Re: [RFC PATCH] virtio_console: link vq to port with a private pointer in struct virtqueue

From: Rusty Russell
Date: Wed May 09 2012 - 21:26:25 EST


On Tue, 8 May 2012 13:18:39 +0300, "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Tue, May 08, 2012 at 11:45:55AM +0200, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> > --- a/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.c
> > +++ b/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.c
> > @@ -76,8 +76,6 @@
> >
> > struct vring_virtqueue
> > {
> > - struct virtqueue vq;
> > -
> > /* Actual memory layout for this queue */
> > struct vring vring;
> >
> > @@ -106,6 +104,9 @@ struct vring_virtqueue
> > /* How to notify other side. FIXME: commonalize hcalls! */
> > void (*notify)(struct virtqueue *vq);
> >
> > + /* Tokens for callbacks. */
> > + void **data;
> > +
> > #ifdef DEBUG
> > /* They're supposed to lock for us. */
> > unsigned int in_use;
> > @@ -115,8 +116,9 @@ struct vring_virtqueue
> > ktime_t last_add_time;
> > #endif
> >
> > - /* Tokens for callbacks. */
> > - void *data[];
> > + struct virtqueue vq;
> > +
> > + /* Bus-specific virtqueue data goes here. */
> > };
> >
> > #define to_vvq(_vq) container_of(_vq, struct vring_virtqueue, vq)
>
>
> This moves the data out of line and the bus specific stuff inline.
> But bus accesses only happen on io and interrupt which are already
> slow, while data accesses happen on fast path.
>
> >From that POV this looks like a wrong thing to do.

(Resend to all)

Most of it was on a different cacheline anyway though, so it's probably
not measurable. We avoid the pci_vq->vq indirection, but add the
vq->data indirection.

I share your discomfort with the offset arg method, too.

So unless benchmarks show otherwise, let's do it the vanilla way?

I think that making vring_virtqueue public looks like the way to go,
too.

Of course, a nice series would be great as well :)

Thanks!
Rusty.
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