Re: [RESEND 1/7] mm/gup: Replace get_user_pages_longterm() with FOLL_LONGTERM

Ira Weiny
2019-03-25T10:27:05Z

On Fri, Mar 22, 2019 at 02:24:40PM -0700, Dan Williams wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 17, 2019 at 7:36 PM <ira.weiny@intel.com> wrote:

[snip]

> > + * __gup_longterm_locked() is a wrapper for __get_uer_pages_locked which
>
> s/uer/user/
>
> > + * allows us to process the FOLL_LONGTERM flag if present.
> > + *
> > + * FOLL_LONGTERM Checks for either DAX VMAs or PPC CMA regions and either fails
> > + * the pin or attempts to migrate the page as appropriate.
> > + *
> > + * In the filesystem-dax case mappings are subject to the lifetime enforced by
> > + * the filesystem and we need guarantees that longterm users like RDMA and V4L2
> > + * only establish mappings that have a kernel enforced revocation mechanism.
> > + *
> > + * In the CMA case pages can't be pinned in a CMA region as this would
> > + * unnecessarily fragment that region. So CMA attempts to migrate the page
> > + * before pinning.
> > *
> > * "longterm" == userspace controlled elevated page count lifetime.
> > * Contrast this to iov_iter_get_pages() usages which are transient.
>
> Ah, here's the longterm documentation, but if I was a developer
> considering whether to use FOLL_LONGTERM or not I would expect to find
> the documentation at the flag definition site.
>
> I think it has become more clear since get_user_pages_longterm() was
> initially merged that we need to warn people not to use it, or at
> least seriously reconsider whether they want an interface to support
> indefinite pins.

I will move the comment to the flag definition but...

In reviewing this comment it occurs to me that the addition of special casing
CMA regions via FOLL_LONGTERM has made it less experimental/temporary and now
simply implies intent to the GUP code as to the use of the pages.

As I'm not super familiar with the CMA use case I can't say for certain but it
seems that it is not a temporary solution.

So I'm not going to refrain from a FIXME WRT removing the flag.

New suggested text below.

diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index 6831077d126c..5db9d8e894aa 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -2596,7 +2596,28 @@ struct page *follow_page(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long address,
#define FOLL_REMOTE 0x2000 /* we are working on non-current tsk/mm */
#define FOLL_COW 0x4000 /* internal GUP flag */
#define FOLL_ANON 0x8000 /* don't do file mappings */
-#define FOLL_LONGTERM 0x10000 /* mapping is intended for a long term pin */
+#define FOLL_LONGTERM 0x10000 /* mapping lifetime is indefinite: see below */
+
+/*
+ * NOTE on FOLL_LONGTERM:
+ *
+ * FOLL_LONGTERM indicates that the page will be held for an indefinite time
+ * period _often_ under userspace control. This is contrasted with
+ * iov_iter_get_pages() where usages which are transient.
+ *
+ * FIXME: For pages which are part of a filesystem, mappings are subject to the
+ * lifetime enforced by the filesystem and we need guarantees that longterm
+ * users like RDMA and V4L2 only establish mappings which coordinate usage with
+ * the filesystem. Ideas for this coordination include revoking the longterm
+ * pin, delaying writeback, bounce buffer page writeback, etc. As FS DAX was
+ * added after the problem with filesystems was found FS DAX VMAs are
+ * specifically failed. Filesystem pages are still subject to bugs and use of
+ * FOLL_LONGTERM should be avoided on those pages.
+ *
+ * In the CMA case: longterm pins in a CMA region would unnecessarily fragment
+ * that region. And so CMA attempts to migrate the page before pinning when
+ * FOLL_LONGTERM is specified.
+ */

static inline int vm_fault_to_errno(vm_fault_t vm_fault, int foll_flags)
{