Date:	Tue, 12 May 2009 13:24:00 +0200
From:	Johannes Weiner <hannes@...xchg.org>
To:	KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki <kamezawa.hiroyu@...fujitsu.com>
Cc:	"linux-mm@...ck.org" <linux-mm@...ck.org>,
	"balbir@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <balbir@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	"nishimura@....nes.nec.co.jp" <nishimura@....nes.nec.co.jp>,
	"akpm@...ux-foundation.org" <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	mingo@...e.hu,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/3] fix swap cache account leak at swapin-readahead

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 10:46:03AM +0900, KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki wrote:
> From: KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki <kamezawa.hiroyu@...fujitsu.com>
> 
> In general, Linux's swp_entry handling is done by combination of lazy techniques
> and global LRU. It works well but when we use mem+swap controller, some more
> strict control is appropriate. Otherwise, swp_entry used by a cgroup will be
> never freed until global LRU works. In a system where memcg is well-configured,
> global LRU doesn't work frequently.
> 
>   Example) Assume swapin-readahead.
> 	      CPU0			      CPU1
> 	   zap_pte()			  read_swap_cache_async()
> 					  swap_duplicate().
>            swap_entry_free() = 1
> 	   find_get_page()=> NULL.
> 					  add_to_swap_cache().
> 					  issue swap I/O. 
> 
> There are many patterns of this kind of race (but no problems).
> 
> free_swap_and_cache() is called for freeing swp_entry. But it is a best-effort
> function. If the swp_entry/page seems busy, swp_entry is not freed.
> This is not a problem because global-LRU will find SwapCache at page reclaim.
> 
> If memcg is used, on the other hand, global LRU may not work. Then, above
> unused SwapCache will not be freed.
> (unmapped SwapCache occupy swp_entry but never be freed if not on memcg's LRU)
> 
> So, even if there are no tasks in a cgroup, swp_entry usage still remains.
> In bad case, OOM by mem+swap controller is triggered by this "leak" of
> swp_entry as Nishimura reported.
> 
> Considering this issue, swapin-readahead itself is not very good for memcg.
> It read swap cache which will not be used. (and _unused_ swapcache will
> not be accounted.) Even if we account swap cache at add_to_swap_cache(),
> we need to account page to several _unrelated_ memcg. This is bad.
> 
> This patch tries to fix racy case of free_swap_and_cache() and page status.
> 
> After this patch applied, following test works well.
> 
>   # echo 1-2M > ../memory.limit_in_bytes
>   # run tasks under memcg.
>   # kill all tasks and make memory.tasks empty
>   # check memory.memsw.usage_in_bytes == memory.usage_in_bytes and
>     there is no _used_ swp_entry.
> 
> What this patch does is
>  - avoid swapin-readahead when memcg is activated.
> 
> Changelog: v6 -> v7
>  - just handle races in readahead.
>  - races in writeback is handled in the next patch.
> 
> Changelog: v5 -> v6
>  - works only when memcg is activated.
>  - check after I/O works only after writeback.
>  - avoid swapin-readahead when memcg is activated.
>  - fixed page refcnt issue.
> Changelog: v4->v5
>  - completely new design.
> 
> Reported-by: Daisuke Nishimura <nishimura@....nes.nec.co.jp>
> Signed-off-by: KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki <kamezawa.hiroyu@...fujitsu.com>
> ---
>  mm/swap_state.c |   20 +++++++++++++++++---
>  1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> Index: mmotm-2.6.30-May07/mm/swap_state.c
> ===================================================================
> --- mmotm-2.6.30-May07.orig/mm/swap_state.c
> +++ mmotm-2.6.30-May07/mm/swap_state.c
> @@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ struct page *read_swap_cache_async(swp_e
>  struct page *swapin_readahead(swp_entry_t entry, gfp_t gfp_mask,
>  			struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
>  {
> -	int nr_pages;
> +	int nr_pages = 1;
>  	struct page *page;
> -	unsigned long offset;
> +	unsigned long offset = 0;
>  	unsigned long end_offset;
>  
>  	/*
> @@ -360,8 +360,22 @@ struct page *swapin_readahead(swp_entry_
>  	 * No, it's very unlikely that swap layout would follow vma layout,
>  	 * more likely that neighbouring swap pages came from the same node:
>  	 * so use the same "addr" to choose the same node for each swap read.
> +	 *
> +	 * But, when memcg is used, swapin readahead give us some bad
> +	 * effects. There are 2 big problems in general.
> +	 * 1. Swapin readahead tend to use/read _not required_ memory.
> +	 *    And _not required_ memory is only freed by global LRU.
> +	 * 2. We can't charge pages for swap-cache readahead because
> +	 *    we should avoid account memory in a cgroup which a
> +	 *    thread call this function is not related to.
> +	 * And swapin-readahead have racy condition with
> +	 * free_swap_and_cache(). This also annoys memcg.
> +	 * Then, if memcg is really used, we avoid readahead.
>  	 */
> -	nr_pages = valid_swaphandles(entry, &offset);
> +
> +	if (!mem_cgroup_activated())
> +		nr_pages = valid_swaphandles(entry, &offset);
> +
>  	for (end_offset = offset + nr_pages; offset < end_offset; offset++) {
>  		/* Ok, do the async read-ahead now */
>  		page = read_swap_cache_async(swp_entry(swp_type(entry), offset),

Having nr_pages set to 1 and offset to zero will actually enter hat
loop and try to read a swap slot at offset zero, including a
superfluous page allocation, just to fail at the swap_duplicate()
(swap slot 0 is swap header -> SWAP_MAP_BAD).

How about:

	if (mem_cgroup_activated())
		goto pivot;
	nr_pages = valid_swaphandles(...);
	for (readahead loop)
		...
pivot:
	return read_swap_cache_async();

That will also save you the runtime initialization of nr_pages and
offset completely when the cgroup is active.  And you'll have only one
branch and no second one for offset < end_offset in the loop.  And the
lru draining, but I'm not sure about that.  I think it's not needed.

	Hannes
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