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diff --git a/Documentation/cgroups/cpusets.txt b/Documentation/cgroups/cpusets.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..5c86c258c79 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/cgroups/cpusets.txt @@ -0,0 +1,808 @@ + CPUSETS + ------- + +Copyright (C) 2004 BULL SA. +Written by Simon.Derr@bull.net + +Portions Copyright (c) 2004-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc. +Modified by Paul Jackson <pj@sgi.com> +Modified by Christoph Lameter <clameter@sgi.com> +Modified by Paul Menage <menage@google.com> +Modified by Hidetoshi Seto <seto.hidetoshi@jp.fujitsu.com> + +CONTENTS: +========= + +1. Cpusets + 1.1 What are cpusets ? + 1.2 Why are cpusets needed ? + 1.3 How are cpusets implemented ? + 1.4 What are exclusive cpusets ? + 1.5 What is memory_pressure ? + 1.6 What is memory spread ? + 1.7 What is sched_load_balance ? + 1.8 What is sched_relax_domain_level ? + 1.9 How do I use cpusets ? +2. Usage Examples and Syntax + 2.1 Basic Usage + 2.2 Adding/removing cpus + 2.3 Setting flags + 2.4 Attaching processes +3. Questions +4. Contact + +1. Cpusets +========== + +1.1 What are cpusets ? +---------------------- + +Cpusets provide a mechanism for assigning a set of CPUs and Memory +Nodes to a set of tasks. In this document "Memory Node" refers to +an on-line node that contains memory. + +Cpusets constrain the CPU and Memory placement of tasks to only +the resources within a tasks current cpuset. They form a nested +hierarchy visible in a virtual file system. These are the essential +hooks, beyond what is already present, required to manage dynamic +job placement on large systems. + +Cpusets use the generic cgroup subsystem described in +Documentation/cgroups/cgroups.txt. + +Requests by a task, using the sched_setaffinity(2) system call to +include CPUs in its CPU affinity mask, and using the mbind(2) and +set_mempolicy(2) system calls to include Memory Nodes in its memory +policy, are both filtered through that tasks cpuset, filtering out any +CPUs or Memory Nodes not in that cpuset. The scheduler will not +schedule a task on a CPU that is not allowed in its cpus_allowed +vector, and the kernel page allocator will not allocate a page on a +node that is not allowed in the requesting tasks mems_allowed vector. + +User level code may create and destroy cpusets by name in the cgroup +virtual file system, manage the attributes and permissions of these +cpusets and which CPUs and Memory Nodes are assigned to each cpuset, +specify and query to which cpuset a task is assigned, and list the +task pids assigned to a cpuset. + + +1.2 Why are cpusets needed ? +---------------------------- + +The management of large computer systems, with many processors (CPUs), +complex memory cache hierarchies and multiple Memory Nodes having +non-uniform access times (NUMA) presents additional challenges for +the efficient scheduling and memory placement of processes. + +Frequently more modest sized systems can be operated with adequate +efficiency just by letting the operating system automatically share +the available CPU and Memory resources amongst the requesting tasks. + +But larger systems, which benefit more from careful processor and +memory placement to reduce memory access times and contention, +and which typically represent a larger investment for the customer, +can benefit from explicitly placing jobs on properly sized subsets of +the system. + +This can be especially valuable on: + + * Web Servers running multiple instances of the same web application, + * Servers running different applications (for instance, a web server + and a database), or + * NUMA systems running large HPC applications with demanding + performance characteristics. + +These subsets, or "soft partitions" must be able to be dynamically +adjusted, as the job mix changes, without impacting other concurrently +executing jobs. The location of the running jobs pages may also be moved +when the memory locations are changed. + +The kernel cpuset patch provides the minimum essential kernel +mechanisms required to efficiently implement such subsets. It +leverages existing CPU and Memory Placement facilities in the Linux +kernel to avoid any additional impact on the critical scheduler or +memory allocator code. + + +1.3 How are cpusets implemented ? +--------------------------------- + +Cpusets provide a Linux kernel mechanism to constrain which CPUs and +Memory Nodes are used by a process or set of processes. + +The Linux