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Compilation problem with drivers/staging/zsmalloc when !SMP on ARM

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Matt Sealey Jan. 19, 2013, 1:11 a.m. UTC
On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Russell King - ARM Linux
<linux@arm.linux.org.uk> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 02:24:15PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I wonder if anyone can shed some light on this linking problem I have
>> right now. If I configure my kernel without SMP support (it is a very
>> lean config for i.MX51 with device tree support only) I hit this error
>> on linking:
>
> Yes, I looked at this, and I've decided that I will _not_ fix this export,
> neither will I accept a patch to add an export.

Understood..

> As far as I can see, this code is buggy in a SMP environment.  There's
> apparantly no guarantee that:
>
> 1. the mapping will be created on a particular CPU.
> 2. the mapping will then be used only on this specific CPU.
> 3. no guarantee that another CPU won't speculatively prefetch from this
>    region.
> 4. when the mapping is torn down, no guarantee that it's the same CPU that
>    used the happing.
>
> So, the use of the local TLB flush leaves all the other CPUs potentially
> containing TLB entries for this mapping.

I'm gonna put this out to the maintainers (Konrad, and Seth since he
committed it) that if this code is buggy it gets taken back out, even
if it makes zsmalloc "slow" on ARM, for the following reasons:

* It's buggy on SMP as Russell describes above
* It might not be buggy on UP (opposite to Russell's description above
as the restrictions he states do not exist), but that would imply an
export for a really core internal MM function nobody should be using
anyway
* By that assessment, using that core internal MM function on SMP is
also bad voodoo that zsmalloc should not be doing

It also either smacks of a lack of comprehensive testing or defiance
of logic that nobody ever built the code without CONFIG_SMP, which
means it was only tested on a bunch of SMP ARM systems (I'm guessing..
Pandaboard? :) or UP systems with SMP/SMP_ON_UP enabled (to expand on
that guess, maybe Beagleboard in some multiplatform Beagle/Panda
hybrid kernel). I am sure I was reading the mailing lists when that
patch was discussed, coded and committed and my guess is correct. In
this case, what we have here anyway is code which when PROPERLY
configured as so..

.. such that it even compiles in both "guess" configurations, the
slower Cortex-A8 600MHz single core system gets to use the slow copy
path and the dual-core 1GHz+ Cortex-A9 (with twice the RAM..) gets to
use the fast mapping path. Essentially all the patch does is "improve
performance" on the fastest, best-configured, large-amounts-of-RAM,
lots-of-CPU-performance ARM systems (OMAP4+, Snapdragon, Exynos4+,
marvell armada, i.MX6..) while introducing the problems Russell
describes, and leave performance exactly the same and potentially far
more stable on the slower, memory-limited ARM machines.

Given the purpose of zsmalloc, zram, zcache etc. this somewhat defies
logic. If it's not making the memory-limited, slow ARM systems run
better, what's the point?

So in summary I suggest "we" (Greg? or is it Seth's responsibility?)
should just back out that whole USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING chunk of code
introduced with f553646. Then Russell can carry on randconfiging and I
can build for SMP and UP and get the same code.. with less bugs.

I am sure zsmalloc/zram/zcache2 are not so awful at the end of the day
despite the churn in staging.. but the amount of time I just spent
today with my brain on fire because of cross-referencing mm code for a
linker error, when all I wanted was a non-SMP kernel, I feel Greg's
hurt a little bit.

--
Matt Sealey <matt@genesi-usa.com>
Product Development Analyst, Genesi USA, Inc.

Comments

Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk Jan. 19, 2013, 4:46 a.m. UTC | #1
On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 07:11:32PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Russell King - ARM Linux
> <linux@arm.linux.org.uk> wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 02:24:15PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
> >> Hello all,
> >>
> >> I wonder if anyone can shed some light on this linking problem I have
> >> right now. If I configure my kernel without SMP support (it is a very
> >> lean config for i.MX51 with device tree support only) I hit this error
> >> on linking:
> >
> > Yes, I looked at this, and I've decided that I will _not_ fix this export,
> > neither will I accept a patch to add an export.
> 
> Understood..
> 
> > As far as I can see, this code is buggy in a SMP environment.  There's
> > apparantly no guarantee that:
> >
> > 1. the mapping will be created on a particular CPU.
> > 2. the mapping will then be used only on this specific CPU.
> > 3. no guarantee that another CPU won't speculatively prefetch from this
> >    region.
> > 4. when the mapping is torn down, no guarantee that it's the same CPU that
> >    used the happing.
> >
> > So, the use of the local TLB flush leaves all the other CPUs potentially
> > containing TLB entries for this mapping.
> 
> I'm gonna put this out to the maintainers (Konrad, and Seth since he
> committed it) that if this code is buggy it gets taken back out, even
> if it makes zsmalloc "slow" on ARM, for the following reasons:

