linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 1/2] writeback: fix 100% CPU usage when dirtytime_expire

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Message-ID: <uavnnpboeyxdodjksgtl7hrb57pd3uqo7xt3qwcjqfqz3nmtoj@flocketbnpym>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2026 10:36:57 +0100
From: Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>
To: Laveesh Bansal <laveeshb@...eeshbansal.com>
Cc: viro@...iv.linux.org.uk, brauner@...nel.org, jack@...e.cz, 
	tytso@....edu, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, 
	stable@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] writeback: fix 100% CPU usage when
 dirtytime_expire_interval is 0

On Fri 02-01-26 20:16:56, Laveesh Bansal wrote:
> When vm.dirtytime_expire_seconds is set to 0, wakeup_dirtytime_writeback()
> schedules delayed work with a delay of 0, causing immediate execution.
> The function then reschedules itself with 0 delay again, creating an
> infinite busy loop that causes 100% kworker CPU usage.
> 
> Fix by:
> - Only scheduling delayed work in wakeup_dirtytime_writeback() when
>   dirtytime_expire_interval is non-zero
> - Cancelling the delayed work in dirtytime_interval_handler() when
>   the interval is set to 0
> - Adding a guard in start_dirtytime_writeback() for defensive coding
> 
> Tested by booting kernel in QEMU with virtme-ng:
> - Before fix: kworker CPU spikes to ~73%
> - After fix: CPU remains at normal levels
> - Setting interval back to non-zero correctly resumes writeback
> 
> Fixes: a2f4870697a5 ("fs: make sure the timestamps for lazytime inodes eventually get written")
> Cc: stable@...r.kernel.org
> Closes: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=220227
> Signed-off-by: Laveesh Bansal <laveeshb@...eeshbansal.com>

Looks good. Feel free to add:

Reviewed-by: Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>

								Honza

> ---
>  fs/fs-writeback.c | 14 ++++++++++----
>  1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/fs-writeback.c b/fs/fs-writeback.c
> index 6800886c4d10..cd21c74cd0e5 100644
> --- a/fs/fs-writeback.c
> +++ b/fs/fs-writeback.c
> @@ -2492,7 +2492,8 @@ static void wakeup_dirtytime_writeback(struct work_struct *w)
>  				wb_wakeup(wb);
>  	}
>  	rcu_read_unlock();
> -	schedule_delayed_work(&dirtytime_work, dirtytime_expire_interval * HZ);
> +	if (dirtytime_expire_interval)
> +		schedule_delayed_work(&dirtytime_work, dirtytime_expire_interval * HZ);
>  }
>  
>  static int dirtytime_interval_handler(const struct ctl_table *table, int write,
> @@ -2501,8 +2502,12 @@ static int dirtytime_interval_handler(const struct ctl_table *table, int write,
>  	int ret;
>  
>  	ret = proc_dointvec_minmax(table, write, buffer, lenp, ppos);
> -	if (ret == 0 && write)
> -		mod_delayed_work(system_percpu_wq, &dirtytime_work, 0);
> +	if (ret == 0 && write) {
> +		if (dirtytime_expire_interval)
> +			mod_delayed_work(system_percpu_wq, &dirtytime_work, 0);
> +		else
> +			cancel_delayed_work_sync(&dirtytime_work);
> +	}
>  	return ret;
>  }
>  
> @@ -2519,7 +2524,8 @@ static const struct ctl_table vm_fs_writeback_table[] = {
>  
>  static int __init start_dirtytime_writeback(void)
>  {
> -	schedule_delayed_work(&dirtytime_work, dirtytime_expire_interval * HZ);
> +	if (dirtytime_expire_interval)
> +		schedule_delayed_work(&dirtytime_work, dirtytime_expire_interval * HZ);
>  	register_sysctl_init("vm", vm_fs_writeback_table);
>  	return 0;
>  }
> -- 
> 2.43.0
> 
-- 
Jan Kara <jack@...e.com>
SUSE Labs, CR