linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 2/5] sched, numa: Document usages of mm->numa_scan

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Date:	Thu, 30 Apr 2015 16:58:24 -0400
From:	Waiman Long <waiman.long@...com>
To:	Davidlohr Bueso <dave@...olabs.net>
CC:	Jason Low <jason.low2@...com>,
	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Oleg Nesterov <oleg@...hat.com>,
	Frederic Weisbecker <fweisbec@...il.com>,
	Mel Gorman <mgorman@...e.de>, Rik van Riel <riel@...hat.com>,
	Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org>,
	Preeti U Murthy <preeti@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Mike Galbraith <umgwanakikbuti@...il.com>,
	Aswin Chandramouleeswaran <aswin@...com>,
	Scott J Norton <scott.norton@...com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 2/5] sched, numa: Document usages of mm->numa_scan_seq

On 04/30/2015 02:54 PM, Davidlohr Bueso wrote:
> On Thu, 2015-04-30 at 14:42 -0400, Waiman Long wrote:
>> On 04/29/2015 02:45 PM, Jason Low wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2015-04-29 at 14:14 -0400, Waiman Long wrote:
>>>> On 04/28/2015 04:00 PM, Jason Low wrote:
>>>>> The p->mm->numa_scan_seq is accessed using READ_ONCE/WRITE_ONCE
>>>>> and modified without exclusive access. It is not clear why it is
>>>>> accessed this way. This patch provides some documentation on that.
>>>>>
>>>>> Signed-off-by: Jason Low<jason.low2@...com>
>>>>> ---
>>>>>     kernel/sched/fair.c |   12 ++++++++++++
>>>>>     1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
>>>>>
>>>>> diff --git a/kernel/sched/fair.c b/kernel/sched/fair.c
>>>>> index 5a44371..794f7d7 100644
>>>>> --- a/kernel/sched/fair.c
>>>>> +++ b/kernel/sched/fair.c
>>>>> @@ -1794,6 +1794,11 @@ static void task_numa_placement(struct task_struct *p)
>>>>>     	u64 runtime, period;
>>>>>     	spinlock_t *group_lock = NULL;
>>>>>
>>>>> +	/*
>>>>> +	 * The p->mm->numa_scan_seq gets updated without
>>>>> +	 * exclusive access. Use READ_ONCE() here to ensure
>>>>> +	 * that the field is read in a single access.
>>>>> +	 */
>>>>>     	seq = READ_ONCE(p->mm->numa_scan_seq);
>>>>>     	if (p->numa_scan_seq == seq)
>>>>>     		return;
>>>>> @@ -2107,6 +2112,13 @@ void task_numa_fault(int last_cpupid, int mem_node, int pages, int flags)
>>>>>
>>>>>     static void reset_ptenuma_scan(struct task_struct *p)
>>>>>     {
>>>>> +	/*
>>>>> +	 * We only did a read acquisition of the mmap sem, so
>>>>> +	 * p->mm->numa_scan_seq is written to without exclusive access.
>>>>> +	 * That's not much of an issue though, since this is just used
>>>>> +	 * for statistical sampling. Use WRITE_ONCE and READ_ONCE, which
>>>>> +	 * are not expensive, to avoid load/store tearing.
>>>>> +	 */
>>>>>     	WRITE_ONCE(p->mm->numa_scan_seq, READ_ONCE(p->mm->numa_scan_seq) + 1);
>>>>>     	p->mm->numa_scan_offset = 0;
>>>>>     }
>>>> READ_ONCE followed by a WRITE_ONCE won't stop load/store tearing from
>>>> happening unless you use an atomic instruction to do the increment. So I
>>>> think your comment may be a bit misleading.
>>> Right, the READ and WRITE operations will still be done separately and
>>> won't be atomic. Here, we're saying that this prevents load/store
>>> tearing on each of those individual write/read operations. Please let me
>>> know if you prefer this to be worded differently.
>> I do have a question of what kind of tearing you are talking about. Do
>> you mean the tearing due to mm being changed in the middle of the
>> access? The reason why I don't like this kind of construct is that I am
>> not sure if
>> the address translation p->mm->numa_scan_seq is being done once or
>> twice. I looked at the compiled code and the translation is done only once.
>>
>> Anyway, the purpose of READ_ONCE and WRITE_ONCE is not for eliminating
>> data tearing. They are to make sure that the compiler won't compile away
>> data access and they are done in the order they appear in the program. I
>> don't think it is a good idea to associate tearing elimination with
>> those macros. So I would suggest removing the last sentence in your comment.
> I agree. Related, Linus also had some thoughts about the _very specific_
> purposes of these macros:
> http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-next/msg32494.html

Actually, I don't think modern compiler will reload a read value unless 
it runs out of usable registers. It is more likely that it will reuse a 
previously read value within the same function if READ_ONCE() isn't there.

Cheers,
Longman


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