Re: filecache/swapcache questions [RFC] [RFT] [PATCH] kanoj-mm12-2.3.8

[Chuck Lever <cel@monkey.org>]

On Mon, 28 Jun 1999, Stephen C. Tweedie wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Jun 1999 17:32:05 -0400 (EDT), Chuck Lever <cel@monkey.org>
> said:
> 
> > well, except that kswapd itself doesn't free any memory.  
> 
> It has to.  That was why kswapd was initially written, to ensure that
> interrupt memory requests (eg. busy router boxes) don't starve of
> memory.  All of the benefits of kswapd came later.  In normal kernels
> the try_to_swap_out doesn't free memory, true enough, but kswapd calls
> shrink_mmap() too to make sure it does make real progress in freeing
> memory.

again, foot in mouth.  i meant kswapd doesn't free any memory *by simply
swapping*.  that's what i get for typing when i'm hungry.

> > if you need evidence that shrink_mmap() will keep a system running without
> > swapping, just run 2.3.8 :) :)
> 
> 2.3.8 shows up slower on several benchmarks because of its reluctance to
> swap.

right, agreed.  but it doesn't stall, it just slows down.

	- Chuck Lever
--
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personal:	<chucklever@netscape.net> or <cel@monkey.org>

The Linux Scalability project:
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