Re: [patch v7 02/10] add prctl task isolation prctl docs and samples

[Marcelo Tosatti]

On Tue, Nov 23, 2021 at 03:37:26PM +0100, Frederic Weisbecker wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 12, 2021 at 09:35:33AM -0300, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
> > +**PR_ISOL_CFG_GET**:
> > +
> > +        Retrieve task isolation configuration.
> > +        The general format is::
> > +
> > +                prctl(PR_ISOL_CFG_GET, what, arg3, arg4, arg5);
> > +
> > +        The 'what' argument specifies what to configure. Possible values are:
> > +
> > +        - ``I_CFG_FEAT``:
> > +
> > +                Return configuration of task isolation features. The 'arg3' argument specifies
> > +                whether to return configured features (if zero), or individual
> > +                feature configuration (if not zero), as follows.
> > +
> > +                - ``0``:
> > +
> > +                        Return the bitmask of configured features, in the location
> > +                        pointed  to  by  ``(int *)arg4``. The buffer should allow space
> > +                        for 8 bytes.
> > +
> > +                - ``ISOL_F_QUIESCE``:
> > +
> > +                        If arg4 is QUIESCE_CONTROL, return the control structure for
> > +                        quiescing of background kernel activities, in the location
> > +                        pointed to by ``(int *)arg5``::
> > +
> > +                         struct task_isol_quiesce_control {
> > +                                __u64 flags;
> > +                                __u64 quiesce_mask;
> > +                                __u64 quiesce_oneshot_mask;
> > +                                __u64 pad[5];
> > +                         };
> > +
> > +                        See PR_ISOL_CFG_GET description for meaning of
> > fields.
> 
> PR_ISOL_CFG_SET ?

Yes, _SET.

> [...]
> > +
> > +                        *quiesce_oneshot_mask*: A bitmask indicating which kernel
> > +                        activities should behave in oneshot mode, that is, quiescing
> > +                        will happen on return from prctl(PR_ISOL_ACTIVATE_SET), but not
> > +                        on return of subsequent system calls. The corresponding bit(s)
> > +                        must also be set at quiesce_mask.
> 
> Don't forget to mention interrupts and exceptions.

OK.

> > +
> > +                        *pad*: Additional space for future enhancements.
> > +
> > +                        For quiesce_mask (and quiesce_oneshot_mask), possible bit sets are:
> > +
> > +                        - ``ISOL_F_QUIESCE_VMSTATS``
> > +
> > +                        VM statistics are maintained in per-CPU counters to
> > +                        improve performance. When a CPU modifies a VM statistic,
> > +                        this modification is kept in the per-CPU counter.
> > +                        Certain activities require a global count, which
> > +                        involves requesting each CPU to flush its local counters
> > +                        to the global VM counters.
> > +
> > +                        This flush is implemented via a workqueue item, which
> > +                        might schedule a workqueue on isolated CPUs.
> > +
> > +                        To avoid this interruption, task isolation can be
> > +                        configured to, upon return from system calls, synchronize
> > +                        the per-CPU counters to global counters, thus avoiding
> > +                        the interruption.
> > +
> > +        - ``I_CFG_INHERIT``:
> > +                Set inheritance configuration when a new task
> > +                is created via fork and clone.
> > +
> > +                The ``(int *)arg4`` argument is a pointer to::
> > +
> > +                        struct task_isol_inherit_control {
> > +                                __u8    inherit_mask;
> > +                                __u8    pad[7];
> > +                        };
> > +
> > +                inherit_mask is a bitmask that specifies which part
> > +                of task isolation should be inherited:
> > +
> > +                - Bit ISOL_INHERIT_CONF: Inherit task isolation configuration.
> > +                  This is the state written via prctl(PR_ISOL_CFG_SET, ...).
> > +
> > +                - Bit ISOL_INHERIT_ACTIVE: Inherit task isolation activation
> > +                  (requires ISOL_INHERIT_CONF to be set). The new task
> > +                  should behave, after fork/clone, in the same manner
> > +                  as the parent task after it executed:
> > +
> > +                        prctl(PR_ISOL_ACTIVATE_SET, &mask, ...);
> 
> I'm confused, what is the purpose of ISOL_INHERIT_CONF?

When ISOL_INHERIT_CONF is set, task isolation configuration (everything
configured through PR_ISOL_CFG_SET) is copied across fork/clone
(but not activation) so one can:

	1) configure task isolation (with chisol, for example).
	2) activate task isolation from the latency sensitive app:

+This is a snippet of code to activate task isolation if
+it has been previously configured (by chisol for example)::
+
+        #include <sys/prctl.h>
+        #include <linux/types.h>
+
+        #ifdef PR_ISOL_CFG_GET
+        unsigned long long fmask;
+
+        ret = prctl(PR_ISOL_CFG_GET, I_CFG_FEAT, 0, &fmask, 0);
+        if (ret != -1 && fmask != 0) {
+                ret = prctl(PR_ISOL_ACTIVATE_SET, &fmask, 0, 0, 0);
+                if (ret == -1) {
+                        perror("prctl PR_ISOL_ACTIVATE_SET");
+                        return ret;
+                }
+        }
+        #endif

Regarding the 3 possible modes of operation and their relation 
to ISOL_INHERIT_CONF / ISOL_INHERIT_ACTIVE:

+This results in three combinations:
+
+1. Both configuration and activation performed by the
+latency sensitive application.
+Allows fine grained control of what task isolation
+features are enabled and when (see samples section below).

	inherit_mask = 0

+2. Only activation can be performed by the latency sensitive app
+(and configuration performed by chisol).
+This allows the admin/user to control task isolation parameters,
+and applications have to be modified only once.

	inherit_mask = ISOL_INHERIT_CONF

+3. Configuration and activation performed by an external tool.
+This allows unmodified applications to take advantage of
+task isolation. Activation is performed by the "-a" option
+of chisol.

	inherit_mask = ISOL_INHERIT_ACTIVE