linux-kernel - Re: [RFC][PATCH 1/3] locking: Introduce smp_acquire__after_ctrl

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Date:	Tue, 24 May 2016 21:53:29 -0700
From:	"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
To:	Waiman Long <waiman.long@....com>
Cc:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, torvalds@...ux-foundation.org,
	manfred@...orfullife.com, dave@...olabs.net, will.deacon@....com,
	boqun.feng@...il.com, tj@...nel.org, pablo@...filter.org,
	kaber@...sh.net, davem@...emloft.net, oleg@...hat.com,
	netfilter-devel@...r.kernel.org, sasha.levin@...cle.com,
	hofrat@...dl.org
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH 1/3] locking: Introduce smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep

On Tue, May 24, 2016 at 11:01:21PM -0400, Waiman Long wrote:
> On 05/24/2016 10:27 AM, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> >Introduce smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep(), this construct is not
> >uncommen, but the lack of this barrier is.
> >
> >Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel)<peterz@...radead.org>
> >---
> >  include/linux/compiler.h |   14 ++++++++++----
> >  ipc/sem.c                |   14 ++------------
> >  2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)
> >
> >--- a/include/linux/compiler.h
> >+++ b/include/linux/compiler.h
> >@@ -305,20 +305,26 @@ static __always_inline void __write_once
> >  })
> >
> >  /**
> >+ * smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep() - Provide ACQUIRE ordering after a control dependency
> >+ *
> >+ * A control dependency provides a LOAD->STORE order, the additional RMB
> >+ * provides LOAD->LOAD order, together they provide LOAD->{LOAD,STORE} order,
> >+ * aka. ACQUIRE.
> >+ */
> >+#define smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep()		smp_rmb()
> >+
> >+/**
> >   * smp_cond_acquire() - Spin wait for cond with ACQUIRE ordering
> >   * @cond: boolean expression to wait for
> >   *
> >   * Equivalent to using smp_load_acquire() on the condition variable but employs
> >   * the control dependency of the wait to reduce the barrier on many platforms.
> >   *
> >- * The control dependency provides a LOAD->STORE order, the additional RMB
> >- * provides LOAD->LOAD order, together they provide LOAD->{LOAD,STORE} order,
> >- * aka. ACQUIRE.
> >   */
> >  #define smp_cond_acquire(cond)	do {		\
> >  	while (!(cond))				\
> >  		cpu_relax();			\
> >-	smp_rmb(); /* ctrl + rmb := acquire */	\
> >+	smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep();		\
> >  } while (0)
> >
> >
> 
> I have a question about the claim that control dependence + rmb is
> equivalent to an acquire memory barrier. For example,
> 
> S1:    if (a)
> S2:       b = 1;
>        smp_rmb()
> S3:    c = 2;
> 
> Since c is independent of both a and b, is it possible that the cpu
> may reorder to execute store statement S3 first before S1 and S2?

The CPUs I know of won't do, nor should the compiler, at least assuming
"a" (AKA "cond") includes READ_ONCE().  Ditto "b" and WRITE_ONCE().
Otherwise, the compiler could do quite a few "interesting" things,
especially if it knows the value of "b".  For example, if the compiler
knows that b==1, without the volatile casts, the compiler could just
throw away both S1 and S2, eliminating any ordering.  This can get
quite tricky -- see memory-barriers.txt for more mischief.

The smp_rmb() is not needed in this example because S3 is a write, not
a read.  Perhaps you meant something more like this:

	if (READ_ONCE(a))
		WRITE_ONCE(b, 1);
	smp_rmb();
	r1 = READ_ONCE(c);

This sequence would guarantee that "a" was read before "c".

							Thanx, Paul