2021-08-27 12:33:37

by Jürgen Groß

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: [PATCH] xen/balloon: use a kernel thread instead a workqueue

Today the Xen ballooning is done via delayed work in a workqueue. This
might result in workqueue hangups being reported in case of large
amounts of memory are being ballooned in one go (here 16GB):

BUG: workqueue lockup - pool cpus=6 node=0 flags=0x0 nice=0 stuck for 64s!
Showing busy workqueues and worker pools:
workqueue events: flags=0x0
pwq 12: cpus=6 node=0 flags=0x0 nice=0 active=2/256 refcnt=3
in-flight: 229:balloon_process
pending: cache_reap
workqueue events_freezable_power_: flags=0x84
pwq 12: cpus=6 node=0 flags=0x0 nice=0 active=1/256 refcnt=2
pending: disk_events_workfn
workqueue mm_percpu_wq: flags=0x8
pwq 12: cpus=6 node=0 flags=0x0 nice=0 active=1/256 refcnt=2
pending: vmstat_update
pool 12: cpus=6 node=0 flags=0x0 nice=0 hung=64s workers=3 idle: 2222 43

This can easily be avoided by using a dedicated kernel thread for doing
the ballooning work.

Reported-by: Jan Beulich <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Juergen Gross <[email protected]>
---
drivers/xen/balloon.c | 62 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------
1 file changed, 45 insertions(+), 17 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/xen/balloon.c b/drivers/xen/balloon.c
index 671c71245a7b..2d2803883306 100644
--- a/drivers/xen/balloon.c
+++ b/drivers/xen/balloon.c
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
#include <linux/sched.h>
#include <linux/cred.h>
#include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/freezer.h>
+#include <linux/kthread.h>
#include <linux/mm.h>
#include <linux/memblock.h>
#include <linux/pagemap.h>
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ static struct ctl_table xen_root[] = {
#define EXTENT_ORDER (fls(XEN_PFN_PER_PAGE) - 1)

/*
- * balloon_process() state:
+ * balloon_thread() state:
*
* BP_DONE: done or nothing to do,
* BP_WAIT: wait to be rescheduled,
@@ -130,6 +132,8 @@ enum bp_state {
BP_ECANCELED
};

+/* Main waiting point for xen-balloon thread. */
+static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(balloon_thread_wq);

static DEFINE_MUTEX(balloon_mutex);

@@ -144,10 +148,6 @@ static xen_pfn_t frame_list[PAGE_SIZE / sizeof(xen_pfn_t)];
static LIST_HEAD(ballooned_pages);
static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(balloon_wq);

-/* Main work function, always executed in process context. */
-static void balloon_process(struct work_struct *work);
-static DECLARE_DELAYED_WORK(balloon_worker, balloon_process);
-
/* When ballooning out (allocating memory to return to Xen) we don't really
want the kernel to try too hard since that can trigger the oom killer. */
#define GFP_BALLOON \
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ static void xen_online_page(struct page *page, unsigned int order)
static int xen_memory_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long val, void *v)
{
if (val == MEM_ONLINE)
- schedule_delayed_work(&balloon_worker, 0);
+ wake_up(&balloon_thread_wq);

return NOTIFY_OK;
}
@@ -491,18 +491,43 @@ static enum bp_state decrease_reservation(unsigned long nr_pages, gfp_t gfp)
}

/*
- * As this is a work item it is guaranteed to run as a single instance only.
+ * Stop waiting if either state is not BP_EAGAIN and ballooning action is
+ * needed, or if the credit has changed while state is BP_EAGAIN.
+ */
+static bool balloon_thread_cond(enum bp_state state, long credit)
+{
+ if (state != BP_EAGAIN)
+ credit = 0;
+
+ return current_credit() != credit || kthread_should_stop();
+}
+
+/*
+ * As this is a kthread it is guaranteed to run as a single instance only.
* We may of course race updates of the target counts (which are protected
* by the balloon lock), or with changes to the Xen hard limit, but we will
* recover from these in time.
*/
-static void balloon_process(struct work_struct *work)
+static int balloon_thread(void *unused)
{
enum bp_state state = BP_DONE;
long credit;
+ unsigned long timeout;
+
+ set_freezable();
+ for (;;) {
+ if (state == BP_EAGAIN)
+ timeout = balloon_stats.schedule_delay * HZ;
+ else
+ timeout = 3600 * HZ;
+ credit = current_credit();

