Re: [PATCH v2 04/26] mm/fbatch: lru bit set, no extra ref, while folio on per-cpu fbatch
From: Vlastimil Babka (SUSE)
Date: Wed Sep 09 2026 - 08:39:16 EST
On 9/9/26 11:49, Hugh Dickins wrote:
> Treat folios on a per-cpu fbatch as if they were already on the lruvec:
> with PG_lru set, without holding an extra reference. This will enable
> the removal of most lru_add_drain() and lru_add_drain_all() calls soon.
>
> Recognize such a folio by 0x02 set in the folio->lru.next pointer by
> folio_add_lru(). Then lruvec_del_folio() (aided by "lru_add_del_folio")
I admit I find the name lru_add_del_folio() quite confusing. What it does is
AFAIU try to delete from a folio_batch, which is not necessarily the lru_add
one?
I don't have an alternative proposal ready though, naming is hard.
> can pretend to unlink it, and folio_batch_move_lru()'s lru_add case can
> check whether one of the others has already moved it to lruvec.
>
> (That bit is also used in a transient way by set_page_pfmemalloc(), to
> inform interested callers whether page_is_pfmemalloc(): but those callers
> are in networking, not putting folios on LRU; and accept that any use of
> the page->lru field already erases page_is_pfmemalloc() information.)
>
> Let folio->lru.next point to the lru_add fbatch entry, but this is now
> just for debugging: it seemed to be important for folio_batch_move_lru()
> to distinguish fresh from stale entries, but then it turned out that it
> has to processs them identically.
>
> Activate, deactivates and move_tail, holding no reference on the folio,
> might come to act on a stale folio when the fbatch is drained: but it's
> acquired by try_get and test_clear_lru, so safe even when suboptimal.
>
> Reclaim is not an exact science, and there have been no complaints of
> missed actions since 5.11 commit fc574c23558c ("mm/swap.c: serialize
> memcg changes in pagevec_lru_move_fn") introduced the TestClearPageLRU
> protocol: so don't expect complaints of a few surprisingly taken actions.
>
> Signed-off-by: Hugh Dickins <hughd@xxxxxxxxxx>
Tricky, and I guess my questions below will betray I didn't grasp all the
nuances...
> ---
> include/linux/mm_inline.h | 25 ++++++++
> include/linux/mm_types.h | 6 +-
> mm/folio.c | 119 +++++++++++++-------------------------
> mm/huge_memory.c | 6 +-
> 4 files changed, 74 insertions(+), 82 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/linux/mm_inline.h b/include/linux/mm_inline.h
> index 621c8653d8f7..8420b1276535 100644
> --- a/include/linux/mm_inline.h
> +++ b/include/linux/mm_inline.h
> @@ -343,6 +343,29 @@ static inline void folio_migrate_refs(struct folio *new, const struct folio *old
> }
> #endif /* CONFIG_LRU_GEN */
>
> +enum {
> + LRU_NEXT_NEVER_TAIL = 0, /* Used by a tail's compound_head */
> + LRU_NEXT_BATCHED = 1, /* Not used by any aligned pointer */
> + NR_LRU_NEXT_FLAGS
> +};
> +
> +static __always_inline
> +bool lru_add_del_folio(struct folio *folio)
> +{
> + unsigned long lru_next = READ_ONCE(folio->lru_next);
> +
> + /* BUG_ON(folio_test_lru(folio) && folio_ref_count(folio)); */
Maybe do it as VM_WARN_ON_ONCE() and then it's acceptable for mainline and
gets excercised by bots?
> + if (!(lru_next & BIT(LRU_NEXT_BATCHED)))
> + return false;
> +
> + WRITE_ONCE(folio->lru.next, LIST_POISON1);
> + /* BUG_ON(folio->lru_next & BIT(LRU_NEXT_BATCHED)); */
Is this a test for unexpected LIST_POISON1 definitions (in which case
BUILD_BUG_ON would work?) or a test for a race that should not happen,
however with a very tiny detection window?
> +
> + /* Ensure folio->lru_next visible when folio_set_lru() called later */
> + smp_mb__before_atomic();
> + return true;
> +}
> +
> static __always_inline
> void lruvec_add_folio(struct lruvec *lruvec, struct folio *folio)
> {
> @@ -384,6 +407,8 @@ void lruvec_del_folio(struct lruvec *lruvec, struct folio *folio)
>
> if (lru_gen_del_folio(lruvec, folio, false))
> return;
> + if (lru_add_del_folio(folio))
> + return;
>
> if (lru != LRU_UNEVICTABLE)
> list_del(&folio->lru);
> diff --git a/include/linux/mm_types.h b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> index 6d815f6440c9..fe6220b97cf3 100644
> --- a/include/linux/mm_types.h
> +++ b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> @@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ struct page {
> * WARNING: bit 0 of the first word is used for PageTail(). That
> * means the other users of this union MUST NOT use the bit to
> * avoid collision and false-positive PageTail().
