linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v3 21/22] arm64: Delay enabling hardware DBM feature

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Date:   Thu, 8 Mar 2018 13:53:13 +0000
From:   Dave Martin <Dave.Martin@....com>
To:     Suzuki K Poulose <Suzuki.Poulose@....com>
Cc:     mark.rutland@....com, ckadabi@...eaurora.org,
        ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org, marc.zyngier@....com,
        catalin.marinas@....com, will.deacon@....com,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, jnair@...iumnetworks.com,
        robin.murphy@....com, linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 21/22] arm64: Delay enabling hardware DBM feature

On Wed, Mar 07, 2018 at 05:39:09PM +0000, Suzuki K Poulose wrote:
> On 09/02/18 18:58, Dave Martin wrote:
> >On Fri, Feb 09, 2018 at 05:55:12PM +0000, Suzuki K Poulose wrote:
> >>We enable hardware DBM bit in a capable CPU, very early in the
> >>boot via __cpu_setup. This doesn't give us a flexibility of
> >>optionally disable the feature, as the clearing the bit
> >>is a bit costly as the TLB can cache the settings. Instead,
> >>we delay enabling the feature until the CPU is brought up
> >>into the kernel. We use the feature capability mechanism
> >>to handle it.
> >>
> >>The hardware DBM is a non-conflicting feature. i.e, the kernel
> >>can safely run with a mix of CPUs with some using the feature
> >>and the others don't. So, it is safe for a late CPU to have
> >>this capability and enable it, even if the active CPUs don't.
> >>
> >>To get this handled properly by the infrastructure, we
> >>unconditionally set the capability and only enable it
> >>on CPUs which really have the feature. Also, we print the
> >>feature detection from the "matches" call back to make sure
> >>we don't mislead the user when none of the CPUs could use the
> >>feature.
> >>
> >>Cc: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@....com>
> >>Cc: Dave Martin <dave.martin@....com>
> >>Signed-off-by: Suzuki K Poulose <suzuki.poulose@....com>
> >>---
> >>Changes since V2
> >>  - Print the feature detection message only when at least one CPU
> >>    is actually using it.
> 
> 
> >>+static bool has_hw_dbm(const struct arm64_cpu_capabilities *cap,
> >>+		       int __unused)
> >>+{
> >>+	static bool detected = false;
> >>+	/*
> >>+	 * DBM is a non-conflicting feature. i.e, the kernel can safely
> >>+	 * run a mix of CPUs with and without the feature. So, we
> >>+	 * unconditionally enable the capability to allow any late CPU
> >>+	 * to use the feature. We only enable the control bits on the
> >>+	 * CPU, if it actually supports.
> >>+	 *
> >>+	 * We have to make sure we print the "feature" detection only
> >>+	 * when at least one CPU actually uses it. So check if this CPU
> >>+	 * can actually use it and print the message exactly once.
> >>+	 *
> >>+	 * This is safe as all CPUs (including secondary CPUs - due to the
> >>+	 * LOCAL_CPU scope - and the hotplugged CPUs - via verification)
> >>+	 * goes through the "matches" check exactly once. Also if a CPU
> >>+	 * matches the criteria, it is guaranteed that the CPU will turn
> >>+	 * the DBM on, as the capability is unconditionally enabled.
> >>+	 */
> >>+	if (!detected && cpu_can_use_dbm(cap)) {
> >>+		detected = true;
> >>+		pr_info("detected feature: Hardware dirty bit management\n");
> >>+	}
> >
> >Can we just do
> >
> >	if (cpu_can_use_dbm(cap))
> >		pr_info_once(...);
> >
> >Then we can get rid of "detected".
> 
> The reason for open coding is the cost of cpu_can_use_dbm() with
> addition of black listed CPUs in the next patch in the series.

Oh, I see.  Yes, that makes sense.

There's obvious raciness here, but I guess pr_info_once() doesn't defend
against that either.  In practice, we don't race booting of two CPUs
against each other IIUC.

If you really like you could make detected __read_mostly like
printk_once() does, but that's no big deal if this is not on a hot path
(and probably not even then).

Cheers
---Dave