linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 6/8] blk-mq-sched: add framework for MQ capable IO schedulers

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Date:   Thu, 22 Dec 2016 12:13:49 +0100
From:   Paolo Valente <paolo.valente@...aro.org>
To:     Paolo Valente <paolo.valente@...aro.org>
Cc:     Jens Axboe <axboe@...com>, Jens Axboe <axboe@...nel.dk>,
        linux-block@...r.kernel.org,
        Linux-Kernal <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, osandov@...com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 6/8] blk-mq-sched: add framework for MQ capable IO schedulers


> Il giorno 22 dic 2016, alle ore 10:59, Paolo Valente <paolo.valente@...aro.org> ha scritto:
> 
>> 
>> Il giorno 17 dic 2016, alle ore 01:12, Jens Axboe <axboe@...com> ha scritto:
>> 
>> This adds a set of hooks that intercepts the blk-mq path of
>> allocating/inserting/issuing/completing requests, allowing
>> us to develop a scheduler within that framework.
>> 
>> We reuse the existing elevator scheduler API on the registration
>> side, but augment that with the scheduler flagging support for
>> the blk-mq interfce, and with a separate set of ops hooks for MQ
>> devices.
>> 
>> Schedulers can opt in to using shadow requests. Shadow requests
>> are internal requests that the scheduler uses for for the allocate
>> and insert part, which are then mapped to a real driver request
>> at dispatch time. This is needed to separate the device queue depth
>> from the pool of requests that the scheduler has to work with.
>> 
>> Signed-off-by: Jens Axboe <axboe@...com>
>> 
> ...
> 
>> diff --git a/block/blk-mq-sched.c b/block/blk-mq-sched.c
>> new file mode 100644
>> index 000000000000..b7e1839d4785
>> --- /dev/null
>> +++ b/block/blk-mq-sched.c
> 
>> ...
>> +static inline bool
>> +blk_mq_sched_allow_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct request *rq,
>> +			 struct bio *bio)
>> +{
>> +	struct elevator_queue *e = q->elevator;
>> +
>> +	if (e && e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge)
>> +		return e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge(q, rq, bio);
>> +
>> +	return true;
>> +}
>> +
> 
> Something does not seem to add up here:
> e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge may be called only in
> blk_mq_sched_allow_merge, which, in its turn, may be called only in
> blk_mq_attempt_merge, which, finally, may be called only in
> blk_mq_merge_queue_io.  Yet the latter may be called only if there is
> no elevator (line 1399 and 1507 in blk-mq.c).
> 
> Therefore, e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge can never be called, both if
> there is and if there is not an elevator.  Be patient if I'm missing
> something huge, but I thought it was worth reporting this.
> 

Just another detail: if e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge does get invoked
from the above path, then it is invoked of course without the
scheduler lock held.  In contrast, if this function gets invoked
from dd_bio_merge, then the scheduler lock is held.

To handle this opposite alternatives, I don't know whether checking if
the lock is held (and possibly taking it) from inside
e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge is a good solution.  In any case, before
possibly trying it, I will wait for some feedback on the main problem,
i.e., on the fact that e->type->ops.mq.allow_merge
seems unreachable in the above path.

Thanks,
Paolo

> Paolo
> 
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