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Message-Id: <1203714558-20904-5-git-send-email-maxk@qualcomm.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:09:16 -0800
From: Max Krasnyansky <maxk@...lcomm.com>
To: mingo@...e.hu
Cc: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl, pj@....com,
Max Krasnyansky <maxk@...lcomm.com>
Subject: [PATCH sched-devel 5/7] cpuisol: Documentation updates
Documented sysfs interface as suggested by Andrew Morton.
Added general documentation that describes how to configure
and use CPU isolation features.
Signed-off-by: Max Krasnyansky <maxk@...lcomm.com>
---
Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu | 41 +++++++
Documentation/cpu-isolation.txt | 113 ++++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 154 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32dde5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-system-cpu
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+What: /sys/devices/system/cpu/...
+Date: Feb. 2008
+KernelVersion: 2.6.24
+Contact: LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
+Description:
+
+The /sys/devices/system/cpu tree provides information about all cpu's
+known to the running kernel.
+
+Following files are created for each cpu. 'N' is the cpu number.
+
+/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpuN/
+ online (0644) On-line attribute. Indicates whether the cpu is on-line.
+ The cpu can be brought off-line by writing '0' into
+ this file. Similarly it can be brought back on-line
+ by writing '1' into this file. This attribute is
+ not available for the cpu's that cannot be brought
+ off-line. Typically cpu0. For more information see
+ Documentation/cpu-hotplug.txt
+
+ isolated (0644) Isolation attribute. Indicates whether the cpu
+ is isolated.
+ The cpu can be isolated by writing '1' into this
+ file. Similarly it can be un-isolated by writing
+ '0' into this file. In order to isolate the cpu it
+ must first be brought off-line. This attribute is
+ not available for the cpu's that cannot be brought
+ off-line. Typically cpu0.
+ Note this attribute is present only if "CPU isolation"
+ is enabled. For more information see
+ Documentation/cpu-isolation.txt
+
+ cpufreq (0755) Frequency scaling state.
+ For more info see
+ Documentation/cpu-freq/...
+
+ cache (0755) Cache information. FIXME
+
+ cpuidle (0755) Idle state information. FIXME
+
+ topology (0755) Topology information. FIXME
diff --git a/Documentation/cpu-isolation.txt b/Documentation/cpu-isolation.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9ca425
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/cpu-isolation.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+CPU isolation support in Linux(tm) Kernel
+
+Maintainers:
+
+Scheduler and scheduler domain bits:
+ Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
+
+General framework, irq and workqueue isolation:
+ Max Krasnyanskiy <maxk@...lcomm.com>
+
+ChangeLog:
+- Initial version. Feb 2008, MaxK
+
+Introduction
+------------
+
+The primary idea behind CPU isolation is the ability to use some CPU cores
+as a dedicated engines for running user-space code with minimal kernel
+overhead/intervention, think of it as an SPE in the Cell processor. For
+example CPU isolation allows for running CPU intensive(100%) RT task
+on one of the processors without adversely affecting or being affected
+by the other system activities. With the current (as of early 2008)
+multi-core CPU trend we may see more and more applications that explore
+this capability: real-time gaming engines, simulators, hard real-time
+apps, etc.
+
+Current CPU isolation support consists of the following features:
+
+1. Isolated CPU(s) are excluded from the scheduler load balancing logic.
+ Applications must explicitly bind threads in order to run on those
+ CPU(s).
+
+2. By default interrupts are not routed to the isolated CPU(s).
+ Users must route interrupts (if any) to those CPU(s) explicitly.
+
+3. Kernel avoids any activity on the isolated CPU(s) as much as possible.
+ This includes workqueues, per CPU threads, etc. Please note that
+ this feature is optional and is disabled by default.
+
+Kernel configuration options
+----------------------------
+
+Following options need to be enabled in order to use CPU isolation
+ CONFIG_CPUISOL Top-level config option. Enables general
+ CPU isolation framework and enables features
+ #1 and #2 described above.
+
+ CONFIG_CPUISOL_WORKQUEUE These options provide deeper isolation
+ CONFIG_CPUISOL_STOPMACHINE from various kernel subsystems. They implement
+ CONFIG_CPUISOL_... feature #3 described above.
+ See Kconfig help for more information on each
+ individual option.
+
+How to isolate a CPU
+--------------------
+
+There are two ways for isolating a CPU
+
+Kernel boot command line:
+ isolcpus=n0,n1,...
+
+ This option enables isolation for all CPU(s) specified in the comma
+ separated list.
+ Example:
+ isolcpus=1,5
+
+Sysfs interface:
+ In order to isolate a CPU through this mechanism it must first be
+ brought off-line. Hence the command sequence looks like:
+ echo 0 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpuN/online
+ echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpuN/isolated
+ echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpuN/online
+
+
+Kernel interfaces
+-----------------
+
+cpu_isolated_map - Bitmap of all isolated CPU(s).
+ This bitmap is updated either by isolcpus= command
+ line option or by writing to sysfs attributes. In
+ the latter case isolation bit can be updated only
+ when the corresponding CPU is off-line.
+
+cpu_isolated(N) - Use that function to check whether CPU N is isolated.
+
+
+User-space application interfaces
+---------------------------------
+
+From the user-space application perspective isolated CPU(s) are no
+different from any other CPU in the system. Once the required CPU(s)
+have been isolated applications can use standard POSIX apis to bind its
+threads to those CPU(s):
+ sched_setaffinity
+ sched_getaffinity
+ pthread_getaffinity_np
+ pthread_setaffinity_np
+
+One thing to keep in mind though is that Linux kernel heavily uses per-CPU
+data structures and mechanisms. For example if a thread running on an
+isolated CPU makes a system call, that system call will be serviced
+on the same CPU. Some system calls trigger timers, softirq and other
+kernel activities. Those will likely also run on the same CPU where
+system call was originally serviced. If this behavior is undesirable
+threads running on the isolated CPU(s) should avoid using certain system
+calls and instead delegate that to the threads running on non-isolated
+CPU(s). For example you probably do not want to write to the filesystem
+or the console. Generally, time, mutex and pthread related system calls
+are perfectly safe.
+
+If you intend to use CPU isolation for real-time applications please
+check out rt wiki at
+ http://rt.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page
--
1.5.4.1
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