linux-kernel - Re: [RFC PATCH 1/7] mm/mremap: introduce more mergeable mremap via MREMAP_RELOCATE

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Message-ID: <f574e997-5276-415e-bdf3-8d347d120bf1@lucifer.local>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:12:28 +0100
From: Lorenzo Stoakes <lorenzo.stoakes@...cle.com>
To: David Hildenbrand <david@...hat.com>
Cc: Jann Horn <jannh@...gle.com>, Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@...e.cz>,
        "Liam R . Howlett" <Liam.Howlett@...cle.com>,
        Suren Baghdasaryan <surenb@...gle.com>,
        Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>, linux-mm@...ck.org,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 1/7] mm/mremap: introduce more mergeable mremap via
 MREMAP_RELOCATE_ANON

On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 03:50:59PM +0100, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 01:49:07PM +0100, David Hildenbrand wrote:
> > > >
> > > > c)  In -next, there is now be the option to use folio lock +
> > > > folio_maybe_mapped_shared() == false. But it doesn't tell you into how many
> > > > VMAs a large folio is mapped into.
> > > >
> > > > In the following case:
> > > >
> > > > [       folio     ]
> > > > [ VMA#1 ] [ VMA#2 ]
> > > >
> > > > c) would not tell you if you are fine modifying the folio when moving VMA#2.
> > >
> > > Right, I feel like prior checks made should assert this is not the case,
> > > however?  But mapcount check should be a last ditch assurance?
> >
> > Something nice might be hiding in c) that might be able to handle a single
> > folio being covered by multiple vmas.
> >
> > I was thinking about the following:
> >
> > [       folio0     ]
> > [       VMA#0      ]
> >
> > Then we do a partial (old-school) mremap()
> >
> > [ folio0 ]               [ folio0 ]
> > [ VMA#1  ]               [ VMA#2  ]
> >
> > To then extend VMA#1 and fault in pages
> >
> > [ folio0 ][ folio1 ]         [ folio0 ]
> > [      VMA#1       ]         [ VMA#2  ]
> >
> > If that is possible (did not try!, maybe something prevents us from
> > extending VMA#1) mremap(MREMAP_RELOCATE_ANON) of VMA#1  / VMA#2 cannot work.
> >
> > We'd have to detect that scenario (partial mremap). You might be doing that
> > with the anon-vma magic, something different might be: Assume we flag large
> > folios if they were partially mremapped in any process.
>
> Do we have spare folio flags? :)) I always lose track of the situation with this
> and Matthew's levels of tolerance for it :P
>
> >
> > Then (with folio lock only)
> >
> > 1) folio_maybe_mapped_shared() == false: mapped into single process

Am looking at this series again :) This function is very handy thanks, will
use in the upcoming RFCv2!

> > 2) folio_maybe_partially_mremaped() == false: not scattered in virtual
> >    address space

This is intriguing, I think perhaps best to defer this to a later date :)
have added a personal todo accordingly. We are able to fairly reasonably
detect this case right now so it's not urgent.

> >
> > It would be sufficient to check if the folio fully falls into the memap()
> > range to decide if we can adjust the folio index etc.
> >
> > We *might* be able to use that in the COW-reuse path for large folios to
> > perform a folio_move_anon_rmap(), which we currently only perform for small
> > folios / PMD-mapped folios (single mapping). Not sure yet if actually
> > multiple VMAs are involved.
>
> Interesting... this is the wp_can_reuse_anon_folio() stuff? I'll have a look
> into that!
>
> I'm concerned about partial cases moreso though, e.g.:
>
>      mremap this
>     <----------->
> [       folio0     ]
> [       VMA#0      ]
>
> I mean, I'm leaning more towards just breaking up the folio, especialy if we
> consider a case like a biiig range:
>
>                        mremap this
>     <--------------------------------------------------->
> [ folio0 ][ folio1 ][ folio2 ][ folio3 ][ folio4 ][ folio5 ] (say order-9 each)
> [                           VMA#0                          ]
>
> Then at this point, refusing to do the whole thing seems maybe a bad idea, at
> which point splitting the folios for folio0, 5 might be sensible.
>
> I guess a user is saying 'please, I really care about merging' so might well be
> willing to tolerate losing some of the huge page benefits, at least at the edges
> here.
>
> >
> >
> >
> > Just throwing it out there ...
> > >
> > > (actually at least one of the 'prior checks' for large folios are added in a
> > > later commit but still :P)
> >
> >
> > Yeah, I'm looking at the bigger picture; small folios are easy :P
>
> Yeah, back when life was simpler... :P
>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Cheers,
> >
> > David / dhildenb
> >
>
> Cheers, Lorenzo