[PATCH v2] seq_file: copy as much as possible to user buffer in seq_read()
From: David Wang
Date: Fri Dec 20 2024 - 09:10:59 EST
seq_read() yields at most seq_file->size bytes to userspace, even when
user buffer is prepared to hold more data. This causes lots of extra
*read* syscalls to fetch data from /proc/*.
For example, on an 8-core system, cat /proc/interrupts needs three
*read*:
$ strace -T -e read cat /proc/interrupts > /dev/null
...
43 read(3, " CPU0 CPU1 "..., 131072) = 4082 <0.000068>
44 read(3, " 75: 13490876 0 "..., 131072) = 2936 <0.000148>
45 read(3, "", 131072) = 0 <0.000010>
On a system with hundreds of cpus, it would need tens of more read calls.
A more convincing example is /proc/allocinfo, which is available when
CONFIG_MEM_ALLOC_PROFILING=y. When cat /proc/allocinfo, 4k+ lines need ~100
read calls.
Fill up user buffer as much as possible in seq_read(), extra read
calls can be avoided with a larger user buffer, and 2%~10% performance
improvement would be observed:
$ strace -T -e read cat /proc/interrupts > /dev/null
...
56 read(3, " CPU0 CPU1 "..., 131072) = 7018 <0.000208>
57 read(3, "", 131072) = 0 <0.000010>
Signed-off-by: David Wang <00107082@xxxxxxx>
---
fs/seq_file.c | 6 ++++++
1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)
diff --git a/fs/seq_file.c b/fs/seq_file.c
index 8bbb1ad46335..2cda43aec4a2 100644
--- a/fs/seq_file.c
+++ b/fs/seq_file.c
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ ssize_t seq_read_iter(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter)
if (m->count) // hadn't managed to copy everything
goto Done;
}
+Restart:
// get a non-empty record in the buffer
m->from = 0;
p = m->op->start(m, &m->index);
@@ -282,6 +283,11 @@ ssize_t seq_read_iter(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter)
copied += n;
m->count -= n;
m->from = n;
+ /*
+ * Keep reading in case more data could be copied into user buffer.
+ */
+ if (m->count == 0)
+ goto Restart;
Done:
if (unlikely(!copied)) {
copied = m->count ? -EFAULT : err;
--
2.39.2