Re: [PATCH] mm: vmscan: no change of reclaim mode if unevictable page encountered

[Hillf Danton]

On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 5:40 PM, Mel Gorman <mgorman@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 07, 2012 at 11:46:17AM +0800, Hillf Danton wrote:
>> Since unevictable page is not isolated from lru list for shrink_page_list(),
>> it is accident if encountered in shrinking, and no need to change reclaim mode.
>>
>
> This changelog does does not explain the problem, does not explain
> what is fixed or what the impact is.
>
> It also does not make sense. It says "unevictable page is not isolated
> from LRU list" but this is shrink_page_list() and the page has already
> been isolated (probably by lumpy reclaim). It will be put back on
> the LRU_UNEVICTABLE list.
>
> It might be the case that resetting the reclaim mode after encountering
> mlocked pages is overkill but that would need more justification than
> what this changelog offers. Resetting the mode impacts THP rates but
> this is erring on the side of caution by doing less work in reclaim
> as the savings from THP may not offset the cost of reclaim.
>

Hi Mel

It is reprepared, please review again.

Thanks
Hillf

===cut please===
From: Hillf Danton <dhillf@xxxxxxxxx>
[PATCH] mm: vmscan: no change of reclaim mode if unevictable page encountered

Unevictable pages are not isolated from lru list for shrink_page_list(), and
they could be put back onto lru list if accidentally encountered in shrinking.

But resetting reclaim mode maybe overkill, as it impacts THP rates. This is
erring on the side of caution by doing less work in reclaim as the savings
from THP may not offset the cost of reclaim.


Cc: KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki <kamezawa.hiroyu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: David Rientjes <rientjes@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Mel Gorman <mgorman@xxxxxxx>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Hillf Danton <dhillf@xxxxxxxxx>
---

--- a/mm/vmscan.c	Thu Dec 29 20:20:16 2011
+++ b/mm/vmscan.c	Sat Jan  7 11:27:44 2012
@@ -995,7 +995,6 @@ cull_mlocked:
 			try_to_free_swap(page);
 		unlock_page(page);
 		putback_lru_page(page);
-		reset_reclaim_mode(sc);
 		continue;

 activate_locked:
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