Re: [patch, rfc: 2/2] sched, hotplug: ensure a task is on thevalid cpu after set_cpus_allowed_ptr()

From: Peter Zijlstra
Date: Fri Jul 25 2008 - 09:39:48 EST


On Fri, 2008-07-25 at 15:20 +0200, Dmitry Adamushko wrote:
> 2008/7/25 Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@xxxxxxxxx>:
> > On Fri, 2008-07-25 at 00:15 +0200, Dmitry Adamushko wrote:
> >>
> >> From: Dmitry Adamushko <dmitry.adamushko@xxxxxxxxx>
> >> Subject: sched, hotplug: ensure a task is on the valid cpu after
> >> set_cpus_allowed_ptr()
> >>
> >> ---
> >> sched, hotplug: ensure a task is on the valid cpu after set_cpus_allowed_ptr()
> >>
> >> The 'new_mask' may not include task_cpu(p) so we migrate 'p' on another 'cpu'.
> >> In case it can't be placed on this 'cpu' immediately, we submit a request
> >> to the migration thread and wait for its completion.
> >>
> >> Now, by the moment this request gets handled by the migration_thread,
> >> 'cpu' may well be offline/non-active. As a result, 'p' continues
> >> running on its old cpu which is not in the 'new_mask'.
> >>
> >> Fix it: ensure 'p' ends up on a valid cpu.
> >>
> >> Theoreticaly (but unlikely), we may get an endless loop if someone cpu_down()'s
> >> a new cpu we have choosen on each iteration.
> >>
> >> Alternatively, we may introduce a special type of request to migration_thread,
> >> namely "move_to_any_allowed_cpu" (e.g. by specifying dest_cpu == -1).
> >>
> >> Note, any_active_cpu() instead of any_online_cpu() would be better here.
> >
> > Hrmm,.. this is all growing into something of a mess.. defeating the
> > whole purpose of introducing that cpu_active_map stuff.
> >
> > Would the suggested SRCU logic simplify all this?
>
> Ah, wait a second.
>
> sched_setaffinity() -> set_cpus_allowed_ptr() is ok vs. cpu_down() as
> it does use get_online_cpus(). So none of the cpus can become offline
> while we are in set_cpus_allowed_ptr().
>
> but there are numerous calls to set_cpus_allowed_ptr() from other
> places and not all of them seem to call get_online_cpus()...
>
> yeah, I should check this issue again..
>
> btw., indeed all these different sync. cases are a bit of mess.

Will ponder it a bit more, but my brain can't seem to let go of SRCU
now.. I'll go concentrate on making the swap-over-nfs patches prettier,
maybe that will induce a brainwave ;-)

> ---
>
> btw., I was wondering about this change:
>
> ba42059fbd0aa1ac91b582412b5fedb1258f241f
>
> sched: hrtick_enabled() should use cpu_active()
>
> Peter pointed out that hrtick_enabled() should use cpu_active().

What exactly were you wondering about?

It seemed a good idea to stop starting hrtimers before we migrate them
to another cpu (one of the things done later in cpu_down), thereby
avoiding spurious fires on remote cpus.

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