[PATCH 2/2] jbd2: bound shrinker scans by examined checkpoint buffers

From: Max Kellermann

Date: Mon Jul 13 2026 - 06:25:40 EST


The jbd2 shrinker currently accounts only checkpoint buffers that it
successfully releases against nr_to_scan. Busy buffers therefore do not
consume the scan budget.

If a checkpoint transaction contains mostly busy buffers, the shrinker
can scan its entire checkpoint list while holding journal->j_list_lock.
Large checkpoint lists can result in excessive lock hold times and leave
other CPUs spinning on j_list_lock, causing soft lockups or RCU stalls.

Pass nr_to_scan into journal_shrink_one_cp_list() and decrement it for
every buffer examined, including busy buffers. Pass NULL from checkpoint
cleanup paths so their existing full-list behavior is preserved.

This restores the scan-budget semantics that existed before
journal_shrink_one_cp_list() was changed to always scan a complete
checkpoint list.

Fixes: b98dba273a0e ("jbd2: remove journal_clean_one_cp_list()")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Max Kellermann <max.kellermann@xxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c | 25 +++++++++++++------------
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
index 5266017565ac..513273712010 100644
--- a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
+++ b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
@@ -358,15 +358,16 @@ int jbd2_cleanup_journal_tail(journal_t *journal)
/*
* journal_shrink_one_cp_list
*
- * Find all the written-back checkpoint buffers in the given list
- * and try to release them. If the whole transaction is released, set
- * the 'released' parameter. Return the number of released checkpointed
- * buffers.
+ * Find written-back checkpoint buffers in the given list and try to release
+ * them. If 'nr_to_scan' is set, scan at most that many buffers. If the whole
+ * transaction is released, set the 'released' parameter. Return the number of
+ * released checkpointed buffers.
*
* Called with j_list_lock held.
*/
static unsigned long journal_shrink_one_cp_list(struct journal_head *jh,
enum jbd2_shrink_type type,
+ unsigned long *nr_to_scan,
bool *released)
{
struct journal_head *last_jh;
@@ -375,13 +376,15 @@ static unsigned long journal_shrink_one_cp_list(struct journal_head *jh,
int ret;

*released = false;
- if (!jh)
+ if (!jh || (nr_to_scan && !*nr_to_scan))
return 0;

last_jh = jh->b_cpprev;
do {
jh = next_jh;
next_jh = jh->b_cpnext;
+ if (nr_to_scan)
+ (*nr_to_scan)--;

if (type == JBD2_SHRINK_DESTROY) {
ret = __jbd2_journal_remove_checkpoint(jh);
@@ -403,7 +406,7 @@ static unsigned long journal_shrink_one_cp_list(struct journal_head *jh,
next:
if (need_resched())
break;
- } while (jh != last_jh);
+ } while (jh != last_jh && (!nr_to_scan || *nr_to_scan));

return nr_freed;
}
@@ -425,7 +428,6 @@ unsigned long jbd2_journal_shrink_checkpoint_list(journal_t *journal,
tid_t first_tid = 0, last_tid = 0, next_tid = 0;
tid_t tid = 0;
unsigned long nr_freed = 0;
- unsigned long freed;
bool first_set = false;

again:
@@ -458,10 +460,9 @@ unsigned long jbd2_journal_shrink_checkpoint_list(journal_t *journal,
next_transaction = transaction->t_cpnext;
tid = transaction->t_tid;

- freed = journal_shrink_one_cp_list(transaction->t_checkpoint_list,
- JBD2_SHRINK_BUSY_SKIP, &released);
- nr_freed += freed;
- (*nr_to_scan) -= min(*nr_to_scan, freed);
+ nr_freed += journal_shrink_one_cp_list(transaction->t_checkpoint_list,
+ JBD2_SHRINK_BUSY_SKIP,
+ nr_to_scan, &released);
if (*nr_to_scan == 0)
break;
if (need_resched() || spin_needbreak(&journal->j_list_lock))
@@ -517,7 +518,7 @@ void __jbd2_journal_clean_checkpoint_list(journal_t *journal,
transaction = next_transaction;
next_transaction = transaction->t_cpnext;
journal_shrink_one_cp_list(transaction->t_checkpoint_list,
- type, &released);
+ type, NULL, &released);
/*
* This function only frees up some memory if possible so we
* dont have an obligation to finish processing. Bail out if
--
2.47.3