Re: [patch] Revert "memcg: add memory.vmscan_stat"

KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki
2011-08-30T23:36:53Z

On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:32:21 +0200
Johannes Weiner <jweiner@redhat.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 07:38:39PM +0900, KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki wrote:
> > On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:17:26 +0200
> > Johannes Weiner <jweiner@redhat.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 05:56:09PM +0900, KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki wrote:
> > > > On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:42:45 +0200
> > > > Johannes Weiner <jweiner@redhat.com> wrote:
> >
> > > > > > Assume 3 cgroups in a hierarchy.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > A
> > > > > > /
> > > > > > B
> > > > > > /
> > > > > > C
> > > > > >
> > > > > > C's scan contains 3 causes.
> > > > > > C's scan caused by limit of A.
> > > > > > C's scan caused by limit of B.
> > > > > > C's scan caused by limit of C.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If we make hierarchy sum at read, we think
> > > > > > B's scan_stat = B's scan_stat + C's scan_stat
> > > > > > But in precice, this is
> > > > > >
> > > > > > B's scan_stat = B's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > > B's scan_stat caused by A +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by C +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by A.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In orignal version.
> > > > > > B's scan_stat = B's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > >
> > > > > > After this patch,
> > > > > > B's scan_stat = B's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > > B's scan_stat caused by A +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by C +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by B +
> > > > > > C's scan_stat caused by A.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hmm...removing hierarchy part completely seems fine to me.
> > > > >
> > > > > I see.
> > > > >
> > > > > You want to look at A and see whether its limit was responsible for
> > > > > reclaim scans in any children. IMO, that is asking the question
> > > > > backwards. Instead, there is a cgroup under reclaim and one wants to
> > > > > find out the cause for that. Not the other way round.
> > > > >
> > > > > In my original proposal I suggested differentiating reclaim caused by
> > > > > internal pressure (due to own limit) and reclaim caused by
> > > > > external/hierarchical pressure (due to limits from parents).
> > > > >
> > > > > If you want to find out why C is under reclaim, look at its reclaim
> > > > > statistics. If the _limit numbers are high, C's limit is the problem.
> > > > > If the _hierarchical numbers are high, the problem is B, A, or
> > > > > physical memory, so you check B for _limit and _hierarchical as well,
> > > > > then move on to A.
> > > > >
> > > > > Implementing this would be as easy as passing not only the memcg to
> > > > > scan (victim) to the reclaim code, but also the memcg /causing/ the
> > > > > reclaim (root_mem):
> > > > >
> > > > > root_mem == victim -> account to victim as _limit
> > > > > root_mem != victim -> account to victim as _hierarchical
> > > > >
> > > > > This would make things much simpler and more natural, both the code
> > > > > and the way of tracking down a problem, IMO.
> > > >
> > > > hmm. I have no strong opinion.
> > >
> > > I do :-)
> > >
> > BTW, how to calculate C's lru scan caused by A finally ?
> >
> > A
> > /
> > B
> > /
> > C
> >
> > At scanning LRU of C because of A's limit, where stats are recorded ?
> >
> > If we record it in C, we lose where the memory pressure comes from.
>
> It's recorded in C as 'scanned due to parent'.
>
> If you want to track down where pressure comes from, you check the
> outer container, B. If B is scanned due to internal pressure, you
> know that C's external pressure comes from B. If B is scanned due to
> external pressure, you know that B's and C's pressure comes from A or
> the physical memory limit (the outermost container, so to speak).
>
> The containers are nested. If C is scanned because of the limit in A,
> then this concerns B as well and B must be scanned as well as B, as
> C's usage is fully contained in B.
>
> There is not really a direct connection between C and A that is
> irrelevant to B, so I see no need to record in C which parent was the
> cause of the pressure. Just that it was /a/ parent and not itself.
> Then you can follow the pressure up the hierarchy tree.
>
> Answer to your original question:
>
> C_scan_due_to_A = C_scan_external - B_scan_internal - A_scan_external
>

I'm confused.

If vmscan is scanning in C's LRU,
(memcg == root) : C_scan_internal ++
(memcg != root) : C_scan_external ++

Why A_scan_external exists ? It's 0 ?

I think we can never get numbers.

Thanks,
-Kame