[PATCH v2 0/3] mm: workingset: fix the shadow node budget under MGLRU

[PATCH v2 0/3] mm: workingset: fix the shadow node budget under MGLRU

[Hui Zhu]

From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Commit 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the
number of lru pages") broke the workingset shadow node budget under
MGLRU: lruvec_lru_size() reads mz->lru_zone_size, which MGLRU never
maintains, so count_shadow_nodes() sees the evictable LRU lists as
empty and the shadow shrinker reclaims eviction tokens almost as fast
as they are created, losing thrashing protection.

Patch 1 switches count_shadow_nodes() back to lruvec_page_state_local(),
which both classic LRU and MGLRU maintain.

Patch 2 addresses the reparenting race that motivated 7404bd37cfbe:
patch 1 makes cgroup v2 read state_local as well, so extend the
dying-memcg stat redirection (previously cgroup v1 only) to all
hierarchies.

Patch 3 recovers the performance.  Patch 2 added an unconditional
rcu_read_lock() to the stat update fast path; patch 3 moves the dying
check out of the RCU read-side critical section so the lock is only
taken on the rare dying path.

Performance testing
===================

The test script and the raw results are available at [1].

Environment: 10-vCPU QEMU guest, 8 GiB RAM, cgroup v2; 7 runs per
configuration, medians reported.  Workloads:

  w1-anon-churn: single-threaded anon fault/charge loop in a memcg
                 (MADV_DONTNEED + re-fault, no reclaim).  Every touch
                 is a real fault with charge and memcg stat updates,
                 so it stresses exactly the fast path patch 2 changes.
  w2-file-churn: file read loop under memory.high pressure
                 (reclaim-bound, noisier).
  w3-reparent:   reparent accounting sanity check.

w1-anon-churn (pages/s):

                 classic LRU          MGLRU
base             4393028              4377122
patches 1-2      4385996   (-0.2%)    4352887   (-0.6%)
patches 1-3      4381832   (-0.3%)    4377053   (+0.0%)

w2-file-churn (MB/s):

                 classic LRU          MGLRU
base             8277                 8226
patches 1-2      8226      (-0.6%)    8123      (-1.3%)
patches 1-3      8157      (-1.4%)    8294      (+0.8%)

w3-reparent passed on all kernels.

Patch 2 alone shows a small overhead, most visible under MGLRU (-0.6%
on w1); patch 3 brings w1 back to the base level in both LRU
configurations.  The remaining differences are within run-to-run
noise.

[1] https://gist.github.com/teawater/32f373ec41d185d840455eb167321a5a

Hui Zhu (3):
  mm: workingset: use lruvec_page_state_local() to count lru pages
  mm: memcg: redirect stats updates of dying memcgs for all hierarchies
  mm: memcg: skip the RCU lock when the memcg is not dying

 mm/memcontrol.c | 30 ++++++++++++------------------
 mm/workingset.c |  5 ++---
 2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)

-- 
2.53.0

[PATCH v2 1/3] mm: workingset: use lruvec_page_state_local() to count lru pages

[Hui Zhu]

From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Commit 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the
number of lru pages") switched count_shadow_nodes() to lruvec_lru_size().
With CONFIG_MEMCG enabled, lruvec_lru_size() reads mz->lru_zone_size,
which only the classic LRU paths maintain.  MGLRU accounts its pages
through __update_lru_size(), which skips that array, so with MGLRU on the
four evictable LRU lists are always seen as empty.  The shadow node budget
(pages >> 3) then collapses to slab plus unevictable pages, and the
workingset shadow shrinker reclaims eviction tokens almost as fast as they
are created, losing thrashing protection.

lruvec_page_state_local() reads lruvec_stats->state_local instead, which
both classic LRU and MGLRU maintain.  Switch back to it.  The reparenting
race this re-exposes on cgroup v2 is closed by the follow-up patch that
redirects dying-memcg stat updates for all hierarchies.