Just to make sure I understand, you mean don't use page table
mapping but instead use copying?

> 
> * It's buggy on SMP as Russell describes above
> * It might not be buggy on UP (opposite to Russell's description above
> as the restrictions he states do not exist), but that would imply an
> export for a really core internal MM function nobody should be using
> anyway
> * By that assessment, using that core internal MM function on SMP is
> also bad voodoo that zsmalloc should not be doing

 'local_tlb_flush' is bad voodoo?

> 
> It also either smacks of a lack of comprehensive testing or defiance
> of logic that nobody ever built the code without CONFIG_SMP, which
> means it was only tested on a bunch of SMP ARM systems (I'm guessing..
> Pandaboard? :) or UP systems with SMP/SMP_ON_UP enabled (to expand on
> that guess, maybe Beagleboard in some multiplatform Beagle/Panda
> hybrid kernel). I am sure I was reading the mailing lists when that
> patch was discussed, coded and committed and my guess is correct. In
> this case, what we have here anyway is code which when PROPERLY
> configured as so..

The initial patch were done on x86. Then Seth did the work to make sure
it worked on PPC. Munchin looked on ARM and that is it.

If you have an ARM server that you would be willing to part with I would
be thrilled to look at it.

> 
> diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
	> --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
>   * mapping rather than copying
>   * for object mapping.
>  */
> -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
> +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
>  #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING
>  #endif
> 
> .. such that it even compiles in both "guess" configurations, the
> slower Cortex-A8 600MHz single core system gets to use the slow copy
> path and the dual-core 1GHz+ Cortex-A9 (with twice the RAM..) gets to
> use the fast mapping path. Essentially all the patch does is "improve
> performance" on the fastest, best-configured, large-amounts-of-RAM,
> lots-of-CPU-performance ARM systems (OMAP4+, Snapdragon, Exynos4+,
> marvell armada, i.MX6..) while introducing the problems Russell
> describes, and leave performance exactly the same and potentially far
> more stable on the slower, memory-limited ARM machines.

Any ideas on how to detect that?
> 
> Given the purpose of zsmalloc, zram, zcache etc. this somewhat defies
> logic. If it's not making the memory-limited, slow ARM systems run
> better, what's the point?
> 
> So in summary I suggest "we" (Greg? or is it Seth's responsibility?)
> should just back out that whole USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING chunk of code
> introduced with f553646. Then Russell can carry on randconfiging and I
> can build for SMP and UP and get the same code.. with less bugs.

