[dpdk-dev] [RFC v2 00/23] Dynamic memory allocation for DPDK

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:02:51 +0000
"Burakov, Anatoly" <anatoly.burakov at intel.com> wrote:

> On 19-Dec-17 3:46 PM, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> > On Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:14:27 +0000
> > Anatoly Burakov <anatoly.burakov at intel.com> wrote:
> >   
> >> This patchset introduces a prototype implementation of dynamic memory allocation
> >> for DPDK. It is intended to start a conversation and build consensus on the best
> >> way to implement this functionality. The patchset works well enough to pass all
> >> unit tests, and to work with traffic forwarding, provided the device drivers are
> >> adjusted to ensure contiguous memory allocation where it matters.  
> > 
> > 
> > What exact functionality is this patchset trying to enable.
> > It isn't clear what is broken now. Is it a cleanup or something that
> > is being motivated by memory layout issues?
> >   
> 
> Hi Stephen,
> 
> Apologies for not making that clear enough in the cover letter.
> 
> The big issue this patchset is trying to solve is the static-ness of 
> DPDK's memory allocation. I.e. you reserve memory on startup, and that's 
> it - you can't allocate any more memory from the system, and you can't 
> free it back without stopping the application.
> 
> With this patchset, you can do exactly that. You can basically start 
> with zero memory preallocated, and allocate (and free) as you go. For 
> example, if you apply this patchset and run malloc autotest, after 
> startup you will have used perhaps a single 2MB page. While the test is 
> running, you are going to allocate something to the tune of 14MB per 
> socket, and at the end you're back at eating 2MB of hugepage memory, 
> while all of the memory you used for autotest will be freed back to the 
> system. That's the main use case this patchset is trying to address.
> 
> Down the line, there are other issues to be solved, which are outlined 
> in the cover letter (the aforementioned "discussion points"), but for 
> this iteration, dynamic allocation/free of DPDK memory is the one issue 
> that is being addressed.
> 

Ok, maybe name it "memory hot add/remove" since dynamic memory allocation
to me implies redoing malloc.