Re: [PATCH 06/15] sched_ext: Convert deferred_reenq_locals from llist to regular list

[Emil Tsalapatis]

On Fri Mar 6, 2026 at 2:06 PM EST, Tejun Heo wrote:
> The deferred reenqueue local mechanism uses an llist (lockless list) for
> collecting schedulers that need their local DSQs re-enqueued. Convert to a
> regular list protected by a raw_spinlock.
>
> The llist was used for its lockless properties, but the upcoming changes to
> support remote reenqueue require more complex list operations that are
> difficult to implement correctly with lockless data structures. A spinlock-
> protected regular list provides the necessary flexibility.
>
> Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>


Reviewed-by: Emil Tsalapatis <emil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> ---
>  kernel/sched/ext.c          | 57 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------
>  kernel/sched/ext_internal.h |  2 +-
>  kernel/sched/sched.h        |  3 +-
>  3 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext.c
> index 1b6cd1e4f8b9..ffccaf04e34d 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/ext.c
> +++ b/kernel/sched/ext.c
> @@ -3640,23 +3640,37 @@ static u32 reenq_local(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq)
>  	return nr_enqueued;
>  }
>  
> -static void run_deferred(struct rq *rq)
> +static void process_deferred_reenq_locals(struct rq *rq)
>  {
> -	process_ddsp_deferred_locals(rq);
> -
> -	if (!llist_empty(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals)) {
> -		struct llist_node *llist =
> -			llist_del_all(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals);
> -		struct scx_sched_pcpu *pos, *next;
> +	lockdep_assert_rq_held(rq);
>  
> -		llist_for_each_entry_safe(pos, next, llist,
> -					  deferred_reenq_locals_node) {
> -			init_llist_node(&pos->deferred_reenq_locals_node);
> -			reenq_local(pos->sch, rq);
> +	while (true) {
> +		struct scx_sched *sch;
> +
> +		scoped_guard (raw_spinlock, &rq->scx.deferred_reenq_lock) {
> +			struct scx_sched_pcpu *sch_pcpu =
> +				list_first_entry_or_null(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals,
> +							 struct scx_sched_pcpu,
> +							 deferred_reenq_local_node);
> +			if (!sch_pcpu)
> +				return;
> +
> +			sch = sch_pcpu->sch;

While both scx and sch_pcpu aren't used in this patch, they are useful
for subsequent patches.

> +			list_del_init(&sch_pcpu->deferred_reenq_local_node);
>  		}
> +
> +		reenq_local(sch, rq);
>  	}
>  }
>  
> +static void run_deferred(struct rq *rq)
> +{
> +	process_ddsp_deferred_locals(rq);
> +
> +	if (!list_empty(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals))
> +		process_deferred_reenq_locals(rq);
> +}
> +
>  #ifdef CONFIG_NO_HZ_FULL
>  bool scx_can_stop_tick(struct rq *rq)
>  {
> @@ -4180,13 +4194,13 @@ static void scx_sched_free_rcu_work(struct work_struct *work)
>  
>  	/*
>  	 * $sch would have entered bypass mode before the RCU grace period. As
> -	 * that blocks new deferrals, all deferred_reenq_locals_node's must be
> +	 * that blocks new deferrals, all deferred_reenq_local_node's must be
>  	 * off-list by now.
>  	 */
>  	for_each_possible_cpu(cpu) {
>  		struct scx_sched_pcpu *pcpu = per_cpu_ptr(sch->pcpu, cpu);
>  
> -		WARN_ON_ONCE(llist_on_list(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_locals_node));
> +		WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_local_node));
>  	}
>  
>  	free_percpu(sch->pcpu);
> @@ -5799,7 +5813,7 @@ static struct scx_sched *scx_alloc_and_add_sched(struct sched_ext_ops *ops,
>  		struct scx_sched_pcpu *pcpu = per_cpu_ptr(sch->pcpu, cpu);
>  
>  		pcpu->sch = sch;
> -		init_llist_node(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_locals_node);
> +		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_local_node);
>  	}
>  
>  	sch->helper = kthread_run_worker(0, "sched_ext_helper");
> @@ -7126,7 +7140,8 @@ void __init init_sched_ext_class(void)
>  		BUG_ON(!zalloc_cpumask_var_node(&rq->scx.cpus_to_kick_if_idle, GFP_KERNEL, n));
>  		BUG_ON(!zalloc_cpumask_var_node(&rq->scx.cpus_to_preempt, GFP_KERNEL, n));
>  		BUG_ON(!zalloc_cpumask_var_node(&rq->scx.cpus_to_wait, GFP_KERNEL, n));
> -		init_llist_head(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals);
> +		raw_spin_lock_init(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_lock);
> +		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals);
>  		rq->scx.deferred_irq_work = IRQ_WORK_INIT_HARD(deferred_irq_workfn);
>  		rq->scx.kick_cpus_irq_work = IRQ_WORK_INIT_HARD(kick_cpus_irq_workfn);
>  
> @@ -8358,7 +8373,6 @@ __bpf_kfunc void scx_bpf_reenqueue_local___v2(const struct bpf_prog_aux *aux)
>  	unsigned long flags;
>  	struct scx_sched *sch;
>  	struct rq *rq;
> -	struct llist_node *lnode;
>  
>  	raw_local_irq_save(flags);
>  
> @@ -8374,9 +8388,14 @@ __bpf_kfunc void scx_bpf_reenqueue_local___v2(const struct bpf_prog_aux *aux)
>  		goto out_irq_restore;
>  
>  	rq = this_rq();
> -	lnode = &this_cpu_ptr(sch->pcpu)->deferred_reenq_locals_node;
> -	if (!llist_on_list(lnode))
> -		llist_add(lnode, &rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals);
> +	scoped_guard (raw_spinlock, &rq->scx.deferred_reenq_lock) {
> +		struct scx_sched_pcpu *pcpu = this_cpu_ptr(sch->pcpu);
> +
> +		if (list_empty(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_local_node))
> +			list_move_tail(&pcpu->deferred_reenq_local_node,
> +				       &rq->scx.deferred_reenq_locals);
> +	}
> +
>  	schedule_deferred(rq);
>  out_irq_restore:
>  	raw_local_irq_restore(flags);
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext_internal.h b/kernel/sched/ext_internal.h
> index 9e5ebd00ea0c..80d40a9c5ad9 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/ext_internal.h
> +++ b/kernel/sched/ext_internal.h
> @@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ struct scx_sched_pcpu {
>  	 */
>  	struct scx_event_stats	event_stats;
>  
> -	struct llist_node	deferred_reenq_locals_node;
> +	struct list_head	deferred_reenq_local_node;
>  	struct scx_dispatch_q	bypass_dsq;
>  #ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
>  	u32			bypass_host_seq;
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/sched.h b/kernel/sched/sched.h
> index ebe971d12cb8..0794852524e7 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/sched.h
> +++ b/kernel/sched/sched.h
> @@ -808,7 +808,8 @@ struct scx_rq {
>  
>  	struct task_struct	*sub_dispatch_prev;
>  
> -	struct llist_head	deferred_reenq_locals;
> +	raw_spinlock_t		deferred_reenq_lock;
> +	struct list_head	deferred_reenq_locals;	/* scheds requesting reenq of local DSQ */
>  	struct balance_callback	deferred_bal_cb;
>  	struct irq_work		deferred_irq_work;
>  	struct irq_work		kick_cpus_irq_work;