linux-kernel - Re: Lockdep complains about commit 1331e7a1bb ("rcu: Remove _rcu_barrier() dependency on __stop

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Message-ID: <alpine.LNX.2.00.1210030937490.23544@pobox.suse.cz>
Date:	Wed, 3 Oct 2012 09:43:41 +0200 (CEST)
From:	Jiri Kosina <jkosina@...e.cz>
To:	"Srivatsa S. Bhat" <srivatsa.bhat@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
Cc:	paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com,
	"Paul E. McKenney" <paul.mckenney@...aro.org>,
	Josh Triplett <josh@...htriplett.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Lockdep complains about commit 1331e7a1bb ("rcu: Remove
 _rcu_barrier() dependency on __stop_machine()")

On Wed, 3 Oct 2012, Srivatsa S. Bhat wrote:

> >>> 	CPU 0				CPU 1
> >>> 	kmem_cache_destroy()
> >>
> >> What about the get_online_cpus() right here at CPU0 before
> >> calling mutex_lock(slab_mutex)? How can the cpu_up() proceed
> >> on CPU1?? I still don't get it... :(
> >>
> >> (kmem_cache_destroy() uses get/put_online_cpus() around acquiring
> >> and releasing slab_mutex).
> > 
> > The problem is that there is a CPU-hotplug notifier for slab, which
> > establishes hotplug->slab.
> 
> Agreed.
> 
> >  Then having kmem_cache_destroy() call
> > rcu_barrier() under the lock
> 
> Ah, that's where I disagree. kmem_cache_destroy() *cannot* proceed at
> this point in time, because it has invoked get_online_cpus()! It simply
> cannot be running past that point in the presence of a running hotplug
> notifier! So, kmem_cache_destroy() should have been sleeping on the
> hotplug lock, waiting for the notifier to release it, no?

Please look carefully at the scenario again. kmem_cache_destroy() calls 
get_online_cpus() before the hotplug notifier even starts. Hence it has no 
reason to block there (noone is holding hotplug lock).

*Then* hotplug notifier fires up, succeeds obtaining hotplug lock, 
kmem_cache_destroy() calls rcu_barrier in the meantime, and blocks itself 
on the hotplug lock there.

Please note that the get_online_cpus() call in kmem_cache_destroy() 
doesn't play *any* role in this scenario.

-- 
Jiri Kosina
SUSE Labs
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