nuttx/Documentation/components/paging.rst

.. _ondemandpaging:

================
On-Demand Paging
================

Introduction
============

Overview
--------

This document summarizes the design of NuttX on-demand paging. This
feature permits embedded MCUs with some limited RAM space to execute
large programs from some non-random access media.

What kind of platforms can support NuttX on-demang paging?

  #. The MCU should have some large, probably low-cost non-volatile
     storage such as serial FLASH or an SD card. This storage probably
     does not support non-random access (otherwise, why not just execute
     the program directly on the storage media). SD and serial FLASH are
     inexpensive and do not require very many pins and SPI support is
     prevalent in just about all MCUs. This large serial FLASH would
     contain a big program. Perhaps a program of several megabytes in
     size.
  #. The MCU must have a (relatively) small block of fast SRAM from which
     it can execute code. A size of, say 256K (or 192K as in the NXP
     LPC3131) would be sufficient for many applications.
  #. The MCU has an MMU (again like the NXP LPC3131).

If the platform meets these requirement, then NuttX can provide
on-demand paging: It can copy .text from the large program in
non-volatile media into RAM as needed to execute a huge program from the
small RAM.

Terminology
-----------

  ``g_waitingforfill``:
     An OS list that is used to hold the TCBs of tasks that are waiting
     for a page fill.
  ``g_pftcb``:
     A variable that holds a reference to the TCB of the thread that is
     currently be re-filled.
  ``g_pgworker``:
     The *process* ID of the thread that will perform the page fills.
  ``pg_callback()``:
     The callback function that is invoked from a driver when the fill is
     complete.
  ``pg_miss()``:
     The function that is called from architecture-specific code to handle
     a page fault.
  ``TCB``:
     Task Control Block

NuttX Common Logic Design Description
=====================================

Initialization
--------------

The following declarations will be added.

-  ``g_waitingforfill``. A doubly linked list that will be used to
   implement a prioritized list of the TCBs of tasks that are waiting
   for a page fill.
-  ``g_pgworker``. The *process* ID of the thread that will perform
   the page fills

During OS initialization in ``sched/init/nx_start.c``, the following
steps will be performed:

-  The ``g_waitingforfill`` queue will be initialized.
-  The special, page fill worker thread, will be started. The ``pid`` of
   the page will worker thread will be saved in ``g_pgworker``. Note
   that we need a special worker thread to perform fills; we cannot use
   the "generic" worker thread facility because we cannot be assured
   that all actions called by that worker thread will always be resident
   in memory.

Declarations for ``g_waitingforfill``, ``g_pgworker``, and other
internal, private definitions will be provided in
``sched/paging/paging.h``. All public definitions that should be used by
the architecture-specific code will be available in
``include/nuttx/page.h``. Most architecture-specific functions are
declared in ``include/nuttx/arch.h``, but for the case of this paging
logic, those architecture specific functions are instead declared in
``include/nuttx/page.h``.

Page Faults
-----------

**Page fault exception handling**. Page fault handling is performed by
the function ``pg_miss()``. This function is called from
architecture-specific memory segmentation fault handling logic. This
function will perform the following operations:

#. **Sanity checking**. This function will ASSERT if the currently
   executing task is the page fill worker thread. The page fill worker
   thread is how the page fault is resolved and all logic associated
   with the page fill worker must be "`locked <#MemoryOrg>`__" and
   always present in memory.
#. **Block the currently executing task**. This function will call
   ``up_block_task()`` to block the task at the head of the ready-to-run
   list. This should cause an interrupt level context switch to the next
   highest priority task. The blocked task will be marked with state
   ``TSTATE_WAIT_PAGEFILL`` and will be retained in the
   ``g_waitingforfill`` prioritized task list.
#. **Boost the page fill worker thread priority**. Check the priority of
   the task at the head of the ``g_waitingforfill`` list. If the
   priority of that task is higher than the current priority of the page
   fill worker thread, then boost the priority of the page fill worker
   thread to that priority. Thus, the page fill worker thread will
   always run at the priority of the highest priority task that is
   waiting for a fill.
#. **Signal the page fill worker thread**. Is there a page already being
   filled? If not then signal the page fill worker thread to start
   working on the queued page fill requests.

