linux/drivers
Dmitry Torokhov 453dc65931 VMware Balloon driver
This is a standalone version of VMware Balloon driver.  Ballooning is a
technique that allows hypervisor dynamically limit the amount of memory
available to the guest (with guest cooperation).  In the overcommit
scenario, when hypervisor set detects that it needs to shuffle some
memory, it instructs the driver to allocate certain number of pages, and
the underlying memory gets returned to the hypervisor.  Later hypervisor
may return memory to the guest by reattaching memory to the pageframes and
instructing the driver to "deflate" balloon.

We are submitting a standalone driver because KVM maintainer (Avi Kivity)
expressed opinion (rightly) that our transport does not fit well into
virtqueue paradigm and thus it does not make much sense to integrate with
virtio.

There were also some concerns whether current ballooning technique is the
right thing.  If there appears a better framework to achieve this we are
prepared to evaluate and switch to using it, but in the meantime we'd like
to get this driver upstream.

We want to get the driver accepted in distributions so that users do not
have to deal with an out-of-tree module and many distributions have
"upstream first" requirement.

The driver has been shipping for a number of years and users running on
VMware platform will have it installed as part of VMware Tools even if it
will not come from a distribution, thus there should not be additional
risk in pulling the driver into mainline.  The driver will only activate
if host is VMware so everyone else should not be affected at all.

Signed-off-by: Dmitry Torokhov <dtor@vmware.com>
Cc: Avi Kivity <avi@redhat.com>
Cc: Jeremy Fitzhardinge <jeremy@goop.org>
Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
2010-04-24 11:31:26 -07:00
..
accessibility
acpi Merge branch 'bugzilla-15749' into release 2010-04-16 16:08:07 -04:00
amba
ata libata: ensure NCQ error result taskfile is fully initialized 2010-04-22 21:59:13 -04:00
atm include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
auxdisplay include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
base Revert "memory-hotplug: add 0x prefix to HEX block_size_bytes" 2010-04-09 10:05:33 -07:00
block Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.dk/linux-2.6-block 2010-04-09 11:50:29 -07:00
bluetooth include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
cdrom
char Merge branch 'urgent' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/brodo/pcmcia-2.6 2010-04-20 09:21:19 -07:00
clocksource include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
connector include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
cpufreq include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
cpuidle include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
crypto include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
dca include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
dio
dma include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
edac include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
eisa eisa: fix coding style for eisa bus code 2010-03-06 11:26:32 -08:00
firewire Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/ieee1394/linux1394-2.6 2010-04-22 12:54:54 -07:00
firmware Merge branch 'x86-fixes-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/x86/linux-2.6-tip 2010-04-07 11:02:23 -07:00
gpio drivers/gpio/timbgpio.c: add missing unlock 2010-04-07 08:38:02 -07:00
gpu drm/i915: fix non-Ironlake 965 class crashes 2010-04-23 10:39:20 -07:00
hid Merge branch 'master' into export-slabh 2010-04-05 11:37:28 +09:00
hwmon lis3: add support for HP ProBook 432x/442x/452x/522x 2010-04-24 11:31:24 -07:00
i2c i2c-stu300: off by one issue 2010-04-20 01:17:13 +01:00
ide pata_pcmcia/ide-cs: add IDs for transcend and kingston cards 2010-04-22 21:51:12 -04:00
idle include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
ieee1394 include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
ieee802154
infiniband Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/roland/infiniband 2010-04-09 11:53:06 -07:00
input Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/dtor/input 2010-04-15 11:49:55 -07:00
isdn Fix ISDN/Gigaset build failure 2010-04-19 11:53:17 -07:00
leds include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
lguest lguest: stop using KVM hypercall mechanism 2010-04-14 21:43:56 +09:30
macintosh device_attributes: add sysfs_attr_init() for dynamic attributes 2010-04-07 08:38:03 -07:00
mca
md md/raid5: fix previous patch. 2010-04-23 07:08:28 +10:00
media device_attributes: add sysfs_attr_init() for dynamic attributes 2010-04-07 08:38:03 -07:00
memstick include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
message include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
mfd include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
misc VMware Balloon driver 2010-04-24 11:31:26 -07:00
mmc omap hsmmc: fix a bug in card remove scenario 2010-04-07 08:38:03 -07:00
mtd mtd: fix Orion NAND driver compilation with ARM OABI 2010-04-24 11:31:24 -07:00
net WAN: flush tx_queue in hdlc_ppp to prevent panic on rmmod hw_driver. 2010-04-16 15:41:03 -07:00
nubus include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
of Merge branch 'master' into export-slabh 2010-04-05 11:37:28 +09:00
oprofile include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
parisc include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
parport include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
pci Merge branch 'master' into export-slabh 2010-04-05 11:37:28 +09:00
pcmcia drivers/pcmcia: Add missing local_irq_restore 2010-04-17 17:54:38 +02:00
platform device_attributes: add sysfs_attr_init() for dynamic attributes 2010-04-07 08:38:03 -07:00
pnp Merge branches 'battery', 'bugzilla-14667', 'bugzilla-15096', 'bugzilla-15480', 'bugzilla-15521', 'bugzilla-15605', 'gpe-reference-counters', 'misc', 'pxm-fix' and 'video-random-key' into release 2010-04-06 17:06:22 -04:00
power include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
pps include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
ps3 include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
rapidio
regulator mc13783-regulator: fix a memory leak in mc13783_regulator_remove 2010-04-19 13:29:16 +01:00
rtc rtc-mxc: multiple fixes in rtc-mxc probe method 2010-04-07 08:38:05 -07:00
s390 Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git390.marist.edu/pub/scm/linux-2.6 2010-04-22 08:43:59 -07:00
sbus include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
scsi scsi: fix operator precedence warning 2010-04-22 11:11:02 -07:00
serial m68knommu: allow 4 coldfire serial ports 2010-04-21 14:56:00 +10:00
sfi
sh include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
sn include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
spi include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
ssb MIPS: Fix SSB PCIcore IO resource management 2010-04-12 17:26:14 +01:00
staging staging: fix dt3155 build 2010-04-22 07:20:00 -07:00
tc include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
telephony
thermal drivers/thermal/thermal_sys.c: fix 'key f70f4b50 not in .data' in thermal_sys 2010-04-07 08:38:03 -07:00
uio include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
usb usb: Increase timeout value for device reset 2010-04-22 15:18:29 -07:00
uwb include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
vhost Merge branch 'master' of /home/davem/src/GIT/linux-2.6/ 2010-04-11 02:44:30 -07:00
video drivers/video/efifb.c: support framebuffer for NVIDIA 9400M in MacBook Pro 5,1 2010-04-24 11:31:24 -07:00
virtio virtio: Fix GFP flags passed from the virtio balloon driver 2010-04-22 07:34:05 -07:00
vlynq include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
w1 w1: fix omap 1-wire driver compilation 2010-04-24 11:31:25 -07:00
watchdog [WATCHDOG] max63xx driver depends on ioremap() 2010-04-16 12:26:32 +00:00
xen include cleanup: Update gfp.h and slab.h includes to prepare for breaking implicit slab.h inclusion from percpu.h 2010-03-30 22:02:32 +09:00
zorro
Kconfig MFGPT: move clocksource menu 2010-03-06 11:26:28 -08:00
Makefile Merge branch 'origin' into devel-stable 2010-03-08 20:21:04 +00:00