[patch] mm: memcg: remove incorrect VM_BUG_ON for swap cache pages in uncharge

From: Johannes Weiner
Date: Wed May 08 2013 - 09:29:17 EST


0c59b89 "mm: memcg: push down PageSwapCache check into uncharge entry
functions" added a VM_BUG_ON() on PageSwapCache in the uncharge path
after checking that page flag once, assuming that the state is stable
in all paths, but this is not the case and the condition triggers in
user environments. An uncharge after the last page table reference to
the page goes away can race with reclaim adding the page to swap
cache.

Swap cache pages are usually uncharged when they are freed after
swapout, from a path that also handles swap usage accounting and memcg
lifetime management. However, since the last page table reference is
gone and thus no references to the swap slot left, the swap slot will
be freed shortly when reclaim attempts to write the page to disk. The
whole swap accounting is not even necessary.

So while the race condition for which this VM_BUG_ON was added is real
and actually existed all along, there are no negative effects. Remove
the VM_BUG_ON again.

Reported-by: Heiko Carstens <heiko.carstens@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Lingzhu Xiang <lxiang@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Johannes Weiner <hannes@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Hugh Dickins <hughd@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Michal Hocko <mhocko@xxxxxxx>
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---
mm/memcontrol.c | 14 ++++++++++++--
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index cb1c9de..010d6c1 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -4108,8 +4108,6 @@ __mem_cgroup_uncharge_common(struct page *page, enum charge_type ctype,
if (mem_cgroup_disabled())
return NULL;

- VM_BUG_ON(PageSwapCache(page));
-
if (PageTransHuge(page)) {
nr_pages <<= compound_order(page);
VM_BUG_ON(!PageTransHuge(page));
@@ -4205,6 +4203,18 @@ void mem_cgroup_uncharge_page(struct page *page)
if (page_mapped(page))
return;
VM_BUG_ON(page->mapping && !PageAnon(page));
+ /*
+ * If the page is in swap cache, uncharge should be deferred
+ * to the swap path, which also properly accounts swap usage
+ * and handles memcg lifetime.
+ *
+ * Note that this check is not stable and reclaim may add the
+ * page to swap cache at any time after this. However, if the
+ * page is not in swap cache by the time page->mapcount hits
+ * 0, there won't be any page table references to the swap
+ * slot, and reclaim will free it and not actually write the
+ * page to disk.
+ */
if (PageSwapCache(page))
return;
__mem_cgroup_uncharge_common(page, MEM_CGROUP_CHARGE_TYPE_ANON, false);
--
1.7.11.7

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