The Hard Work Behind Large Physical Allocations in the Kernel

Explore the intricacies of large physical memory allocations in the Linux kernel through this conference talk from the Linux Plumbers Conference. Delve into the challenges of managing physically continuous memory allocations and the kernel's mechanisms for defragmenting free memory. Learn about memory compaction and page grouping by mobility, understanding their roles in balancing successful large allocations with processor and lock usage overhead. Examine known problems in these mechanisms and potential solutions proposed by memory management developers. Gain insights into topics such as the physical memory allocator, high-order allocations, compaction limitations, mobility grouping fallback heuristics, and open issues related to compaction overhead and mobility grouping.

Intro
Physical Memory Allocator
Why We Need High-order Allocations?
Example: Failed High-order Allocation
Enabling High-Order Allocations
Memory Compaction Overview
Memory Compaction Limitations
Grouping by Mobility Overview
Mobility Grouping Fallback Heuristics
Open Issues: Compaction overhead
Open Issues: Mobility Grouping