linux-kernel - Re: [patch v7 02/10] add prctl task isolation prctl docs and samples

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Date:   Tue, 23 Nov 2021 13:36:20 +0100
From:   Frederic Weisbecker <frederic@...nel.org>
To:     Marcelo Tosatti <mtosatti@...hat.com>
Cc:     linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Nitesh Lal <nilal@...hat.com>,
        Nicolas Saenz Julienne <nsaenzju@...hat.com>,
        Christoph Lameter <cl@...ux.com>,
        Juri Lelli <juri.lelli@...hat.com>,
        Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
        Alex Belits <abelits@...its.com>, Peter Xu <peterx@...hat.com>,
        Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Daniel Bristot de Oliveira <bristot@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: [patch v7 02/10] add prctl task isolation prctl docs and samples

On Fri, Nov 12, 2021 at 09:35:33AM -0300, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
> +**PR_ISOL_CFG_SET**:
> +
> +        Set task isolation configuration.
> +        The general format is::
> +
> +                prctl(PR_ISOL_CFG_SET, what, arg3, arg4, arg5);
> +
> +        The 'what' argument specifies what to configure. Possible values are:
> +
> +        - ``I_CFG_FEAT``:
> +
> +                Set configuration of task isolation features. 'arg3' specifies
> +                the feature. Possible values are:
> +
> +                - ``ISOL_F_QUIESCE``:
> +
> +                        If arg4 is QUIESCE_CONTROL, set the control structure
> +                        for quiescing of background kernel activities, from
> +                        the location pointed to by ``(int *)arg5``::
> +
> +                         struct task_isol_quiesce_control {
> +                                __u64 flags;
> +                                __u64 quiesce_mask;
> +                                __u64 quiesce_oneshot_mask;
> +                                __u64 pad[5];
> +                         };
> +
> +                        Where:
> +
> +                        *flags*: Additional flags (should be zero).
> +
> +                        *quiesce_mask*: A bitmask containing which kernel
> +                        activities to quiesce.
> +
> +                        *quiesce_oneshot_mask*: A bitmask indicating which kernel
> +                        activities should behave in oneshot mode, that is, quiescing
> +                        will happen on return from prctl(PR_ISOL_ACTIVATE_SET), but not
> +                        on return of subsequent system calls. The corresponding bit(s)
> +                        must also be set at quiesce_mask.
> +
> +                        *pad*: Additional space for future enhancements.
> +
> +                        For quiesce_mask (and quiesce_oneshot_mask), possible bit sets are:
> +
> +                        - ``ISOL_F_QUIESCE_VMSTATS``
> +
> +                        VM statistics are maintained in per-CPU counters to
> +                        improve performance. When a CPU modifies a VM statistic,
> +                        this modification is kept in the per-CPU counter.
> +                        Certain activities require a global count, which
> +                        involves requesting each CPU to flush its local counters
> +                        to the global VM counters.
> +
> +                        This flush is implemented via a workqueue item, which
> +                        might schedule a workqueue on isolated CPUs.
> +
> +                        To avoid this interruption, task isolation can be
> +                        configured to, upon return from system calls, synchronize
> +                        the per-CPU counters to global counters, thus avoiding
> +                        the interruption.

Sorry I know this is already v7 but we really don't want to screw up this interface.

What would be more simple and flexible for individual features to quiesce:

   arg3 = ISOL_F_QUIESCE
   arg4 = which feature to quiesce (eg: ISOL_F_QUIESCE_VMSTATS)
   arg5 =

       struct task_isol_quiesce_control {
           __u64 flags; //with ONESHOT as the first and only possible flag for now
           __u64 pad[5];
       };

This way we can really do a finegrained control over each feature to quiesce.

Thanks.