Re: Unresponiveness of 2.4.16

Andrew Morton (akpm@zip.com.au)
Tue, 27 Nov 2001 12:57:19 -0800


Mike Fedyk wrote:
>
> > I'll send you a patch which makes the VM less inclined to page things
> > out in the presence of heavy writes, and which decreases read
> > latencies.
> >
> Is this patch posted anywhere?

I sent it yesterday, in this thread. Here it is again.

Description:

- Account for locked as well as dirty buffers when deciding
to throttle writers.

- Tweak VM to make it work the inactive list harder, before starting
to evict pages or swap.

- Change the elevator so that once a request's latency has
expired, we can still perform merges in front of that
request. But we no longer will insert new requests in
front of that request.

- Modify elevator so that new read requests do not have
more than N write requests placed in front of them, where
N is tunable per-device with `elvtune -b'.

Theoretically, the last change needs significant alterations
to the readhead code. But a rewrite of readhead made negligible
difference (I wasn't able to trigger the failure scenario).
Still crunching on this.

--- linux-2.4.16-pre1/fs/buffer.c Thu Nov 22 23:02:58 2001
+++ linux-akpm/fs/buffer.c Sun Nov 25 00:07:47 2001
@@ -1036,6 +1036,7 @@ static int balance_dirty_state(void)
unsigned long dirty, tot, hard_dirty_limit, soft_dirty_limit;

dirty = size_buffers_type[BUF_DIRTY] >> PAGE_SHIFT;
+ dirty += size_buffers_type[BUF_LOCKED] >> PAGE_SHIFT;
tot = nr_free_buffer_pages();

dirty *= 100;
--- linux-2.4.16-pre1/mm/filemap.c Sat Nov 24 13:14:52 2001
+++ linux-akpm/mm/filemap.c Sun Nov 25 00:07:47 2001
@@ -3023,7 +3023,18 @@ generic_file_write(struct file *file,con
unlock:
kunmap(page);
/* Mark it unlocked again and drop the page.. */
- SetPageReferenced(page);
+// SetPageReferenced(page);
+ ClearPageReferenced(page);
+#if 0
+ {
+ lru_cache_del(page);
+ TestSetPageLRU(page);
+ spin_lock(&pagemap_lru_lock);
+ list_add_tail(&(page)->lru, &inactive_list);
+ nr_inactive_pages++;
+ spin_unlock(&pagemap_lru_lock);
+ }
+#endif
UnlockPage(page);
page_cache_release(page);

--- linux-2.4.16-pre1/mm/vmscan.c Thu Nov 22 23:02:59 2001
+++ linux-akpm/mm/vmscan.c Sun Nov 25 00:08:03 2001
@@ -573,6 +573,9 @@ static int shrink_caches(zone_t * classz
nr_pages = shrink_cache(nr_pages, classzone, gfp_mask, priority);
if (nr_pages <= 0)
return 0;
+ nr_pages = shrink_cache(nr_pages, classzone, gfp_mask, priority);
+ if (nr_pages <= 0)
+ return 0;

shrink_dcache_memory(priority, gfp_mask);
shrink_icache_memory(priority, gfp_mask);
@@ -585,7 +588,7 @@ static int shrink_caches(zone_t * classz

int try_to_free_pages(zone_t *classzone, unsigned int gfp_mask, unsigned int order)
{
- int priority = DEF_PRIORITY;
+ int priority = DEF_PRIORITY - 2;
int nr_pages = SWAP_CLUSTER_MAX;

do {

--- linux-2.4.16/include/linux/elevator.h Thu Feb 15 16:58:34 2001
+++ linux-akpm/include/linux/elevator.h Tue Nov 27 12:34:59 2001
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ typedef void (elevator_fn) (struct reque
struct list_head *,
struct list_head *, int);

-typedef int (elevator_merge_fn) (request_queue_t *, struct request **, struct list_head *,
- struct buffer_head *, int, int);
+typedef int (elevator_merge_fn)(request_queue_t *, struct request **,
+ struct list_head *, struct buffer_head *bh,
+ int rw, int max_sectors, int max_bomb_segments);

typedef void (elevator_merge_cleanup_fn) (request_queue_t *, struct request *, int);

