Re: [PATCH] Updated: Dynamic Tick version 050408-1 - C-state measures

[Dominik Brodowski <linux@dominikbrodowski.net>]

On Tue, Apr 19, 2005 at 11:03:30PM +0200, Thomas Renninger wrote:
> > "All" we need to do is to update the "diff". Without dynamic ticks, if the
> > idle loop didn't get called each jiffy, it was a big hint that there was so
> > much activity in between, and if there is activity, there is most likely
> > also bus master activity, or at least more work to do, so interrupt activity
> > is likely. Therefore we assume there was bm_activity even if there was none.
> >
> If I understand this right you want at least wait 32 (or whatever value) ms if there was bm activity,
> before it is allowed to trigger C3/C4?

That's the theory of operation of the current algorithm. I think that we
should do that small change to the current algorithm which allows us to keep
C3/C4 working with dyn-idle first, and then think of a very small abstraction
layer to test different idle algroithms, and -- possibly -- use different
ones for different usages.

> I think the problem is (at least I made the experience with this particular
> machine) that bm activity comes very often and regularly (each 30-150ms?).
> 
> I think the approach to directly adjust the latency to a deeper sleep state if the
> average bus master and OS activity is low is very efficient.
> 
> Because I don't consider whether there was bm_activity the last ms, I only
> consider the average, it seems to happen that I try to trigger
> C3/C4 when there is just something copied and some bm active ?!?

I don't think that this is perfect behaviour: if the system is idle, and
there is _currently_ bus master activity, the CPU should be put into C1 or
C2 type sleep. If you select C3 and actually enter it, you're risking
DMA issues, AFAICS.

> The patch is useless if these failures end up in system freezes on
> other machines...

I know that my patch is useless in its current form, but I wanted to share
it as a different way of doing things. 

> The problem with the old approach is, that after (doesn't matter C1-Cx)
> sleep and dyn_idle_tick, the chance to wake up because of bm activity is
> very likely.
> You enter idle() again -> there was bm_activity -> C2. Wake up after e.g.
> 50ms, because of bm_activity again (bm_sts bit set) -> stay in C2, wake up
> after 40ms -> bm activity... You only have the chance to get into deeper
> states if the sleeps are interrupted by an interrupt, not bm activity.

That's a side-effect, indeed. However: if there _is_ bus master activity, we
must not enter C3, AFAICS.

	Dominik
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