[PATCH v2] sched/cache: honor migrate_llc_task semantics in active load balance
From: Lu Wang
Date: Sun Aug 09 2026 - 06:54:11 EST
A passive load-balance pass marks group_llc_balance as migrate_llc_task
and queues active balance when it cannot move a task. The CPU stopper
callback constructs a fresh lb_env, so select the stopper callback when
queueing active balance to preserve the migration semantics across the
asynchronous boundary.
For CAS-directed active balance, reject a candidate whose preferred LLC
does not match the destination LLC. This keeps the fallback from moving
a task away from its preferred LLC.
Fixes: e4c9a4cb244a (\"sched/cache: Add migrate_llc_task migration type for cache-aware balancing\")
Suggested-by: \"Chen, Yu C\" <yu.c.chen@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Lu Wang <wanglu.priv@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- Select the stopper callback at kick time to preserve
migrate_llc_task semantics in active load balance without passing
migration_type across the stopper, which affects delayed-dequeue tasks.
- Link to V1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260801122252.2476258-1-wanglu.priv@xxxxxxxxx/
kernel/sched/fair.c | 56 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 50 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/sched/fair.c b/kernel/sched/fair.c
index d78467ec6..37a470c41 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/fair.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/fair.c
@@ -10254,6 +10254,7 @@ enum migration_type {
#define LBF_SOME_PINNED 0x08
#define LBF_ACTIVE_LB 0x10
#define LBF_LLC_PINNED 0x20
+#define LBF_ACTIVE_LB_LLC 0x40
struct lb_env {
struct sched_domain *sd;
@@ -10645,6 +10646,20 @@ alb_break_llc(struct lb_env *env)
return false;
}
+/*
+ * Returns true if p's preferred LLC does not match the destination CPU
+ * under migrate_llc_task semantics. Passive LB passes migrate_llc_task
+ * in migration_type, while active LB carries it in LBF_ACTIVE_LB_LLC.
+ */
+static inline bool
+migrate_llc_task_wrong_dst(struct task_struct *p, struct lb_env *env)
+{
+ return sched_cache_enabled() &&
+ (env->migration_type == migrate_llc_task ||
+ env->flags & LBF_ACTIVE_LB_LLC) &&
+ READ_ONCE(p->preferred_llc) != llc_id(env->dst_cpu);
+}
+
/*
* Check if migrating task p from env->src_cpu to
* env->dst_cpu breaks LLC localiy.
@@ -10673,8 +10688,7 @@ static bool migrate_degrades_llc(struct task_struct *p, struct lb_env *env)
* run on env->dst_cpu, skip the tasks do not prefer
* env->dst_cpu, and find the one that prefers.
*/
- if (env->migration_type == migrate_llc_task &&
- READ_ONCE(p->preferred_llc) != llc_id(env->dst_cpu))
+ if (migrate_llc_task_wrong_dst(p, env))
return true;
if (can_migrate_llc_task(env->src_cpu,
@@ -10697,6 +10711,12 @@ alb_break_llc(struct lb_env *env)
return false;
}
+static inline bool
+migrate_llc_task_wrong_dst(struct task_struct *p, struct lb_env *env)
+{
+ return false;
+}
+
static inline bool
migrate_degrades_llc(struct task_struct *p, struct lb_env *env)
{
@@ -10796,7 +10816,7 @@ int can_migrate_task(struct task_struct *p, struct lb_env *env)
* 4) too many balance attempts have failed.
*/
if (env->flags & LBF_ACTIVE_LB)
- return 1;
+ return !migrate_llc_task_wrong_dst(p, env);
degrades = migrate_degrades_locality(p, env);
if (!degrades) {
@@ -13156,6 +13176,20 @@ static int need_active_balance(struct lb_env *env)
}
static int active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data);
+static int active_load_balance_llc_cpu_stop(void *data);
+
+/*
+ * migration_type is checked elsewhere to decide migration policy, so
+ * it shouldn't be repurposed just to flag an LLC-directed active
+ * balance across the stopper. Pick the callback here instead.
+ */
+static inline cpu_stop_fn_t alb_stop_fn(struct lb_env *env)
+{
+ if (env->migration_type == migrate_llc_task)
+ return active_load_balance_llc_cpu_stop;
+
+ return active_load_balance_cpu_stop;
+}
static int should_we_balance(struct lb_env *env)
{
@@ -13492,7 +13526,7 @@ static int sched_balance_rq(int this_cpu, struct rq *this_rq,
raw_spin_rq_unlock_irqrestore(busiest, flags);
if (active_balance) {
stop_one_cpu_nowait(cpu_of(busiest),
- active_load_balance_cpu_stop, busiest,
+ alb_stop_fn(&env), busiest,
&busiest->active_balance_work);
}
preempt_enable();
@@ -13603,7 +13637,7 @@ update_next_balance(struct sched_domain *sd, unsigned long *next_balance)
* least 1 task to be running on each physical CPU where possible, and
* avoids physical / logical imbalances.
*/
-static int active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data)
+static int __active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data, unsigned int lb_flags)
{
struct rq *busiest_rq = data;
int busiest_cpu = cpu_of(busiest_rq);
@@ -13653,7 +13687,7 @@ static int active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data)
.src_cpu = busiest_rq->cpu,
.src_rq = busiest_rq,
.idle = CPU_IDLE,
- .flags = LBF_ACTIVE_LB,
+ .flags = LBF_ACTIVE_LB | lb_flags,
};
schedstat_inc(sd->alb_count);
@@ -13681,6 +13715,16 @@ static int active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data)
return 0;
}
+static int active_load_balance_cpu_stop(void *data)
+{
+ return __active_load_balance_cpu_stop(data, 0);
+}
+
+static int active_load_balance_llc_cpu_stop(void *data)
+{
+ return __active_load_balance_cpu_stop(data, LBF_ACTIVE_LB_LLC);
+}
+
/*
* Scale the max sched_balance_rq interval with the number of CPUs in the system.
* This trades load-balance latency on larger machines for less cross talk.
--
2.43.0