Zero copy memory reclaim using copy-on-write

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

• detect a request to provide a hardware device with direct memory access to memory of an application, wherein the memory comprises a virtual memory page mapped to a physical memory location that is accessible to the hardware device;
• pin the memory of the application, wherein to pin the memory causes content of the virtual memory page to remain at the physical memory location;
• make a determination to reclaim memory of the application in view of a timer associated with the direct memory access;
• responsive to the determination to reclaim memory, implement a copy-on-write policy for the memory of the application prior to the direct memory access completing, wherein the copy-on-write policy enables the application to update the virtual memory page and have the content remain at the physical memory location accessible to the hardware device.

A computing device comprising:

• a data storage comprising a physical memory location;
• a network interface controller (NIC) coupled to the data storage;
• and
• a processing device operatively coupled to the data storage and to the NIC, the processing device to:
• detect a request to provide the NIC with a zero copy transmission of contents of a memory of an application, wherein the memory comprises a virtual memory page mapped to the physical memory location;
• pin the memory of the application, wherein to pin the memory causes content of the virtual memory page to remain at the physical memory location;
• make a determination to reclaim memory of the application in view of a timer associated with the direct memory access;
• responsive to the determination to reclaim memory, implement a copy-on-write policy for the memory of the application prior to the direct memory access completing, wherein the copy-on-write policy enables the application to update the virtual memory page and have the content remain at the physical memory location accessible to the hardware device.