Re: [PATCH] mm, page_alloc: fix build_zonerefs_node()

[Michal Hocko <mhocko@suse.com>]

On Thu 07-04-22 12:45:41, Juergen Gross wrote:
> On 07.04.22 12:34, Michal Hocko wrote:
> > Ccing Mel
> > 
> > On Thu 07-04-22 11:32:21, Juergen Gross wrote:
> > > Since commit 9d3be21bf9c0 ("mm, page_alloc: simplify zonelist
> > > initialization") only zones with free memory are included in a built
> > > zonelist. This is problematic when e.g. all memory of a zone has been
> > > ballooned out.
> > 
> > What is the actual problem there?
> 
> When running as Xen guest new hotplugged memory will not be onlined
> automatically, but only on special request. This is done in order to
> support adding e.g. the possibility to use another GB of memory, while
> adding only a part of that memory initially.
> 
> In case adding that memory is populating a new zone, the page allocator
> won't be able to use this memory when it is onlined, as the zone wasn't
> added to the zonelist, due to managed_zone() returning 0.

How is that memory onlined? Because "regular" onlining (online_pages())
does rebuild zonelists if their zone hasn't been populated before.

-- 
Michal Hocko
SUSE Labs