Many Block Changes En Route To Linux 4.10

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Many Block Changes En Route To Linux 4.10

Jens Axboe has been quick to submit the block changes for the Linux 4.10 kernel and there is a wide range of improvements...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-4.10-Block-Changes

[RickXy]

- Support for automatic throttling of writeback queues on the block side.


If merged, this will finally be the game changer for Linux on the Desktop/Laptop.

[Krejzi]

- Support for automatic throttling of writeback queues on the block side.


If merged, this will finally be the game changer for Linux on the Desktop/Laptop.

Does that fix the system getting unresponsive on high IO (uncompressing a file, writing a large file, copying large amount of data, etc) bug?

[cl333r]

Does that fix the system getting unresponsive on high IO (uncompressing a file, writing a large file, copying large amount of data, etc) bug?

It would be too good and too easy to be true. I'm pretty sure one also needs to change the CPU/IO schedulers and possibly other things in the kernel.

[Krejzi]

It would be too good and too easy to be true. I'm pretty sure one also needs to change the CPU/IO schedulers and possibly other things in the kernel.

I would be happy if it was fixed. But then again, Windows is even worse.

[boxie]

It would be too good and too easy to be true. I'm pretty sure one also needs to change the CPU/IO schedulers and possibly other things in the kernel.

as long as it is a step in the right direction, the new cpu scheduler does take feadback from other parts of the kernel, so I am sure we can have it all in a future kernel release

[RickXy]

Does that fix the system getting unresponsive on high IO (uncompressing a file, writing a large file, copying large amount of data, etc) bug?

Yes. The improvements are very noticeable. From what I've tested so far, it does not have any dependence on the CPU scheduler. Throttling was the most viable option (Earlier, I've used cgroups to limit the IO weight, which helped a lot to not let the system thrash), and Jens Axboe's (BLK Maintainer) patches are really impressive in that regard.

[RickXy]

If anyone is interested in early testing, you can access the changes at: http://git.kernel.dk/cgit/linux-bloc...b-buf-throttle and provide feedback directly to the author.

[darkbasic]

- Support for automatic throttling of writeback queues on the block side.


If merged, this will finally be the game changer for Linux on the Desktop/Laptop.

I wanted to test kernel 4.10 because of the automatic throttling of writeback queues on the block side. In fact with 4.8.13 every time I copy big files to my usb stick the system becomes unresponsive.
Unfortunately with 4.10 when I try to write the Arch image to an usb stick using "sudo dd if=archlinux-2016.12.01-dual.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1 status=progress" it instantly finishes (like when you write to the cache but you still have to sync). It wrote something to the stick, but the image doesn't boot. Manually syncing does not help. Everything works flawlessly with kernel 4.8.

This is the bug report: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=191391

[RickXy]

I wanted to test kernel 4.10 because of the automatic throttling of writeback queues on the block side. In fact with 4.8.13 every time I copy big files to my usb stick the system becomes unresponsive.
Unfortunately with 4.10 when I try to write the Arch image to an usb stick using "sudo dd if=archlinux-2016.12.01-dual.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1 status=progress" it instantly finishes (like when you write to the cache but you still have to sync). It wrote something to the stick, but the image doesn't boot. Manually syncing does not help. Everything works flawlessly with kernel 4.8.

This is the bug report: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=191391

I'm glad that Jens has already replied to your bug. But I wouldn't bother filing a bug report for an RC1 kernel. Mailing Lists are more responsive.

That aside, you don't really need to wait for 4.10 to go GA. Jens has been kind enough to have branches for 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8. Maybe you should ask him for 4.9 branch too. Or else, just merge the wb-buf-throttle branch, which is his master for this patchset, which applies clean on the current 4.9 GA kernel.

rrs@learner:~/rrs-home/Community/linux-upstream_GIT (wb-49)$ git remote show axboe
* remote axboe
Fetch URL: git://git.kernel.dk/linux-block.git
Push URL: git://git.kernel.dk/linux-block.git