When signaled from ``pg_miss()``, the page fill worker thread will be
awakenend and will initiate the fill operation.

**Input Parameters.** None -- The head of the ready-to-run list is
assumed to be that task that caused the exception. The current task
context should already be saved in the TCB of that task. No additional
inputs are required.

**Assumptions**.

-  It is assumed that this function is called from the level of an
   exception handler and that all interrupts are disabled.
-  The ``pg_miss()`` must be "`locked <#MemoryOrg>`__" in memory.
   Calling ``pg_miss()`` cannot cause a nested page fault.
-  It is assumed that currently executing task (the one at the head of
   the ready-to-run list) is the one that cause the fault. This will
   always be true unless the page fault occurred in an interrupt
   handler. Interrupt handling logic must always be available and
   "`locked <#MemoryOrg>`__" into memory so that page faults never come
   from interrupt handling.
-  The architecture-specific page fault exception handling has already
   verified that the exception did not occur from interrupt/exception
   handling logic.
-  As mentioned above, the task causing the page fault must not be the
   page fill worker thread because that is the only way to complete the
   page fill.

Fill Initiation
---------------

The page fill worker thread will be awakened on one of three conditions:

-  When signaled by ``pg_miss()``, the page fill worker thread will be
   awakenend (see above),
-  From ``pg_callback()`` after completing last fill (when
   ``CONFIG_PAGING_BLOCKINGFILL`` is defined... see below), or
-  A configurable timeout expires with no activity. This timeout can be
   used to detect failure conditions such things as fills that never
   complete.

The page fill worker thread will maintain a static variable called
``struct tcb_s *g_pftcb``. If no fill is in progress, ``g_pftcb`` will
be NULL. Otherwise, it will point to the TCB of the task which is
receiving the fill that is in progress.

When awakened from ``pg_miss()``, no fill will be in progress and
``g_pftcb`` will be NULL. In this case, the page fill worker thread will
call ``pg_startfill()``. That function will perform the following
operations:

-  Call the architecture-specific function ``up_checkmapping()`` to see
   if the page fill still needs to be performed. In certain conditions,
   the page fault may occur on several threads and be queued multiple
   times. In this corner case, the blocked task will simply be restarted
   (see the logic below for the case of normal completion of the fill
   operation).
-  Call ``up_allocpage(tcb, &vpage)``. This architecture-specific
   function will set aside page in memory and map to virtual address
   (vpage). If all available pages are in-use (the typical case), this
   function will select a page in-use, un-map it, and make it available.
-  Call the architecture-specific function ``up_fillpage()``. Two
   versions of the up_fillpage function are supported -- a blocking and
   a non-blocking version based upon the configuration setting
   ``CONFIG_PAGING_BLOCKINGFILL``.

   -  If ``CONFIG_PAGING_BLOCKINGFILL`` is defined, then up_fillpage is
      blocking call. In this case, ``up_fillpage()`` will accept only
      (1) a reference to the TCB that requires the fill.
      Architecture-specific context information within the TCB will be
      sufficient to perform the fill. And (2) the (virtual) address of
      the allocated page to be filled. The resulting status of the fill
      will be provided by return value from ``up_fillpage()``.
   -  If ``CONFIG_PAGING_BLOCKINGFILL`` is defined, then up_fillpage is
      non-blocking call. In this case ``up_fillpage()`` will accept an
      additional argument: The page fill worker thread will provide a
      callback function, ``pg_callback``. This function is non-blocking,
      it will start an asynchronous page fill. After calling the
      non-blocking ``up_fillpage()``, the page fill worker thread will
      wait to be signaled for the next event -- the fill completion
      event. The callback function will be called when the page fill is
      finished (or an error occurs). The resulting status of the fill
      will be providing as an argument to the callback functions. This
      callback will probably occur from interrupt level.

