[PATCH net v3] net: ntb_netdev: Fix statistics races

From: Koichiro Den

Date: Sun Aug 30 2026 - 11:17:50 EST


ntb_netdev updates shared net_device stats from per-QP RX and TX
callbacks. Once multiple queues are enabled, concurrent updates can be
lost.

Use per-CPU tstats for packet and byte counters and DEV_STATS_INC() for
less frequent drop and error counters. Callbacks can run synchronously
in the xmit path or asynchronously from a tasklet or the memcpy kthread.
Pin TX updates against migration in the kthread path. Use the IRQ-safe
u64_stats helpers because netpoll can invoke the synchronous path with
IRQs disabled.

Let the core manage tstats while keeping transport teardown after
unregister_netdev(), outside RTNL. RCU lets unregister wait for TX
completions already updating stats, while later completions only consume
the skb and skip accounting and queue wake.

Fixes: 24d9e73c7e00 ("net: ntb_netdev: Support ethtool channels for multi-queue")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Suggested-by: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Koichiro Den <den@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v3:
- Use core-managed tstats and gate TX callback work under RCU (Jakub)
- Fix reverse xmas tree ordering overlooked in v2

Changes in v2:
- Make packet and byte updates IRQ-safe in netpoll context (Simon, Sashiko)
- Use device-managed tstats and restore the original teardown order

@Eric, thanks for reviewing v2. v3 moves tstats management back to the
core and adds RCU protection following Jakub's suggestion, so I did not
carry your R-b tag. Would appreciate another look when you have cycles.

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260824025720.3520288-1-den@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260828154122.2643578-1-den@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/

Note: this is the follow-up mentioned here:
https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260819172539.1450821-1-den@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
The related TX and RX fixes already landed in net.
---
drivers/net/ntb_netdev.c | 47 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 34 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ntb_netdev.c b/drivers/net/ntb_netdev.c
index 9c171697e762..2c04be6d61a8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ntb_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ntb_netdev.c
@@ -127,8 +127,10 @@ static void ntb_netdev_rx_handler(struct ntb_transport_qp *qp, void *qp_data,
{
struct ntb_netdev_queue *q = qp_data;
struct ntb_netdev *dev = q->ntdev;
+ struct pcpu_sw_netstats *tstats;
struct sk_buff *skb, *new_skb;
struct net_device *ndev;
+ unsigned long flags;
int rc;

ndev = dev->ndev;
@@ -139,17 +141,20 @@ static void ntb_netdev_rx_handler(struct ntb_transport_qp *qp, void *qp_data,
netdev_dbg(ndev, "%s: %d byte payload received\n", __func__, len);

if (len < 0) {
- ndev->stats.rx_errors++;
- ndev->stats.rx_length_errors++;
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, rx_errors);
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, rx_length_errors);
goto enqueue_again;
}

- ndev->stats.rx_packets++;
- ndev->stats.rx_bytes += len;
+ tstats = this_cpu_ptr(ndev->tstats);
+ flags = u64_stats_update_begin_irqsave(&tstats->syncp);
+ u64_stats_inc(&tstats->rx_packets);
+ u64_stats_add(&tstats->rx_bytes, len);
+ u64_stats_update_end_irqrestore(&tstats->syncp, flags);

new_skb = netdev_alloc_skb(ndev, ndev->mtu + ETH_HLEN);
if (!new_skb) {
- ndev->stats.rx_dropped++;
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, rx_dropped);
goto enqueue_again;
}

@@ -166,8 +171,8 @@ static void ntb_netdev_rx_handler(struct ntb_transport_qp *qp, void *qp_data,
rc = ntb_transport_rx_enqueue(qp, skb, skb->data, ndev->mtu + ETH_HLEN);
if (rc) {
dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
- ndev->stats.rx_errors++;
- ndev->stats.rx_fifo_errors++;
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, rx_errors);
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, rx_fifo_errors);
}
}

@@ -210,25 +215,39 @@ static void ntb_netdev_tx_handler(struct ntb_transport_qp *qp, void *qp_data,
{
struct ntb_netdev_queue *q = qp_data;
struct ntb_netdev *dev = q->ntdev;
+ struct pcpu_sw_netstats *tstats;
struct net_device *ndev;
struct sk_buff *skb;
+ unsigned long flags;
+ bool registered;

ndev = dev->ndev;
skb = data;
if (!skb || !ndev)
return;

+ rcu_read_lock();
+ registered = READ_ONCE(ndev->reg_state) == NETREG_REGISTERED;
+ if (!registered)
+ goto free_skb;
+
if (len > 0) {
- ndev->stats.tx_packets++;
- ndev->stats.tx_bytes += skb->len;
+ /* The memcpy kthread can migrate, so pin the per-CPU update. */
+ tstats = get_cpu_ptr(ndev->tstats);
+ flags = u64_stats_update_begin_irqsave(&tstats->syncp);
+ u64_stats_inc(&tstats->tx_packets);
+ u64_stats_add(&tstats->tx_bytes, skb->len);
+ u64_stats_update_end_irqrestore(&tstats->syncp, flags);
+ put_cpu_ptr(ndev->tstats);
} else {
- ndev->stats.tx_errors++;
- ndev->stats.tx_aborted_errors++;
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, tx_errors);
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, tx_aborted_errors);
}

+free_skb:
dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);

- if (ntb_transport_tx_free_entry(qp) >= tx_start) {
+ if (registered && ntb_transport_tx_free_entry(qp) >= tx_start) {
/* Make sure anybody stopping the queue after this sees the new
* value of ntb_transport_tx_free_entry()
*/
@@ -237,6 +256,7 @@ static void ntb_netdev_tx_handler(struct ntb_transport_qp *qp, void *qp_data,
ntb_transport_link_query(q->qp))
netif_wake_subqueue(ndev, q->qid);
}
+ rcu_read_unlock();
}

static const struct ntb_queue_handlers ntb_netdev_handlers = {
@@ -277,7 +297,7 @@ static netdev_tx_t ntb_netdev_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,

drop:
dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
- ndev->stats.tx_dropped++;
+ DEV_STATS_INC(ndev, tx_dropped);
return NETDEV_TX_OK;
}

@@ -647,6 +667,7 @@ static int ntb_netdev_probe(struct device *client_dev)
}

ndev->features = NETIF_F_HIGHDMA;
+ ndev->pcpu_stat_type = NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_TSTATS;

ndev->priv_flags |= IFF_LIVE_ADDR_CHANGE;


base-commit: 2188569e7e1b0bc3f3b557dc97ab7a02befc11c8
--
2.51.0