Re: [PATCH] net: raise RCU qs after each threaded NAPI poll

From: Joel Fernandes
Date: Wed Feb 28 2024 - 16:28:21 EST




> On Feb 28, 2024, at 4:13 PM, Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 03:14:34PM -0500, Joel Fernandes wrote:
>>> On Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 12:18 PM Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 10:37:51AM -0600, Yan Zhai wrote:
>>>> On Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 9:37 AM Joel Fernandes <joel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>> Also optionally, I wonder if calling rcu_tasks_qs() directly is better
>>>>> (for documentation if anything) since the issue is Tasks RCU specific. Also
>>>>> code comment above the rcu_softirq_qs() call about cond_resched() not taking
>>>>> care of Tasks RCU would be great!
>>>>>
>>>> Yes it's quite surprising to me that cond_resched does not help here,
>>>
>>> In theory, it would be possible to make cond_resched() take care of
>>> Tasks RCU. In practice, the lazy-preemption work is looking to get rid
>>> of cond_resched(). But if for some reason cond_resched() needs to stay
>>> around, doing that work might make sense.
>>
>> In my opinion, cond_resched() doing Tasks-RCU QS does not make sense
>> (to me), because cond_resched() is to inform the scheduler to run
>> something else possibly of higher priority while the current task is
>> still runnable. On the other hand, what's not permitted in a Tasks RCU
>> reader is a voluntary sleep. So IMO even though cond_resched() is a
>> voluntary call, it is still not a sleep but rather a preemption point.
>
> From the viewpoint of Task RCU's users, the point is to figure out
> when it is OK to free an already-removed tracing trampoline. The
> current Task RCU implementation relies on the fact that tracing
> trampolines do not do voluntary context switches.

Yes.

>
>> So a Tasks RCU reader should perfectly be able to be scheduled out in
>> the middle of a read-side critical section (in current code) by
>> calling cond_resched(). It is just like involuntary preemption in the
>> middle of a RCU reader, in disguise, Right?
>
> You lost me on this one. This for example is not permitted:
>
> rcu_read_lock();
> cond_resched();
> rcu_read_unlock();
>
> But in a CONFIG_PREEMPT=y kernel, that RCU reader could be preempted.
>
> So cond_resched() looks like a voluntary context switch to me. Recall
> that vanilla non-preemptible RCU will treat them as quiescent states if
> the grace period extends long enough.
>
> What am I missing here?

That we are discussing Tasks-RCU read side section? Sorry I should have been more clear. I thought sleeping was not permitted in Tasks RCU reader, but non-sleep context switches (example involuntarily getting preempted were).

- Joel



>
> Thanx, Paul