[PATCH 1/3] percpu_rw_semaphore: kill ->writer_mutex, add->write_ctr

[Oleg Nesterov]

percpu_rw_semaphore->writer_mutex was only added to simplify the
initial rewrite, the only thing it protects is clear_fast_ctr()
which otherwise could be called by multiple writers. ->rw_sem is
enough to serialize the writers.

Kill this mutex and add "atomic_t write_ctr" instead. The writers
increment/decrement this counter, the readers check it is zero
instead of mutex_is_locked().

Move atomic_add(clear_fast_ctr(), slow_read_ctr) under down_write()
to avoid the race with other writers. This is a bit sub-optimal,
only the first writer needs this and we do not need to exclude the
readers at this stage. But this is simple, we do not want another
internal lock until we add more features.

And this speeds up the write-contended case. Before this patch the
racing writers sleep in synchronize_sched() sequentially, with this
patch multiple synchronize_sched's can "overlap" with each other.
Note: we can do more optimizations, this is only the first step.

Signed-off-by: Oleg Nesterov <oleg@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
 include/linux/percpu-rwsem.h |    4 ++--
 lib/percpu-rwsem.c           |   34 ++++++++++++++++------------------
 2 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/linux/percpu-rwsem.h b/include/linux/percpu-rwsem.h
index 592f0d6..d2146a4 100644
--- a/include/linux/percpu-rwsem.h
+++ b/include/linux/percpu-rwsem.h
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef _LINUX_PERCPU_RWSEM_H
 #define _LINUX_PERCPU_RWSEM_H
 
-#include <linux/mutex.h>
+#include <linux/atomic.h>
 #include <linux/rwsem.h>
 #include <linux/percpu.h>
 #include <linux/wait.h>
 
 struct percpu_rw_semaphore {
 	unsigned int __percpu	*fast_read_ctr;
-	struct mutex		writer_mutex;
+	atomic_t		write_ctr;
 	struct rw_semaphore	rw_sem;
 	atomic_t		slow_read_ctr;
 	wait_queue_head_t	write_waitq;
diff --git a/lib/percpu-rwsem.c b/lib/percpu-rwsem.c
index 02bd157..e5a146e 100644
--- a/lib/percpu-rwsem.c
+++ b/lib/percpu-rwsem.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include <linux/mutex.h>
+#include <linux/atomic.h>
 #include <linux/rwsem.h>
 #include <linux/percpu.h>
 #include <linux/wait.h>
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ int percpu_init_rwsem(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 	if (unlikely(!brw->fast_read_ctr))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	mutex_init(&brw->writer_mutex);
 	init_rwsem(&brw->rw_sem);
+	atomic_set(&brw->write_ctr, 0);
 	atomic_set(&brw->slow_read_ctr, 0);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&brw->write_waitq);
 	return 0;
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ void percpu_free_rwsem(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 
 /*
  * This is the fast-path for down_read/up_read, it only needs to ensure
- * there is no pending writer (!mutex_is_locked() check) and inc/dec the
+ * there is no pending writer (atomic_read(write_ctr) == 0) and inc/dec the
  * fast per-cpu counter. The writer uses synchronize_sched() to serialize
  * with the preempt-disabled section below.
  *
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void percpu_free_rwsem(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
  * If this helper fails the callers rely on the normal rw_semaphore and
  * atomic_dec_and_test(), so in this case we have the necessary barriers.
  *
- * But if it succeeds we do not have any barriers, mutex_is_locked() or
+ * But if it succeeds we do not have any barriers, atomic_read(write_ctr) or
  * __this_cpu_add() below can be reordered with any LOAD/STORE done by the
  * reader inside the critical section. See the comments in down_write and
  * up_write below.
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static bool update_fast_ctr(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw, unsigned int val)
 	bool success = false;
 
 	preempt_disable();
-	if (likely(!mutex_is_locked(&brw->writer_mutex))) {
+	if (likely(!atomic_read(&brw->write_ctr))) {
 		__this_cpu_add(*brw->fast_read_ctr, val);
 		success = true;
 	}
@@ -101,9 +101,8 @@ static int clear_fast_ctr(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 }
 
 /*
- * A writer takes ->writer_mutex to exclude other writers and to force the
- * readers to switch to the slow mode, note the mutex_is_locked() check in
- * update_fast_ctr().
+ * A writer increments ->write_ctr to force the readers to switch to the
+ * slow mode, note the atomic_read() check in update_fast_ctr().
  *
  * After that the readers can only inc/dec the slow ->slow_read_ctr counter,
  * ->fast_read_ctr is stable. Once the writer moves its sum into the slow
@@ -114,11 +113,10 @@ static int clear_fast_ctr(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
  */
 void percpu_down_write(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 {
-	/* also blocks update_fast_ctr() which checks mutex_is_locked() */
-	mutex_lock(&brw->writer_mutex);
-
+	/* tell update_fast_ctr() there is a pending writer */
+	atomic_inc(&brw->write_ctr);
 	/*
-	 * 1. Ensures mutex_is_locked() is visible to any down_read/up_read
+	 * 1. Ensures that write_ctr != 0 is visible to any down_read/up_read
 	 *    so that update_fast_ctr() can't succeed.
 	 *
 	 * 2. Ensures we see the result of every previous this_cpu_add() in
@@ -130,25 +128,25 @@ void percpu_down_write(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 	 */
 	synchronize_sched();
 
+	/* exclude other writers, and block the new readers completely */
+	down_write(&brw->rw_sem);
+
 	/* nobody can use fast_read_ctr, move its sum into slow_read_ctr */
 	atomic_add(clear_fast_ctr(brw), &brw->slow_read_ctr);
 
-	/* block the new readers completely */
-	down_write(&brw->rw_sem);
-
 	/* wait for all readers to complete their percpu_up_read() */
 	wait_event(brw->write_waitq, !atomic_read(&brw->slow_read_ctr));
 }
 
 void percpu_up_write(struct percpu_rw_semaphore *brw)
 {
-	/* allow the new readers, but only the slow-path */
+	/* release the lock, but the readers can't use the fast-path */
 	up_write(&brw->rw_sem);
-
 	/*
 	 * Insert the barrier before the next fast-path in down_read,
 	 * see W_R case in the comment above update_fast_ctr().
 	 */
 	synchronize_sched();
-	mutex_unlock(&brw->writer_mutex);
+	/* the last writer unblocks update_fast_ctr() */
+	atomic_dec(&brw->write_ctr);
 }
-- 
1.5.5.1

--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/