@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ struct elevator_s
{
int read_latency;
int write_latency;
+ int max_bomb_segments;

elevator_merge_fn *elevator_merge_fn;
elevator_merge_cleanup_fn *elevator_merge_cleanup_fn;
@@ -24,13 +26,13 @@ struct elevator_s
unsigned int queue_ID;
};

-int elevator_noop_merge(request_queue_t *, struct request **, struct list_head *, struct buffer_head *, int, int);
-void elevator_noop_merge_cleanup(request_queue_t *, struct request *, int);
-void elevator_noop_merge_req(struct request *, struct request *);
-
-int elevator_linus_merge(request_queue_t *, struct request **, struct list_head *, struct buffer_head *, int, int);
-void elevator_linus_merge_cleanup(request_queue_t *, struct request *, int);
-void elevator_linus_merge_req(struct request *, struct request *);
+elevator_merge_fn elevator_noop_merge;
+elevator_merge_cleanup_fn elevator_noop_merge_cleanup;
+elevator_merge_req_fn elevator_noop_merge_req;
+
+elevator_merge_fn elevator_linus_merge;
+elevator_merge_cleanup_fn elevator_linus_merge_cleanup;
+elevator_merge_req_fn elevator_linus_merge_req;

typedef struct blkelv_ioctl_arg_s {
int queue_ID;
@@ -54,22 +56,6 @@ extern void elevator_init(elevator_t *,
#define ELEVATOR_FRONT_MERGE 1
#define ELEVATOR_BACK_MERGE 2

-/*
- * This is used in the elevator algorithm. We don't prioritise reads
- * over writes any more --- although reads are more time-critical than
- * writes, by treating them equally we increase filesystem throughput.
- * This turns out to give better overall performance. -- sct
- */
-#define IN_ORDER(s1,s2) \
- ((((s1)->rq_dev == (s2)->rq_dev && \
- (s1)->sector < (s2)->sector)) || \
- (s1)->rq_dev < (s2)->rq_dev)
-
-#define BHRQ_IN_ORDER(bh, rq) \
- ((((bh)->b_rdev == (rq)->rq_dev && \
- (bh)->b_rsector < (rq)->sector)) || \
- (bh)->b_rdev < (rq)->rq_dev)
-
static inline int elevator_request_latency(elevator_t * elevator, int rw)
{
int latency;
@@ -85,7 +71,7 @@ static inline int elevator_request_laten
((elevator_t) { \
0, /* read_latency */ \
0, /* write_latency */ \
- \
+ 0, /* max_bomb_segments */ \
elevator_noop_merge, /* elevator_merge_fn */ \
elevator_noop_merge_cleanup, /* elevator_merge_cleanup_fn */ \
elevator_noop_merge_req, /* elevator_merge_req_fn */ \
@@ -95,7 +81,7 @@ static inline int elevator_request_laten
((elevator_t) { \
8192, /* read passovers */ \
16384, /* write passovers */ \
- \
+ 6, /* max_bomb_segments */ \
elevator_linus_merge, /* elevator_merge_fn */ \
elevator_linus_merge_cleanup, /* elevator_merge_cleanup_fn */ \
elevator_linus_merge_req, /* elevator_merge_req_fn */ \
--- linux-2.4.16/drivers/block/elevator.c Thu Jul 19 20:59:41 2001
+++ linux-akpm/drivers/block/elevator.c Tue Nov 27 12:35:20 2001
@@ -74,36 +74,41 @@ inline int bh_rq_in_between(struct buffe
return 0;
}

-
int elevator_linus_merge(request_queue_t *q, struct request **req,
struct list_head * head,
struct buffer_head *bh, int rw,
- int max_sectors)
+ int max_sectors, int max_bomb_segments)
{
- struct list_head *entry = &q->queue_head;
- unsigned int count = bh->b_size >> 9, ret = ELEVATOR_NO_MERGE;
+ struct list_head *entry;
+ unsigned int count = bh->b_size >> 9;
+ unsigned int ret = ELEVATOR_NO_MERGE;
+ int no_in_between = 0;

