Re: [PATCH net V1 3/3] veth: more robust handing of race to avoid txq getting stuck

[Jesper Dangaard Brouer]

On 23/10/2025 16.59, Jesper Dangaard Brouer wrote:
[...]
> ---
>   drivers/net/veth.c |   42 +++++++++++++++++++++---------------------
>   1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/drivers/net/veth.c b/drivers/net/veth.c
> index 3976ddda5fb8..1d70377481eb 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/veth.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/veth.c
> @@ -392,14 +392,12 @@ static netdev_tx_t veth_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
>   		}
>   		/* Restore Eth hdr pulled by dev_forward_skb/eth_type_trans */
>   		__skb_push(skb, ETH_HLEN);
> -		/* Depend on prior success packets started NAPI consumer via
> -		 * __veth_xdp_flush(). Cancel TXQ stop if consumer stopped,
> -		 * paired with empty check in veth_poll().
> -		 */
>   		netif_tx_stop_queue(txq);
> -		smp_mb__after_atomic();
> -		if (unlikely(__ptr_ring_empty(&rq->xdp_ring)))
> -			netif_tx_wake_queue(txq);
> +		/* Handle race: Makes sure NAPI peer consumer runs. Consumer is
> +		 * responsible for starting txq again, until then ndo_start_xmit
> +		 * (this function) will not be invoked by the netstack again.
> +		 */
> +		__veth_xdp_flush(rq);
>   		break;
>   	case NET_RX_DROP: /* same as NET_XMIT_DROP */
>   drop:
[...]
> @@ -986,7 +979,8 @@ static int veth_poll(struct napi_struct *napi, int budget)
>   	if (done < budget && napi_complete_done(napi, done)) {
>   		/* Write rx_notify_masked before reading ptr_ring */
>   		smp_store_mb(rq->rx_notify_masked, false);
> -		if (unlikely(!__ptr_ring_empty(&rq->xdp_ring))) {
> +		if (unlikely(!__ptr_ring_empty(&rq->xdp_ring) ||
> +			     (peer_txq && netif_tx_queue_stopped(peer_txq)))) {
>   			if (napi_schedule_prep(&rq->xdp_napi)) {
>   				WRITE_ONCE(rq->rx_notify_masked, true);
>   				__napi_schedule(&rq->xdp_napi);
> @@ -998,6 +992,12 @@ static int veth_poll(struct napi_struct *napi, int budget)
>   		veth_xdp_flush(rq, &bq);
>   	xdp_clear_return_frame_no_direct();
>   
> +	/* Release backpressure per NAPI poll */
> +	if (peer_txq && netif_tx_queue_stopped(peer_txq)) {
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The check netif_tx_queue_stopped() use a non-atomic test_bit().
Thus, I'm considering adding a smp_rmb() before the if statement, to be
paired with the netif_tx_stop_queue() in veth_xmit().


> +		txq_trans_cond_update(peer_txq);
> +		netif_tx_wake_queue(peer_txq);
> +	}
> +
>   	return done;
>   }

--Jesper