linux-kernel - Re: [RFC PATCH 0/8] vhost_tasks: Use CLONE

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Date:   Thu, 18 May 2023 10:40:29 +0200
From:   Christian Brauner <brauner@...nel.org>
To:     Mike Christie <michael.christie@...cle.com>
Cc:     oleg@...hat.com, linux@...mhuis.info, nicolas.dichtel@...nd.com,
        axboe@...nel.dk, ebiederm@...ssion.com,
        torvalds@...ux-foundation.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org, mst@...hat.com,
        sgarzare@...hat.com, jasowang@...hat.com, stefanha@...hat.com
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 0/8] vhost_tasks: Use CLONE_THREAD/SIGHAND

On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 10:25:11AM +0200, Christian Brauner wrote:
> On Wed, May 17, 2023 at 07:09:12PM -0500, Mike Christie wrote:
> > This patch allows the vhost and vhost_task code to use CLONE_THREAD,
> > CLONE_SIGHAND and CLONE_FILES. It's a RFC because I didn't do all the
> > normal testing, haven't coverted vsock and vdpa, and I know you guys
> > will not like the first patch. However, I think it better shows what
> 
> Just to summarize the core idea behind my proposal is that no signal
> handling changes are needed unless there's a bug in the current way
> io_uring workers already work. All that should be needed is
> s/PF_IO_WORKER/PF_USER_WORKER/ in signal.c.
> 
> If you follow my proposal than vhost and io_uring workers should almost
> collapse into the same concept. Specifically, io_uring workers and vhost
> workers should behave the same when it comes ot handling signals.
> 
> See 
> https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20230518-kontakt-geduckt-25bab595f503@brauner
> 
> 
> > we need from the signal code and how we can support signals in the
> > vhost_task layer.
> > 
> > Note that I took the super simple route and kicked off some work to
> > the system workqueue. We can do more invassive approaches:
> > 1. Modify the vhost drivers so they can check for IO completions using
> > a non-blocking interface. We then don't need to run from the system
> > workqueue and can run from the vhost_task.
> > 
> > 2. We could drop patch 1 and just say we are doing a polling type
> > of approach. We then modify the vhost layer similar to #1 where we
> > can check for completions using a non-blocking interface and use
> > the vhost_task task.
> 
> My preference would be to do whatever is the minimal thing now and has
> the least bug potential and is the easiest to review for us non-vhost
> experts. Then you can take all the time to rework and improve the vhost
> infra based on the possibilities that using user workers offers. Plus,
> that can easily happen in the next kernel cycle.
> 
> Remember, that we're trying to fix a regression here. A regression on an
> unreleased kernel but still.

It's a public holiday here today so I'll try to find time to review this
tomorrow.