[PATCH 3/6] sched_ext: Replace SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP with a dispatch verdict return

From: Tejun Heo

Date: Fri Aug 07 2026 - 17:07:59 EST


SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP tells the pick to keep running the previous task, a leftover
from when balancing and picking were separate operations. An rq-level flag
only works while dispatches and picks pair up one to one, which core
scheduling breaks: selections interleave through dispatch's lock drops and a
pick can consume a stale flag, keeping a task that has since been dequeued.
Fixing core scheduling support requires the decision to travel with the
dispatch that made it. Make scx_dispatch_sched() and balance_one() return an
explicit verdict instead.

Also factor the pick-side invocation, its follow-up queueing and the
post-dispatch checks out of do_pick_task_scx() into dispatch_pick(). No
functional changes intended.

Fixes: 4c95380701f5 ("sched/ext: Fold balance_scx() into pick_task_scx()")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx # v6.19+
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/ext/ext.c | 124 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------
kernel/sched/sched.h | 1 -
2 files changed, 73 insertions(+), 52 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index 18183062f751..ffbe4f7edc99 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -2774,12 +2774,19 @@ static inline void maybe_queue_balance_callback(struct rq *rq)
rq->scx.flags &= ~SCX_RQ_BAL_CB_PENDING;
}

+/* what dispatch concluded, consumed by the pick that follows */
+enum scx_dsp_verdict {
+ SCX_DSP_NONE, /* nothing to run */
+ SCX_DSP_LOCAL, /* local DSQ has tasks */
+ SCX_DSP_PREV, /* keep running @prev */
+};
+
/*
* One user of this function is scx_bpf_dispatch() which can be called
* recursively as sub-sched dispatches nest. Always inline to reduce stack usage
* from the call frame.
*/
-static __always_inline bool
+static __always_inline enum scx_dsp_verdict
scx_dispatch_sched(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
struct task_struct *prev, bool nested)
{
@@ -2790,12 +2797,15 @@ scx_dispatch_sched(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
scx_task_on_sched(sch, prev);

if (consume_global_dsq(sch, rq))
- return true;
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;

if (bypass_dsp_enabled(sch)) {
/* if @sch is bypassing, only the bypass DSQs are active */
- if (scx_bypassing(sch, cpu))
- return consume_dispatch_q(sch, rq, bypass_dsq(sch, cpu), 0);
+ if (scx_bypassing(sch, cpu)) {
+ if (consume_dispatch_q(sch, rq, bypass_dsq(sch, cpu), 0))
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;
+ return SCX_DSP_NONE;
+ }

#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
/*
@@ -2815,13 +2825,13 @@ scx_dispatch_sched(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
if (!(pcpu->bypass_host_seq++ % SCX_BYPASS_HOST_NTH) &&
consume_dispatch_q(sch, rq, bypass_dsq(sch, cpu), 0)) {
__scx_add_event(sch, SCX_EV_SUB_BYPASS_DISPATCH, 1);
- return true;
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;
}
#endif /* CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED */
}

if (unlikely(!SCX_HAS_OP(sch, dispatch)) || !scx_rq_online(rq))
- return false;
+ return SCX_DSP_NONE;

dspc->rq = rq;

@@ -2848,14 +2858,12 @@ scx_dispatch_sched(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,

flush_dispatch_buf(sch, rq);

- if ((prev->scx.flags & SCX_TASK_QUEUED) && prev->scx.slice) {
- rq->scx.flags |= SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP;
- return true;
- }
+ if ((prev->scx.flags & SCX_TASK_QUEUED) && prev->scx.slice)
+ return SCX_DSP_PREV;
if (rq->scx.local_dsq.nr)
- return true;
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;
if (consume_global_dsq(sch, rq))
- return true;
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;

