linux-kernel - [PATCH 3.2 46/87] x86/mm: Improve switch

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Date:	Mon, 08 Feb 2016 23:53:51 +0000
From:	Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, stable@...r.kernel.org
CC:	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, "Borislav Petkov" <bp@...en8.de>,
	"Dave Hansen" <dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com>,
	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>, "Rik van Riel" <riel@...hat.com>,
	"Ingo Molnar" <mingo@...nel.org>,
	"Peter Zijlstra" <peterz@...radead.org>,
	"Andy Lutomirski" <luto@...nel.org>,
	"Linus Torvalds" <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	"Andy Lutomirski" <luto@...capital.net>,
	"Denys Vlasenko" <dvlasenk@...hat.com>,
	"Thomas Gleixner" <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	"Brian Gerst" <brgerst@...il.com>
Subject: [PATCH 3.2 46/87] x86/mm: Improve switch_mm() barrier comments

3.2.77-rc1 review patch.  If anyone has any objections, please let me know.

------------------

From: Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>

commit 4eaffdd5a5fe6ff9f95e1ab4de1ac904d5e0fa8b upstream.

My previous comments were still a bit confusing and there was a
typo. Fix it up.

Reported-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Signed-off-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>
Cc: Andy Lutomirski <luto@...capital.net>
Cc: Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
Cc: Brian Gerst <brgerst@...il.com>
Cc: Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com>
Cc: Denys Vlasenko <dvlasenk@...hat.com>
Cc: H. Peter Anvin <hpa@...or.com>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc: Rik van Riel <riel@...hat.com>
Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Fixes: 71b3c126e611 ("x86/mm: Add barriers and document switch_mm()-vs-flush synchronization")
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/0a0b43cdcdd241c5faaaecfbcc91a155ddedc9a1.1452631609.git.luto@kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>
Signed-off-by: Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>
---
 arch/x86/include/asm/mmu_context.h | 15 ++++++++-------
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/mmu_context.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/mmu_context.h
@@ -103,14 +103,16 @@ static inline void switch_mm(struct mm_s
 		 * be sent, and CPU 0's TLB will contain a stale entry.)
 		 *
 		 * The bad outcome can occur if either CPU's load is
-		 * reordered before that CPU's store, so both CPUs much
+		 * reordered before that CPU's store, so both CPUs must
 		 * execute full barriers to prevent this from happening.
 		 *
 		 * Thus, switch_mm needs a full barrier between the
 		 * store to mm_cpumask and any operation that could load
-		 * from next->pgd.  This barrier synchronizes with
-		 * remote TLB flushers.  Fortunately, load_cr3 is
-		 * serializing and thus acts as a full barrier.
+		 * from next->pgd.  TLB fills are special and can happen
+		 * due to instruction fetches or for no reason at all,
+		 * and neither LOCK nor MFENCE orders them.
+		 * Fortunately, load_cr3() is serializing and gives the
+		 * ordering guarantee we need.
 		 *
 		 */
 		load_cr3(next->pgd);
@@ -134,9 +136,8 @@ static inline void switch_mm(struct mm_s
 			 * tlb flush IPI delivery. We must reload CR3
 			 * to make sure to use no freed page tables.
 			 *
-			 * As above, this is a barrier that forces
-			 * TLB repopulation to be ordered after the
-			 * store to mm_cpumask.
+			 * As above, load_cr3() is serializing and orders TLB
+			 * fills with respect to the mm_cpumask write.
 			 */
 			load_cr3(next->pgd);
 			load_mm_ldt(next);