I get that you want to have this fixed right now. I think having it
fixed the right way is a better choice. Lets discuss that first
before we start tossing patches to disable parts of it.
Minchan Kim Jan. 21, 2013, 5:55 a.m. UTC | #2
On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 11:46:02PM -0500, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 07:11:32PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Russell King - ARM Linux
> > <linux@arm.linux.org.uk> wrote:
> > > On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 02:24:15PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
> > >> Hello all,
> > >>
> > >> I wonder if anyone can shed some light on this linking problem I have
> > >> right now. If I configure my kernel without SMP support (it is a very
> > >> lean config for i.MX51 with device tree support only) I hit this error
> > >> on linking:
> > >
> > > Yes, I looked at this, and I've decided that I will _not_ fix this export,
> > > neither will I accept a patch to add an export.
> > 
> > Understood..
> > 
> > > As far as I can see, this code is buggy in a SMP environment.  There's
> > > apparantly no guarantee that:
> > >
> > > 1. the mapping will be created on a particular CPU.
> > > 2. the mapping will then be used only on this specific CPU.
> > > 3. no guarantee that another CPU won't speculatively prefetch from this
> > >    region.
> > > 4. when the mapping is torn down, no guarantee that it's the same CPU that
> > >    used the happing.
> > >
> > > So, the use of the local TLB flush leaves all the other CPUs potentially
> > > containing TLB entries for this mapping.
> > 
> > I'm gonna put this out to the maintainers (Konrad, and Seth since he
> > committed it) that if this code is buggy it gets taken back out, even
> > if it makes zsmalloc "slow" on ARM, for the following reasons:
> 
> Just to make sure I understand, you mean don't use page table
> mapping but instead use copying?
> 
> > 
> > * It's buggy on SMP as Russell describes above
> > * It might not be buggy on UP (opposite to Russell's description above
> > as the restrictions he states do not exist), but that would imply an
> > export for a really core internal MM function nobody should be using
> > anyway
> > * By that assessment, using that core internal MM function on SMP is
> > also bad voodoo that zsmalloc should not be doing
> 
>  'local_tlb_flush' is bad voodoo?
> 
> > 
> > It also either smacks of a lack of comprehensive testing or defiance
> > of logic that nobody ever built the code without CONFIG_SMP, which
> > means it was only tested on a bunch of SMP ARM systems (I'm guessing..
> > Pandaboard? :) or UP systems with SMP/SMP_ON_UP enabled (to expand on
> > that guess, maybe Beagleboard in some multiplatform Beagle/Panda
> > hybrid kernel). I am sure I was reading the mailing lists when that
> > patch was discussed, coded and committed and my guess is correct. In
> > this case, what we have here anyway is code which when PROPERLY
> > configured as so..
> 
> The initial patch were done on x86. Then Seth did the work to make sure
> it worked on PPC. Munchin looked on ARM and that is it.

s/Munchin/Minchan

> 
> If you have an ARM server that you would be willing to part with I would
> be thrilled to look at it.
> 
> > 
> > diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
> 	> --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
> >   * mapping rather than copying
> >   * for object mapping.
> >  */
> > -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
> > +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
> >  #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING

I don't get it. How to prevent the problem Russel described?
The problem is that other CPU can prefetch _speculatively_ under us.

> >  #endif
> > 
> > .. such that it even compiles in both "guess" configurations, the
> > slower Cortex-A8 600MHz single core system gets to use the slow copy
> > path and the dual-core 1GHz+ Cortex-A9 (with twice the RAM..) gets to
> > use the fast mapping path. Essentially all the patch does is "improve
> > performance" on the fastest, best-configured, large-amounts-of-RAM,
> > lots-of-CPU-performance ARM systems (OMAP4+, Snapdragon, Exynos4+,
> > marvell armada, i.MX6..) while introducing the problems Russell
> > describes, and leave performance exactly the same and potentially far
> > more stable on the slower, memory-limited ARM machines.
> 
> Any ideas on how to detect that?
> > 
> > Given the purpose of zsmalloc, zram, zcache etc. this somewhat defies
> > logic. If it's not making the memory-limited, slow ARM systems run
> > better, what's the point?
> > 
> > So in summary I suggest "we" (Greg? or is it Seth's responsibility?)
> > should just back out that whole USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING chunk of code
> > introduced with f553646. Then Russell can carry on randconfiging and I
> > can build for SMP and UP and get the same code.. with less bugs.
> 
> I get that you want to have this fixed right now. I think having it
> fixed the right way is a better choice. Lets discuss that first
> before we start tossing patches to disable parts of it.

If I don't miss something, we could have 2 choice.

1) use flush_tlb_kernel_range instead of local_flush_tlb_kernel_range
Or
2) use only memory copy

I guess everybody want 2 because it makes code very simple and maintainable.
Even, rencently Joonsoo sent optimize patch.
Look at https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/1/16/68 so zram/zcache effect caused by 2
would be minimized.

But please give me the time and I will borrow quad-core embedded target board
and test 1 on the phone with Seth's benchmark.

> 
> --
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Matt Sealey Jan. 21, 2013, 4 p.m. UTC | #3
Hi Minchan,

On Sun, Jan 20, 2013 at 11:55 PM, Minchan Kim <minchan@kernel.org> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 11:46:02PM -0500, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk wrote:
>> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 07:11:32PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
>> >
>> > diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> > b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> > index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
>>       > --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> > +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> > @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
>> >   * mapping rather than copying
>> >   * for object mapping.
>> >  */
>> > -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
>> > +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
>> >  #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING
>
> I don't get it. How to prevent the problem Russel described?
> The problem is that other CPU can prefetch _speculatively_ under us.

