Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 01:27:03 -0800
From: Andrew Morton <akpm@osdl.org>
To: Nick Piggin <piggin@cyberone.com.au>
Cc: m.c.p@wolk-project.de, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-mm@kvack.org,
       mfedyk@matchmail.com, plate@gmx.tm
Subject: Re: [PATCH] 2.6.4-rc2-mm1: vm-split-active-lists
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In-Reply-To: <40517E47.3010909@cyberone.com.au>
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	<200403111825.22674@WOLK>
	<40517E47.3010909@cyberone.com.au>
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Nick Piggin <piggin@cyberone.com.au> wrote:
>
> Hmm... I guess it is still smooth because it is swapping out only
>  inactive pages. If the standard VM isn't being pushed very hard it
>  doesn't scan mapped pages at all which is why it isn't swapping.
> 
>  I have a preference for allowing it to scan some mapped pages though.

I haven't looked at the code but if, as I assume, it is always scanning
mapped pages, although at a reduced rate then the effect will be the same
as setting swappiness to 100, except it will take longer.

That effect is to cause the whole world to be swapped out when people
return to their machines in the morning.  Once they're swapped back in the
first thing they do it send bitchy emails to you know who.

>From a performance perspective it's the right thing to do, but nobody likes
it.

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