kernel already has a pair of mechanisms to specify on which +CPUs a task may be scheduled (sched_setaffinity) and on which Memory +Nodes it may obtain memory (mbind, set_mempolicy). + +Cpusets extends these two mechanisms as follows: + + - Cpusets are sets of allowed CPUs and Memory Nodes, known to the + kernel. + - Each task in the system is attached to a cpuset, via a pointer + in the task structure to a reference counted cgroup structure. + - Calls to sched_setaffinity are filtered to just those CPUs + allowed in that tasks cpuset. + - Calls to mbind and set_mempolicy are filtered to just + those Memory Nodes allowed in that tasks cpuset. + - The root cpuset contains all the systems CPUs and Memory + Nodes. + - For any cpuset, one can define child cpusets containing a subset + of the parents CPU and Memory Node resources. + - The hierarchy of cpusets can be mounted at /dev/cpuset, for + browsing and manipulation from user space. + - A cpuset may be marked exclusive, which ensures that no other + cpuset (except direct ancestors and descendents) may contain + any overlapping CPUs or Memory Nodes. + - You can list all the tasks (by pid) attached to any cpuset. + +The implementation of cpusets requires a few, simple hooks +into the rest of the kernel, none in performance critical paths: + + - in init/main.c, to initialize the root cpuset at system boot. + - in fork and exit, to attach and detach a task from its cpuset. + - in sched_setaffinity, to mask the requested CPUs by what's + allowed in that tasks cpuset. + - in sched.c migrate_all_tasks(), to keep migrating tasks within + the CPUs allowed by their cpuset, if possible. + - in the mbind and set_mempolicy system calls, to mask the requested + Memory Nodes by what's allowed in that tasks cpuset. + - in page_alloc.c, to restrict memory to allowed nodes. + - in vmscan.c, to restrict page recovery to the current cpuset. + +You should mount the "cgroup" filesystem type in order to enable +browsing and modifying the cpusets presently known to the kernel. No +new system calls are added for cpusets - all support for querying and +modifying cpusets is via this cpuset file system. + +The /proc/<pid>/status file for each task has four added lines, +displaying the tasks cpus_allowed (on which CPUs it may be scheduled) +and mems_allowed (on which Memory Nodes it may obtain memory), +in the two formats seen in the following example: + + Cpus_allowed: ffffffff,ffffffff,ffffffff,ffffffff + Cpus_allowed_list: 0-127 + Mems_allowed: ffffffff,ffffffff + Mems_allowed_list: 0-63 + +Each cpuset is represented by a directory in the cgroup file system +containing (on top of the standard cgroup files) the following +files describing that cpuset: + + - cpus: list of CPUs in that cpuset + - mems: list of Memory Nodes in that cpuset + - memory_migrate flag: if set, move pages to cpusets nodes + - cpu_exclusive flag: is cpu placement exclusive? + - mem_exclusive flag: is memory placement exclusive? + - mem_hardwall flag: is memory allocation hardwalled + - memory_pressure: measure of how much paging pressure in cpuset + +In addition, the root cpuset only has the following file: + - memory_pressure_enabled flag: compute memory_pressure? + +New cpusets are created using the mkdir system call or shell +command. The properties of a cpuset, such as its flags, allowed +CPUs and Memory Nodes, and attached tasks, are modified by writing +to the appropriate file in that cpusets directory, as listed above. + +The named hierarchical structure of nested cpusets allows partitioning +a large system into nested, dynamically changeable, "soft-partitions". + +The attachment of each task, automatically inherited at fork by any +children of that task, to a cpuset allows organizing the work load +on a system into related sets of tasks such that each set is constrained +to using the CPUs and Memory Nodes of a particular cpuset. A task +may be re-attached to any other cpuset, if allowed by the permissions +on the necessary cpuset file system directories. + +Such management of a system "in the large" integrates smoothly with +the detailed placement done on individual tasks and memory regions +using the sched_setaffinity, mbind and set_mempolicy system calls. + +The following rules apply to each cpuset: + + - Its CPUs and Memory Nodes must be a subset of its parents. + - It can't be marked exclusive unless its parent is. + - If its cpu or memory is exclusive, they may not overlap any sibling. + +These rules, and the natural hierarchy of cpusets, enable