Re: [PATCH 06/11] Export fragmentation index via /proc/extfrag_index

From: KOSAKI Motohiro
Date: Thu Mar 25 2010 - 23:10:49 EST


> On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 08:20:04PM +0900, KOSAKI Motohiro wrote:
> > > On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:47:17AM +0900, KOSAKI Motohiro wrote:
> > > > > On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 09:22:04AM +0900, KOSAKI Motohiro wrote:
> > > > > > > > > + /*
> > > > > > > > > + * Index is between 0 and 1 so return within 3 decimal places
> > > > > > > > > + *
> > > > > > > > > + * 0 => allocation would fail due to lack of memory
> > > > > > > > > + * 1 => allocation would fail due to fragmentation
> > > > > > > > > + */
> > > > > > > > > + return 1000 - ( (1000+(info->free_pages * 1000 / requested)) / info->free_blocks_total);
> > > > > > > > > +}
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Dumb question.
> > > > > > > > your paper (http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1375634.1375641) says
> > > > > > > > fragmentation_index = 1 - (TotalFree/SizeRequested)/BlocksFree
> > > > > > > > but your code have extra '1000+'. Why?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > To get an approximation to three decimal places.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Do you mean this is poor man's round up logic?
> > > > >
> > > > > Not exactly.
> > > > >
> > > > > The intention is to have a value of 968 instead of 0.968231. i.e.
> > > > > instead of a value between 0 and 1, it'll be a value between 0 and 1000
> > > > > that matches the first three digits after the decimal place.
> > > >
> > > > Let's consider extream case.
> > > >
> > > > free_pages: 1
> > > > requested: 1
> > > > free_blocks_total: 1
> > > >
> > > > frag_index = 1000 - ((1000 + 1*1000/1))/1 = -1000
> > > >
> > > > This is not your intension, I guess.
> > >
> > > Why not?
> > >
> > > See this comment
> > >
> > > /* Fragmentation index only makes sense when a request would fail */
> > >
> > > In your example, there is a free page of the requested size so the allocation
> > > would succeed. In this case, fragmentation index does indeed go negative
> > > but the value is not useful.
> > >
> > > > Probably we don't need any round_up/round_down logic. because fragmentation_index
> > > > is only used "if (fragindex >= 0 && fragindex <= 500)" check in try_to_compact_pages().
> > > > +1 or -1 inaccurate can be ignored. iow, I think we can remove '1000+' expression.
> > > >
> > >
> > > This isn't about rounding, it's about having a value that normally is
> > > between 0 and 1 expressed as a number between 0 and 1000 because we
> > > can't use double in the kernel.
> >
> > Sorry, My example was wrong. new example is here.
> >
> > free_pages: 4
> > requested: 2
> > free_blocks_total: 4
> >
> > theory: 1 - (TotalFree/SizeRequested)/BlocksFree
> > = 1 - (4/2)/4 = 0.5
> >
> > code : 1000 - ((1000 + 4*1000/2))/4 = 1000 - (1000 + 2000)/4 = 1000/4 = 250
> >
> > I don't think this is three decimal picking up code. This seems might makes
> > lots compaction invocation rather than theory.
> >
>
> Ok, I cannot apologise for this enough.
>
> Since that paper was published, further work showed that the equation could
> be much improved. As part of that, I updated the equation to the following;
>
> double index = 1 - ( (1 + ((double)info->free_pages / requested)) / info->free_blocks_total);
>
> or when approximated to three decimal places
>
> int index = 1000 - ( (1000 + ( info->free_pages * 1000 / requested)) / info->free_blocks_total);
>
> Your analysis of the paper is perfect. When slotted into a driver program
> with your example figures, I get the following results
>
> old equation = 0.500000
> current equation = 0.250000
> integer approximation = 250
>
> The code as-is is correct and is what I intended. My explanation on the
> other hand sucks and I should have remembered that I updated equation since
> I published that paper 2 years ago.
>
> Again, I am extremely sorry for misleading you.

No worry at all. it is merely review. I have no objection this equation if it is intentional. :)



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