linux-kernel - Re: writeout stalls in current -git

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Date:	Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:01:22 +0100
From:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
To:	David Chinner <dgc@....com>
Cc:	Torsten Kaiser <just.for.lkml@...glemail.com>,
	Fengguang Wu <wfg@...l.ustc.edu.cn>,
	Maxim Levitsky <maximlevitsky@...il.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org, xfs@....sgi.com
Subject: Re: writeout stalls in current -git

On Tue, 2007-11-06 at 15:25 +1100, David Chinner wrote:

> I'm struggling to understand what possible changed in XFS or writeback that
> would lead to stalls like this, esp. as you appear to be removing files when
> the stalls occur. 

Just a crazy idea,..

Could there be a set_page_dirty() that doesn't have
balance_dirty_pages() call near? For example modifying meta data in
unlink?

Such a situation could lead to an excess of dirty pages and the next
call to balance_dirty_pages() would appear to stall, as it would
desperately try to get below the limit again.

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