efficient +enforcement of the exclusive guarantee, without having to scan all +cpusets every time any of them change to ensure nothing overlaps a +exclusive cpuset. Also, the use of a Linux virtual file system (vfs) +to represent the cpuset hierarchy provides for a familiar permission +and name space for cpusets, with a minimum of additional kernel code. + +The cpus and mems files in the root (top_cpuset) cpuset are +read-only. The cpus file automatically tracks the value of +cpu_online_map using a CPU hotplug notifier, and the mems file +automatically tracks the value of node_states[N_HIGH_MEMORY]--i.e., +nodes with memory--using the cpuset_track_online_nodes() hook. + + +1.4 What are exclusive cpusets ? +-------------------------------- + +If a cpuset is cpu or mem exclusive, no other cpuset, other than +a direct ancestor or descendent, may share any of the same CPUs or +Memory Nodes. + +A cpuset that is mem_exclusive *or* mem_hardwall is "hardwalled", +i.e. it restricts kernel allocations for page, buffer and other data +commonly shared by the kernel across multiple users. All cpusets, +whether hardwalled or not, restrict allocations of memory for user +space. This enables configuring a system so that several independent +jobs can share common kernel data, such as file system pages, while +isolating each job's user allocation in its own cpuset. To do this, +construct a large mem_exclusive cpuset to hold all the jobs, and +construct child, non-mem_exclusive cpusets for each individual job. +Only a small amount of typical kernel memory, such as requests from +interrupt handlers, is allowed to be taken outside even a +mem_exclusive cpuset. + + +1.5 What is memory_pressure ? +----------------------------- +The memory_pressure of a cpuset provides a simple per-cpuset metric +of the rate that the tasks in a cpuset are attempting to free up in +use memory on the nodes of the cpuset to satisfy additional memory +requests. + +This enables batch managers monitoring jobs running in dedicated +cpusets to efficiently detect what level of memory pressure that job +is causing. + +This is useful both on tightly managed systems running a wide mix of +submitted jobs, which may choose to terminate or re-prioritize jobs that +are trying to use more memory than allowed on the nodes assigned them, +and with tightly coupled, long running, massively parallel scientific +computing jobs that will dramatically fail to meet required performance +goals if they start to use more memory than allowed to them. + +This mechanism provides a very economical way for the batch manager +to monitor a cpuset for signs of memory pressure. It's up to the +batch manager or other user code to decide what to do about it and +take action. + +==> Unless this feature is enabled by writing "1" to the special file + /dev/cpuset/memory_pressure_enabled, the hook in the rebalance + code of __alloc_pages() for this metric reduces to simply noticing + that the cpuset_memory_pressure_enabled flag is zero. So only + systems that enable this feature will compute the metric. + +Why a per-cpuset, running average: + + Because this meter is per-cpuset, rather than per-task or mm, + the system load imposed by a batch scheduler monitoring this + metric is sharply reduced on large systems, because a scan of + the tasklist can be avoided on each set of queries. + + Because this meter is a running average, instead of an accumulating + counter, a batch scheduler can detect memory pressure with a + single read, instead of having to read and accumulate results + for a period of time. + + Because this meter is per-cpuset rather than per-task or mm, + the batch scheduler can obtain the key information, memory + pressure in a cpuset, with a single read, rather than having to + query and accumulate results over all the (dynamically changing) + set of tasks in the cpuset. + +A per-cpuset simple digital filter (requires a spinlock and 3 words +of data per-cpuset) is kept, and updated by any task attached to that +cpuset, if it enters the synchronous (direct) page reclaim code. + +A per-cpuset file provides an integer number representing the recent +(half-life of 10 seconds) rate of direct page reclaims caused by +the tasks in the cpuset, in units of reclaims attempted per second, +times 1000. + + +1.6 What is memory spread ? +--------------------------- +There are two boolean flag files per cpuset that control where the +kernel allocates pages for the file system buffers and related in +kernel data structures. They