Fixes: 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the number of lru pages")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
---
 mm/workingset.c | 5 ++---
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/workingset.c b/mm/workingset.c
index f351798e723a..85a4e14e95d5 100644
--- a/mm/workingset.c
+++ b/mm/workingset.c
@@ -693,10 +693,9 @@ static unsigned long count_shadow_nodes(struct shrinker *shrinker,
 
 		mem_cgroup_flush_stats_ratelimited(sc->memcg);
 		lruvec = mem_cgroup_lruvec(sc->memcg, NODE_DATA(sc->nid));
-
 		for (pages = 0, i = 0; i < NR_LRU_LISTS; i++)
-			pages += lruvec_lru_size(lruvec, i, MAX_NR_ZONES - 1);
-
+			pages += lruvec_page_state_local(lruvec,
+							 NR_LRU_BASE + i);
 		pages += lruvec_page_state_local(
 			lruvec, NR_SLAB_RECLAIMABLE_B) >> PAGE_SHIFT;
 		pages += lruvec_page_state_local(
-- 
2.53.0

[PATCH v2 2/3] mm: memcg: redirect stats updates of dying memcgs for all hierarchies

[Hui Zhu]

From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

get_non_dying_memcg_start() redirects the stat updates of a dying memcg to
its closest non-dying ancestor, but only on cgroup v1; on cgroup v2 the
stats keep being accounted to the dying memcg itself.

The previous patch restored lruvec_page_state_local() in
count_shadow_nodes(), which reads those state_locals on cgroup v2 too, so
apply the redirection to all hierarchies.  Offlining is rare, so the added
cost on the stat update fast path is limited to an rcu_read_lock() and a
css_is_dying() check; the upward walk happens only while a memcg is dying.

Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
---
 mm/memcontrol.c | 30 +++++-------------------------
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index 8319ad8c5c23..b3d1ac3fe0aa 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -805,20 +805,14 @@ static long memcg_state_val_in_pages(int idx, long val)
 	return val < 0 ? -res : res;
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MEMCG_V1
 /*
- * Used in mod_memcg_state() and mod_memcg_lruvec_state() to avoid race with
- * reparenting of non-hierarchical state_locals.
+ * Used in mod_memcg_state() and mod_memcg_lruvec_state() to avoid race
+ * with reparenting of non-hierarchical state_locals.  Offlining a
+ * memcg is rare, so do the redirection for all cgroup hierarchies.
  */
-static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
-							   bool *rcu_locked)
+static inline struct mem_cgroup *
+get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg, bool *rcu_locked)
 {
-	/* Rebinding can cause this value to be changed at runtime */
-	if (cgroup_subsys_on_dfl(memory_cgrp_subsys)) {
-		*rcu_locked = false;
-		return memcg;
-	}
-
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	*rcu_locked = true;
 
@@ -830,22 +824,8 @@ static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *me
 
 static inline void get_non_dying_memcg_end(bool rcu_locked)
 {
-	if (!rcu_locked)
-		return;
-
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
-#else
-static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
-							   bool *rcu_locked)
-{
-	return memcg;
-}
-
-static inline void get_non_dying_memcg_end(bool rcu_locked)
-{
-}
-#endif
 
 static void __mod_memcg_state(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
 			      enum memcg_stat_item idx, long val)
-- 
2.53.0

[PATCH v2 3/3] mm: memcg: skip the RCU lock when the memcg is not dying

[Hui Zhu]

From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

get_non_dying_memcg_start() takes rcu_read_lock() on every stat update, but
the lock only protects the upward walk to a non-dying ancestor, which
happens solely while a memcg is being offlined.  The dying check itself
reads the CSS_DYING flag of a memcg the caller already holds a reference
to, so it is safe without the lock.

Check memcg_is_dying() first and return immediately when the memcg is
alive, taking the RCU lock only on the rare dying path.  On an anon
fault/charge churn workload in a memcg this recovers the ~0.6% overhead
added by the previous patch (4368077 vs 4343159 pages/s before, back to
~4377000 pages/s after).

Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
---
 mm/memcontrol.c | 14 ++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+)

diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index b3d1ac3fe0aa..f454d02746e9 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -813,6 +813,17 @@ static long memcg_state_val_in_pages(int idx, long val)
 static inline struct mem_cgroup *
 get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg, bool *rcu_locked)
 {
+	/*
+	 * Fast path: the caller holds a reference to @memcg, so reading
+	 * its CSS_DYING flag without the RCU lock is safe.  The RCU lock
+	 * is only needed to walk up to a non-dying ancestor, which
+	 * happens only while a memcg is actually being offlined.
+	 */
+	if (!memcg_is_dying(memcg)) {
+		*rcu_locked = false;
+		return memcg;
+	}
+
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	*rcu_locked = true;
 
@@ -824,6 +835,9 @@ get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg, bool *rcu_locked)
 
 static inline void get_non_dying_memcg_end(bool rcu_locked)
 {
+	if (!rcu_locked)
+		return;
+
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] mm: workingset: use lruvec_page_state_local() to count lru pages

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:09PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> Commit 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the
> number of lru pages") switched count_shadow_nodes() to lruvec_lru_size().
> With CONFIG_MEMCG enabled, lruvec_lru_size() reads mz->lru_zone_size,
> which only the classic LRU paths maintain.  MGLRU accounts its pages
> through __update_lru_size(), which skips that array, so with MGLRU on the
> four evictable LRU lists are always seen as empty.  The shadow node budget
> (pages >> 3) then collapses to slab plus unevictable pages, and the
> workingset shadow shrinker reclaims eviction tokens almost as fast as they
> are created, losing thrashing protection.
> 
> lruvec_page_state_local() reads lruvec_stats->state_local instead, which
> both classic LRU and MGLRU maintain.  Switch back to it.  The reparenting
> race this re-exposes on cgroup v2 is closed by the follow-up patch that
> redirects dying-memcg stat updates for all hierarchies.
> 
> Fixes: 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the number of lru pages")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Make this patch at the end (or after 2nd) of the series as it is only correct
after the 2nd patch of the series.

> ---
>  mm/workingset.c | 5 ++---
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/mm/workingset.c b/mm/workingset.c
> index f351798e723a..85a4e14e95d5 100644
> --- a/mm/workingset.c
> +++ b/mm/workingset.c
> @@ -693,10 +693,9 @@ static unsigned long count_shadow_nodes(struct shrinker *shrinker,
>  
>  		mem_cgroup_flush_stats_ratelimited(sc->memcg);
>  		lruvec = mem_cgroup_lruvec(sc->memcg, NODE_DATA(sc->nid));
> -
>  		for (pages = 0, i = 0; i < NR_LRU_LISTS; i++)
> -			pages += lruvec_lru_size(lruvec, i, MAX_NR_ZONES - 1);
> -
> +			pages += lruvec_page_state_local(lruvec,
> +							 NR_LRU_BASE + i);
>  		pages += lruvec_page_state_local(
>  			lruvec, NR_SLAB_RECLAIMABLE_B) >> PAGE_SHIFT;
>  		pages += lruvec_page_state_local(
> -- 
> 2.53.0
> 

Re: [PATCH v2 2/3] mm: memcg: redirect stats updates of dying memcgs for all hierarchies

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:10PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> get_non_dying_memcg_start() redirects the stat updates of a dying memcg to
> its closest non-dying ancestor, but only on cgroup v1; on cgroup v2 the
> stats keep being accounted to the dying memcg itself.
> 
> The previous patch restored lruvec_page_state_local() in
> count_shadow_nodes(), which reads those state_locals on cgroup v2 too, so
> apply the redirection to all hierarchies.  Offlining is rare, so the added
> cost on the stat update fast path is limited to an rcu_read_lock() and a
> css_is_dying() check; the upward walk happens only while a memcg is dying.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

If we want to backport the first patch to stable trees then we need to backport
this one too.

