Re: [PATCH 4/4] capture pages freed during direct reclaim for allocation by the reclaimer

KOSAKI Motohiro
2008-09-04T08:11:38Z

Hi Cristoph

> How does page allocator fastpath behavior fare with this pathch?

Don't worry it because

1. shrink_zone() isn't fastpath because any reclaim isn't fastpath.
2. buddy combining on __free_one_page() isn't fastpath because
any buddy combining isn't fastpath. (*)

(*)
all modern allocator have delayed buddy combining mecanism
because buddy combining increase cache miss.
(please imazine address X+1 is freed when address X is cold.
combining cause next alloc get address X, then caller see cold page)

at least, allocator's fastpath should avoid its combining IMHO.

Unfortunately the linux buddy's one is limited because
zone->pcp only cache order-0 page.

Then, higher order pages's free always use slow path now.
but it isn't his patch failure.