are called 'memory_spread_page' and +'memory_spread_slab'. + +If the per-cpuset boolean flag file 'memory_spread_page' is set, then +the kernel will spread the file system buffers (page cache) evenly +over all the nodes that the faulting task is allowed to use, instead +of preferring to put those pages on the node where the task is running. + +If the per-cpuset boolean flag file 'memory_spread_slab' is set, +then the kernel will spread some file system related slab caches, +such as for inodes and dentries evenly over all the nodes that the +faulting task is allowed to use, instead of preferring to put those +pages on the node where the task is running. + +The setting of these flags does not affect anonymous data segment or +stack segment pages of a task. + +By default, both kinds of memory spreading are off, and memory +pages are allocated on the node local to where the task is running, +except perhaps as modified by the tasks NUMA mempolicy or cpuset +configuration, so long as sufficient free memory pages are available. + +When new cpusets are created, they inherit the memory spread settings +of their parent. + +Setting memory spreading causes allocations for the affected page +or slab caches to ignore the tasks NUMA mempolicy and be spread +instead. Tasks using mbind() or set_mempolicy() calls to set NUMA +mempolicies will not notice any change in these calls as a result of +their containing tasks memory spread settings. If memory spreading +is turned off, then the currently specified NUMA mempolicy once again +applies to memory page allocations. + +Both 'memory_spread_page' and 'memory_spread_slab' are boolean flag +files. By default they contain "0", meaning that the feature is off +for that cpuset. If a "1" is written to that file, then that turns +the named feature on. + +The implementation is simple. + +Setting the flag 'memory_spread_page' turns on a per-process flag +PF_SPREAD_PAGE for each task that is in that cpuset or subsequently +joins that cpuset. The page allocation calls for the page cache +is modified to perform an inline check for this PF_SPREAD_PAGE task +flag, and if set, a call to a new routine cpuset_mem_spread_node() +returns the node to prefer for the allocation. + +Similarly, setting 'memory_spread_slab' turns on the flag +PF_SPREAD_SLAB, and appropriately marked slab caches will allocate +pages from the node returned by cpuset_mem_spread_node(). + +The cpuset_mem_spread_node() routine is also simple. It uses the +value of a per-task rotor cpuset_mem_spread_rotor to select the next +node in the current tasks mems_allowed to prefer for the allocation. + +This memory placement policy is also known (in other contexts) as +round-robin or interleave. + +This policy can provide substantial improvements for jobs that need +to place thread local data on the corresponding node, but that need +to access large file system data sets that need to be spread across +the several nodes in the jobs cpuset in order to fit. Without this +policy, especially for jobs that might have one thread reading in the +data set, the memory allocation across the nodes in the jobs cpuset +can become very uneven. + +1.7 What is sched_load_balance ? +-------------------------------- + +The kernel scheduler (kernel/sched.c) automatically load balances +tasks. If one CPU is underutilized, kernel code running on that +CPU will look for tasks on other more overloaded CPUs and move those +tasks to itself, within the constraints of such placement mechanisms +as cpusets and sched_setaffinity. + +The algorithmic cost of load balancing and its impact on key shared +kernel data structures such as the task list increases more than +linearly with the number of CPUs being balanced. So the scheduler +has support to partition the systems CPUs into a number of sched +domains such that it only load balances within each sched domain. +Each sched domain covers some subset of the CPUs in the system; +no two sched domains overlap; some CPUs might not be in any sched +domain and hence won't be load balanced. + +Put simply, it costs less to balance between two smaller sched domains +than one big one, but doing so means that overloads in one of the +two domains won't be load balanced to the other one. + +By default, there is one sched domain covering all CPUs, except those +marked isolated using the kernel boot time "isolcpus=" argument. + +This default load balancing across all CPUs is not well suited for +the following two situations: + 1) On large systems, load balancing