2024-03-08 09:27:48

by Barry Song

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

From: Barry Song <[email protected]>

In a Copy-on-Write (CoW) scenario, the last subpage will reuse the entire
large folio, resulting in the waste of (nr_pages - 1) pages. This wasted
memory remains allocated until it is either unmapped or memory
reclamation occurs.

The following small program can serve as evidence of this behavior

main()
{
#define SIZE 1024 * 1024 * 1024UL
void *p = malloc(SIZE);
memset(p, 0x11, SIZE);
if (fork() == 0)
_exit(0);
memset(p, 0x12, SIZE);
printf("done\n");
while(1);
}

For example, using a 1024KiB mTHP by:
echo always > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/hugepages-1024kB/enabled

(1) w/o the patch, it takes 2GiB,

Before running the test program,
/ # free -m
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 5754 84 5692 0 17 5669
Swap: 0 0 0

/ # /a.out &
/ # done

After running the test program,
/ # free -m
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 5754 2149 3627 0 19 3605
Swap: 0 0 0

(2) w/ the patch, it takes 1GiB only,

Before running the test program,
/ # free -m
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 5754 89 5687 0 17 5664
Swap: 0 0 0

/ # /a.out &
/ # done

After running the test program,
/ # free -m
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 5754 1122 4655 0 17 4632
Swap: 0 0 0

This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
and anti-fragmentation.

Cc: David Hildenbrand <[email protected]>
Cc: Ryan Roberts <[email protected]>
Cc: Lance Yang <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Barry Song <[email protected]>
---
-v2:
* return at the 1st beginning for a large folio according to David's comment,
thanks!
-v1:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-mm/[email protected]/

mm/memory.c | 10 ++++++++++
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+)

diff --git a/mm/memory.c b/mm/memory.c
index e17669d4f72f..f2bc6dd15eb8 100644
--- a/mm/memory.c
+++ b/mm/memory.c
@@ -3498,6 +3498,16 @@ static vm_fault_t wp_page_shared(struct vm_fault *vmf, struct folio *folio)
static bool wp_can_reuse_anon_folio(struct folio *folio,
struct vm_area_struct *vma)
{
+ /*
+ * We could currently only reuse a subpage of a large folio if no
+ * other subpages of the large folios are still mapped. However,
+ * let's just consistently not reuse subpages even if we could
+ * reuse in that scenario, and give back a large folio a bit
+ * sooner.
+ */
+ if (folio_test_large(folio))
+ return false;
+
/*
* We have to verify under folio lock: these early checks are
* just an optimization to avoid locking the folio and freeing
--
2.34.1



2024-03-08 09:34:54

by David Hildenbrand

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

On 08.03.24 10:27, Barry Song wrote:
> From: Barry Song <[email protected]>
>
> In a Copy-on-Write (CoW) scenario, the last subpage will reuse the entire
> large folio, resulting in the waste of (nr_pages - 1) pages. This wasted
> memory remains allocated until it is either unmapped or memory
> reclamation occurs.
>
> The following small program can serve as evidence of this behavior
>
> main()
> {
> #define SIZE 1024 * 1024 * 1024UL
> void *p = malloc(SIZE);
> memset(p, 0x11, SIZE);
> if (fork() == 0)
> _exit(0);
> memset(p, 0x12, SIZE);
> printf("done\n");
> while(1);
> }
>
> For example, using a 1024KiB mTHP by:
> echo always > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/hugepages-1024kB/enabled
>
> (1) w/o the patch, it takes 2GiB,
>
> Before running the test program,
> / # free -m
> total used free shared buff/cache available
> Mem: 5754 84 5692 0 17 5669
> Swap: 0 0 0
>
> / # /a.out &
> / # done
>
> After running the test program,
> / # free -m
> total used free shared buff/cache available
> Mem: 5754 2149 3627 0 19 3605
> Swap: 0 0 0
>
> (2) w/ the patch, it takes 1GiB only,
>
> Before running the test program,
> / # free -m
> total used free shared buff/cache available
> Mem: 5754 89 5687 0 17 5664
> Swap: 0 0 0
>
> / # /a.out &
> / # done
>
> After running the test program,
> / # free -m
> total used free shared buff/cache available
> Mem: 5754 1122 4655 0 17 4632
> Swap: 0 0 0
>
> This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
> returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
> and anti-fragmentation.

It might be controversial optimization, and as Ryan said, there, are
likely other cases where we'd want to migrate off-of a thp if possible
earlier.

But I like that it just handles large folios now in a consistent way for
the time being.