> ---
>  mm/memcontrol.c | 30 +++++-------------------------
>  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
> index 8319ad8c5c23..b3d1ac3fe0aa 100644
> --- a/mm/memcontrol.c
> +++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
> @@ -805,20 +805,14 @@ static long memcg_state_val_in_pages(int idx, long val)
>  	return val < 0 ? -res : res;
>  }
>  
> -#ifdef CONFIG_MEMCG_V1
>  /*
> - * Used in mod_memcg_state() and mod_memcg_lruvec_state() to avoid race with
> - * reparenting of non-hierarchical state_locals.
> + * Used in mod_memcg_state() and mod_memcg_lruvec_state() to avoid race
> + * with reparenting of non-hierarchical state_locals.  Offlining a
> + * memcg is rare, so do the redirection for all cgroup hierarchies.
>   */
> -static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
> -							   bool *rcu_locked)
> +static inline struct mem_cgroup *
> +get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg, bool *rcu_locked)
>  {
> -	/* Rebinding can cause this value to be changed at runtime */
> -	if (cgroup_subsys_on_dfl(memory_cgrp_subsys)) {
> -		*rcu_locked = false;
> -		return memcg;
> -	}
> -
>  	rcu_read_lock();
>  	*rcu_locked = true;
>  
> @@ -830,22 +824,8 @@ static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *me
>  
>  static inline void get_non_dying_memcg_end(bool rcu_locked)
>  {
> -	if (!rcu_locked)
> -		return;
> -
>  	rcu_read_unlock();
>  }
> -#else
> -static inline struct mem_cgroup *get_non_dying_memcg_start(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
> -							   bool *rcu_locked)
> -{
> -	return memcg;
> -}
> -
> -static inline void get_non_dying_memcg_end(bool rcu_locked)
> -{
> -}
> -#endif
>  
>  static void __mod_memcg_state(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
>  			      enum memcg_stat_item idx, long val)
> -- 
> 2.53.0
> 

Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] mm: workingset: fix the shadow node budget under MGLRU

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:08PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> Commit 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the
> number of lru pages") broke the workingset shadow node budget under
> MGLRU: lruvec_lru_size() reads mz->lru_zone_size, which MGLRU never
> maintains, so count_shadow_nodes() sees the evictable LRU lists as
> empty and the shadow shrinker reclaims eviction tokens almost as fast
> as they are created, losing thrashing protection.
> 
> Patch 1 switches count_shadow_nodes() back to lruvec_page_state_local(),
> which both classic LRU and MGLRU maintain.
> 
> Patch 2 addresses the reparenting race that motivated 7404bd37cfbe:
> patch 1 makes cgroup v2 read state_local as well, so extend the
> dying-memcg stat redirection (previously cgroup v1 only) to all
> hierarchies.
> 
> Patch 3 recovers the performance.  Patch 2 added an unconditional
> rcu_read_lock() to the stat update fast path; patch 3 moves the dying
> check out of the RCU read-side critical section so the lock is only
> taken on the rare dying path.
> 
> Performance testing
> ===================
> 
> The test script and the raw results are available at [1].
> 
> Environment: 10-vCPU QEMU guest, 8 GiB RAM, cgroup v2; 7 runs per
> configuration, medians reported.  Workloads:
> 
>   w1-anon-churn: single-threaded anon fault/charge loop in a memcg
>                  (MADV_DONTNEED + re-fault, no reclaim).  Every touch
>                  is a real fault with charge and memcg stat updates,
>                  so it stresses exactly the fast path patch 2 changes.
>   w2-file-churn: file read loop under memory.high pressure
>                  (reclaim-bound, noisier).
>   w3-reparent:   reparent accounting sanity check.
> 
> w1-anon-churn (pages/s):
> 
>                  classic LRU          MGLRU
> base             4393028              4377122
> patches 1-2      4385996   (-0.2%)    4352887   (-0.6%)
> patches 1-3      4381832   (-0.3%)    4377053   (+0.0%)
> 
> w2-file-churn (MB/s):
> 
>                  classic LRU          MGLRU
> base             8277                 8226
> patches 1-2      8226      (-0.6%)    8123      (-1.3%)
> patches 1-3      8157      (-1.4%)    8294      (+0.8%)
> 
> w3-reparent passed on all kernels.
> 
> Patch 2 alone shows a small overhead, most visible under MGLRU (-0.6%
> on w1); patch 3 brings w1 back to the base level in both LRU
> configurations.  The remaining differences are within run-to-run
> noise.
> 
> [1] https://gist.github.com/teawater/32f373ec41d185d840455eb167321a5a

