[PATCH v2 7/7] Documentation: cgroup: add memory.swap.{current,max} description

Vladimir Davydov
2015-12-17T12:30:58Z

The rationale of separate swap counter is given by Johannes Weiner.

Signed-off-by: Vladimir Davydov <vdavydov@virtuozzo.com>
---
Changes in v2:
- Add rationale of separate swap counter provided by Johannes.

Documentation/cgroup.txt | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 33 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/cgroup.txt b/Documentation/cgroup.txt
index 31d1f7bf12a1..f441564023e1 100644
--- a/Documentation/cgroup.txt
+++ b/Documentation/cgroup.txt
@@ -819,6 +819,22 @@ PAGE_SIZE multiple when read back.
the cgroup. This may not exactly match the number of
processes killed but should generally be close.

+ memory.swap.current
+
+ A read-only single value file which exists on non-root
+ cgroups.
+
+ The total amount of swap currently being used by the cgroup
+ and its descendants.
+
+ memory.swap.max
+
+ A read-write single value file which exists on non-root
+ cgroups. The default is "max".
+
+ Swap usage hard limit. If a cgroup's swap usage reaches this
+ limit, anonymous meomry of the cgroup will not be swapped out.
+

5-2-2. General Usage

@@ -1291,3 +1307,20 @@ allocation from the slack available in other groups or the rest of the
system than killing the group. Otherwise, memory.max is there to
limit this type of spillover and ultimately contain buggy or even
malicious applications.
+
+The combined memory+swap accounting and limiting is replaced by real
+control over swap space.
+
+The main argument for a combined memory+swap facility in the original
+cgroup design was that global or parental pressure would always be
+able to swap all anonymous memory of a child group, regardless of the
+child's own (possibly untrusted) configuration. However, untrusted
+groups can sabotage swapping by other means - such as referencing its
+anonymous memory in a tight loop - and an admin can not assume full
+swappability when overcommitting untrusted jobs.
+
+For trusted jobs, on the other hand, a combined counter is not an
+intuitive userspace interface, and it flies in the face of the idea
+that cgroup controllers should account and limit specific physical
+resources. Swap space is a resource like all others in the system,
+and that's why unified hierarchy allows distributing it separately.
--
2.1.4