> + * Bit 1 of the first word is used by page_is_pfmemalloc().
> + * Bit 1 of the first word (lru_next) is also used by folio_add_lru().
> */
> union {
> struct { /* Page cache and anonymous pages */
> @@ -410,10 +412,8 @@ struct folio {
> union {
> struct list_head lru;
> /* private: avoid cluttering the output */
> - /* For the Unevictable "LRU list" slot */
> struct {
> - /* Avoid compound_info */
> - void *__filler;
> + unsigned long lru_next;
> /* public: */
> unsigned int mlock_count;
> /* private: */
> diff --git a/mm/folio.c b/mm/folio.c
> index b9dc4f5e10a6..e743cd539b9e 100644
> --- a/mm/folio.c
> +++ b/mm/folio.c
> @@ -152,57 +152,34 @@ static void folio_batch_move_lru(struct folio_batch *fbatch, move_fn_t move_fn)
> int i;
> struct lruvec *lruvec = NULL;
> unsigned long flags = 0;
> - struct folio_batch free_fbatch;
> - bool is_lru_add = (move_fn == lru_add);
> -
> - /*
> - * If we're adding to the LRU, preemptively filter dead folios. Use
> - * this dedicated folio batch for temp storage and deferred cleanup.
> - */
> - if (is_lru_add)
> - folio_batch_init(&free_fbatch);
>
> for (i = 0; i < folio_batch_count(fbatch); i++) {
> struct folio *folio = fbatch->folios[i];
>
> - /* block memcg migration while the folio moves between lru */
> - if (!is_lru_add && !folio_test_clear_lru(folio))
> - continue;
> -
> - /*
> - * Filter dead folios by moving them from the add batch to the temp
> - * batch for freeing after this loop.
> - *
> - * We're bypassing normal cleanup. Clear flags that are not
> - * applicable to dead folios.
> - *
> - * Since the folio may be part of a huge page, unqueue from
> - * deferred split list to avoid a dangling list entry.
> - */
> - if (is_lru_add && folio_ref_freeze(folio, 1)) {
> - __folio_clear_active(folio);
> - __folio_clear_unevictable(folio);
> - folio_unqueue_deferred_split(folio);
> + if (!folio_try_get(folio)) {
> fbatch->folios[i] = NULL;
> - folio_batch_add(&free_fbatch, folio);
> continue;
> }
>
> + if (!folio_test_clear_lru(folio))
> + continue;
> +
> + /* Do not add to LRU if it has already been added */
> + if (move_fn == lru_add && !lru_add_del_folio(folio))
> + goto restore_lru;
> +
> folio_lruvec_relock_irqsave(folio, &lruvec, &flags);
> move_fn(lruvec, folio);
>
> + /* Do add to LRU if not already there (move_fn skipped) */
> + if (lru_add_del_folio(folio))
> + lruvec_add_folio(lruvec, folio);
AFAICS the previous code didn't do anything like this (and move_fn could
skip or not all the same?) , and I wonder if it's now (sorry) load-bearing,
or an optimization?
> +restore_lru:
> folio_set_lru(folio);
> }
>
> if (lruvec)
> lruvec_unlock_irqrestore(lruvec, flags);
> -
> - /* Cleanup filtered dead folios. */
> - if (is_lru_add) {
> - mem_cgroup_uncharge_folios(&free_fbatch);
> - free_unref_folios(&free_fbatch);
> - }
> -
> folios_put(fbatch);
> }
>
> @@ -211,8 +188,6 @@ static void __folio_batch_add_and_move(struct folio_batch __percpu *fbatch,
> {
> unsigned long flags;
>
> - folio_get(folio);
> -
> if (disable_irq)
> local_lock_irqsave(&cpu_fbatches.lock_irq, flags);
> else
> @@ -273,7 +248,6 @@ static void lru_activate(struct lruvec *lruvec, struct folio *folio)
> if (folio_test_active(folio) || folio_test_unevictable(folio))
> return;
>
> -
> lruvec_del_folio(lruvec, folio);
> folio_set_active(folio);
> lruvec_add_folio(lruvec, folio);
> @@ -289,37 +263,12 @@ void folio_activate(struct folio *folio)
> !folio_test_lru(folio))
> return;
>
> - folio_batch_add_and_move(folio, lru_activate);
> -}
> -
> -static void __lru_cache_activate_folio(struct folio *folio)
> -{
> - struct folio_batch *fbatch;
> - int i;
> -
> - local_lock(&cpu_fbatches.lock);
> - fbatch = this_cpu_ptr(&cpu_fbatches.lru_add);
> -
> /*
> - * Search backwards on the optimistic assumption that the folio being
> - * activated has just been added to this batch. Note that only
> - * the local batch is examined as a !LRU folio could be in the
> - * process of being released, reclaimed, migrated or on a remote
> - * batch that is currently being drained. Furthermore, marking
> - * a remote batch's folio active potentially hits a race where
> - * a folio is marked active just after it is added to the inactive
> - * list causing accounting errors and BUG_ON checks to trigger.