Thanks for running the benchmarks as well. I think we just need to order the
first patch after the second and add CC:stable to the second. We can ask Andrew
but it might be simpler for Andrew to just resend with the correct ordering.

Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] mm: workingset: use lruvec_page_state_local() to count lru pages

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:09PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> Commit 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the
> number of lru pages") switched count_shadow_nodes() to lruvec_lru_size().
> With CONFIG_MEMCG enabled, lruvec_lru_size() reads mz->lru_zone_size,
> which only the classic LRU paths maintain.  MGLRU accounts its pages
> through __update_lru_size(), which skips that array, so with MGLRU on the
> four evictable LRU lists are always seen as empty.  The shadow node budget
> (pages >> 3) then collapses to slab plus unevictable pages, and the
> workingset shadow shrinker reclaims eviction tokens almost as fast as they
> are created, losing thrashing protection.
> 
> lruvec_page_state_local() reads lruvec_stats->state_local instead, which
> both classic LRU and MGLRU maintain.  Switch back to it.  The reparenting
> race this re-exposes on cgroup v2 is closed by the follow-up patch that
> redirects dying-memcg stat updates for all hierarchies.
> 
> Fixes: 7404bd37cfbe ("mm: workingset: use lruvec_lru_size() to get the number of lru pages")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Reorder this after 2nd and with that

Acked-by: Shakeel Butt <shakeel.butt@linux.dev>

Re: [PATCH v2 2/3] mm: memcg: redirect stats updates of dying memcgs for all hierarchies

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:10PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> get_non_dying_memcg_start() redirects the stat updates of a dying memcg to
> its closest non-dying ancestor, but only on cgroup v1; on cgroup v2 the
> stats keep being accounted to the dying memcg itself.
> 
> The previous patch restored lruvec_page_state_local() in
> count_shadow_nodes(), which reads those state_locals on cgroup v2 too, so
> apply the redirection to all hierarchies.  Offlining is rare, so the added
> cost on the stat update fast path is limited to an rcu_read_lock() and a
> css_is_dying() check; the upward walk happens only while a memcg is dying.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Please CC to stable and add a sentence on user visible impact of the bug in the
commit message. With that:

Acked-by: Shakeel Butt <shakeel.butt@linux.dev>

Re: [PATCH v2 3/3] mm: memcg: skip the RCU lock when the memcg is not dying

[Shakeel Butt]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 05:46:11PM +0800, Hui Zhu wrote:
> From: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>
> 
> get_non_dying_memcg_start() takes rcu_read_lock() on every stat update, but
> the lock only protects the upward walk to a non-dying ancestor, which
> happens solely while a memcg is being offlined.  The dying check itself
> reads the CSS_DYING flag of a memcg the caller already holds a reference
> to, so it is safe without the lock.
> 
> Check memcg_is_dying() first and return immediately when the memcg is
> alive, taking the RCU lock only on the rare dying path.  On an anon
> fault/charge churn workload in a memcg this recovers the ~0.6% overhead
> added by the previous patch (4368077 vs 4343159 pages/s before, back to
> ~4377000 pages/s after).
> 
> Signed-off-by: Hui Zhu <zhuhui@kylinos.cn>

Acked-by: Shakeel Butt <shakeel.butt@linux.dev>