[PATCH] md/raid1: honor REQ_NOWAIT when waiting for behind writes

From: Abd-Alrhman Masalkhi

Date: Thu Jun 11 2026 - 04:40:48 EST


raid1 supports REQ_NOWAIT reads by avoiding waits in the barrier path
through wait_read_barrier(). However, a read can still block on a
WriteMostly device when the array uses a bitmap and there are
outstanding behind writes.

In that case raid1 unconditionally calls wait_behind_writes(), which
may sleep until all behind writes complete. As a result, a REQ_NOWAIT
read can block despite the caller explicitly requesting non-blocking
behavior.

This ensures that raid1 consistently honors REQ_NOWAIT reads across all
paths that may otherwise wait for behind writes.

Fixes: 5aa705039c4f ("md: raid1 add nowait support")
Signed-off-by: Abd-Alrhman Masalkhi <abd.masalkhi@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/md/md-bitmap.c | 9 +++++++--
drivers/md/md-bitmap.h | 2 +-
drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c | 13 ++++++++-----
drivers/md/md.c | 2 +-
drivers/md/raid1.c | 10 +++++++---
5 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/md/md-bitmap.c b/drivers/md/md-bitmap.c
index 028b9ca8ce52..1206e31f323a 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md-bitmap.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md-bitmap.c
@@ -2063,18 +2063,23 @@ static void bitmap_end_behind_write(struct mddev *mddev)
bitmap->mddev->bitmap_info.max_write_behind);
}

-static void bitmap_wait_behind_writes(struct mddev *mddev)
+static bool bitmap_wait_behind_writes(struct mddev *mddev, bool nowait)
{
struct bitmap *bitmap = mddev->bitmap;

/* wait for behind writes to complete */
if (bitmap && atomic_read(&bitmap->behind_writes) > 0) {
+ if (nowait)
+ return false;
+
pr_debug("md:%s: behind writes in progress - waiting to stop.\n",
mdname(mddev));
/* need to kick something here to make sure I/O goes? */
wait_event(bitmap->behind_wait,
atomic_read(&bitmap->behind_writes) == 0);
}
+
+ return true;
}

static void bitmap_destroy(struct mddev *mddev)
@@ -2084,7 +2089,7 @@ static void bitmap_destroy(struct mddev *mddev)
if (!bitmap) /* there was no bitmap */
return;

- bitmap_wait_behind_writes(mddev);
+ bitmap_wait_behind_writes(mddev, false);
if (!test_bit(MD_SERIALIZE_POLICY, &mddev->flags))
mddev_destroy_serial_pool(mddev, NULL);

diff --git a/drivers/md/md-bitmap.h b/drivers/md/md-bitmap.h
index 214f623c7e79..f46674bdfeb9 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md-bitmap.h
+++ b/drivers/md/md-bitmap.h
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ struct bitmap_operations {

void (*start_behind_write)(struct mddev *mddev);
void (*end_behind_write)(struct mddev *mddev);
- void (*wait_behind_writes)(struct mddev *mddev);
+ bool (*wait_behind_writes)(struct mddev *mddev, bool nowait);

md_bitmap_fn *start_write;
md_bitmap_fn *end_write;
diff --git a/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c b/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
index 1adc5b117821..5a4e2abaa757 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
@@ -1574,16 +1574,19 @@ static void llbitmap_end_behind_write(struct mddev *mddev)
wake_up(&llbitmap->behind_wait);
}

-static void llbitmap_wait_behind_writes(struct mddev *mddev)
+static bool llbitmap_wait_behind_writes(struct mddev *mddev, bool nowait)
{
struct llbitmap *llbitmap = mddev->bitmap;

- if (!llbitmap)
- return;
+ if (llbitmap && atomic_read(&llbitmap->behind_writes) > 0) {
+ if (nowait)
+ return false;

- wait_event(llbitmap->behind_wait,
- atomic_read(&llbitmap->behind_writes) == 0);
+ wait_event(llbitmap->behind_wait,
+ atomic_read(&llbitmap->behind_writes) == 0);
+ }

+ return true;
}

static ssize_t bits_show(struct mddev *mddev, char *page)
diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 096bb64e87bd..d1465bcd86c8 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -7050,7 +7050,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(md_stop_writes);
static void mddev_detach(struct mddev *mddev)
{
if (md_bitmap_enabled(mddev, false))
- mddev->bitmap_ops->wait_behind_writes(mddev);
+ mddev->bitmap_ops->wait_behind_writes(mddev, false);
if (mddev->pers && mddev->pers->quiesce && !is_md_suspended(mddev)) {
mddev->pers->quiesce(mddev, 1);
mddev->pers->quiesce(mddev, 0);
diff --git a/drivers/md/raid1.c b/drivers/md/raid1.c
index b1ed4cc6ade4..b2d7c13b64bd 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid1.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid1.c
@@ -1341,6 +1341,7 @@ static void raid1_read_request(struct mddev *mddev, struct bio *bio,
int max_sectors;
int rdisk;
bool r1bio_existed = !!r1_bio;
+ bool nowait = bio->bi_opf & REQ_NOWAIT;

/*
* An md cloned bio indicates we are in the error path.
@@ -1360,8 +1361,7 @@ static void raid1_read_request(struct mddev *mddev, struct bio *bio,
* Still need barrier for READ in case that whole
* array is frozen.
*/
- if (!wait_read_barrier(conf, bio->bi_iter.bi_sector,
- bio->bi_opf & REQ_NOWAIT)) {
+ if (!wait_read_barrier(conf, bio->bi_iter.bi_sector, nowait)) {
bio_wouldblock_error(bio);
return;
}
@@ -1402,7 +1402,11 @@ static void raid1_read_request(struct mddev *mddev, struct bio *bio,
* over-take any writes that are 'behind'
*/
mddev_add_trace_msg(mddev, "raid1 wait behind writes");
- mddev->bitmap_ops->wait_behind_writes(mddev);
+ if (!mddev->bitmap_ops->wait_behind_writes(mddev, nowait)) {
+ bio_wouldblock_error(bio);
+ set_bit(R1BIO_Returned, &r1_bio->state);
+ goto err_handle;
+ }
}

if (max_sectors < bio_sectors(bio)) {
--
2.43.0