linux-kernel - [PATCH V5 3/3] workqueue: Process extra works in rescuer on memory pressure

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Message-Id: <20251208132520.1667697-4-jiangshanlai@gmail.com>
Date: Mon,  8 Dec 2025 21:25:19 +0800
From: Lai Jiangshan <jiangshanlai@...il.com>
To: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc: Tejun Heo <tj@...nel.org>,
	ying chen <yc1082463@...il.com>,
	Lai Jiangshan <jiangshan.ljs@...group.com>,
	Lai Jiangshan <jiangshanlai@...il.com>
Subject: [PATCH V5 3/3] workqueue: Process extra works in rescuer on memory pressure

From: Lai Jiangshan <jiangshan.ljs@...group.com>

Make the rescuer process more work on the last pwq when there are no
more to rescue for the whole workqueue to help the regular workers in
case it is a temporary memory pressure relief and to reduce relapse.

Signed-off-by: Lai Jiangshan <jiangshan.ljs@...group.com>
---
 kernel/workqueue.c | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/workqueue.c b/kernel/workqueue.c
index add236e0dac4..fe5daa32d55e 100644
--- a/kernel/workqueue.c
+++ b/kernel/workqueue.c
@@ -3461,10 +3461,37 @@ static bool assign_rescuer_work(struct pool_workqueue *pwq, struct worker *rescu
 	struct work_struct *cursor = &pwq->mayday_cursor;
 	struct work_struct *work, *n;
 
-	/* need rescue? */
-	if (!pwq->nr_active || !need_to_create_worker(pool))
+	/* have work items to rescue? */
+	if (!pwq->nr_active)
 		return false;
 
+	/* need rescue? */
+	if (!need_to_create_worker(pool)) {
+		/*
+		 * The pool has idle workers and doesn't need the rescuer, so it
+		 * could simply return false here.
+		 *
+		 * However, the memory pressure might not be fully relieved.
+		 * In PERCPU pool with concurrency enabled, having idle workers
+		 * does not necessarily mean memory pressure is gone; it may
+		 * simply mean regular workers have woken up, completed their
+		 * work, and gone idle again due to concurrency limits.
+		 *
+		 * In this case, those working workers may later sleep again,
+		 * the pool may run out of idle workers, and it will have to
+		 * allocate new ones and wait for the timer to send mayday,
+		 * causing unnecessary delay - especially if memory pressure
+		 * was never resolved throughout.
+		 *
+		 * Do more work if memory pressure is still on to reduce
+		 * relapse, using (pool->flags & POOL_MANAGER_ACTIVE), though
+		 * not precisely, unless there are other PWQs needing help.
+		 */
+		if (!(pool->flags & POOL_MANAGER_ACTIVE) ||
+		    !list_empty(&pwq->wq->maydays))
+			return false;
+	}
+
 	/* search from the start or cursor if available */
 	if (list_empty(&cursor->entry))
 		work = list_first_entry(&pool->worklist, struct work_struct, entry);
-- 
2.19.1.6.gb485710b