across many CPUs is expensive. + If the system is managed using cpusets to place independent jobs + on separate sets of CPUs, full load balancing is unnecessary. + 2) Systems supporting realtime on some CPUs need to minimize + system overhead on those CPUs, including avoiding task load + balancing if that is not needed. + +When the per-cpuset flag "sched_load_balance" is enabled (the default +setting), it requests that all the CPUs in that cpusets allowed 'cpus' +be contained in a single sched domain, ensuring that load balancing +can move a task (not otherwised pinned, as by sched_setaffinity) +from any CPU in that cpuset to any other. + +When the per-cpuset flag "sched_load_balance" is disabled, then the +scheduler will avoid load balancing across the CPUs in that cpuset, +--except-- in so far as is necessary because some overlapping cpuset +has "sched_load_balance" enabled. + +So, for example, if the top cpuset has the flag "sched_load_balance" +enabled, then the scheduler will have one sched domain covering all +CPUs, and the setting of the "sched_load_balance" flag in any other +cpusets won't matter, as we're already fully load balancing. + +Therefore in the above two situations, the top cpuset flag +"sched_load_balance" should be disabled, and only some of the smaller, +child cpusets have this flag enabled. + +When doing this, you don't usually want to leave any unpinned tasks in +the top cpuset that might use non-trivial amounts of CPU, as such tasks +may be artificially constrained to some subset of CPUs, depending on +the particulars of this flag setting in descendent cpusets. Even if +such a task could use spare CPU cycles in some other CPUs, the kernel +scheduler might not consider the possibility of load balancing that +task to that underused CPU. + +Of course, tasks pinned to a particular CPU can be left in a cpuset +that disables "sched_load_balance" as those tasks aren't going anywhere +else anyway. + +There is an impedance mismatch here, between cpusets and sched domains. +Cpusets are hierarchical and nest. Sched domains are flat; they don't +overlap and each CPU is in at most one sched domain. + +It is necessary for sched domains to be flat because load balancing +across partially overlapping sets of CPUs would risk unstable dynamics +that would be beyond our understanding. So if each of two partially +overlapping cpusets enables the flag 'sched_load_balance', then we +form a single sched domain that is a superset of both. We won't move +a task to a CPU outside it cpuset, but the scheduler load balancing +code might waste some compute cycles considering that possibility. + +This mismatch is why there is not a simple one-to-one relation +between which cpusets have the flag "sched_load_balance" enabled, +and the sched domain configuration. If a cpuset enables the flag, it +will get balancing across all its CPUs, but if it disables the flag, +it will only be assured of no load balancing if no other overlapping +cpuset enables the flag. + +If two cpusets have partially overlapping 'cpus' allowed, and only +one of them has this flag enabled, then the other may find its +tasks only partially load balanced, just on the overlapping CPUs. +This is just the general case of the top_cpuset example given a few +paragraphs above. In the general case, as in the top cpuset case, +don't leave tasks that might use non-trivial amounts of CPU in +such partially load balanced cpusets, as they may be artificially +constrained to some subset of the CPUs allowed to them, for lack of +load balancing to the other CPUs. + +1.7.1 sched_load_balance implementation details. +------------------------------------------------ + +The per-cpuset flag 'sched_load_balance' defaults to enabled (contrary +to most cpuset flags.) When enabled for a cpuset, the kernel will +ensure that it can load balance across all the CPUs in that cpuset +(makes sure that all the CPUs in the cpus_allowed of that cpuset are +in the same sched domain.) + +If two overlapping cpusets both have 'sched_load_balance' enabled, +then they will be (must be) both in the same sched domain. + +If, as is the default, the top cpuset has 'sched_load_balance' enabled, +then by the above that means there is a single sched domain covering +the whole system, regardless of any other cpuset settings. + +The kernel commits to user space that it will avoid load balancing +where it can. It will pick as fine a granularity partition of sched +domains as it can while still providing load balancing for any set +of