Re: [PATCH RFC v2 tip/core/rcu 14/22] rcu-tasks: Add an RCU Tasks Trace to simplify protection of tracing hooks

From: Paul E. McKenney
Date: Thu Mar 19 2020 - 20:28:22 EST


On Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 03:42:39PM -0400, Steven Rostedt wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:10:52 -0700
> paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > From: "Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Because RCU does not watch exception early-entry/late-exit, idle-loop,
> > or CPU-hotplug execution, protection of tracing and BPF operations is
> > needlessly complicated. This commit therefore adds a variant of
> > Tasks RCU that:
> >
> > o Has explicit read-side markers to allow finite grace periods in
> > the face of in-kernel loops for PREEMPT=n builds. These markers
> > are rcu_read_lock_trace() and rcu_read_unlock_trace().
> >
> > o Protects code in the idle loop, exception entry/exit, and
> > CPU-hotplug code paths. In this respect, RCU-tasks trace is
> > similar to SRCU, but with lighter-weight readers.
> >
> > o Avoids expensive read-side instruction, having overhead similar
> > to that of Preemptible RCU.
> >
> > There are of course downsides:
> >
> > o The grace-period code can send IPIs to CPUs, even when those CPUs
> > are in the idle loop or in nohz_full userspace. This will be
> > addressed by later commits.
> >
> > o It is necessary to scan the full tasklist, much as for Tasks RCU.
> >
> > o There is a single callback queue guarded by a single lock,
> > again, much as for Tasks RCU. However, those early use cases
> > that request multiple grace periods in quick succession are
> > expected to do so from a single task, which makes the single
> > lock almost irrelevant. If needed, multiple callback queues
> > can be provided using any number of schemes.
> >
> > Perhaps most important, this variant of RCU does not affect the vanilla
> > flavors, rcu_preempt and rcu_sched. The fact that RCU Tasks Trace
> > readers can operate from idle, offline, and exception entry/exit in no
> > way enables rcu_preempt and rcu_sched readers to do so.
> >
> > This effort benefited greatly from off-list discussions of BPF
> > requirements with Alexei Starovoitov and Andrii Nakryiko. At least
> > some of the on-list discussions are captured in the Link: tags below.
> > In addition, KCSAN was quite helpful in finding some early bugs.
>
> If we have this, do we still need to have RCU Tasks Rude flavor?

I have no idea.

It is not a drop-in replacement for RCU Tasks Rude because
preempt_disable() acts as a reader for Rude but not for Trace, which
needs explicit rcu_read_lock_trace() and rcu_read_unlock_trace() markers.
But it might well be that all of the schedule_on_each_cpu(ftrace_sync)
users could be adapted to use RCU Tasks Trace instead.

I would have to defer to you. ;-)

> > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20200219150744.428764577@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
> > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/87mu8p797b.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
> > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20200225221305.605144982@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
> > Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Alexei Starovoitov <alexei.starovoitov@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Andrii Nakryiko <andriin@xxxxxx>
> > ---
> > include/linux/rcupdate_trace.h | 84 ++++++++++
> > include/linux/sched.h | 8 +
> > init/init_task.c | 4 +
> > kernel/fork.c | 4 +
> > kernel/rcu/Kconfig | 12 +-
> > kernel/rcu/tasks.h | 359 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> > 6 files changed, 462 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
> > create mode 100644 include/linux/rcupdate_trace.h
> >
>
>
> > diff --git a/kernel/rcu/Kconfig b/kernel/rcu/Kconfig
> > index 0d43ec1..187226b 100644
> > --- a/kernel/rcu/Kconfig
> > +++ b/kernel/rcu/Kconfig
> > @@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ config TREE_SRCU
> > This option selects the full-fledged version of SRCU.
> >
> > config TASKS_RCU_GENERIC
> > - def_bool TASKS_RCU || TASKS_RUDE_RCU
> > + def_bool TASKS_RCU || TASKS_RUDE_RCU || TASKS_TRACE_RCU
> > select SRCU
> > help
> > This option enables generic infrastructure code supporting
> > @@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ config TASKS_RUDE_RCU
> > switches on all online CPUs, including idle ones, so use
> > with caution. Not for manual selection.
> >
> > +config TASKS_TRACE_RCU
> > + def_bool 0
> > + default n
>
> Again, no need for "default n"
>
> > + help
> > + This option enables a task-based RCU implementation that uses
> > + explicit rcu_read_lock_trace() read-side markers, and allows
> > + these readers to appear in the idle loop as well as on the CPU
> > + hotplug code paths. It can force IPIs on online CPUs, including
> > + idle ones, so use with caution. Not for manual selection.
>
> And no real need for "Not for manual selection".

Both removed, thank you!

