Re: [PATCH v4 sched_ext/for-7.3 34/40] sched_ext: Authorize remote-move inserts against the placing scheduler

[Andrea Righi]

Hi Tejun,

On Wed, Jul 08, 2026 at 11:24:23AM -1000, Tejun Heo wrote:
> scx_local_or_reject_dsq() authorizes a local-DSQ insert against the caps
> of the scheduler doing the insert. On the consume/dispatch paths that is
> the scheduler running balance_one(), passed down through
> scx_consume_dispatch_q() and move_local_task_to_local_dsq(), so the check
> is correct.
> 
> The remote-move path loses it. move_remote_task_to_local_dsq()
> re-activates @p on the destination rq through enqueue_task_scx(), which
> reconstructs the scheduler from the task, i.e. @p's owner. When an
> ancestor places a descendant's task - e.g. draining a bypassed
> sub-scheduler - the owner is a sub-scheduler of the placer, so
> authorizing against the owner checks a narrower cap set and can
> spuriously reject a task the placer is entitled to run.
> 
> Carry the placing scheduler across the activate_task() boundary the same
> way enq_flags already are, via a per-rq field set only for the duration
> of the re-activation, and have scx_local_or_reject_dsq() authorize
> against it. The placer's caps are a superset of the owner's, so this
> admits what the placer may run and keeps rejecting what it may not.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  kernel/sched/ext/ext.c | 27 +++++++++++++++------------
>  kernel/sched/ext/sub.c |  9 +++++++--
>  kernel/sched/sched.h   |  3 ++-
>  3 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
> index e15297c29617..896f8f9eea6f 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
> +++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
> @@ -2256,7 +2256,8 @@ static void move_local_task_to_local_dsq(struct scx_sched *sch,
>   *
>   * Move @p which is currently on @src_rq to @dst_rq's local DSQ.
>   */
> -static void move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(struct task_struct *p, u64 enq_flags,
> +static void move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(struct scx_sched *sch,
> +					  struct task_struct *p, u64 enq_flags,
>  					  struct rq *src_rq, struct rq *dst_rq)

nit: since the function gained the new @sch parameter, maybe add
"@sch: scx_sched being operated on" to the kernel-doc block.

