linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 2/2] block: Avoid deadlocks with bio allocation by stacking drivers

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Date:	Sat, 8 Sep 2012 12:36:41 -0700
From:	Tejun Heo <tj@...nel.org>
To:	Kent Overstreet <koverstreet@...gle.com>
Cc:	linux-bcache@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	dm-devel@...hat.com, axboe@...nel.dk,
	Vivek Goyal <vgoyal@...hat.com>,
	Mikulas Patocka <mpatocka@...hat.com>, bharrosh@...asas.com,
	david@...morbit.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] block: Avoid deadlocks with bio allocation by
 stacking drivers

(Restoring cc list from the previous discussion.  Please retain the cc
list of the people who discussed in the previous postings.)

On Fri, Sep 07, 2012 at 03:12:53PM -0700, Kent Overstreet wrote:
> But this is tricky and not a generic solution. This patch solves it for
> all users by inverting the previously described technique. We allocate a
> rescuer workqueue for each bio_set, and then in the allocation code if
> there are bios on current->bio_list we would be blocking, we punt them
> to the rescuer workqueue to be submitted.

It would be great if this explanation can be expanded a bit.  Why does
it make the deadlock condition go away?  What are the restrictions -
e.g. using other mempools for additional per-bio data structure
wouldn't work, right?

> +static void punt_bios_to_rescuer(struct bio_set *bs)
> +{
> +	struct bio_list punt, nopunt;
> +	struct bio *bio;
> +
> +	bio_list_init(&punt);
> +	bio_list_init(&nopunt);
> +
> +	while ((bio = bio_list_pop(current->bio_list)))
> +		bio_list_add(bio->bi_pool == bs ? &punt : &nopunt, bio);
> +
> +	*current->bio_list = nopunt;

Why this is necessary needs explanation and it's done in rather
unusual way.  I suppose the weirdness is from bio_list API
restriction?

> +	spin_lock(&bs->rescue_lock);
> +	bio_list_merge(&bs->rescue_list, &punt);
> +	spin_unlock(&bs->rescue_lock);
> +
> +	queue_work(bs->rescue_workqueue, &bs->rescue_work);
> +}
> +
>  /**
>   * bio_alloc_bioset - allocate a bio for I/O
>   * @gfp_mask:   the GFP_ mask given to the slab allocator
> @@ -317,6 +354,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(bio_reset);
>   */
>  struct bio *bio_alloc_bioset(gfp_t gfp_mask, int nr_iovecs, struct bio_set *bs)
>  {
> +	gfp_t saved_gfp = gfp_mask;
>  	unsigned front_pad;
>  	unsigned inline_vecs;
>  	unsigned long idx = BIO_POOL_NONE;
> @@ -334,13 +372,37 @@ struct bio *bio_alloc_bioset(gfp_t gfp_mask, int nr_iovecs, struct bio_set *bs)
>  		front_pad = 0;
>  		inline_vecs = nr_iovecs;
>  	} else {
> +		/*
> +		 * generic_make_request() converts recursion to iteration; this
> +		 * means if we're running beneath it, any bios we allocate and
> +		 * submit will not be submitted (and thus freed) until after we
> +		 * return.
> +		 *
> +		 * This exposes us to a potential deadlock if we allocate
> +		 * multiple bios from the same bio_set() while running
> +		 * underneath generic_make_request(). If we were to allocate
> +		 * multiple bios (say a stacking block driver that was splitting
> +		 * bios), we would deadlock if we exhausted the mempool's
> +		 * reserve.
> +		 *
> +		 * We solve this, and guarantee forward progress, with a rescuer
> +		 * workqueue per bio_set. If we go to allocate and there are
> +		 * bios on current->bio_list, we first try the allocation
> +		 * without __GFP_WAIT; if that fails, we punt those bios we
> +		 * would be blocking to the rescuer workqueue before we retry
> +		 * with the original gfp_flags.
> +		 */
> +
> +		if (current->bio_list && !bio_list_empty(current->bio_list))
> +			gfp_mask &= ~__GFP_WAIT;
> +retry:
>  		p = mempool_alloc(bs->bio_pool, gfp_mask);
>  		front_pad = bs->front_pad;
>  		inline_vecs = BIO_INLINE_VECS;
>  	}

Wouldn't the following be better?

	p = mempool_alloc(bs->bi_pool, gfp_mask);
	if (unlikely(!p) && gfp_mask != saved_gfp) {
		punt_bios_to_rescuer(bs);
		p = mempool_alloc(bs->bi_pool, saved_gfp);
	}

I really hope the usage restriction (don't mix with mempool) for
bioset is clearly documented somewhere appropriate.

Thanks.

-- 
tejun
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