CPUs allowed to a cpuset having 'sched_load_balance' enabled. + +The internal kernel cpuset to scheduler interface passes from the +cpuset code to the scheduler code a partition of the load balanced +CPUs in the system. This partition is a set of subsets (represented +as an array of cpumask_t) of CPUs, pairwise disjoint, that cover all +the CPUs that must be load balanced. + +Whenever the 'sched_load_balance' flag changes, or CPUs come or go +from a cpuset with this flag enabled, or a cpuset with this flag +enabled is removed, the cpuset code builds a new such partition and +passes it to the scheduler sched domain setup code, to have the sched +domains rebuilt as necessary. + +This partition exactly defines what sched domains the scheduler should +setup - one sched domain for each element (cpumask_t) in the partition. + +The scheduler remembers the currently active sched domain partitions. +When the scheduler routine partition_sched_domains() is invoked from +the cpuset code to update these sched domains, it compares the new +partition requested with the current, and updates its sched domains, +removing the old and adding the new, for each change. + + +1.8 What is sched_relax_domain_level ? +-------------------------------------- + +In sched domain, the scheduler migrates tasks in 2 ways; periodic load +balance on tick, and at time of some schedule events. + +When a task is woken up, scheduler try to move the task on idle CPU. +For example, if a task A running on CPU X activates another task B +on the same CPU X, and if CPU Y is X's sibling and performing idle, +then scheduler migrate task B to CPU Y so that task B can start on +CPU Y without waiting task A on CPU X. + +And if a CPU run out of tasks in its runqueue, the CPU try to pull +extra tasks from other busy CPUs to help them before it is going to +be idle. + +Of course it takes some searching cost to find movable tasks and/or +idle CPUs, the scheduler might not search all CPUs in the domain +everytime. In fact, in some architectures, the searching ranges on +events are limited in the same socket or node where the CPU locates, +while the load balance on tick searchs all. + +For example, assume CPU Z is relatively far from CPU X. Even if CPU Z +is idle while CPU X and the siblings are busy, scheduler can't migrate +woken task B from X to Z since it is out of its searching range. +As the result, task B on CPU X need to wait task A or wait load balance +on the next tick. For some applications in special situation, waiting +1 tick may be too long. + +The 'sched_relax_domain_level' file allows you to request changing +this searching range as you like. This file takes int value which +indicates size of searching range in levels ideally as follows, +otherwise initial value -1 that indicates the cpuset has no request. + + -1 : no request. use system default or follow request of others. + 0 : no search. + 1 : search siblings (hyperthreads in a core). + 2 : search cores in a package. + 3 : search cpus in a node [= system wide on non-NUMA system] + ( 4 : search nodes in a chunk of node [on NUMA system] ) + ( 5 : search system wide [on NUMA system] ) + +The system default is architecture dependent. The system default +can be changed using the relax_domain_level= boot parameter. + +This file is per-cpuset and affect the sched domain where the cpuset +belongs to. Therefore if the flag 'sched_load_balance' of a cpuset +is disabled, then 'sched_relax_domain_level' have no effect since +there is no sched domain belonging the cpuset. + +If multiple cpusets are overlapping and hence they form a single sched +domain, the largest value among those is used. Be careful, if one +requests 0 and others are -1 then 0 is used. + +Note that modifying this file will have both good and bad effects, +and whether it is acceptable or not will be depend on your situation. +Don't modify this file if you are not sure. + +If your situation is: + - The migration costs between each cpu can be assumed considerably + small(for you) due to your special application's behavior or + special hardware support for CPU cache etc. + - The searching cost doesn't have impact(for you) or you can make + the searching cost enough small by managing cpuset to compact etc. + - The latency is required even it sacrifices cache hit rate etc. +then increasing 'sched_relax_domain_level' would benefit you. + + +1.9 How do I use cpusets ? +-------------------------- + +In order to minimize the impact of cpusets on critical kernel +code, such as the scheduler, and