+ entry = &q->queue_head;
while ((entry = entry->prev) != head) {
struct request *__rq = blkdev_entry_to_request(entry);
-
- /*
- * simply "aging" of requests in queue
- */
- if (__rq->elevator_sequence-- <= 0)
- break;
-
+ if (__rq->elevator_sequence-- <= 0) {
+ /*
+ * OK, we've exceeded someone's latency limit.
+ * But we still continue to look for merges,
+ * because they're so much better than seeks.
+ */
+ no_in_between = 1;
+ }
if (__rq->waiting)
continue;
if (__rq->rq_dev != bh->b_rdev)
continue;
- if (!*req && bh_rq_in_between(bh, __rq, &q->queue_head))
+ if (!*req && !no_in_between &&
+ bh_rq_in_between(bh, __rq, &q->queue_head)) {
*req = __rq;
+ }
if (__rq->cmd != rw)
continue;
if (__rq->nr_sectors + count > max_sectors)
continue;
if (__rq->elevator_sequence < count)
- break;
+ no_in_between = 1;
if (__rq->sector + __rq->nr_sectors == bh->b_rsector) {
ret = ELEVATOR_BACK_MERGE;
*req = __rq;
@@ -116,6 +121,56 @@ int elevator_linus_merge(request_queue_t
}
}

+ /*
+ * If we failed to merge a read anywhere in the request
+ * queue, we really don't want to place it at the end
+ * of the list, behind lots of writes. So place it near
+ * the front.
+ *
+ * We don't want to place it in front of _all_ writes: that
+ * would create lots of seeking, and isn't tunable.
+ * We try to avoid promoting this read in front of existing
+ * reads.
+ *
+ * max_bomb_sectors becomes the maximum number of write
+ * requests which we allow to remain in place in front of
+ * a newly introduced read. We weight things a little bit,
+ * so large writes are more expensive than small ones, but it's
+ * requests which count, not sectors.
+ */
+ if (rw == READ && ret == ELEVATOR_NO_MERGE) {
+ int cur_latency = 0;
+ struct request * const cur_request = *req;
+
+ entry = head->next;
+ while (entry != &q->queue_head) {
+ struct request *__rq;
+
+ if (entry == &q->queue_head)
+ BUG();
+ if (entry == q->queue_head.next &&
+ q->head_active && !q->plugged)
+ BUG();
+ __rq = blkdev_entry_to_request(entry);
+
+ if (__rq == cur_request) {
+ /*
+ * This is where the old algorithm placed it.
+ * There's no point pushing it further back,
+ * so leave it here, in sorted order.
+ */
+ break;
+ }
+ if (__rq->cmd == WRITE) {
+ cur_latency += 1 + __rq->nr_sectors / 64;
+ if (cur_latency >= max_bomb_segments) {
+ *req = __rq;
+ break;
+ }
+ }
+ entry = entry->next;
+ }
+ }
return ret;
}

@@ -144,7 +199,7 @@ void elevator_linus_merge_req(struct req
int elevator_noop_merge(request_queue_t *q, struct request **req,
struct list_head * head,
struct buffer_head *bh, int rw,
- int max_sectors)
+ int max_sectors, int max_bomb_segments)
{
struct list_head *entry;
unsigned int count = bh->b_size >> 9;
@@ -188,7 +243,7 @@ int blkelvget_ioctl(elevator_t * elevato
output.queue_ID = elevator->queue_ID;
output.read_latency = elevator->read_latency;
output.write_latency = elevator->write_latency;
- output.max_bomb_segments = 0;
+ output.max_bomb_segments = elevator->max_bomb_segments;

if (copy_to_user(arg, &output, sizeof(blkelv_ioctl_arg_t)))
return -EFAULT;
@@ -207,9 +262,12 @@ int blkelvset_ioctl(elevator_t * elevato
return -EINVAL;
if (input.write_latency < 0)
return -EINVAL;
+ if (input.max_bomb_segments < 0)
+ return -EINVAL;

elevator->read_latency = input.read_latency;
elevator->write_latency = input.write_latency;
+ elevator->max_bomb_segments = input.max_bomb_segments;
return 0;
}

--- linux-2.4.16/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c Mon Nov 5 21:01:11 2001
+++ linux-akpm/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c Tue Nov 27 12:34:59 2001
@@ -690,7 +690,8 @@ again:
} else if (q->head_active && !q->plugged)
head = head->next;

- el_ret = elevator->elevator_merge_fn(q, &req, head, bh, rw,max_sectors);
+ el_ret = elevator->elevator_merge_fn(q, &req, head, bh,
+ rw, max_sectors, elevator->max_bomb_segments);
switch (el_ret) {

case ELEVATOR_BACK_MERGE:
-
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