Re: [PATCH] sched/fair: Restore RCU read lock in set_cpu_sd_state_{busy,idle}()

[Andrea Righi]

Hi Peter,

On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 09:28:53AM +0200, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 10:51:15PM +0200, Andrea Righi wrote:
> > Commit c9d93a73ce87 ("sched/fair: Drop redundant RCU read lock in NOHZ
> > kick path") removed the rcu_read_lock()/unlock() pair from
> > set_cpu_sd_state_busy() and set_cpu_sd_state_idle() on the assumption
> > that all callers run in a safe context for rcu_dereference_all(): IRQs
> > disabled or cpus_write_lock() held.
> > 
> > That assumption is wrong for the CPU hotplug teardown path. When CPUs
> > are taken offline, set_cpu_sd_state_busy() is invoked via:
> > 
> >  cpuhp/N kthread
> >    cpuhp_thread_fun()
> >      cpuhp_invoke_callback()
> >        sched_cpu_deactivate()
> >          nohz_balance_exit_idle()
> >            set_cpu_sd_state_busy()
> >              rcu_dereference_all(per_cpu(sd_llc, cpu))
> 
> > 
> > Restore the rcu_read_lock()/unlock() pair in both helpers;
> > nohz_balancer_kick() is left as is, since its IRQ-disabled context is
> > genuinely sufficient.
> > 
> > Fixes: c9d93a73ce87 ("sched/fair: Drop redundant RCU read lock in NOHZ kick path")
> > Reported-by: Marek Szyprowski <m.szyprowski@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/38fe0a1d-1a48-435a-910a-c278024d9ac9@xxxxxxxxxxx/
> > Signed-off-by: Andrea Righi <arighi@xxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> So the obvious alternative is to disable RCU in the one caller that
> doesn't play ball.
> 
> Was that considered?

This also works (tested, just in case). Since the original intent was to drop
these redundant RCU read locks, we should probably go this way. I'll send a new
patch shortly with your Suggested-by.

Thanks!
-Andrea

> 
> 
> --- a/kernel/sched/core.c
> +++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
> @@ -8699,7 +8699,8 @@ int sched_cpu_deactivate(unsigned int cp
>  	 * Remove CPU from nohz.idle_cpus_mask to prevent participating in
>  	 * load balancing when not active
>  	 */
> -	nohz_balance_exit_idle(rq);
> +	scoped_guard (rcu)
> +		nohz_balance_exit_idle(rq);
>  
>  	set_cpu_active(cpu, false);
>  
>