/*
* ops.dispatch() can trap us in this loop by repeatedly
@@ -2877,20 +2885,20 @@ scx_dispatch_sched(struct scx_sched *sch, struct rq *rq,
* queued. Without this fallback, bypassed tasks could stall if the host
* scheduler's ops.dispatch() doesn't yield any tasks.
*/
- if (bypass_dsp_enabled(sch))
- return consume_dispatch_q(sch, rq, bypass_dsq(sch, cpu), 0);
+ if (bypass_dsp_enabled(sch) && consume_dispatch_q(sch, rq, bypass_dsq(sch, cpu), 0))
+ return SCX_DSP_LOCAL;

- return false;
+ return SCX_DSP_NONE;
}

-static int balance_one(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *prev)
+static enum scx_dsp_verdict balance_one(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *prev)
{
struct scx_sched *sch = scx_root;
+ enum scx_dsp_verdict verdict;
s32 cpu = cpu_of(rq);

lockdep_assert_rq_held(rq);
rq->scx.flags |= SCX_RQ_IN_BALANCE;
- rq->scx.flags &= ~SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP;

if ((sch->ops.flags & SCX_OPS_HAS_CPU_PREEMPT) &&
unlikely(rq->scx.cpu_released)) {
@@ -2920,16 +2928,19 @@ static int balance_one(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *prev)
*/
if ((prev->scx.flags & SCX_TASK_QUEUED) && prev->scx.slice &&
!scx_bypassing(sch, cpu)) {
- rq->scx.flags |= SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP;
+ verdict = SCX_DSP_PREV;
goto has_tasks;
}
}

/* if there already are tasks to run, nothing to do */
- if (rq->scx.local_dsq.nr)
+ if (rq->scx.local_dsq.nr) {
+ verdict = SCX_DSP_LOCAL;
goto has_tasks;
+ }

- if (scx_dispatch_sched(sch, rq, prev, false))
+ verdict = scx_dispatch_sched(sch, rq, prev, false);
+ if (verdict != SCX_DSP_NONE)
goto has_tasks;

/*
@@ -2938,12 +2949,12 @@ static int balance_one(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *prev)
*/
if ((prev->scx.flags & SCX_TASK_QUEUED) &&
(!(sch->ops.flags & SCX_OPS_ENQ_LAST) || scx_bypassing(sch, cpu))) {
- rq->scx.flags |= SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP;
__scx_add_event(sch, SCX_EV_DISPATCH_KEEP_LAST, 1);
+ verdict = SCX_DSP_PREV;
goto has_tasks;
}
rq->scx.flags &= ~SCX_RQ_IN_BALANCE;
- return false;
+ return SCX_DSP_NONE;

has_tasks:
/*
@@ -2960,7 +2971,7 @@ static int balance_one(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *prev)
schedule_reenq_local(rq, 0);

rq->scx.flags &= ~SCX_RQ_IN_BALANCE;
- return true;
+ return verdict;
}

static void set_next_task_scx(struct rq *rq, struct task_struct *p, bool first)
@@ -3179,27 +3190,23 @@ static struct task_struct *first_local_task(struct rq *rq)
struct task_struct, scx.dsq_list.node);
}

-static struct task_struct *
-do_pick_task_scx(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf, bool force_scx)
+/*
+ * Run dispatch and queue the follow-up work for a pick.
+ */
+static enum scx_dsp_verdict dispatch_pick(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf,
+ struct task_struct *prev)
{
- struct task_struct *prev = rq->curr;
- bool keep_prev;
- struct task_struct *p;
-
- /* see kick_sync_wait_bal_cb() */
- smp_store_release(&rq->scx.kick_sync, rq->scx.kick_sync + 1);
-
- rq_modified_begin(rq, &ext_sched_class);
+ enum scx_dsp_verdict verdict;

rq_unpin_lock(rq, rf);
- balance_one(rq, prev);
+ verdict = balance_one(rq, prev);
rq_repin_lock(rq, rf);
maybe_queue_balance_callback(rq);

