linux-kernel - [PATCH] ptrace: optimize exit

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Date:	Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:12:29 +0200
From:	Oleg Nesterov <oleg@...hat.com>
To:	"Zhang, Yanmin" <yanmin_zhang@...ux.intel.com>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:	Roland McGrath <roland@...hat.com>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, andi.kleen@...el.com,
	stable@...nel.org
Subject: [PATCH] ptrace: optimize exit_ptrace() for the likely case

(replaces ptrace-dont-run-write_locktasklist_lock-if-the-parent-doesnt-ptrace-other-processes.patch)

exit_ptrace() takes tasklist_lock unconditionally. We need this lock
to avoid the race with ptrace_traceme(), it acts as a barrier.

Change its caller, forget_original_parent(), to call exit_ptrace()
under tasklist_lock. Change exit_ptrace() to drop and reacquire this
lock if needed.

This allows us to add the fastpath list_empty(ptraced) check. In the
likely no-tracees case exit_ptrace() just returns and we avoid the
lock() + unlock() sequence.

"Zhang, Yanmin" <yanmin_zhang@...ux.intel.com> suggested to add this
check, and he reports that this change adds about 11% improvement in
some tests.

Suggested-and-tested-by: "Zhang, Yanmin" <yanmin_zhang@...ux.intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Oleg Nesterov <oleg@...hat.com>
---

 kernel/ptrace.c |   12 +++++++++---
 kernel/exit.c   |    7 +++++--
 2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

--- 35-rc3/kernel/ptrace.c~exit_ptrace_fastpath_check	2010-05-28 13:41:41.000000000 +0200
+++ 35-rc3/kernel/ptrace.c	2010-07-29 16:37:13.000000000 +0200
@@ -324,26 +324,32 @@ int ptrace_detach(struct task_struct *ch
 }
 
 /*
- * Detach all tasks we were using ptrace on.
+ * Detach all tasks we were using ptrace on. Called with tasklist held
+ * for writing, and returns with it held too. But note it can release
+ * and reacquire the lock.
  */
 void exit_ptrace(struct task_struct *tracer)
 {
 	struct task_struct *p, *n;
 	LIST_HEAD(ptrace_dead);
 
-	write_lock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
+	if (likely(list_empty(&tracer->ptraced)))
+		return;
+
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, &tracer->ptraced, ptrace_entry) {
 		if (__ptrace_detach(tracer, p))
 			list_add(&p->ptrace_entry, &ptrace_dead);
 	}
-	write_unlock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
 
+	write_unlock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
 	BUG_ON(!list_empty(&tracer->ptraced));
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, &ptrace_dead, ptrace_entry) {
 		list_del_init(&p->ptrace_entry);
 		release_task(p);
 	}
+
+	write_lock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
 }
 
 int ptrace_readdata(struct task_struct *tsk, unsigned long src, char __user *dst, int len)
--- 35-rc3/kernel/exit.c~exit_ptrace_fastpath_check	2010-05-28 13:41:41.000000000 +0200
+++ 35-rc3/kernel/exit.c	2010-07-29 16:38:37.000000000 +0200
@@ -771,9 +771,12 @@ static void forget_original_parent(struc
 	struct task_struct *p, *n, *reaper;
 	LIST_HEAD(dead_children);
 
-	exit_ptrace(father);
-
 	write_lock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
+	/*
+	 * Note that exit_ptrace() and find_new_reaper() might
+	 * drop tasklist_lock and reacquire it.
+	 */
+	exit_ptrace(father);
 	reaper = find_new_reaper(father);
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, &father->children, sibling) {

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