due to the fact that the kernel +does not support one task updating the memory placement of another +task directly, the impact on a task of changing its cpuset CPU +or Memory Node placement, or of changing to which cpuset a task +is attached, is subtle. + +If a cpuset has its Memory Nodes modified, then for each task attached +to that cpuset, the next time that the kernel attempts to allocate +a page of memory for that task, the kernel will notice the change +in the tasks cpuset, and update its per-task memory placement to +remain within the new cpusets memory placement. If the task was using +mempolicy MPOL_BIND, and the nodes to which it was bound overlap with +its new cpuset, then the task will continue to use whatever subset +of MPOL_BIND nodes are still allowed in the new cpuset. If the task +was using MPOL_BIND and now none of its MPOL_BIND nodes are allowed +in the new cpuset, then the task will be essentially treated as if it +was MPOL_BIND bound to the new cpuset (even though its numa placement, +as queried by get_mempolicy(), doesn't change). If a task is moved +from one cpuset to another, then the kernel will adjust the tasks +memory placement, as above, the next time that the kernel attempts +to allocate a page of memory for that task. + +If a cpuset has its 'cpus' modified, then each task in that cpuset +will have its allowed CPU placement changed immediately. Similarly, +if a tasks pid is written to a cpusets 'tasks' file, in either its +current cpuset or another cpuset, then its allowed CPU placement is +changed immediately. If such a task had been bound to some subset +of its cpuset using the sched_setaffinity() call, the task will be +allowed to run on any CPU allowed in its new cpuset, negating the +affect of the prior sched_setaffinity() call. + +In summary, the memory placement of a task whose cpuset is changed is +updated by the kernel, on the next allocation of a page for that task, +but the processor placement is not updated, until that tasks pid is +rewritten to the 'tasks' file of its cpuset. This is done to avoid +impacting the scheduler code in the kernel with a check for changes +in a tasks processor placement. + +Normally, once a page is allocated (given a physical page +of main memory) then that page stays on whatever node it +was allocated, so long as it remains allocated, even if the +cpusets memory placement policy 'mems' subsequently changes. +If the cpuset flag file 'memory_migrate' is set true, then when +tasks are attached to that cpuset, any pages that task had +allocated to it on nodes in its previous cpuset are migrated +to the tasks new cpuset. The relative placement of the page within +the cpuset is preserved during these migration operations if possible. +For example if the page was on the second valid node of the prior cpuset +then the page will be placed on the second valid node of the new cpuset. + +Also if 'memory_migrate' is set true, then if that cpusets +'mems' file is modified, pages allocated to tasks in that +cpuset, that were on nodes in the previous setting of 'mems', +will be moved to nodes in the new setting of 'mems.' +Pages that were not in the tasks prior cpuset, or in the cpusets +prior 'mems' setting, will not be moved. + +There is an exception to the above. If hotplug functionality is used +to remove all the CPUs that are currently assigned to a cpuset, +then all the tasks in that cpuset will be moved to the nearest ancestor +with non-empty cpus. But the moving of some (or all) tasks might fail if +cpuset is bound with another cgroup subsystem which has some restrictions +on task attaching. In this failing case, those tasks will stay +in the original cpuset, and the kernel will automatically update +their cpus_allowed to allow all online CPUs. When memory hotplug +functionality for removing Memory Nodes is available, a similar exception +is expected to apply there as well. In general, the kernel prefers to +violate cpuset placement, over starving a task that has had all +its allowed CPUs or Memory Nodes taken offline. + +There is a second exception to the above. GFP_ATOMIC requests are +kernel internal allocations that must be satisfied, immediately. +The kernel may drop some request, in rare cases even panic, if a +GFP_ATOMIC alloc fails. If the request cannot be satisfied within +the current tasks cpuset, then we relax the cpuset, and look for +memory anywhere we can find it. It's better to violate the cpuset +than stress the kernel. + +To start a new job that is to be contained