Re: [PATCH v2 1/4] mm/memremap_pages: Introduce memremap_compat_align()

Dan Williams [off-list ref] writes:

On Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 8:58 AM Jeff Moyer [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

I have just a couple of questions.

First, can you please add a comment above the generic implementation of
memremap_compat_align describing its purpose, and why a platform might
want to override it?

Sure, how about:

/*
 * The memremap() and memremap_pages() interfaces are alternately used
 * to map persistent memory namespaces. These interfaces place different
 * constraints on the alignment and size of the mapping (namespace).
 * memremap() can map individual PAGE_SIZE pages. memremap_pages() can
 * only map subsections (2MB), and at least one architecture (PowerPC)
 * the minimum mapping granularity of memremap_pages() is 16MB.
 *
 * The role of memremap_compat_align() is to communicate the minimum
 * arch supported alignment of a namespace such that it can freely
 * switch modes without violating the arch constraint. Namely, do not
 * allow a namespace to be PAGE_SIZE aligned since that namespace may be
 * reconfigured into a mode that requires SUBSECTION_SIZE alignment.
 */

Well, if we modify the x86 variant to be PAGE_SIZE, I think that text
won't work.  How about:

/*
 * memremap_compat_align should return the minimum alignment for
 * mapping memory via memremap() and memremap_pages().  For x86, this
 * is the system PAGE_SIZE.  Other architectures may impose different
 * restrictions, as is seen on powerpc where the minimum alignment is
 * tied to the linear mapping page size.
 *
 * When creating persistent memory namespaces, the alignment is forced
 * to the least common denominator (MEMREMAP_COMPAT_ALIGN_MAX,
 * currently 16MB).  However, older kernels did not enforce this
 * behavior, so we allow mapping namespaces with smaller alignments,
 * so long as the platform supports it.  See nvdimm_namespace_common_probe.
 */

-Jeff