[PATCH] ext4: improve str2hashbuf by processing 4-byte chunks

From: Guan-Chun Wu
Date: Sun Nov 16 2025 - 08:01:55 EST


The original byte-by-byte implementation with modulo checks is less
efficient. Refactor str2hashbuf_unsigned() and str2hashbuf_signed()
to process input in explicit 4-byte chunks instead of using a
modulus-based loop to emit words byte by byte.

This change removes per-byte modulo checks and reduces loop iterations,
improving efficiency.

Performance test (x86_64, Intel Core i7-10700 @ 2.90GHz, average over 10000
runs, using kernel module for testing):

len | orig_s | new_s | orig_u | new_u
----+--------+-------+--------+-------
1 | 70 | 71 | 63 | 63
8 | 68 | 64 | 64 | 62
32 | 75 | 70 | 75 | 63
64 | 96 | 71 | 100 | 68
255 | 192 | 108 | 187 | 84

Signed-off-by: Guan-Chun Wu <409411716@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/ext4/hash.c | 48 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------
1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/ext4/hash.c b/fs/ext4/hash.c
index 33cd5b6b02d5..75105828e8b4 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/hash.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/hash.c
@@ -141,21 +141,29 @@ static void str2hashbuf_signed(const char *msg, int len, __u32 *buf, int num)
pad = (__u32)len | ((__u32)len << 8);
pad |= pad << 16;

- val = pad;
if (len > num*4)
len = num * 4;
- for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
- val = ((int) scp[i]) + (val << 8);
- if ((i % 4) == 3) {
- *buf++ = val;
- val = pad;
- num--;
- }
+
+ while (len >= 4) {
+ val = ((int)scp[0] << 24) + ((int)scp[1] << 16) +
+ ((int)scp[2] << 8) + (int)scp[3];
+ *buf++ = val;
+ scp += 4;
+ len -= 4;
+ num--;
}
+
+ val = pad;
+
+ for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
+ val = (int)scp[i] + (val << 8);
+
if (--num >= 0)
*buf++ = val;
+
while (--num >= 0)
*buf++ = pad;
+
}

static void str2hashbuf_unsigned(const char *msg, int len, __u32 *buf, int num)
@@ -167,21 +175,29 @@ static void str2hashbuf_unsigned(const char *msg, int len, __u32 *buf, int num)
pad = (__u32)len | ((__u32)len << 8);
pad |= pad << 16;

- val = pad;
if (len > num*4)
len = num * 4;
- for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
- val = ((int) ucp[i]) + (val << 8);
- if ((i % 4) == 3) {
- *buf++ = val;
- val = pad;
- num--;
- }
+
+ while (len >= 4) {
+ val = ((int)ucp[0] << 24) | ((int)ucp[1] << 16) |
+ ((int)ucp[2] << 8) | (int)ucp[3];
+ *buf++ = val;
+ ucp += 4;
+ len -= 4;
+ num--;
}
+
+ val = pad;
+
+ for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
+ val = (int)ucp[i] + (val << 8);
+
if (--num >= 0)
*buf++ = val;
+
while (--num >= 0)
*buf++ = pad;
+
}

/*
--
2.34.1