within a cpuset, the steps are: + + 1) mkdir /dev/cpuset + 2) mount -t cgroup -ocpuset cpuset /dev/cpuset + 3) Create the new cpuset by doing mkdir's and write's (or echo's) in + the /dev/cpuset virtual file system. + 4) Start a task that will be the "founding father" of the new job. + 5) Attach that task to the new cpuset by writing its pid to the + /dev/cpuset tasks file for that cpuset. + 6) fork, exec or clone the job tasks from this founding father task. + +For example, the following sequence of commands will setup a cpuset +named "Charlie", containing just CPUs 2 and 3, and Memory Node 1, +and then start a subshell 'sh' in that cpuset: + + mount -t cgroup -ocpuset cpuset /dev/cpuset + cd /dev/cpuset + mkdir Charlie + cd Charlie + /bin/echo 2-3 > cpus + /bin/echo 1 > mems + /bin/echo $$ > tasks + sh + # The subshell 'sh' is now running in cpuset Charlie + # The next line should display '/Charlie' + cat /proc/self/cpuset + +In the future, a C library interface to cpusets will likely be +available. For now, the only way to query or modify cpusets is +via the cpuset file system, using the various cd, mkdir, echo, cat, +rmdir commands from the shell, or their equivalent from C. + +The sched_setaffinity calls can also be done at the shell prompt using +SGI's runon or Robert Love's taskset. The mbind and set_mempolicy +calls can be done at the shell prompt using the numactl command +(part of Andi Kleen's numa package). + +2. Usage Examples and Syntax +============================ + +2.1 Basic Usage +--------------- + +Creating, modifying, using the cpusets can be done through the cpuset +virtual filesystem. + +To mount it, type: +# mount -t cgroup -o cpuset cpuset /dev/cpuset + +Then under /dev/cpuset you can find a tree that corresponds to the +tree of the cpusets in the system. For instance, /dev/cpuset +is the cpuset that holds the whole system. + +If you want to create a new cpuset under /dev/cpuset: +# cd /dev/cpuset +# mkdir my_cpuset + +Now you want to do something with this cpuset. +# cd my_cpuset + +In this directory you can find several files: +# ls +cpu_exclusive memory_migrate mems tasks +cpus memory_pressure notify_on_release +mem_exclusive memory_spread_page sched_load_balance +mem_hardwall memory_spread_slab sched_relax_domain_level + +Reading them will give you information about the state of this cpuset: +the CPUs and Memory Nodes it can use, the processes that are using +it, its properties. By writing to these files you can manipulate +the cpuset. + +Set some flags: +# /bin/echo 1 > cpu_exclusive + +Add some cpus: +# /bin/echo 0-7 > cpus + +Add some mems: +# /bin/echo 0-7 > mems + +Now attach your shell to this cpuset: +# /bin/echo $$ > tasks + +You can also create cpusets inside your cpuset by using mkdir in this +directory. +# mkdir my_sub_cs + +To remove a cpuset, just use rmdir: +# rmdir my_sub_cs +This will fail if the cpuset is in use (has cpusets inside, or has +processes attached). + +Note that for legacy reasons, the "cpuset" filesystem exists as a +wrapper around the cgroup filesystem. + +The command + +mount -t cpuset X /dev/cpuset + +is equivalent to + +mount -t cgroup -ocpuset X /dev/cpuset +echo "/sbin/cpuset_release_agent" > /dev/cpuset/release_agent + +2.2 Adding/removing cpus +------------------------ + +This is the syntax to use when writing in the cpus or mems files +in cpuset directories: + +# /bin/echo 1-4 > cpus -> set cpus list to cpus 1,2,3,4 +# /bin/echo 1,2,3,4 > cpus -> set cpus list to cpus 1,2,3,4 + +2.3 Setting flags +----------------- + +The syntax is very simple: + +# /bin/echo 1 > cpu_exclusive -> set flag 'cpu_exclusive' +# /bin/echo 0 > cpu_exclusive -> unset flag 'cpu_exclusive' + +2.4 Attaching processes +----------------------- + +# /bin/echo PID > tasks + +Note that it is PID, not PIDs. You can only attach ONE task at a time. +If you have several tasks to attach, you have to do it one after another: + +# /bin/echo PID1 > tasks +# /bin/echo PID2 > tasks + ... +# /bin/echo PIDn > tasks + + +3. Questions +============ + +Q: what's up with this '/bin/echo' ? +A: bash's builtin 'echo' command does not check calls to write() against + errors. If you use it in the cpuset file system, you won't be + able to tell whether a command succeeded or failed. + +Q: When I attach processes, only the first of the line gets really attached ! +A: We can only return one error code per call to write(). So you should also + put only ONE pid. + +4. Contact +========== + +Web: http://www.bullopensource.org/cpuset |