Re: [PATCH/for-next v4 3/4] cgroup/cpuset: Call housekeeping_update() without holding cpus_read_lock

[Waiman Long]

On 2/9/26 8:29 PM, Chen Ridong wrote:
> On 2026/2/10 4:29, Waiman Long wrote:
> > On 2/9/26 2:12 AM, Chen Ridong wrote:
> > > >            return;
> > > >        }
> > > >    -    WARN_ON_ONCE(housekeeping_update(isolated_cpus) < 0);
> > > > -    isolated_cpus_updating = false;
> > > > +    /*
> > > > +     * update_isolation_cpumasks() may be called more than once in the
> > > > +     * same cpuset_mutex critical section.
> > > > +     */
> > > > +    lockdep_assert_held(&cpuset_top_mutex);
> > > > +    if (isolcpus_twork_queued)
> > > > +        return;
> > > > +
> > > > +    init_task_work(&twork_cb, isolcpus_tworkfn);
> > > > +    if (!task_work_add(current, &twork_cb, TWA_RESUME))
> > > > +        isolcpus_twork_queued = true;
> > > > +    else
> > > > +        WARN_ON_ONCE(1);    /* Current task shouldn't be exiting */
> > > >    }
> > > >    
> > > Timeline:
> > >
> > > user A            user B
> > > write isolated cpus    write isolated cpus
> > > isolated_cpus_update
> > > update_isolation_cpumasks
> > > task_work_add
> > > isolcpus_twork_queued =true
> > >
> > > // before returning userspace
> > > // waiting for worker
> > >              isolated_cpus_update
> > >              if (isolcpus_twork_queued)
> > >                  return // Early exit
> > >              // return to userspace
> > >
> > > // workqueue finishes
> > > // return to userspace
> > >
> > > For User B, the isolated_cpus value appears to be set and the syscall returns
> > > successfully to userspace. However, because isolcpus_twork_queued was already
> > > true (set by User A), User B's call skipped the actual mask update
> > > (update_isolation_cpumasks).
> > > Thus, the new isolated_cpus value is not yet effective in the kernel, even
> > > though User B's write operation returned without error.
> > >
> > > Is this a valid issue? Should User B's write be blocked?
> > It is perfectly possible that isolated_cpus can be modified more than one time
> > from different tasks before a work or task_work function is executed. When that
> > function is invoked, isolated_cpus should contain changes for both. It will copy
> > isolated_cpus to isolated_hk_cpus and pass it to housekeeping_update(). When the
> It is clear about isolated_hk_cpus and isolated_cpus.
>
> > 2nd work or task_work function is invoked, it will see that isolated_cpus match
> > isolated_hk_cpus and skip the housekeeping_update() action. There is no need to
> > block user B's write as only one task can update isolated_cpus at any time.
> The main question remains: user B receives a success return even though
> isolated_hk_cpus has not yet taken effect (i.e.,
> /sys/devices/system/cpu/isolated does not reflect the change). In that case, how
> can user B confirm whether their configuration is actually applied?

task_work function is synchronous. IOW, if a user writes to a cpuset 
control file to modify an isolated partition, when control is passed 
back to userspace, it is guaranteed that the task_work function, if 
queued, would have been executed.

wq work function, OTOH, is asynchronous. So if a user brings down an 
isolated CPU to make an isolated partition invalid, the supposed changes 
to the sched domains may not be completed by the time the offline 
operation returns. However this is an operation that normal users 
shouldn't do in a production system anyway and they are taking their own 
risk if they try to do it.

Cheers,
Longman