Re: [RFC PATCH v3 1/2] membarrier: Provide register expedited private command

From: Mathieu Desnoyers
Date: Fri Sep 22 2017 - 11:09:20 EST


----- On Sep 22, 2017, at 4:59 AM, Boqun Feng boqun.feng@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> On Tue, Sep 19, 2017 at 06:13:41PM -0400, Mathieu Desnoyers wrote:
> [...]
>> +static inline void membarrier_arch_sched_in(struct task_struct *prev,
>> + struct task_struct *next)
>> +{
>> + /*
>> + * Only need the full barrier when switching between processes.
>> + */
>> + if (likely(!test_ti_thread_flag(task_thread_info(next),
>> + TIF_MEMBARRIER_PRIVATE_EXPEDITED)
>> + || prev->mm == next->mm))
>
> And we also don't need the smp_mb() if !prev->mm, because switching from
> kernel to user will have a smp_mb() implied by mmdrop()?

Right. And we also don't need it when switching from userspace to kernel
thread neither. Something like this:

static inline void membarrier_arch_sched_in(struct task_struct *prev,
struct task_struct *next)
{
/*
* Only need the full barrier when switching between processes.
* Barrier when switching from kernel to userspace is not
* required here, given that it is implied by mmdrop(). Barrier
* when switching from userspace to kernel is not needed after
* store to rq->curr.
*/
if (likely(!test_ti_thread_flag(task_thread_info(next),
TIF_MEMBARRIER_PRIVATE_EXPEDITED)
|| !prev->mm || !next->mm || prev->mm == next->mm))
return;

/*
* The membarrier system call requires a full memory barrier
* after storing to rq->curr, before going back to user-space.
*/
smp_mb();
}

>
>> + return;
>> +
>> + /*
>> + * The membarrier system call requires a full memory barrier
>> + * after storing to rq->curr, before going back to user-space.
>> + */
>> + smp_mb();
>> +}
>
> [...]
>
>> +static inline void membarrier_fork(struct task_struct *t,
>> + unsigned long clone_flags)
>> +{
>> + if (!current->mm || !t->mm)
>> + return;
>> + t->mm->membarrier_private_expedited =
>> + current->mm->membarrier_private_expedited;
>
> Have we already done the copy of ->membarrier_private_expedited in
> copy_mm()?

copy_mm() is performed without holding current->sighand->siglock, so
it appears to be racing with concurrent membarrier register cmd.
However, given that it is a single flag updated with WRITE_ONCE()
and read with READ_ONCE(), it might be OK to rely on copy_mm there.
If userspace runs registration concurrently with fork, they should
not expect the child to be specifically registered or unregistered.

So yes, I think you are right about removing this copy and relying on
copy_mm() instead. I also think we can improve membarrier_arch_fork()
on powerpc to test the current thread flag rather than using current->mm.

Which leads to those two changes:

static inline void membarrier_fork(struct task_struct *t,
unsigned long clone_flags)
{
/*
* Prior copy_mm() copies the membarrier_private_expedited field
* from current->mm to t->mm.
*/
membarrier_arch_fork(t, clone_flags);
}

And on PowerPC:

static inline void membarrier_arch_fork(struct task_struct *t,
unsigned long clone_flags)
{
/*
* Coherence of TIF_MEMBARRIER_PRIVATE_EXPEDITED against thread
* fork is protected by siglock. membarrier_arch_fork is called
* with siglock held.
*/
if (test_thread_flag(TIF_MEMBARRIER_PRIVATE_EXPEDITED))
set_ti_thread_flag(task_thread_info(t),
TIF_MEMBARRIER_PRIVATE_EXPEDITED);
}

Thanks,

Mathieu


>
> Regards,
> Boqun
>
>> + membarrier_arch_fork(t, clone_flags);
>> +}
>> +static inline void membarrier_execve(struct task_struct *t)
>> +{
>> + t->mm->membarrier_private_expedited = 0;
>> + membarrier_arch_execve(t);
>> +}
>> +#else
>> +static inline void membarrier_sched_in(struct task_struct *prev,
>> + struct task_struct *next)
>> +{
>> +}
>> +static inline void membarrier_fork(struct task_struct *t,
>> + unsigned long clone_flags)
>> +{
>> +}
>> +static inline void membarrier_execve(struct task_struct *t)
>> +{
>> +}
>> +#endif
>> +
> [...]

--
Mathieu Desnoyers
EfficiOS Inc.
http://www.efficios.com