[RFC 0/3] lib/fastmem: fast small-object allocator

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Mon, 25 May 2026 21:39:20 +0200
Mattias Rönnblom <hofors at lysator.liu.se> wrote:

> On 5/25/26 16:30, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> > On Mon, 25 May 2026 12:36:39 +0200
> > Mattias Rönnblom <hofors at lysator.liu.se> wrote:
> >   
> >> This RFC introduces fastmem, a general-purpose small-object allocator
> >> for DPDK. It is intended to replace per-type mempools with a single
> >> allocator that handles arbitrary sizes, grows on demand, and matches
> >> mempool-level performance on the hot path.  
> > 
> > Makes sense, what a simple wrapper inline to allow full replacement
> > testing/performance A/B comparison?  
> 
> Do you mean a mempool or a heap wrapper? Or both?
> 
> I haven't looked into what options there are with mempools. A mempool 
> driver should be possible, but then I guess one might attempt a 
> whole-sale mempool-compatible API as well.

My thinking is a yet another allocator in DPDK is just another source
of confusion and bugs. BUT if it can consolidate and fully replace
one or more existing allocators then it would be great improvement.

Mempools are fast, but fixed and space inefficient.
Rte_malloc is slow, but flexible.

Also, need to make whatever is added play well with static
and dynamic checkers.