@@ -590,6 +590,77 @@ path.
Return path - opened by main thread, written by main thread AND postcopy
thread (protected by rp_mutex)
+Dirty limit
+=====================
+The dirty limit, short for dirty page rate upper limit, is a new capability
+introduced in the 8.1 QEMU release that uses a new algorithm based on the KVM
+dirty ring to throttle down the guest during live migration.
+
+The algorithm framework is as follows:
+
+::
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ main --------------> throttle thread ------------> PREPARE(1) <--------
+ thread \ | |
+ \ | |
+ \ V |
+ -\ CALCULATE(2) |
+ \ | |
+ \ | |
+ \ V |
+ \ SET PENALTY(3) -----
+ -\ |
+ \ |
+ \ V
+ -> virtual CPU thread -------> ACCEPT PENALTY(4)
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+When the qmp command qmp_set_vcpu_dirty_limit is called for the first time,
+the QEMU main thread starts the throttle thread. The throttle thread, once
+launched, executes the loop, which consists of three steps:
+
+ - PREPARE (1)
+
+ The entire work of PREPARE (1) is preparation for the second stage,
+ CALCULATE(2), as the name implies. It involves preparing the dirty
+ page rate value and the corresponding upper limit of the VM:
+ The dirty page rate is calculated via the KVM dirty ring mechanism,
+ which tells QEMU how many dirty pages a virtual CPU has had since the
+ last KVM_EXIT_DIRTY_RING_FULL exception; The dirty page rate upper
+ limit is specified by caller, therefore fetch it directly.
+
+ - CALCULATE (2)
+
+ Calculate a suitable sleep period for each virtual CPU, which will be
+ used to determine the penalty for the target virtual CPU. The
+ computation must be done carefully in order to reduce the dirty page
+ rate progressively down to the upper limit without oscillation. To
+ achieve this, two strategies are provided: the first is to add or
+ subtract sleep time based on the ratio of the current dirty page rate
+ to the limit, which is used when the current dirty page rate is far
+ from the limit; the second is to add or subtract a fixed time when
+ the current dirty page rate is close to the limit.
+
+ - SET PENALTY (3)
+
+ Set the sleep time for each virtual CPU that should be penalized based
+ on the results of the calculation supplied by step CALCULATE (2).
+
+After completing the three above stages, the throttle thread loops back
+to step PREPARE (1) until the dirty limit is reached.
+
+On the other hand, each virtual CPU thread reads the sleep duration and
+sleeps in the path of the KVM_EXIT_DIRTY_RING_FULL exception handler, that
+is ACCEPT PENALTY (4). Virtual CPUs tied with writing processes will
+obviously exit to the path and get penalized, whereas virtual CPUs involved
+with read processes will not.
+
+In summary, thanks to the KVM dirty ring technology, the dirty limit
+algorithm will restrict virtual CPUs as needed to keep their dirty page
+rate inside the limit. This leads to more steady reading performance during
+live migration and can aid in improving large guest responsiveness.
+
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