linux-kernel - Re: performance delta after VFS i_mutex=>i

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <20160608085837.GA10792@gmail.com>
Date:	Wed, 8 Jun 2016 10:58:37 +0200
From:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>
To:	Waiman Long <waiman.long@....com>
Cc:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...el.com>,
	"Chen, Tim C" <tim.c.chen@...el.com>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>,
	Davidlohr Bueso <dbueso@...e.de>,
	"Peter Zijlstra (Intel)" <peterz@...radead.org>,
	Jason Low <jason.low2@...com>,
	Michel Lespinasse <walken@...gle.com>,
	"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Waiman Long <waiman.long@...com>,
	Al Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: performance delta after VFS i_mutex=>i_rwsem conversion

* Waiman Long <waiman.long@....com> wrote:

> I do have a patchset that allow us to more accurately determine the state of
> the lock owner.
> 
> locking/rwsem: Add reader-owned state to the owner field
> http://www.spinics.net/lists/kernel/msg2258572.html
> 
> That should eliminate the performance gap between mutex and rwsem wrt
> spinning when only writers are present. I am hoping that that patchset can
> be queued for 4.8.

Yeah, so I actually had this series merged for testing last week, but a 
complication with a prereq patch made me unmerge it. But I have no fundamental 
objections, at all.

I also agree with Linus's general observation that we want to make 
down_write()/up_write() match mutex performance characteristics.

I think kernel developers should fundamentally be able to switch between 
mutex_lock()/unlock() and down_write()/up_write() and back, without noticing
any high level behavioral changes.

Any 'reader/writer mixing' artifacts are secondary concerns and we'll sort them 
out as they happen.

Thanks,

	Ingo