linux-kernel - Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH RFC] virtio: put last seen used index into ring itself

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Date:	Tue, 11 May 2010 22:27:22 +0300
From:	Avi Kivity <avi@...hat.com>
To:	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>
CC:	"Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org, kvm@...r.kernel.org,
	qemu-devel@...gnu.org
Subject: Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH RFC] virtio: put last seen used index into
  ring itself

On 05/07/2010 06:23 AM, Rusty Russell wrote:
> On Thu, 6 May 2010 07:30:00 pm Avi Kivity wrote:
>    
>> On 05/05/2010 11:58 PM, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
>>      
>>> +	/* We publish the last-seen used index at the end of the available ring.
>>> +	 * It is at the end for backwards compatibility. */
>>> +	vr->last_used_idx =&(vr)->avail->ring[num];
>>> +	/* Verify that last used index does not spill over the used ring. */
>>> +	BUG_ON((void *)vr->last_used_idx +
>>> +	       sizeof *vr->last_used_idx>   (void *)vr->used);
>>>    }
>>>
>>>        
>> Shouldn't this be on its own cache line?
>>      
> It's next to the available ring; because that's where the guest publishes
> its data.  That whole page is guest-write, host-read.
>
> Putting it on a cacheline by itself would be a slight pessimization; the host
> cpu would have to get the last_used_idx cacheline and the avail descriptor
> cacheline every time.  This way, they are sometimes the same cacheline.
>    

If one peer writes the tail of the available ring, while the other reads 
last_used_idx, it's a false bounce, no?

Having things on the same cacheline is only worthwhile if they are 
accessed at the same time.

-- 
Do not meddle in the internals of kernels, for they are subtle and quick to panic.

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