> > +
> > config RCU_STALL_COMMON
> > def_bool TREE_RCU
> > help
>
>
>
> > @@ -480,10 +489,10 @@ core_initcall(rcu_spawn_tasks_kthread);
> > //
> > // "Rude" variant of Tasks RCU, inspired by Steve Rostedt's trick of
> > // passing an empty function to schedule_on_each_cpu(). This approach
> > -// provides an asynchronous call_rcu_rude() API and batching of concurrent
> > -// calls to the synchronous synchronize_rcu_rude() API. This sends IPIs
> > -// far and wide and induces otherwise unnecessary context switches on all
> > -// online CPUs, whether online or not.
> > +// provides an asynchronous call_rcu_tasks_rude() API and batching
> > +// of concurrent calls to the synchronous synchronize_rcu_rude() API.
> > +// This sends IPIs far and wide and induces otherwise unnecessary context
> > +// switches on all online CPUs, whether online or not.
>
> This looks out of place for this patch. Perhaps you fixed this code and
> applied it to the wrong patch?

Indeed I did, good catch! Huh. I guess the easiest fix is to back out
this change, rebase, then apply it to the earlier commit in a second
rebase. I guess git -might- figure it out in one pass. ;-)

> > // Empty function to allow workqueues to force a context switch.
> > static void rcu_tasks_be_rude(struct work_struct *work)
> > @@ -569,3 +578,337 @@ static int __init rcu_spawn_tasks_rude_kthread(void)
> > core_initcall(rcu_spawn_tasks_rude_kthread);
> >
> > #endif /* #ifdef CONFIG_TASKS_RUDE_RCU */
> > +
> > +////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
> > +//
> > +// Tracing variant of Tasks RCU. This variant is designed to be used
> > +// to protect tracing hooks, including those of BPF. This variant
> > +// therefore:
> > +//
> > +// 1. Has explicit read-side markers to allow finite grace periods
> > +// in the face of in-kernel loops for PREEMPT=n builds.
> > +//
> > +// 2. Protects code in the idle loop, exception entry/exit, and
> > +// CPU-hotplug code paths, similar to the capabilities of SRCU.
> > +//
> > +// 3. Avoids expensive read-side instruction, having overhead similar
> > +// to that of Preemptible RCU.
> > +//
> > +// There are of course downsides. The grace-period code can send IPIs to
> > +// CPUs, even when those CPUs are in the idle loop or in nohz_full userspace.
> > +// It is necessary to scan the full tasklist, much as for Tasks RCU. There
> > +// is a single callback queue guarded by a single lock, again, much as for
> > +// Tasks RCU. If needed, these downsides can be at least partially remedied.
> > +//
> > +// Perhaps most important, this variant of RCU does not affect the vanilla
> > +// flavors, rcu_preempt and rcu_sched. The fact that RCU Tasks Trace
> > +// readers can operate from idle, offline, and exception entry/exit in no
> > +// way allows rcu_preempt and rcu_sched readers to also do so.
> > +
> > +// The lockdep state must be outside of #ifdef to be useful.
> > +#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC
> > +static struct lock_class_key rcu_lock_trace_key;
> > +struct lockdep_map rcu_trace_lock_map =
> > + STATIC_LOCKDEP_MAP_INIT("rcu_read_lock_trace", &rcu_lock_trace_key);
> > +EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rcu_trace_lock_map);
> > +#endif /* #ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC */
> > +
> > +#ifdef CONFIG_TASKS_TRACE_RCU
> > +
> > +atomic_t trc_n_readers_need_end; // Number of waited-for readers.
> > +DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(trc_wait); // List of holdout tasks.
> > +
> > +// Record outstanding IPIs to each CPU. No point in sending two...
> > +static DEFINE_PER_CPU(bool, trc_ipi_to_cpu);
> > +
> > +/* If we are the last reader, wake up the grace-period kthread. */
> > +void rcu_read_unlock_trace_special(struct task_struct *t)
> > +{
> > + WRITE_ONCE(t->trc_reader_need_end, false);
> > + if (atomic_dec_and_test(&trc_n_readers_need_end))
> > + wake_up(&trc_wait);
>
> Hmm, this can't be called in places that hold the rq->lock can it?

Good point. If interrupts are disabled, it will need to use some
other mechanism. One approach is irqwork. Another is a timer.

Suggestions?

Thanx, Paul

> -- Steve
>
> > +}
> > +EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rcu_read_unlock_trace_special);
> > +
> > +/* Add a task to the holdout list, if it is not already on the list. */
> > +static void trc_add_holdout(struct task_struct *t, struct list_head *bhp)
> > +{
> > + if (list_empty(&t->trc_holdout_list)) {
> > + get_task_struct(t);
> > + list_add(&t->trc_holdout_list, bhp);
> > + }
> > +}
> > +ndif /* #else #ifdef CONFIG_TASKS_TRACE_RCU */
>