Re: [PATCH] mm/memcontrol: avoid stuck FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE bit on isolated cpus

From: Shakeel Butt

Date: Fri Aug 28 2026 - 11:44:44 EST


On Fri, Aug 28, 2026 at 04:25:41PM +0200, Michal Hocko wrote:
> On Fri 28-08-26 09:46:21, Rik van Riel wrote:
> > drain_all_stock() can leave FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE set after the
> > work is dropped. It sets the bit before checking isolation and
> > schedule_drain_work() checks isolation and queues in a separate RCU
> > critical section, so housekeeping_update()'s synchronize_rcu() can
> > race the second check.
> >
> > drain_local_stock() only clears the bit for work that ran, so the bit
> > remains set and the stock is never drained again.
> >
> > Reorganize the drain_all_stock() loop, reducing nesting, splitting
> > out local vs remote cpu handling, and skipping everything on isolated
> > cpus, which solves the stuck FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE flag.
>
> Is there any reason why we cannot simply clear the flag if the work is
> not scheduled?
> ---
>
> diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
> index 69b37f63a307..907ac63e5067 100644
> --- a/mm/memcontrol.c
> +++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
> @@ -2261,8 +2261,10 @@ static bool is_memcg_drain_needed(struct memcg_stock_pcp *stock,
> return flush;
> }
>
> -static void schedule_drain_work(int cpu, struct work_struct *work)
> +static bool schedule_drain_work(int cpu, struct work_struct *work)
> {
> + int ret = false;
> +
> /*
> * Protect housekeeping cpumask read and work enqueue together
> * in the same RCU critical section so that later cpuset isolated
> @@ -2270,8 +2272,12 @@ static void schedule_drain_work(int cpu, struct work_struct *work)
> * pending work on newly isolated CPUs.
> */
> guard(rcu)();
> - if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu))
> - queue_work_on(cpu, memcg_wq, work);
> + if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu)) {
> + queue_work_on(cpu, memcg_wq, &memcg_st->work);
> + ret = true;
> + }
> +
> + return ret;

Let's go with this patch. We can simplify above by inversing the check:

if (cpu_is_isolated(cpu))
return false;

queue_work_on(cpu, memcg_wq, &memcg_st->work);
return true;

> }
>
> /*
> @@ -2303,8 +2309,8 @@ void drain_all_stock(struct mem_cgroup *root_memcg)
> &memcg_st->flags)) {
> if (cpu == curcpu)
> drain_local_memcg_stock(&memcg_st->work);
> - else
> - schedule_drain_work(cpu, &memcg_st->work);
> + else if (!schedule_drain_work(cpu, &memcg_st->work))
> + clear_bit(FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE, &memcg_st->flags)
> }
>
> if (!test_bit(FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE, &obj_st->flags) &&
> @@ -2313,8 +2319,8 @@ void drain_all_stock(struct mem_cgroup *root_memcg)
> &obj_st->flags)) {
> if (cpu == curcpu)
> drain_local_obj_stock(&obj_st->work);
> - else
> - schedule_drain_work(cpu, &obj_st->work);
> + else if (!schedule_drain_work(cpu, &obj_st->work))
> + clear_bit(FLUSHING_CACHED_CHARGE, &obj_st->flags);
> }
> }
> migrate_enable();
> --
> Michal Hocko
> SUSE Labs