Re: [PATCH 3/4] x86: save user rsp in pt_regs->sp on SYSCALL64 fastpath

From: Andy Lutomirski
Date: Tue Mar 10 2015 - 09:20:53 EST


On Tue, Mar 10, 2015 at 6:18 AM, Denys Vlasenko <dvlasenk@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 03/10/2015 01:51 PM, Ingo Molnar wrote:
>>
>> * Denys Vlasenko <dvlasenk@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> PER_CPU(old_rsp) usage is simplified - now it is used only
>>> as temp storage, and userspace stack pointer is immediately stored
>>> in pt_regs->sp on syscall entry, instead of being used later,
>>> on syscall exit.
>>>
>>> Instead of PER_CPU(old_rsp) and task->thread.usersp, C code
>>> uses pt_regs->sp now.
>>>
>>> FIXUP/RESTORE_TOP_OF_STACK are simplified.
>>
>> Just trying to judge the performance impact:
>>
>>> --- a/arch/x86/kernel/entry_64.S
>>> +++ b/arch/x86/kernel/entry_64.S
>>> @@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ ENDPROC(native_usergs_sysret64)
>>> * manipulation.
>>> */
>>> .macro FIXUP_TOP_OF_STACK tmp offset=0
>>> - movq PER_CPU_VAR(old_rsp),\tmp
>>> - movq \tmp,RSP+\offset(%rsp)
>>> movq $__USER_DS,SS+\offset(%rsp)
>>> movq $__USER_CS,CS+\offset(%rsp)
>>> movq RIP+\offset(%rsp),\tmp /* get rip */
>>> @@ -139,8 +137,7 @@ ENDPROC(native_usergs_sysret64)
>>> .endm
>>>
>>> .macro RESTORE_TOP_OF_STACK tmp offset=0
>>> - movq RSP+\offset(%rsp),\tmp
>>> - movq \tmp,PER_CPU_VAR(old_rsp)
>>> + /* nothing to do */
>>> .endm
>>>
>>> /*
>>> @@ -253,11 +247,13 @@ GLOBAL(system_call_after_swapgs)
>>> */
>>> ENABLE_INTERRUPTS(CLBR_NONE)
>>> ALLOC_PT_GPREGS_ON_STACK 8 /* +8: space for orig_ax */
>>> + movq %rcx,RIP(%rsp)
>>> + movq PER_CPU_VAR(old_rsp),%rcx
>>> + movq %r11,EFLAGS(%rsp)
>>> + movq %rcx,RSP(%rsp)
>>> + movq_cfi rax,ORIG_RAX
>>> SAVE_C_REGS_EXCEPT_RAX_RCX_R11
>>> movq $-ENOSYS,RAX(%rsp)
>>> - movq_cfi rax,ORIG_RAX
>>> - movq %r11,EFLAGS(%rsp)
>>> - movq %rcx,RIP(%rsp)
>>> CFI_REL_OFFSET rip,RIP
>>> testl $_TIF_WORK_SYSCALL_ENTRY,TI_flags+THREAD_INFO(%rsp,RIP)
>>> jnz tracesys
>>
>> So there are now +2 instructions (5 instead of 3) in the system_call
>> path, but there are -2 instructions in the SYSRETQ path,
>
> Unfortunately, no. There is only this change in SYSRETQ path,
> which simply changes where we get RSP from:
>
> @@ -293,7 +289,7 @@ ret_from_sys_call:
> CFI_REGISTER rip,rcx
> movq EFLAGS(%rsp),%r11
> /*CFI_REGISTER rflags,r11*/
> - movq PER_CPU_VAR(old_rsp), %rsp
> + movq RSP(%rsp),%rsp
> /*
> * 64bit SYSRET restores rip from rcx,
> * rflags from r11 (but RF and VM bits are forced to 0),
>
> Most likely, no change in execution speed here.
> At best, it is one cycle faster somewhere in address generation unit
> because for PER_CPU_VAR() address evaluation, GS base is nonzero.
>
>
> Since this patch does add two extra MOVs,
> I did benchmark these patches. They add exactly one cycle
> to system call code path on my Sandy Bridge CPU.
>

Personally, I'm willing to pay that cycle. It could be a bigger
savings on context switch, and the simplification it enables is pretty
good.

--Andy

--
Andy Lutomirski
AMA Capital Management, LLC
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