In any case, while the fill is in progress, other tasks may execute. If
another page fault occurs during this time, the faulting task will be
blocked, its TCB will be added (in priority order) to
``g_waitingforfill``, and the priority of the page worker task may be
boosted. But no action will be taken until the current page fill
completes. NOTE: The IDLE task must also be fully
`locked <#MemoryOrg>`__ in memory. The IDLE task cannot be blocked. It
the case where all tasks are blocked waiting for a page fill, the IDLE
task must still be available to run.

The architecture-specific functions, ``up_checkmapping()``,
``up_allocpage(tcb, &vpage)`` and ``up_fillpage(page, pg_callback)``
will be prototyped in ``include/nuttx/arch.h``

Fill Complete
-------------

For the blocking ``up_fillpage()``, the result of the fill will be
returned directly from the call to ``up_fillpage``.

For the non-blocking ``up_fillpage()``, the architecture-specific driver
call the ``pg_callback()`` that was provided to ``up_fillpage()`` when
the fill completes. In this case, the ``pg_callback()`` will probably be
called from driver interrupt-level logic. The driver will provide the
result of the fill as an argument to the callback function. NOTE:
``pg_callback()`` must also be `locked <#MemoryOrg>`__ in memory.

In this non-blocking case, the callback ``pg_callback()`` will perform
the following operations when it is notified that the fill has
completed:

-  Verify that ``g_pftcb`` is non-NULL.
-  Find the higher priority between the task waiting for the fill to
   complete in ``g_pftcb`` and the task waiting at the head of the
   ``g_waitingforfill`` list. That will be the priority of he highest
   priority task waiting for a fill.
-  If this higher priority is higher than current page fill worker
   thread, then boost worker thread's priority to that level. Thus, the
   page fill worker thread will always run at the priority of the
   highest priority task that is waiting for a fill.
-  Save the result of the fill operation.
-  Signal the page fill worker thread.

Task Resumption
---------------

For the non-blocking ``up_fillpage()``, the page fill worker thread will
detect that the page fill is complete when it is awakened with
``g_pftcb`` non-NULL and fill completion status from ``pg_callback``. In
the non-blocking case, the page fill worker thread will know that the
page fill is complete when ``up_fillpage()`` returns.

In this either, the page fill worker thread will:

-  Verify consistency of state information and ``g_pftcb``.
-  Verify that the page fill completed successfully, and if so,
-  Call ``up_unblocktask(g_pftcb)`` to make the task that just received
   the fill ready-to-run.
-  Check if the ``g_waitingforfill`` list is empty. If not:

   -  Remove the highest priority task waiting for a page fill from
      ``g_waitingforfill``,
   -  Save the task's TCB in ``g_pftcb``,
   -  If the priority of the thread in ``g_pftcb``, is higher in
      priority than the default priority of the page fill worker thread,
      then set the priority of the page fill worker thread to that
      priority.
   -  Call ``pg_startfill()`` which will start the next fill (as
      described above).

-  Otherwise,

   -  Set ``g_pftcb`` to NULL.
   -  Restore the default priority of the page fill worker thread.
   -  Wait for the next fill related event (a new page fault).

Architecture-Specific Support Requirements
==========================================

Memory Organization
-------------------

**Memory Regions**. Chip specific logic will map the virtual and
physical address spaces into three general regions:

#. A .text region containing "`locked-in-memory <#MemoryOrg>`__" code
   that is always available and will never cause a page fault. This
   locked memory is loaded at boot time and remains resident for all
   time. This memory regions must include:

   -  All logic for all interrupt paths. All interrupt logic must be
      locked in memory because the design present here will not support
      page faults from interrupt handlers. This includes the page fault
      handling logic and ```pg_miss()`` <#PageFaults>`__ that is called
      from the page fault handler. It also includes the
      ```pg_callback()`` <#FillComplete>`__ function that wakes up the
      page fill worker thread and whatever architecture-specific logic
      that calls ``pg_callback()``.
   -  All logic for the IDLE thread. The IDLE thread must always be
      ready to run and cannot be blocked for any reason.
   -  All of the page fill worker thread must be locked in memory. This
      thread must execute in order to unblock any thread waiting for a
      fill. It this thread were to block, there would be no way to
      complete the fills!

