linux-kernel - Re: [PACTH v1] mm, proc: Implement /proc/<pid>/totmaps

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Date:	Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:28:11 -0400
From:	Robert Foss <robert.foss@...labora.com>
To:	Jann Horn <jann@...jh.net>, Sonny Rao <sonnyrao@...omium.org>
Cc:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>,
	Al Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
	Cyrill Gorcunov <gorcunov@...nvz.org>,
	John Stultz <john.stultz@...aro.org>,
	Robin Humble <plaguedbypenguins@...il.com>,
	Mateusz Guzik <mguzik@...hat.com>,
	Alexey Dobriyan <adobriyan@...il.com>,
	Janis Danisevskis <jdanis@...gle.com>, calvinowens@...com,
	Michal Hocko <mhocko@...e.com>,
	Konstantin Khlebnikov <koct9i@...il.com>,
	Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@...e.cz>,
	Naoya Horiguchi <n-horiguchi@...jp.nec.com>,
	"Kirill A. Shutemov" <kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com>,
	ldufour@...ux.vnet.ibm.com, Johannes Weiner <hannes@...xchg.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Ben Zhang <benzh@...omium.org>,
	Bryan Freed <bfreed@...omium.org>,
	Filipe Brandenburger <filbranden@...omium.org>
Subject: Re: [PACTH v1] mm, proc: Implement /proc/<pid>/totmaps



On 2016-08-10 02:05 PM, Jann Horn wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 10:45:51AM -0700, Sonny Rao wrote:
>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 10:37 AM, Jann Horn <jann@...jh.net> wrote:
>>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 10:23:53AM -0700, Sonny Rao wrote:
>>>> On Tue, Aug 9, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Robert Foss <robert.foss@...labora.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2016-08-09 03:24 PM, Jann Horn wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Aug 09, 2016 at 12:05:43PM -0400, robert.foss@...labora.com wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> From: Sonny Rao <sonnyrao@...omium.org>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This is based on earlier work by Thiago Goncales. It implements a new
>>>>>>> per process proc file which summarizes the contents of the smaps file
>>>>>>> but doesn't display any addresses.  It gives more detailed information
>>>>>>> than statm like the PSS (proprotional set size).  It differs from the
>>>>>>> original implementation in that it doesn't use the full blown set of
>>>>>>> seq operations, uses a different termination condition, and doesn't
>>>>>>> displayed "Locked" as that was broken on the original implemenation.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This new proc file provides information faster than parsing the
>>>>>>> potentially
>>>>>>> huge smaps file.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Signed-off-by: Sonny Rao <sonnyrao@...omium.org>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tested-by: Robert Foss <robert.foss@...labora.com>
>>>>>>> Signed-off-by: Robert Foss <robert.foss@...labora.com>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> +static int totmaps_proc_show(struct seq_file *m, void *data)
>>>>>>> +{
>>>>>>> +       struct proc_maps_private *priv = m->private;
>>>>>>> +       struct mm_struct *mm;
>>>>>>> +       struct vm_area_struct *vma;
>>>>>>> +       struct mem_size_stats *mss_sum = priv->mss;
>>>>>>> +
>>>>>>> +       /* reference to priv->task already taken */
>>>>>>> +       /* but need to get the mm here because */
>>>>>>> +       /* task could be in the process of exiting */
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Can you please elaborate on this? My understanding here is that you
>>>>>> intend for the caller to be able to repeatedly read the same totmaps
>>>>>> file with pread() and still see updated information after the target
>>>>>> process has called execve() and be able to detect process death
>>>>>> (instead of simply seeing stale values). Is that accurate?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I would prefer it if you could grab a reference to the mm_struct
>>>>>> directly at open time.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sonny, do you know more about the above comment?
>>>>
>>>> I think right now the file gets re-opened every time, but the mode
>>>> where the file is opened once and repeatedly read is interesting
>>>> because it avoids having to open the file again and again.
>>>>
>>>> I guess you could end up with a wierd situation where you don't read
>>>> the entire contents of the file in open call to read() and you might
>>>> get inconsistent data across the different statistics?
>>>
>>> If the file is read in two chunks, totmaps_proc_show is only called
>>> once. The patch specifies seq_read as read handler. Have a look at its
>>> definition. As long as you don't read from the same seq file in
>>> parallel or seek around in it, simple sequential reads will not
>>> re-invoke the show() method for data that has already been formatted.
>>> For partially consumed data, the kernel buffers the rest until someone
>>> reads it or seeks to another offset.
>>
>> Ok that's good.  If the consumer were using pread() though, would that
>> look like a seek?
>
> Only if the consumer uses pread() with an offset that is not the same as
> the end offset of the previous read.
>
> So if you tried to use the same file from multiple threads in parallel,
> you might still have issues, but as long as you don't do that, it should
> be fine.
>
> I guess it might make sense to document this behavior somewhere - maybe
> the proc.5 manpage?
>

I'll add a note about limitations for parallel read. The overall 
documentation for this feature should live in the proc.5 manpage as well?