It prevents no problems, but if that isn't there, kernels build
without SMP support (i.e. specifically uniprocessor kernels) will fail
at the linker stage.

That's not desirable.

We have 3 problems here, this solves the first of them, and creates
the third. The second is constant regardless..

1) zsmalloc will not build on ARM without CONFIG_SMP because on UP
local_tlb_flush_kern_range uses a function which uses an export which
isn't required on SMP

Basically, with CONFIG_SMP (and CONFIG_UP_ON_SMP),
local_tlb_flush_kern_range is calling functions by dereference from
the per-cpu global cpu_tlb structure.

On UP (!CONFIG_SMP), it is calling functions directly (in my case,
v7wbi_local_tlb_flush_kern_range or whatever, but on v6, v5, v4 ARM
processor kernel builds it may be different) which need to be exported
outside of the MM core.

If this difference is going to stick around - Russell is refusing here
to export that/those direct functions - then the optimized vm mapping
code simply should never be allowed to run on non-SMP systems to keep
it building for everyone.

The patch above is simply a build fix for !CONFIG_SMP in this case to
force it to use the slow path for systems where the above missing
export problem will cause the linker failure.

2) the optimized vm mapping isn't per-cpu aware as per Russell's
arguments. I'll let you guys discuss that as I have no idea what the
real implications are for SMP systems (and my current testing is only
on a non-SMP CPU, I will have to go grab a couple boards from the lab
for SMP)

3) it somewhat defeats the purpose of the optimization if UP systems
(which tend to have less memory and might benefit from things like
zsmalloc/zram more) cannot use it, but SMP systems which tend to have
more memory (unless we're talking about a frugal configuration of a
virtual machine, perhaps). Given the myriad use cases of zram that is
not a pervasive or persuasive argument, I know, but it does seem
slightly backwards.

> If I don't miss something, we could have 2 choice.
>
> 1) use flush_tlb_kernel_range instead of local_flush_tlb_kernel_range
> Or
> 2) use only memory copy
>
> I guess everybody want 2 because it makes code very simple and maintainable.
> Even, rencently Joonsoo sent optimize patch.
> Look at https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/1/16/68 so zram/zcache effect caused by 2
> would be minimized.
>
> But please give me the time and I will borrow quad-core embedded target board
> and test 1 on the phone with Seth's benchmark.

In the meantime please take into account building a non-SMP kernel for
this board and testing that; if there is a way to do the flush without
using the particular function which uses the particular export that
Russell will not export, then that would be better. Maybe for
!CONFIG_SMP using flush_tlb_kernel_range is doing the exact same job
and the real patch is not to disable the optimization with
!CONFIG_SMP, but to additionally #if defined(CONFIG_SMP) around
local_flush_tlb_kernel_range and alternatively for UP use
flush_tlb_kernel_range which.. probably.. doesn't use that contentious
export?

This is far beyond the level I want to be digging around in the Linux
kernel so I am not comfortable even trying that to find out.
Matt Sealey Jan. 21, 2013, 4:20 p.m. UTC | #4
On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 10:46 PM, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk
<konrad.wilk@oracle.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 07:11:32PM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
>> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Russell King - ARM Linux
>>
>> I'm gonna put this out to the maintainers (Konrad, and Seth since he
>> committed it) that if this code is buggy it gets taken back out, even
>> if it makes zsmalloc "slow" on ARM, for the following reasons:
>
> Just to make sure I understand, you mean don't use page table
> mapping but instead use copying?

Yes, just back out the USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING code. But as I just replied
with Minchan, maybe there is a better way.

The only real problem here apart from the non-per-cpu usage Russell
describes (which does not affect UP systems anyway) is that without
CONFIG_SMP we have a FTBFS.

However I am sure you agree on the odd fix of enabling pagetable
mapping optimization only on "high end" systems and leaving the low
end using the slow path. It *is* odd. Also, my rudimentary patch for
disabling the code on !CONFIG_SMP is just *hiding* a misuse of a
non-exported mm function...

The FTBFS showed the problem, I don't want the fix to be to hide it,
which is why I brought it up.

