Anybody interested in a kernel memory manager?

Anybody interested in a kernel memory manager?

[Gregor Rebel]

Hi,

I'm currently writing two modules related to XEN. Both modules need to
acquire dynamic memory (via __get_free_pages() and kmalloc() ).
In order to reuse some code, I wrote a third module which can provide
simple memory-services to other modules:
* Allocated pages and memories of each client-module gets tracked
* When a module is about to exit, it can issue one function call to
release all of its memories
* Before first using the memory manager, each module has to obtain a
unique owner id number by calling a registration function
* by loading the memory manager with a debug argument, memory
allocations automatically get logged into syslog facility

I know, that currently each module keeps track of its memory allocations
on its own.

Is there a general interest to have such a memory manager in the kernel?


--
Gregor

Re: Anybody interested in a kernel memory manager?

[Gregor Rebel]

Hi again,

maybe the name is misleading, a better would could be kernel resource 
tracker.

--
Gregor
> Hi,
>
> I'm currently writing two modules related to XEN. Both modules need to
> acquire dynamic memory (via __get_free_pages() and kmalloc() ).
> In order to reuse some code, I wrote a third module which can provide
> simple memory-services to other modules:
> * Allocated pages and memories of each client-module gets tracked
> * When a module is about to exit, it can issue one function call to
> release all of its memories
> * Before first using the memory manager, each module has to obtain a
> unique owner id number by calling a registration function
> * by loading the memory manager with a debug argument, memory
> allocations automatically get logged into syslog facility
>
> I know, that currently each module keeps track of its memory allocations
> on its own.
>
> Is there a general interest to have such a memory manager in the kernel?
>
>
> -- 
> Gregor
>
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Re: Anybody interested in a kernel memory manager?

[Jeremy Fitzhardinge]

Gregor Rebel wrote:
> I'm currently writing two modules related to XEN.

What are you working on, out of curiosity?

> Both modules need to
> acquire dynamic memory (via __get_free_pages() and kmalloc() ).
> In order to reuse some code, I wrote a third module which can provide
> simple memory-services to other modules:
> * Allocated pages and memories of each client-module gets tracked
> * When a module is about to exit, it can issue one function call to
> release all of its memories
> * Before first using the memory manager, each module has to obtain a
> unique owner id number by calling a registration function
> * by loading the memory manager with a debug argument, memory
> allocations automatically get logged into syslog facility
>
> I know, that currently each module keeps track of its memory allocations
> on its own.
>
> Is there a general interest to have such a memory manager in the kernel?

The best way to get a useful response is to post the patches and see 
what happens.  There's no way to really evaluate what you're proposing 
in the abstract.

    J