linux-kernel - Re: Question on smp_mb__before

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Date:   Tue, 13 Sep 2016 12:05:42 +1000
From:   Nicholas Piggin <npiggin@...il.com>
To:     Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Cc:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>,
        Oleg Nesterov <oleg@...hat.com>,
        Paul McKenney <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
        Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@...nel.crashing.org>,
        Michael Ellerman <mpe@...erman.id.au>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
        Alan Stern <stern@...land.harvard.edu>
Subject: Re: Question on smp_mb__before_spinlock

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:54:03 +0200
Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org> wrote:

> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 12:27:08PM +1000, Nicholas Piggin wrote:
> > On Wed, 7 Sep 2016 15:23:54 +0200
> > Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org> wrote:  
> 
> > > Interesting idea..
> > > 
> > > So I'm not a fan of that raw_spin_lock wrapper, since that would end up
> > > with a lot more boiler-plate code than just the one extra barrier.  
> > 
> > #ifndef sched_ctxsw_raw_spin_lock
> > #define sched_ctxsw_raw_spin_lock(lock) raw_spin_lock(lock)
> > #endif
> > 
> > #define sched_ctxsw_raw_spin_lock(lock) do { smp_mb() ; raw_spin_lock(lock); } while (0)  
> 
> I was thinking you wanted to avoid the lwsync in arch_spin_lock()
> entirely, at which point you'll grow more layers. Because then you get
> an arch_spin_lock_mb() or something and then you'll have to do the
> raw_spin_lock wrappery for that.
> 
> Or am I missing the point of having the raw_spin_lock wrapper, as
> opposed to the extra barrier after it?
> 
> Afaict the benefit of having that wrapper is so you can avoid issuing
> multiple barriers.

Oh you could do that too yes. But it's all going to be in
arch/powerpc, so I don't know if layers would be much problem.

I was thinking to avoid the hwsync inside the critical section.


> > > But moving MMIO/DMA/TLB etc.. barriers into this spinlock might not be a
> > > good idea, since those are typically fairly heavy barriers, and its
> > > quite common to call schedule() without ending up in switch_to().  
> > 
> > That's true I guess, but if we already have the arch specific smp_mb__
> > specifically for this context switch code, and you are asking for them to
> > implement *cacheable* memory barrier vs migration, then I see no reason
> > not to allow them to implement uncacheable as well.
> > 
> > You make a good point about schedule() without switch_to(), but
> > architectures will still have no less flexibility than they do now.  
> 
> Ah, so you're saying make it optional where they put it? I was initially
> thinking you wanted to add it to the list of requirements. Sure,
> optional works.

Yes i.e., this primitive must provide minimally X, and optionally Y. If
Y is not provided, then switch_to or other arch hook must provide it.

Thanks,
Nick