> + * XXX: It is curiously difficult to recreate safely the old
> + * __lru_cache_activate_folio() optimization (folio_set_active()
> + * directly if it's on the local lru_add fbatch): revisit later.
> */
> - for (i = folio_batch_count(fbatch) - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
> - struct folio *batch_folio = fbatch->folios[i];
> -
> - if (batch_folio == folio) {
> - folio_set_active(folio);
> - break;
> - }
> - }
> -
> - local_unlock(&cpu_fbatches.lock);
> + folio_batch_add_and_move(folio, lru_activate);
> }
>
> #ifdef CONFIG_LRU_GEN
> @@ -410,16 +359,7 @@ void folio_mark_accessed(struct folio *folio)
> * unevictable page accessed has no effect.
> */
> } else if (!folio_test_active(folio)) {
> - /*
> - * If the folio is on the LRU, queue it for activation via
> - * cpu_fbatches.lru_activate. Otherwise, assume the folio is in a
> - * folio_batch, mark it active and it'll be moved to the active
> - * LRU on the next drain.
> - */
> - if (folio_test_lru(folio))
> - folio_activate(folio);
> - else
> - __lru_cache_activate_folio(folio);
> + folio_activate(folio);
> folio_clear_referenced(folio);
> workingset_activation(folio);
> }
> @@ -439,6 +379,10 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(folio_mark_accessed);
> */
> void folio_add_lru(struct folio *folio)
> {
> + struct folio_batch *fbatch;
> + unsigned long lru_next;
> + bool full;
> +
> VM_BUG_ON_FOLIO(folio_test_active(folio) &&
> folio_test_unevictable(folio), folio);
> VM_BUG_ON_FOLIO(folio_test_lru(folio), folio);
> @@ -458,7 +402,26 @@ void folio_add_lru(struct folio *folio)
> folio_mark_accessed(folio);
> }
>
> - folio_batch_add_and_move(folio, lru_add);
> + local_lock(&cpu_fbatches.lock);
> + fbatch = this_cpu_ptr(&cpu_fbatches.lru_add);
> +
> + /* Storing this address is only for debugging */
> + lru_next = (unsigned long)&fbatch->folios[fbatch->nr];
> + /* This mask will do nothing on 64-bit */
> + lru_next &= ~(BIT(NR_LRU_NEXT_FLAGS) - 1);
> + lru_next |= BIT(LRU_NEXT_BATCHED);
> + folio->lru_next = lru_next;
> +
> + full = !folio_batch_add(fbatch, folio);
> +
> + /* Ensure folio->lru_next visible to folio_test_clear_lru() callers */
> + smp_mb__before_atomic();
> + folio_set_lru(folio);
> +
> + if (full || !folio_may_be_lru_cached(folio) || lru_cache_disabled())
> + folio_batch_move_lru(fbatch, lru_add);
> +
> + local_unlock(&cpu_fbatches.lock);
> }
> EXPORT_SYMBOL(folio_add_lru);
>
> diff --git a/mm/huge_memory.c b/mm/huge_memory.c
> index afbb5974bd22..c7510d875433 100644
> --- a/mm/huge_memory.c
> +++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
> @@ -3995,8 +3995,12 @@ static int __folio_freeze_and_split_unmapped(struct folio *folio, unsigned int n
> }
>
> /* lock lru list/PageCompound, ref frozen by page_ref_freeze */
> - if (do_lru)
> + if (do_lru) {
> lruvec = folio_lruvec_lock(folio);
> + /* Move from fbatch to lruvec before lru_add_split_folio()s */
> + if (lru_add_del_folio(folio))
> + lruvec_add_folio(lruvec, folio);
This is not mentioned in the changelog. Why is it necessary now?
> + }
>
> ret = __split_unmapped_folio(folio, new_order, split_at, xas,
> mapping, split_type);