Acked-by: David Hildenbrand <[email protected]>

--
Cheers,

David / dhildenb


2024-03-08 12:50:23

by Ryan Roberts

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

On 08/03/2024 09:34, David Hildenbrand wrote:
> On 08.03.24 10:27, Barry Song wrote:
>> From: Barry Song <[email protected]>
>>
>> In a Copy-on-Write (CoW) scenario, the last subpage will reuse the entire
>> large folio, resulting in the waste of (nr_pages - 1) pages. This wasted
>> memory remains allocated until it is either unmapped or memory
>> reclamation occurs.
>>
>> The following small program can serve as evidence of this behavior
>>
>>   main()
>>   {
>>   #define SIZE 1024 * 1024 * 1024UL
>>           void *p = malloc(SIZE);
>>           memset(p, 0x11, SIZE);
>>           if (fork() == 0)
>>                   _exit(0);
>>           memset(p, 0x12, SIZE);
>>           printf("done\n");
>>           while(1);
>>   }
>>
>> For example, using a 1024KiB mTHP by:
>>   echo always > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/hugepages-1024kB/enabled
>>
>> (1) w/o the patch, it takes 2GiB,
>>
>> Before running the test program,
>>   / # free -m
>>                  total        used        free      shared  buff/cache  
>> available
>>   Mem:            5754          84        5692           0          17       
>> 5669
>>   Swap:              0           0           0
>>
>>   / # /a.out &
>>   / # done
>>
>> After running the test program,
>>   / # free -m
>>                   total        used        free      shared  buff/cache  
>> available
>>   Mem:            5754        2149        3627           0          19       
>> 3605
>>   Swap:              0           0           0
>>
>> (2) w/ the patch, it takes 1GiB only,
>>
>> Before running the test program,
>>   / # free -m
>>                   total        used        free      shared  buff/cache  
>> available
>>   Mem:            5754          89        5687           0          17       
>> 5664
>>   Swap:              0           0           0
>>
>>   / # /a.out &
>>   / # done
>>
>> After running the test program,
>>   / # free -m
>>                  total        used        free      shared  buff/cache  
>> available
>>   Mem:            5754        1122        4655           0          17       
>> 4632
>>   Swap:              0           0           0
>>
>> This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
>> returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
>> and anti-fragmentation.
>
> It might be controversial optimization, and as Ryan said, there, are likely
> other cases where we'd want to migrate off-of a thp if possible earlier.

Personally, I think there might also be cases where you want to copy/reuse the
entire large folio. If you're application is using 16K THPs perhaps it's a
bigger win to just treat it like a base page? I expect the cost/benefit will
change as the THP size increases?

I know we have previously talked about using a khugepaged-like mechanism to
re-collapse after CoW, but for the smaller sizes maybe that's just a lot more
effort?

>
> But I like that it just handles large folios now in a consistent way for the
> time being.

Yes agreed.

>
> Acked-by: David Hildenbrand <[email protected]>
>


2024-03-08 13:25:30

by David Hildenbrand

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

>>> This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
>>> returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
>>> and anti-fragmentation.
>>
>> It might be controversial optimization, and as Ryan said, there, are likely
>> other cases where we'd want to migrate off-of a thp if possible earlier.
>
> Personally, I think there might also be cases where you want to copy/reuse the
> entire large folio. If you're application is using 16K THPs perhaps it's a
> bigger win to just treat it like a base page? I expect the cost/benefit will
> change as the THP size increases?

Yes, I think for small folios (i.e., 16KiB) it will be rather easy to
make a decision. The larger the folio, the larger the page fault latency
due to scanning, copying, modifying, which can easily turn undesirable.

At least when it comes to page reuse, I have some simple backup plans
for small folios if I won't be able to make progress with my other
approach. For larger folios, it won't really work/be desirable, though.

--
Cheers,

David / dhildenb


2024-03-08 13:45:50

by Ryan Roberts

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

On 08/03/2024 13:24, David Hildenbrand wrote:
>>>> This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
>>>> returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
>>>> and anti-fragmentation.
>>>
>>> It might be controversial optimization, and as Ryan said, there, are likely
>>> other cases where we'd want to migrate off-of a thp if possible earlier.
>>
>> Personally, I think there might also be cases where you want to copy/reuse the
>> entire large folio. If you're application is using 16K THPs perhaps it's a
>> bigger win to just treat it like a base page? I expect the cost/benefit will
>> change as the THP size increases?
>
> Yes, I think for small folios (i.e., 16KiB) it will be rather easy to make a
> decision. The larger the folio, the larger the page fault latency due to
> scanning, copying, modifying, which can easily turn undesirable.
>
> At least when it comes to page reuse, I have some simple backup plans for small
> folios if I won't be able to make progress with my other approach.

Do you mean "small large folios" here? i.e. order >= 1? If so, great!


For larger
> folios, it won't really work/be desirable, though.
>


2024-03-08 13:47:52

by David Hildenbrand

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] mm: prohibit the last subpage from reusing the entire large folio

On 08.03.24 14:45, Ryan Roberts wrote:
> On 08/03/2024 13:24, David Hildenbrand wrote:
>>>>> This patch migrates the last subpage to a small folio and immediately
>>>>> returns the large folio to the system. It benefits both memory availability
>>>>> and anti-fragmentation.
>>>>
>>>> It might be controversial optimization, and as Ryan said, there, are likely
>>>> other cases where we'd want to migrate off-of a thp if possible earlier.
>>>
>>> Personally, I think there might also be cases where you want to copy/reuse the
>>> entire large folio. If you're application is using 16K THPs perhaps it's a
>>> bigger win to just treat it like a base page? I expect the cost/benefit will
>>> change as the THP size increases?
>>
>> Yes, I think for small folios (i.e., 16KiB) it will be rather easy to make a
>> decision. The larger the folio, the larger the page fault latency due to
>> scanning, copying, modifying, which can easily turn undesirable.
>>
>> At least when it comes to page reuse, I have some simple backup plans for small
>> folios if I won't be able to make progress with my other approach.
>
> Do you mean "small large folios" here? i.e. order >= 1? If so, great!

*smaller*, yes :)

--
Cheers,

David / dhildenb