Thanks,
-Andrea

>  {
>  	lockdep_assert_rq_held(src_rq);
> @@ -2273,15 +2274,19 @@ static void move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(struct task_struct *p, u64 enq_flags,
>  	raw_spin_rq_lock(dst_rq);
>  
>  	/*
> -	 * We want to pass scx-specific enq_flags but activate_task() will
> -	 * truncate the upper 32 bit. As we own @rq, we can pass them through
> -	 * @rq->scx.remote_activate_enq_flags instead.
> +	 * activate_task() below truncates enq_flags to 32 bits and re-derives
> +	 * @p's owner, dropping our scx flags and the placing @sch. We own @rq,
> +	 * so stash both across the call. The enqueue reads them back, keeping
> +	 * the scx flags and checking caps against the placer, not the owner.
>  	 */
>  	WARN_ON_ONCE(!cpumask_test_cpu(cpu_of(dst_rq), p->cpus_ptr));
> -	WARN_ON_ONCE(dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_enq_flags);
> +	WARN_ON_ONCE(dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_enq_flags ||
> +		     dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_sch);
>  	dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_enq_flags = enq_flags;
> +	dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_sch = sch;
>  	activate_task(dst_rq, p, 0);
>  	dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_enq_flags = 0;
> +	dst_rq->scx.remote_activate_sch = NULL;
>  }
>  
>  /*
> @@ -2410,14 +2415,14 @@ static bool unlink_dsq_and_lock_src_rq(struct task_struct *p,
>  		!WARN_ON_ONCE(src_rq != task_rq(p));
>  }
>  
> -static bool consume_remote_task(struct rq *this_rq,
> +static bool consume_remote_task(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *this_rq,
>  				struct task_struct *p, u64 enq_flags,
>  				struct scx_dispatch_q *dsq, struct rq *src_rq)
>  {
>  	raw_spin_rq_unlock(this_rq);
>  
>  	if (unlink_dsq_and_lock_src_rq(p, dsq, src_rq)) {
> -		move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(p, enq_flags, src_rq, this_rq);
> +		move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(sch, p, enq_flags, src_rq, this_rq);
>  		return true;
>  	} else {
>  		raw_spin_rq_unlock(src_rq);
> @@ -2479,8 +2484,7 @@ static struct rq *move_task_between_dsqs(struct scx_sched *sch,
>  			raw_spin_unlock(&src_dsq->lock);
>  		} else {
>  			raw_spin_unlock(&src_dsq->lock);
> -			move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(p, enq_flags,
> -						      src_rq, dst_rq);
> +			move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(sch, p, enq_flags, src_rq, dst_rq);
>  		}
>  	} else {
>  		/*
> @@ -2533,7 +2537,7 @@ bool scx_consume_dispatch_q(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
>  		}
>  
>  		if (task_can_run_on_remote_rq(sch, p, rq, false)) {
> -			if (likely(consume_remote_task(rq, p, enq_flags, dsq, task_rq)))
> +			if (likely(consume_remote_task(sch, rq, p, enq_flags, dsq, task_rq)))
>  				return true;
>  			goto retry;
>  		}
> @@ -2627,8 +2631,7 @@ static void dispatch_to_local_dsq(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
>  			scx_dispatch_enqueue(sch, src_rq, find_global_dsq(sch, task_cpu(p)),
>  					     p, enq_flags | SCX_ENQ_GDSQ_FALLBACK);
>  		} else {
> -			move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(p, enq_flags,
> -						      src_rq, dst_rq);
> +			move_remote_task_to_local_dsq(sch, p, enq_flags, src_rq, dst_rq);
>  			/* task has been moved to dst_rq, which is now locked */
>  			locked_rq = dst_rq;
>  		}
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/sub.c b/kernel/sched/ext/sub.c
> index 9a1eac886928..f66e97f08ce6 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/ext/sub.c
> +++ b/kernel/sched/ext/sub.c
> @@ -237,12 +237,17 @@ struct scx_dispatch_q *scx_local_or_reject_dsq(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq
>  					       struct task_struct *p, u64 *enq_flags)
>  {
>  	s32 cid = __scx_cpu_to_cid(cpu_of(rq));
> +	struct scx_sched *asch = rq->scx.remote_activate_sch ?: sch;
>  	u64 needed = scx_caps_for_enq(*enq_flags);
>  	u64 missing;
>  
> +	/*
> +	 * On a remote activation the scheduling sched (@asch) differs from
> +	 * @p's owner (@sch). Check caps against the scheduling sched.
> +	 */
>  	if (*enq_flags & SCX_ENQ_PREEMPT)
> -		needed |= scx_caps_for_preempt(sch, rq);
> -	missing = scx_missing_caps(sch, cpu_of(rq), needed);
> +		needed |= scx_caps_for_preempt(asch, rq);
> +	missing = scx_missing_caps(asch, cpu_of(rq), needed);
>  
>  	/* requirements met */
>  	if (likely(!missing))
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/sched.h b/kernel/sched/sched.h
> index c0a4699a6c0a..cdd21c814008 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/sched.h
> +++ b/kernel/sched/sched.h
> @@ -800,8 +800,9 @@ struct scx_rq {
>  	struct list_head	runnable_list;		/* runnable tasks on this rq */
>  	struct list_head	ddsp_deferred_locals;	/* deferred ddsps from enq */
>  	unsigned long		ops_qseq;
> -	/* see move_remote_task_to_local_dsq() */
> +	/* both stashed across the activate_task() in move_remote_task_to_local_dsq() */
>  	u64			remote_activate_enq_flags;
> +	struct scx_sched	*remote_activate_sch;
>  	u32			nr_running;
>  	u32			cpuperf_target;		/* [0, SCHED_CAPACITY_SCALE] */
>  	bool			in_select_cpu;
> -- 
> 2.54.0
>