Re: [PATCH RFC] sched: Disable DL server if sysctl_sched_rt_runtime is -1

[Steven Rostedt]

On Tue,  4 Mar 2025 15:01:16 -0500
Joel Fernandes <joelagnelf@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Currently, RCU boost testing in rcutorture is broken because it relies on
> having RT throttling disabled. This means the test will always pass (or
> rarely fail). This occurs because recently, RT throttling was replaced
> by DL server which boosts CFS tasks even when rcutorture tried to
> disable throttling (see rcu_torture_disable_rt_throttle()).
> 
> Therefore this patch prevents DL server from starting when RC torture
> sets the sysctl_sched_rt_runtime to -1.
> 
> With this patch, boosting in TREE09 fails more than 50% of boost attempts
> making the test more useful.
> 
> Also add a check of this to task_non_contending() because otherwise it
> throws a warning (in the case when DL server was already started before
> rcutorture started).
> 

Hmm, I wonder if dl_server caused a regression. That is, disabling rt
throttling should allow RT tasks to starve anything it wants. And some RT
applications rely on this.

Should this include a Fixes and Cc stable?

-- Steve


> Signed-off-by: Joel Fernandes <joelagnelf@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  kernel/sched/deadline.c | 9 ++++++++-
>  1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/kernel/sched/deadline.c b/kernel/sched/deadline.c
> index 38e4537790af..09c5139a3183 100644
> --- a/kernel/sched/deadline.c
> +++ b/kernel/sched/deadline.c
> @@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ static void task_non_contending(struct sched_dl_entity *dl_se)
>  	if (dl_entity_is_special(dl_se))
>  		return;
>  
> -	WARN_ON(dl_se->dl_non_contending);
> +	WARN_ON(dl_se->dl_non_contending && rt_bandwidth_enabled());
>  
>  	zerolag_time = dl_se->deadline -
>  		 div64_long((dl_se->runtime * dl_se->dl_period),
> @@ -1648,6 +1648,13 @@ void dl_server_start(struct sched_dl_entity *dl_se)
>  {
>  	struct rq *rq = dl_se->rq;
>  
> +	/*
> +	 * Prevent dl_server from starting if RT bandwidth is not enabled.
> +	 * This is used by test code to test RCU boosting.
> +	 */
> +	if (!rt_bandwidth_enabled())
> +		return;
> +
>  	/*
>  	 * XXX: the apply do not work fine at the init phase for the
>  	 * fair server because things are not yet set. We need to improve