Re: [PATCH 01/18] netmem: introduce struct netmem_desc struct_group_tagged()'ed on struct net_iov

Byungchul Park
2025-05-28T05:03:53Z

On Tue, May 27, 2025 at 08:47:54PM -0700, Mina Almasry wrote:
> On Tue, May 27, 2025 at 6:22 PM Byungchul Park <byungchul@sk.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, May 27, 2025 at 01:03:32PM -0700, Mina Almasry wrote:
> > > On Mon, May 26, 2025 at 7:50 PM Byungchul Park <byungchul@sk.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 12:25:52PM +0900, Byungchul Park wrote:
> > > > > To simplify struct page, the page pool members of struct page should be
> > > > > moved to other, allowing these members to be removed from struct page.
> > > > >
> > > > > Introduce a network memory descriptor to store the members, struct
> > > > > netmem_desc, reusing struct net_iov that already mirrored struct page.
> > > > >
> > > > > While at it, relocate _pp_mapping_pad to group struct net_iov's fields.
> > > > >
> > > > > Signed-off-by: Byungchul Park <byungchul@sk.com>
> > > > > ---
> > > > > include/linux/mm_types.h | 2 +-
> > > > > include/net/netmem.h | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
> > > > > 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
> > > > >
> > > > > diff --git a/include/linux/mm_types.h b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> > > > > index 56d07edd01f9..873e820e1521 100644
> > > > > --- a/include/linux/mm_types.h
> > > > > +++ b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> > > > > @@ -120,13 +120,13 @@ struct page {
> > > > > unsigned long private;
> > > > > };
> > > > > struct { /* page_pool used by netstack */
> > > > > + unsigned long _pp_mapping_pad;
> > > > > /**
> > > > > * @pp_magic: magic value to avoid recycling non
> > > > > * page_pool allocated pages.
> > > > > */
> > > > > unsigned long pp_magic;
> > > > > struct page_pool *pp;
> > > > > - unsigned long _pp_mapping_pad;
> > > > > unsigned long dma_addr;
> > > > > atomic_long_t pp_ref_count;
> > > > > };
> > > > > diff --git a/include/net/netmem.h b/include/net/netmem.h
> > > > > index 386164fb9c18..08e9d76cdf14 100644
> > > > > --- a/include/net/netmem.h
> > > > > +++ b/include/net/netmem.h
> > > > > @@ -31,12 +31,41 @@ enum net_iov_type {
> > > > > };
> > > > >
> > > > > struct net_iov {
> > > > > - enum net_iov_type type;
> > > > > - unsigned long pp_magic;
> > > > > - struct page_pool *pp;
> > > > > - struct net_iov_area *owner;
> > > > > - unsigned long dma_addr;
> > > > > - atomic_long_t pp_ref_count;
> > > > > + /*
> > > > > + * XXX: Now that struct netmem_desc overlays on struct page,
> > > > > + * struct_group_tagged() should cover all of them. However,
> > > > > + * a separate struct netmem_desc should be declared and embedded,
> > > > > + * once struct netmem_desc is no longer overlayed but it has its
> > > > > + * own instance from slab. The final form should be:
> > > > > + *
> > > > > + * struct netmem_desc {
> > > > > + * unsigned long pp_magic;
> > > > > + * struct page_pool *pp;
> > > > > + * unsigned long dma_addr;
> > > > > + * atomic_long_t pp_ref_count;
> > > > > + * };
> > > > > + *
> > > > > + * struct net_iov {
> > > > > + * enum net_iov_type type;
> > > > > + * struct net_iov_area *owner;
> > > > > + * struct netmem_desc;
> > > > > + * };
> > > > > + */
> > > > > + struct_group_tagged(netmem_desc, desc,
> > > >
> > > > So.. For now, this is the best option we can pick. We can do all that
> > > > you told me once struct netmem_desc has it own instance from slab.
> > > >
> > > > Again, it's because the page pool fields (or netmem things) from struct
> > > > page will be gone by this series.
> > > >
> > > > Mina, thoughts?
> > > >
> > >
> > > Can you please post an updated series with the approach you have in
> > > mind? I think this series as-is seems broken vis-a-vie the
> > > _pp_padding_map param move that looks incorrect. Pavel and I have also
> > > commented on patch 18 that removing the ASSERTS seems incorrect as
> > > it's breaking the symmetry between struct page and struct net_iov.
> >
> > I told you I will fix it. I will send the updated series shortly for
> > *review*. However, it will be for review since we know this work can be
> > completed once the next works have been done:
> >
> > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250520205920.2134829-2-anthony.l.nguyen@intel.com/
> > https://lore.kernel.org/all/1747950086-1246773-9-git-send-email-tariqt@nvidia.com/
> >
> > > It's not clear to me if the fields are being removed from struct page,
> > > where are they going... the approach ptdesc for example has taken is
> >
> > They are going to struct net_iov.

Precisely speaking, to 'struct netmem_desc'.

> Oh. I see. My gut reaction is I'm not sure moving the page_pool fields
> to struct net_iov will work.
>
> struct net_iov shares some fields with struct page, but abstractly
> it's very different.
>
> struct page is allocated by the mm stack via things like alloc_pages
> and can be passed to mm apis such as put_page() (called from
> skb_frag_ref) and vm_insert_batch (called from
> tcp_zerocopy_vm_insert_batch_error).
>
> struct net_iov is kvmalloced by networking code (see
> net_devmem_bind_dmabuf for example), and *must not* be passed to any
> mm apis as it's not a struct page at all. Accidentally calling
> vm_insert_batch on a struct net_iov will cause a kernel crash or some
> memory corruption.
>
> Thus abstractly different things maybe should not share the same
> in-kernel struct.
>
> One thing that maybe could work is if struct net_iov has a field in it
> which tells us whether it's actually a struct page that can be passed
> to mm apis, or not a struct page which cannot be passed to mm apis.
>
> > Or I should introduce another struct
>
> maybe introducing another struct is the answer. I'm not sure. The net

The final form should be like:

struct netmem_desc {
struct page_pool *pp;
unsigned long dma_addr;
atomic_long_t ref_count;
};

struct net_iov {
struct netmem_desc;
enum net_iov_type type;
struct net_iov_area *owner;
...
};

However, now that overlaying on struct page is required, struct
netmem_desc should be almost same as struct net_iov. So I'm not sure if
we should introduce struct netmem_desc as a new struct along with struct
net_iov.

> stack today already supports struct page and struct net_iov, with
> netmem_ref acting as an abstraction over both. Adding a 3rd struct and
> adding more checks to test if page or net_iov or something new will
> add overhead.

So I think the current form in this patch is a good option we can take
for now.

> An additional problem is that there are probably hundreds or thousands
> of references to 'page' in the net stack and drivers. I'm not sure
> what you're going to do about those. Are you converting all those to
> netmem or netmem_desc?

No. I will convert only the references for page pool.

Byungchul

>
> --
> Thanks,
> Mina