>> * It's buggy on SMP as Russell describes above
>> * It might not be buggy on UP (opposite to Russell's description above
>> as the restrictions he states do not exist), but that would imply an
>> export for a really core internal MM function nobody should be using
>> anyway
>> * By that assessment, using that core internal MM function on SMP is
>> also bad voodoo that zsmalloc should not be doing
>
>  'local_tlb_flush' is bad voodoo?

See previous mail to Minchan; local_tlb_flush_kernel_range calls
cpu_tlb.flush_kernel_range on SMP, but a direct function call
("glue(_TLB, flush_kernel_range)" which resolves to
v7wbi_flush_kernel_range etc. etc.) without CONFIG_SMP. That direct
function call it resolves to is not an export and Russell just said he
won't accept a patch to export it.

> If you have an ARM server that you would be willing to part with I would
> be thrilled to look at it.



>> diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
>         > --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
>> @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
>>   * mapping rather than copying
>>   * for object mapping.
>>  */
>> -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
>> +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
>>  #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING
>>  #endif
>>
>> .. such that it even compiles in both "guess" configurations, the
>> slower Cortex-A8 600MHz single core system gets to use the slow copy
>> path and the dual-core 1GHz+ Cortex-A9 (with twice the RAM..) gets to
>> use the fast mapping path. Essentially all the patch does is "improve
>> performance" on the fastest, best-configured, large-amounts-of-RAM,
>> lots-of-CPU-performance ARM systems (OMAP4+, Snapdragon, Exynos4+,
>> marvell armada, i.MX6..) while introducing the problems Russell
>> describes, and leave performance exactly the same and potentially far
>> more stable on the slower, memory-limited ARM machines.
>
> Any ideas on how to detect that?

Nope, sorry. It would rely on knowing the precise configuration *and*
the user intent of using zram which is far beyond the scope of zram or
zsmalloc itself. It could be a VM, a phone with only 256MB RAM and
slow storage, it could be a device with 2TB RAM but no fast local
storage.. whether using it as a compressed block device or a swap
device that is compressed, you can never know inside the driver what
the real use it except the kernel build time config.

All we can know in zram, at build time, is whether we're configuring
for SMP, UP-on-SMP, or UP (!SMP) and which code path makes more sense
to build (ideally, SMP and UP would run the pagetable mapping code
alike). If we can make the pagetable mapping code compile on UP
without the above patch being required, and it has the same effect,
then this would be the best solution. Then the code needs to be fixed
for proper operation on SMP anyway.

If there are still a bunch of export problems with an alternate method
of flushing the tlb for a range of kernel memory exposed by trying a
different way around, this is just proving an issue here that the ARM
guys disagree that things that can be built as modules should be doing
such things, or that the cpu_tlb.flush_kernel_range vs.
v7wbi_tlb_flush_kernel_range export thing is confusing as crap at the
very least in that the CPU topology model the kernel lives by and is
compiled for at build time causes build breakages if you don't want
(or have) your driver to be knowledgable of the differences :)

>> can build for SMP and UP and get the same code.. with less bugs.
>
> I get that you want to have this fixed right now.

Somewhat. It is not urgent, since I fixed it "for now" in my tree, I
am just worried that if that "fix" goes upstream it hides a real, more
important issue here.

I am mostly only concerned about whether zram as swap in any
configuration causes any issues with performance on my system, as I
would *like* to use it. We have noticed in the past (when it was
compcache, and zram before the xsmalloc ->zsmalloc/zcache2 rewrite)
that it did make a difference. Given the changes I just wanted to be
sure. We have some acceptably performing storage but limited RAM, so
there has to be a happy medium between reserving an in-memory
compressed block device and an amount of real disk swap in the back,
for use cases such as webservers with high number of connections, web
browsers with high numbers of tabs, media playback and suchlike.
Compression obviously takes CPU time, but swapping to disk blocks, so
keeping the system feeling smooth from a UX point of view while
allowing them to do a tiny bit more is what we're looking for. As I
said, we saw great benefits a couple years ago, a year ago, I just
wanted to pull some benchmarks from a current kernel. I was not under
the impression, though, that this code would FTBFS on my preferred
kernel configuration :D

> fixed the right way is a better choice. Lets discuss that first
> before we start tossing patches to disable parts of it.