#. A .text region containing pages that can be assigned allocated,
   mapped to various virtual addresses, and filled from some mass
   storage medium.
#. And a fixed RAM space for .bss, .text, and .heap.

This memory organization is illustrated in the following table. Notice
that:

-  There is a one-to-one relationship between pages in the virtual
   address space and between pages of .text in the non-volatile mass
   storage device.
-  There are, however, far fewer physical pages available than virtual
   pages. Only a subset of physical pages will be mapped to virtual
   pages at any given time. This mapping will be performed on-demand as
   needed for program execution.

=============================  ============================  ====================
SRAM                           Virtual Address Space         Non-Volatile Storage
=============================  ============================  ====================
.                              DATA                          .
.                              Virtual Page *n* (*n* > *m*)  Stored Page *n*
.                              Virtual Page *n-1*            Stored Page *n-1*
DATA                           ...                           ...
Physical Page *m* (*m* < *n*)  ...                           ...
Physical Page *m-1*            ...                           ...
...                            ...                           ...
Physical Page *1*              Virtual Page *1*              Stored Page *1*
Locked Memory                  Locked Memory                 Memory Resident
=============================  ============================  ====================

**Example**. As an example, suppose that the size of the SRAM is 192K
(as in the NXP LPC3131). And suppose further that:

-  The size of the locked, memory resident .text area is 32K, and
-  The size of the DATA area is 64K.
-  The size of one, managed page is 1K.
-  The size of the whole .text image on the non-volatile, mass storage
   device is 1024K.

Then, the size of the locked, memory resident code is 32K (*m*\ =32
pages). The size of the physical page region is 96K (96 pages), and the
size of the data region is 64 pages. And the size of the virtual paged
region must then be greater than or equal to (1024-32) or 992 pages
(*n*).

**Building the Locked, In-Memory Image**. One way to accomplish this
would be a two phase link:

-  In the first phase, create a partially linked objected containing all
   interrupt/exception handling logic, the page fill worker thread plus
   all parts of the IDLE thread (which must always be available for
   execution).
-  All of the ``.text`` and ``.rodata`` sections of this partial link
   should be collected into a single section.
-  The second link would link the partially linked object along with the
   remaining object to produce the final binary. The linker script
   should position the "special" section so that it lies in a reserved,
   "non-swappable" region.

Architecture-Specific Functions
-------------------------------

Most standard, architecture-specific functions are declared in
``include/nuttx/arch.h``. However, for the case of this paging logic,
the architecture specific functions are declared in
``include/nuttx/page.h``. Standard, architecture-specific functions that
should already be provided in the architecture port are :c:func:`up_block_task`
and :c:func:`up_unblock_task`. New, additional functions that must be
implemented just for on-demand paging support are:

.. c:function:: int up_checkmapping(FAR struct tcb_s *tcb)

  The function ``up_checkmapping()`` returns an indication if the page
  fill still needs to performed or not. In certain conditions, the page
  fault may occur on several threads and be queued multiple times. This
  function will prevent the same page from be filled multiple times.

.. c:function:: int up_allocpage(FAR struct tcb_s *tcb, FAR void *vpage)

  This architecture-specific function will set aside page in memory and
  map to its correct virtual address. Architecture-specific context
  information saved within the TCB will provide the function with the
  information needed to identify the virtual miss address. This function
  will return the allocated physical page address in ``vpage``. The size
  of the underlying physical page is determined by the configuration
  setting ``CONFIG_PAGING_PAGESIZE``. NOTE: This function must *always*
  return a page allocation. If all available pages are in-use (the typical
  case), then this function will select a page in-use, un-map it, and make
  it available.

.. c:function:: int up_fillpage(FAR struct tcb_s *tcb, FAR const void *vpage, void (*pg_callback)(FAR struct tcb_s *tcb, int result))

  The actual filling of the page with data from the non-volatile, must be
  performed by a separate call to the architecture-specific function,
  ``up_fillpage()``. This will start asynchronous page fill. The common
  paging logic will provide a callback function, ``pg_callback``, that
  will be called when the page fill is finished (or an error occurs). This
  callback is assumed to occur from an interrupt level when the device
  driver completes the fill operation.