Re: [PATCH v2 07/23] sched/cache: Introduce per runqueue task LLC preference counter

From: Tim Chen
Date: Wed Dec 10 2025 - 13:36:42 EST


On Wed, 2025-12-10 at 13:43 +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 03, 2025 at 03:07:26PM -0800, Tim Chen wrote:
>
> > +static int resize_llc_pref(void)
> > +{
> > + unsigned int *__percpu *tmp_llc_pref;
> > + int i, ret = 0;
> > +
> > + if (new_max_llcs <= max_llcs)
> > + return 0;
> > +
> > + /*
> > + * Allocate temp percpu pointer for old llc_pref,
> > + * which will be released after switching to the
> > + * new buffer.
> > + */
> > + tmp_llc_pref = alloc_percpu_noprof(unsigned int *);
> > + if (!tmp_llc_pref)
> > + return -ENOMEM;
> > +
> > + for_each_present_cpu(i)
> > + *per_cpu_ptr(tmp_llc_pref, i) = NULL;
> > +
> > + /*
> > + * Resize the per rq nr_pref_llc buffer and
> > + * switch to this new buffer.
> > + */
> > + for_each_present_cpu(i) {
> > + struct rq_flags rf;
> > + unsigned int *new;
> > + struct rq *rq;
> > +
> > + rq = cpu_rq(i);
> > + new = alloc_new_pref_llcs(rq->nr_pref_llc, per_cpu_ptr(tmp_llc_pref, i));
> > + if (!new) {
> > + ret = -ENOMEM;
> > +
> > + goto release_old;
> > + }
> > +
> > + /*
> > + * Locking rq ensures that rq->nr_pref_llc values
> > + * don't change with new task enqueue/dequeue
> > + * when we repopulate the newly enlarged array.
> > + */
> > + rq_lock_irqsave(rq, &rf);
> > + populate_new_pref_llcs(rq->nr_pref_llc, new);
> > + rq->nr_pref_llc = new;
> > + rq_unlock_irqrestore(rq, &rf);
> > + }
> > +
> > +release_old:
> > + /*
> > + * Load balance is done under rcu_lock.
> > + * Wait for load balance before and during resizing to
> > + * be done. They may refer to old nr_pref_llc[]
> > + * that hasn't been resized.
> > + */
> > + synchronize_rcu();
> > + for_each_present_cpu(i)
> > + kfree(*per_cpu_ptr(tmp_llc_pref, i));
> > +
> > + free_percpu(tmp_llc_pref);
> > +
> > + /* succeed and update */
> > + if (!ret)
> > + max_llcs = new_max_llcs;
> > +
> > + return ret;
> > +}
>
> > @@ -2674,6 +2787,8 @@ build_sched_domains(const struct cpumask *cpu_map, struct sched_domain_attr *att
> > if (has_cluster)
> > static_branch_inc_cpuslocked(&sched_cluster_active);
> >
> > + resize_llc_pref();
> > +
> > if (rq && sched_debug_verbose)
> > pr_info("root domain span: %*pbl\n", cpumask_pr_args(cpu_map));
>
> I suspect people will hate on you for that synchronize_rcu() in there.
>
> Specifically, we do build_sched_domain() for every CPU brought online,
> this means booting 512 CPUs now includes 512 sync_rcu()s.
> Worse, IIRC sync_rcu() is O(n) (or worse -- could be n*ln(n)) in number
> of CPUs, so the total thing will be O(n^2) (or worse) for bringing CPUs
> online.
>
>

Though we only do sychronize_rcu in resize_llc_pref() when we encounter a new LLC, 
and need a larger array of LLCs, and not on
every CPU. That said, I agree that free is better done in a RCU call back
to avoid scynchronize_rcu overhead.

Tim