Re: perf events ring buffer memory barrier on powerpc

From: Michael Neuling
Date: Fri Oct 25 2013 - 16:32:08 EST


> I would argue for:
>
> READ ->data_tail READ ->data_head
> smp_rmb() (A) smp_rmb() (C)
> WRITE $data READ $data
> smp_wmb() (B) smp_mb() (D)
> STORE ->data_head WRITE ->data_tail
>
> Where A pairs with D, and B pairs with C.
>
> I don't think A needs to be a full barrier because we won't in fact
> write data until we see the store from userspace. So we simply don't
> issue the data WRITE until we observe it.
>
> OTOH, D needs to be a full barrier since it separates the data READ from
> the tail WRITE.
>
> For B a WMB is sufficient since it separates two WRITEs, and for C an
> RMB is sufficient since it separates two READs.

FWIW the testing Victor did confirms WMB is good enough on powerpc.

Thanks,
Mikey

>
> ---
> kernel/events/ring_buffer.c | 29 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
> 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
> index cd55144270b5..c91274ef4e23 100644
> --- a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
> +++ b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
> @@ -87,10 +87,31 @@ static void perf_output_put_handle(struct perf_output_handle *handle)
> goto out;
>
> /*
> - * Publish the known good head. Rely on the full barrier implied
> - * by atomic_dec_and_test() order the rb->head read and this
> - * write.
> + * Since the mmap() consumer (userspace) can run on a different CPU:
> + *
> + * kernel user
> + *
> + * READ ->data_tail READ ->data_head
> + * smp_rmb() (A) smp_rmb() (C)
> + * WRITE $data READ $data
> + * smp_wmb() (B) smp_mb() (D)
> + * STORE ->data_head WRITE ->data_tail
> + *
> + * Where A pairs with D, and B pairs with C.
> + *
> + * I don't think A needs to be a full barrier because we won't in fact
> + * write data until we see the store from userspace. So we simply don't
> + * issue the data WRITE until we observe it.
> + *
> + * OTOH, D needs to be a full barrier since it separates the data READ
> + * from the tail WRITE.
> + *
> + * For B a WMB is sufficient since it separates two WRITEs, and for C
> + * an RMB is sufficient since it separates two READs.
> + *
> + * See perf_output_begin().
> */
> + smp_wmb();
> rb->user_page->data_head = head;
>
> /*
> @@ -154,6 +175,8 @@ int perf_output_begin(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
> * Userspace could choose to issue a mb() before updating the
> * tail pointer. So that all reads will be completed before the
> * write is issued.
> + *
> + * See perf_output_put_handle().
> */
> tail = ACCESS_ONCE(rb->user_page->data_tail);
> smp_rmb();
>
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