Re: [PATCH] kvm: use the correct RCU API

From: Paul E. McKenney
Date: Tue Apr 20 2010 - 14:42:48 EST


On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 10:09:57AM +0800, Lai Jiangshan wrote:
> Paul E. McKenney wrote:
> > On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 12:49:04PM +0300, Avi Kivity wrote:
> >> On 04/19/2010 12:41 PM, Lai Jiangshan wrote:
> >>> The RCU/SRCU API have already changed for proving RCU usage.
> >>>
> >>> I got the following dmesg when PROVE_RCU=y because we used incorrect API.
> >>> This patch coverts rcu_deference() to srcu_dereference() or family API.
> >>>
> >>> ===================================================
> >>> [ INFO: suspicious rcu_dereference_check() usage. ]
> >>> ---------------------------------------------------
> >>> arch/x86/kvm/mmu.c:3020 invoked rcu_dereference_check() without protection!
> >>>
> >>> other info that might help us debug this:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> rcu_scheduler_active = 1, debug_locks = 0
> >>> 2 locks held by qemu-system-x86/8550:
> >>> #0: (&kvm->slots_lock){+.+.+.}, at: [<ffffffffa011a6ac>] kvm_set_memory_region+0x29/0x50 [kvm]
> >>> #1: (&(&kvm->mmu_lock)->rlock){+.+...}, at: [<ffffffffa012262d>] kvm_arch_commit_memory_region+0xa6/0xe2 [kvm]
> >>>
> >>> stack backtrace:
> >>> Pid: 8550, comm: qemu-system-x86 Not tainted 2.6.34-rc4-tip-01028-g939eab1 #27
> >>> Call Trace:
> >>> [<ffffffff8106c59e>] lockdep_rcu_dereference+0xaa/0xb3
> >>> [<ffffffffa012f6c1>] kvm_mmu_calculate_mmu_pages+0x44/0x7d [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffffa012263e>] kvm_arch_commit_memory_region+0xb7/0xe2 [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffffa011a5d7>] __kvm_set_memory_region+0x636/0x6e2 [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffffa011a6ba>] kvm_set_memory_region+0x37/0x50 [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffffa015e956>] vmx_set_tss_addr+0x46/0x5a [kvm_intel]
> >>> [<ffffffffa0126592>] kvm_arch_vm_ioctl+0x17a/0xcf8 [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffff810a8692>] ? unlock_page+0x27/0x2c
> >>> [<ffffffff810bf879>] ? __do_fault+0x3a9/0x3e1
> >>> [<ffffffffa011b12f>] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x364/0x38d [kvm]
> >>> [<ffffffff81060cfa>] ? up_read+0x23/0x3d
> >>> [<ffffffff810f3587>] vfs_ioctl+0x32/0xa6
> >>> [<ffffffff810f3b19>] do_vfs_ioctl+0x495/0x4db
> >>> [<ffffffff810e6b2f>] ? fget_light+0xc2/0x241
> >>> [<ffffffff810e416c>] ? do_sys_open+0x104/0x116
> >>> [<ffffffff81382d6d>] ? retint_swapgs+0xe/0x13
> >>> [<ffffffff810f3ba6>] sys_ioctl+0x47/0x6a
> >>> [<ffffffff810021db>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> +static inline struct kvm_memslots *kvm_memslots(struct kvm *kvm)
> >>> +{
> >>> + return rcu_dereference_check(kvm->memslots,
> >>> + srcu_read_lock_held(&kvm->srcu)
> >>> + || lockdep_is_held(&kvm->slots_lock));
> >>> +}
> >>> +
> >>
> >> This open-codes srcu_dereference(). I guess we need an
> >> srcu_dereference_check(). Paul?
> >
>
> rcu_dereference_check() is useful when rcu_dereference(),
> rcu_dereference_bh(), rcu_dereference_sched() and srcu_dereference()
> are not appropriate.
>
> I think we don't need srcu_dereference_check() nor rcu_dereference_bh_check()
> nor rcu_dereference_sched_check().
>
> > One is coming in Arnd's sparse-based patchset. It is probably best
> > to open-code this in the meantime and clean up later, but I will
> > double-check with Arnd.
> >
> >> btw, perhaps it is possible not to call rcu_dereference from the
> >> write paths.
> >
> > There is an rcu_dereference_protected() on its way to mainline to handle
> > the case where the reference is always protected by a lock. Why not
> > just access it directly? Because if you do that, the sparse-based checks
> > will yell at you.
> >
> > There is also an rcu_access_pointer() on its way to mainline for cases
> > where you only want to test the pointer itself, not dereference it.
> >
> > Thanx, Paul
>
> I reviewed the code, the functions can be called from the srcu-read-site
> or update-site, rcu_dereference_check() can simplify the code.
>
> If we use rcu_dereference_protected(), we may need duplicate the functions.

We would only use rcu_dereference_protected() in cases where there is no
read-side access, so there would be no need for per-read-side versions
of this function.

> I think there is very small overhead of using rcu_dereference(), so we can
> call it from write paths.

In many cases, this is quite true.

Thanx, Paul
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