/*
- * Defer to a balance callback which can drop rq lock and enable
- * IRQs. Waiting directly in the pick path would deadlock against
- * CPUs sending us IPIs (e.g. TLB flushes) while we wait for them.
+ * Defer to a balance callback which can drop rq lock and enable IRQs.
+ * Waiting directly in the pick path would deadlock against CPUs sending
+ * us IPIs (e.g. TLB flushes) while we wait for them.
*/
if (unlikely(rq->scx.kick_sync_pending)) {
rq->scx.kick_sync_pending = false;
@@ -3207,10 +3214,32 @@ do_pick_task_scx(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf, bool force_scx)
kick_sync_wait_bal_cb);
}

+ if (unlikely(verdict == SCX_DSP_PREV && prev->sched_class != &ext_sched_class)) {
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_enable_state() == SCX_ENABLED);
+ verdict = SCX_DSP_LOCAL;
+ }
+
+ return verdict;
+}
+
+static struct task_struct *
+do_pick_task_scx(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf, bool force_scx)
+{
+ struct task_struct *prev = rq->curr;
+ enum scx_dsp_verdict verdict;
+ struct task_struct *p;
+
+ /* see kick_sync_wait_bal_cb() */
+ smp_store_release(&rq->scx.kick_sync, rq->scx.kick_sync + 1);
+
+ rq_modified_begin(rq, &ext_sched_class);
+
+ verdict = dispatch_pick(rq, rf, prev);
+
/*
- * If any higher-priority sched class enqueued a runnable task on
- * this rq during balance_one(), abort and return RETRY_TASK, so
- * that the scheduler loop can restart.
+ * If any higher-priority sched class enqueued a runnable task on this
+ * rq during balance_one(), abort and return RETRY_TASK, so that the
+ * scheduler loop can restart.
*
* If @force_scx is true, always try to pick a SCHED_EXT task,
* regardless of any higher-priority sched classes activity.
@@ -3218,19 +3247,12 @@ do_pick_task_scx(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf, bool force_scx)
if (!force_scx && rq_modified_above(rq, &ext_sched_class))
return RETRY_TASK;

- keep_prev = rq->scx.flags & SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP;
- if (unlikely(keep_prev &&
- prev->sched_class != &ext_sched_class)) {
- WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_enable_state() == SCX_ENABLED);
- keep_prev = false;
- }
-
/*
* If balance_one() is telling us to keep running @prev, replenish slice
* if necessary and keep running @prev. Otherwise, pop the first one
* from the local DSQ.
*/
- if (keep_prev) {
+ if (verdict == SCX_DSP_PREV) {
p = prev;
if (!p->scx.slice)
refill_task_slice_dfl(scx_task_sched(p), p);
@@ -5573,7 +5595,7 @@ static void disable_bypass_dsp(struct scx_sched *sch)
*
* - ops.dispatch() is ignored.
*
- * - balance_one() does not set %SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP on non-zero slice as slice
+ * - balance_one() does not report %SCX_DSP_PREV on non-zero slice as slice
* can't be trusted. Whenever a tick triggers, the running task is rotated to
* the tail of the queue with core_sched_at touched.
*
@@ -9201,8 +9223,8 @@ __bpf_kfunc bool scx_bpf_sub_dispatch(u64 cgroup_id, const struct bpf_prog_aux *
return false;
}

- return scx_dispatch_sched(child, this_rq, this_rq->scx.sub_dispatch_prev,
- true);
+ return scx_dispatch_sched(child, this_rq, this_rq->scx.sub_dispatch_prev, true) !=
+ SCX_DSP_NONE;
}
#endif /* CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED */

diff --git a/kernel/sched/sched.h b/kernel/sched/sched.h
index 450b6a04669f..14c2df6fd9af 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/sched.h
+++ b/kernel/sched/sched.h
@@ -784,7 +784,6 @@ enum scx_rq_flags {
*/
SCX_RQ_ONLINE = 1 << 0,
SCX_RQ_CAN_STOP_TICK = 1 << 1,
- SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP = 1 << 3, /* balance decided to keep current */
SCX_RQ_CLK_VALID = 1 << 5, /* RQ clock is fresh and valid */
SCX_RQ_BAL_CB_PENDING = 1 << 6, /* must queue a cb after dispatching */

--
2.55.0