Agreed.
Russell King - ARM Linux Jan. 21, 2013, 4:29 p.m. UTC | #5
On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 10:20:38AM -0600, Matt Sealey wrote:
> See previous mail to Minchan; local_tlb_flush_kernel_range calls
> cpu_tlb.flush_kernel_range on SMP, but a direct function call
> ("glue(_TLB, flush_kernel_range)" which resolves to
> v7wbi_flush_kernel_range etc. etc.) without CONFIG_SMP.

Actually, that's wrong - it's got nothing to do with SMP vs non-SMP.

It's more to do with which CPUs are being supported.  If they all use one
single cache maintanence implementation, then direct calls are used as an
optimization.  If they require more than one cache maintanence
implementation, they are indirect calls.  SMP really doesn't come into
that decision.

So:

> >> diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> >> b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> >> index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
> >         > --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> >> +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> >> @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
> >>   * mapping rather than copying
> >>   * for object mapping.
> >>  */
> >> -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
> >> +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)

Would be wrong.
Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk Jan. 22, 2013, 8:34 p.m. UTC | #6
> > The initial patch were done on x86. Then Seth did the work to make sure
> > it worked on PPC. Munchin looked on ARM and that is it.
> 
> s/Munchin/Minchan

Thank you. I am sorry for butchering your name.
> 
> > 
> > If you have an ARM server that you would be willing to part with I would
> > be thrilled to look at it.
> > 
> > > 
> > > diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > > b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > > index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
> > 	> --- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > > +++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
> > > @@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ struct zs_pool {
> > >   * mapping rather than copying
> > >   * for object mapping.
> > >  */
> > > -#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
> > > +#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
> > >  #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING
> 
> I don't get it. How to prevent the problem Russel described?
> The problem is that other CPU can prefetch _speculatively_ under us.

<nods> Not sure either.
> 
> > >  #endif
> > > 
> > > .. such that it even compiles in both "guess" configurations, the
> > > slower Cortex-A8 600MHz single core system gets to use the slow copy
> > > path and the dual-core 1GHz+ Cortex-A9 (with twice the RAM..) gets to
> > > use the fast mapping path. Essentially all the patch does is "improve
> > > performance" on the fastest, best-configured, large-amounts-of-RAM,
> > > lots-of-CPU-performance ARM systems (OMAP4+, Snapdragon, Exynos4+,
> > > marvell armada, i.MX6..) while introducing the problems Russell
> > > describes, and leave performance exactly the same and potentially far
> > > more stable on the slower, memory-limited ARM machines.
> > 
> > Any ideas on how to detect that?
> > > 
> > > Given the purpose of zsmalloc, zram, zcache etc. this somewhat defies
> > > logic. If it's not making the memory-limited, slow ARM systems run
> > > better, what's the point?
> > > 
> > > So in summary I suggest "we" (Greg? or is it Seth's responsibility?)
> > > should just back out that whole USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING chunk of code
> > > introduced with f553646. Then Russell can carry on randconfiging and I
> > > can build for SMP and UP and get the same code.. with less bugs.
> > 
> > I get that you want to have this fixed right now. I think having it
> > fixed the right way is a better choice. Lets discuss that first
> > before we start tossing patches to disable parts of it.
> 
> If I don't miss something, we could have 2 choice.
> 
> 1) use flush_tlb_kernel_range instead of local_flush_tlb_kernel_range
> Or
> 2) use only memory copy
> 
> I guess everybody want 2 because it makes code very simple and maintainable.
> Even, rencently Joonsoo sent optimize patch.
> Look at https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/1/16/68 so zram/zcache effect caused by 2
> would be minimized.
> 
> But please give me the time and I will borrow quad-core embedded target board
> and test 1 on the phone with Seth's benchmark.
> 
> > 
> > --
> > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> > More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> > Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
> 
> -- 
> Kind regards,
> Minchan Kim
diff mbox

Patch

diff --git a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
index 09a9d35..ecf75fb 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/zsmalloc/zsmalloc-main.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@  struct zs_pool {
  * mapping rather than copying
  * for object mapping.
 */
-#if defined(CONFIG_ARM)
+#if defined(CONFIG_ARM) && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
 #define USE_PGTABLE_MAPPING
 #endif