Re: [PATCH net-next 05/10] mlx4: Move the bond work to the core driver

[Leon Romanovsky]

On Fri, Aug 04, 2023 at 05:05:22PM +0200, Petr Pavlu wrote:
> Function mlx4_en_queue_bond_work() is used in mlx4_en to start a bond
> reconfiguration. It gathers data about a new port map setting, takes
> a reference on the netdev that triggered the change and queues a work
> object on mlx4_en_priv.mdev.workqueue to perform the operation. The
> scheduled work is mlx4_en_bond_work() which calls
> mlx4_bond()/mlx4_unbond() and consequently mlx4_do_bond().
> 
> At the same time, function mlx4_change_port_types() in mlx4_core might
> be invoked to change the port type configuration. As part of its logic,
> it re-registers the whole device by calling mlx4_unregister_device(),
> followed by mlx4_register_device().
> 
> The two operations can result in concurrent access to the data about
> currently active interfaces on the device.
> 
> Functions mlx4_register_device() and mlx4_unregister_device() lock the
> intf_mutex to gain exclusive access to this data. The current
> implementation of mlx4_do_bond() doesn't do that which could result in
> an unexpected behavior. An updated version of mlx4_do_bond() for use
> with an auxiliary bus goes and locks the intf_mutex when accessing a new
> auxiliary device array.
> 
> However, doing so can then result in the following deadlock:
> * A two-port mlx4 device is configured as an Ethernet bond.
> * One of the ports is changed from eth to ib, for instance, by writing
>   into a mlx4_port<x> sysfs attribute file.
> * mlx4_change_port_types() is called to update port types. It invokes
>   mlx4_unregister_device() to unregister the device which locks the
>   intf_mutex and starts removing all associated interfaces.
> * Function mlx4_en_remove() gets invoked and starts destroying its first
>   netdev. This triggers mlx4_en_netdev_event() which recognizes that the
>   configured bond is broken. It runs mlx4_en_queue_bond_work() which
>   takes a reference on the netdev. Removing the netdev now cannot
>   proceed until the work is completed.
> * Work function mlx4_en_bond_work() gets scheduled. It calls
>   mlx4_unbond() -> mlx4_do_bond(). The latter function tries to lock the
>   intf_mutex but that is not possible because it is held already by
>   mlx4_unregister_device().
> 
> This particular case could be possibly solved by unregistering the
> mlx4_en_netdev_event() notifier in mlx4_en_remove() earlier, but it
> seems better to decouple mlx4_en more and break this reference order.
> 
> Avoid then this scenario by recognizing that the bond reconfiguration
> operates only on a mlx4_dev. The logic to queue and execute the bond
> work can be moved into the mlx4_core driver. Only a reference on the
> respective mlx4_dev object is needed to be taken during the work's
> lifetime. This removes a call from mlx4_en that can directly result in
> needing to lock the intf_mutex, it remains a privilege of the core
> driver.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Petr Pavlu <petr.pavlu@xxxxxxxx>
> Tested-by: Leon Romanovsky <leon@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  .../net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c    | 62 +-----------------
>  drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c     | 65 +++++++++++++++++--
>  drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h     |  5 ++
>  include/linux/mlx4/device.h                   | 13 ++++
>  include/linux/mlx4/driver.h                   | 19 ------
>  5 files changed, 77 insertions(+), 87 deletions(-)
> 

Thanks,
Reviewed-by: Leon Romanovsky <leonro@xxxxxxxxxx>