From 45ce80fb6b6f9594d1396d44dd7e7c02d596fef8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Li Zefan Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:50:59 -0800 Subject: cgroups: consolidate cgroup documents Move Documentation/cpusets.txt and Documentation/controllers/* to Documentation/cgroups/ Signed-off-by: Li Zefan Acked-by: KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki Acked-by: Balbir Singh Acked-by: Paul Menage Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds --- Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt | 181 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 181 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt (limited to 'Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt') diff --git a/Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt b/Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..f196ac1d7d25 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/cgroups/resource_counter.txt @@ -0,0 +1,181 @@ + + The Resource Counter + +The resource counter, declared at include/linux/res_counter.h, +is supposed to facilitate the resource management by controllers +by providing common stuff for accounting. + +This "stuff" includes the res_counter structure and routines +to work with it. + + + +1. Crucial parts of the res_counter structure + + a. unsigned long long usage + + The usage value shows the amount of a resource that is consumed + by a group at a given time. The units of measurement should be + determined by the controller that uses this counter. E.g. it can + be bytes, items or any other unit the controller operates on. + + b. unsigned long long max_usage + + The maximal value of the usage over time. + + This value is useful when gathering statistical information about + the particular group, as it shows the actual resource requirements + for a particular group, not just some usage snapshot. + + c. unsigned long long limit + + The maximal allowed amount of resource to consume by the group. In + case the group requests for more resources, so that the usage value + would exceed the limit, the resource allocation is rejected (see + the next section). + + d. unsigned long long failcnt + + The failcnt stands for "failures counter". This is the number of + resource allocation attempts that failed. + + c. spinlock_t lock + + Protects changes of the above values. + + + +2. Basic accounting routines + + a. void res_counter_init(struct res_counter *rc) + + Initializes the resource counter. As usual, should be the first + routine called for a new counter. + + b. int res_counter_charge[_locked] + (struct res_counter *rc, unsigned long val) + + When a resource is about to be allocated it has to be accounted + with the appropriate resource counter (controller should determine + which one to use on its own). This operation is called "charging". + + This is not very important which operation - resource allocation + or charging - is performed first, but + * if the allocation is performed first, this may create a + temporary resource over-usage by the time resource counter is + charged; + * if the charging is performed first, then it should be uncharged + on error path (if the one is called). + + c. void res_counter_uncharge[_locked] + (struct res_counter *rc, unsigned long val) + + When a resource is released (freed) it should be de-accounted + from the resource counter it was accounted to. This is called + "uncharging". + + The _locked routines imply that the res_counter->lock is taken. + + + 2.1 Other accounting routines + + There are more routines that may help you with common needs, like + checking whether the limit is reached or resetting the max_usage + value. They are all declared in include/linux/res_counter.h. + + + +3. Analyzing the resource counter registrations + + a. If the failcnt value constantly grows, this means that the counter's + limit is too tight. Either the group is misbehaving and consumes too + many resources, or the configuration is not suitable for the group + and the limit should be increased. + + b. The max_usage value can be used to quickly tune the group. One may + set the limits to maximal values and either load the container with + a common pattern or leave one for a while. After this the max_usage + value shows the amount of memory the container would require during + its common activity. + + Setting the limit a bit above this value gives a pretty good + configuration that works in most of the cases. + + c. If the max_usage is much less than the limit, but the failcnt value + is growing, then the group tries to allocate a big chunk of resource + at once. + + d. If the max_usage is much less than the limit, but the failcnt value + is 0, then this group is given too high limit, that it does not + require. It is better to lower the limit a bit leaving more resource + for other groups. + + + +4. Communication with the control groups subsystem (cgroups) + +All the resource controllers that are using cgroups and resource counters +should provide files (in the cgroup filesystem) to work with the resource +counter fields. They are recommended to adhere to the following rules: + + a. File names + + Field name File name + --------------------------------------------------- + usage usage_in_ + max_usage max_usage_in_ + limit limit_in_ + failcnt failcnt + lock no file :) + + b. Reading from file should show the corresponding field value in the + appropriate format. + + c. Writing to file + + Field Expected behavior + ---------------------------------- + usage prohibited + max_usage reset to usage + limit set the limit + failcnt reset to zero + + + +5. Usage example + + a. Declare a task group (take a look at cgroups subsystem for this) and + fold a res_counter into it + + struct my_group { + struct res_counter res; + + + } + + b. Put hooks in resource allocation/release paths + + int alloc_something(...) + { + if (res_counter_charge(res_counter_ptr, amount) < 0) + return -ENOMEM; + + + } + + void release_something(...) + { + res_counter_uncharge(res_counter_ptr, amount); + + + } + + In order to keep the usage value self-consistent, both the + "res_counter_ptr" and the "amount" in release_something() should be + the same as they were in the alloc_something() when the releasing + resource was allocated. + + c. Provide the way to read res_counter values and set them (the cgroups + still can help with it). + + c. Compile and run :) -- cgit v1.2.3