = 40;
+int vm_cycle_shift;
+
+static DEFINE_PER_CPU(unsigned long, vm_writeout) = {0};
/*
* The interval between `kupdate'-style writebacks, in jiffies
@@ -102,6 +105,55 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(laptop_mode);
static void background_writeout(unsigned long _min_pages);
+static unsigned long bdi_total_writeout(void)
+{
+ int cpu;
+ unsigned long sum = 0;
+ for_each_possible_cpu(cpu)
+ sum += per_cpu(vm_writeout, cpu);
+ return sum;
+}
+
+static void bdi_writeout_norm(struct backing_dev_info *bdi)
+{
+ int bits = vm_cycle_shift;
+ unsigned long cycle = 1UL << bits;
+ unsigned long mask = ~(cycle - 1);
+ unsigned long total = bdi_total_writeout() << 1;
+
+ if ((bdi->cycles & mask) == (total & mask))
+ return;
+
+ spin_lock(&bdi->lock);
+ while ((bdi->cycles & mask) != (total & mask)) {
+ atomic_long_sub(atomic_long_read(&bdi->nr_writeout) / 2,
+ &bdi->nr_writeout);
+ bdi->cycles += cycle;
+ }
+ spin_unlock(&bdi->lock);
+}
+
+static void bdi_writeout_inc(struct backing_dev_info *bdi)
+{
+ get_cpu_var(vm_writeout)++;
+ put_cpu();
+
+ if (!(atomic_long_inc_return(&bdi->nr_writeout) & 0x7))
+ bdi_writeout_norm(bdi);
+}
+
+static void
+get_writeout_scale(struct address_space *mapping, int *scale, int *div)
+{
+ int bits = vm_cycle_shift - 1;
+ unsigned long total = bdi_total_writeout();
+ unsigned long cycle = 1UL << bits;
+ unsigned long mask = cycle - 1;
+
+ *scale = atomic_long_read(&mapping->backing_dev_info->nr_writeout);
+ *div = cycle + (total & mask);
+}
+
/*
* Work out the current dirty-memory clamping and background writeout
* thresholds.
@@ -120,7 +172,7 @@ static void background_writeout(unsigned
* clamping level.
*/
static void
-get_dirty_limits(long *pbackground, long *pdirty,
+get_dirty_limits(long *pbackground, long *pdirty, long *pbdi_dirty,
struct address_space *mapping)
{
int background_ratio; /* Percentages */
@@ -163,6 +215,21 @@ get_dirty_limits(long *pbackground, long
}
*pbackground = background;
*pdirty = dirty;
+
+ if (mapping) {
+ long long tmp = dirty;
+ int scale, div;
+
+ get_writeout_scale(mapping, &scale, &div);
+
+ if (scale > div)
+ scale = div;
+
+ tmp = (tmp * 122) >> 7; /* take ~95% of total dirty value */
+ tmp *= scale;
+ do_div(tmp, div);
+ *pbdi_dirty = (long)tmp;
+ }
}
/*
@@ -177,6 +244,7 @@ static void balance_dirty_pages(struct a
long nr_reclaimable;
long background_thresh;
long dirty_thresh;
+ long bdi_thresh;
unsigned long pages_written = 0;
unsigned long write_chunk = sync_writeback_pages();
@@ -191,11 +259,15 @@ static void balance_dirty_pages(struct a
.range_cyclic = 1,
};
- get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh, mapping);
+ get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh,
+ &bdi_thresh, mapping);
nr_reclaimable = global_page_state(NR_FILE_DIRTY) +
global_page_state(NR_UNSTABLE_NFS);
- if (nr_reclaimable + global_page_state(NR_WRITEBACK) <=
- dirty_thresh)
+ if ((nr_reclaimable + global_page_state(NR_WRITEBACK) <=
+ dirty_thresh) &&
+ (atomic_long_read(&bdi->nr_dirty) +
+ atomic_long_read(&bdi->nr_writeback) <=
+ bdi_thresh))
break;
if (!dirty_exceeded)
@@ -209,14 +281,18 @@ static void balance_dirty_pages(struct a
*/
if (nr_reclaimable) {
writeback_inodes(&wbc);
- get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh,
- &dirty_thresh, mapping);
+
+ get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh,
+ &bdi_thresh, mapping);
nr_reclaimable = global_page_state(NR_FILE_DIRTY) +
global_page_state(NR_UNSTABLE_NFS);
- if (nr_reclaimable +
- global_page_state(NR_WRITEBACK)
- <= dirty_thresh)
- break;
+ if ((nr_reclaimable + global_page_state(NR_WRITEBACK) <=
+ dirty_thresh) &&
+ (atomic_long_read(&bdi->nr_dirty) +
+ atomic_long_read(&bdi->nr_writeback) <=
+ bdi_thresh))
+ break;
+
pages_written += write_chunk - wbc.nr_to_write;
if (pages_written >= write_chunk)
break; /* We've done our duty */
@@ -312,7 +388,7 @@ void throttle_vm_writeout(gfp_t gfp_mask
}
for ( ; ; ) {
- get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh, NULL);
+ get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh, NULL, NULL);
/*
* Boost the allowable dirty threshold a bit for page
@@ -347,7 +423,7 @@ static void background_writeout(unsigned
long background_thresh;
long dirty_thresh;
- get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh, NULL);
+ get_dirty_limits(&background_thresh, &dirty_thresh, NULL, NULL);
if (global_page_state(NR_FILE_DIRTY) +
global_page_state(NR_UNSTABLE_NFS) < background_thresh
&& min_pages <= 0)
@@ -555,6 +631,7 @@ void __init page_writeback_init(void)
mod_timer(&wb_timer, jiffies + dirty_writeback_interval);
writeback_set_ratelimit();
register_cpu_notifier(&ratelimit_nb);
+ update_cycle_shift();
}
/**
@@ -935,6 +1012,7 @@ int test_clear_page_writeback(struct pag
PAGECACHE_TAG_WRITEBACK);
atomic_long_dec(&mapping->backing_dev_info->
nr_writeback);
+ bdi_writeout_inc(mapping->backing_dev_info);
}
write_unlock_irqrestore(&mapping->tree_lock, flags);
} else {
Index: linux-2.6/block/ll_rw_blk.c
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/block/ll_rw_blk.c
+++ linux-2.6/block/ll_rw_blk.c
@@ -215,6 +215,9 @@ void blk_queue_make_request(request_queu
bdi->capabilities = BDI_CAP_MAP_COPY;
atomic_long_set(&bdi->nr_dirty, 0);
atomic_long_set(&bdi->nr_writeback, 0);
+ spin_lock_init(&bdi->lock);
+ atomic_long_set(&bdi->nr_writeout, 0);
+ bdi->cycles = 0;
blk_queue_max_sectors(q, SAFE_MAX_SECTORS);
blk_queue_hardsect_size(q, 512);
blk_queue_dma_alignment(q, 511);
-
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