+ wait_event_interruptible_timeout(balloon_thread_wq,
+ balloon_thread_cond(state, credit), timeout);
+
+ if (kthread_should_stop())
+ return 0;

- do {
mutex_lock(&balloon_mutex);

credit = current_credit();
@@ -529,12 +554,7 @@ static void balloon_process(struct work_struct *work)
mutex_unlock(&balloon_mutex);

cond_resched();
-
- } while (credit && state == BP_DONE);
-
- /* Schedule more work if there is some still to be done. */
- if (state == BP_EAGAIN)
- schedule_delayed_work(&balloon_worker, balloon_stats.schedule_delay * HZ);
+ }
}

/* Resets the Xen limit, sets new target, and kicks off processing. */
@@ -542,7 +562,7 @@ void balloon_set_new_target(unsigned long target)
{
/* No need for lock. Not read-modify-write updates. */
balloon_stats.target_pages = target;
- schedule_delayed_work(&balloon_worker, 0);
+ wake_up(&balloon_thread_wq);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(balloon_set_new_target);

@@ -647,7 +667,7 @@ void free_xenballooned_pages(int nr_pages, struct page **pages)

/* The balloon may be too large now. Shrink it if needed. */
if (current_credit())
- schedule_delayed_work(&balloon_worker, 0);
+ wake_up(&balloon_thread_wq);

mutex_unlock(&balloon_mutex);
}
@@ -679,6 +699,8 @@ static void __init balloon_add_region(unsigned long start_pfn,

static int __init balloon_init(void)
{
+ struct task_struct *task;
+
if (!xen_domain())
return -ENODEV;

@@ -722,6 +744,12 @@ static int __init balloon_init(void)
}
#endif

+ task = kthread_run(balloon_thread, NULL, "xen-balloon");
+ if (IS_ERR(task)) {
+ pr_err("xen-balloon thread could not be started, ballooning will not work!\n");
+ return PTR_ERR(task);
+ }
+
/* Init the xen-balloon driver. */
xen_balloon_init();

--
2.26.2


2021-09-08 14:48:46

by Boris Ostrovsky

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH] xen/balloon: use a kernel thread instead a workqueue


On 8/27/21 8:32 AM, Juergen Gross wrote:
> +static bool balloon_thread_cond(enum bp_state state, long credit)
> +{
> + if (state != BP_EAGAIN)
> + credit = 0;
> +
> + return current_credit() != credit || kthread_should_stop();
> +}
> +
> +/*
> + * As this is a kthread it is guaranteed to run as a single instance only.
> * We may of course race updates of the target counts (which are protected
> * by the balloon lock), or with changes to the Xen hard limit, but we will
> * recover from these in time.
> */
> -static void balloon_process(struct work_struct *work)
> +static int balloon_thread(void *unused)
> {
> enum bp_state state = BP_DONE;
> long credit;
> + unsigned long timeout;
> +
> + set_freezable();
> + for (;;) {
> + if (state == BP_EAGAIN)
> + timeout = balloon_stats.schedule_delay * HZ;
> + else
> + timeout = 3600 * HZ;
> + credit = current_credit();
>
> + wait_event_interruptible_timeout(balloon_thread_wq,
> + balloon_thread_cond(state, credit), timeout);


Given that wait_event_interruptible_timeout() is a bunch of nested macros do we need to worry here about overly aggressive compiler optimizing out 'credit = current_credit()'?


-boris


2021-09-08 16:07:48

by Boris Ostrovsky

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH] xen/balloon: use a kernel thread instead a workqueue


On 9/8/21 11:11 AM, Juergen Gross wrote:
> On 08.09.21 16:47, Boris Ostrovsky wrote:
>>
>>
>> Given that wait_event_interruptible_timeout() is a bunch of nested macros do we need to worry here about overly aggressive compiler optimizing out 'credit = current_credit()'?
>
> I don't think so. current_credit() is reading from balloon_stats, which
> is a global variable. So the compiler shouldn't assume the contents
> won't change.


Ah, ok --- good point. Then I guess we should be fine.


Reviewed-by: Boris Ostrovsky <[email protected]>


>
> But I can add a barrier() after 'credit = current_credit()' in case
> you'd feel uneasy without it.
>
>
> Juergen

2021-09-08 17:46:25

by Jürgen Groß

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [PATCH] xen/balloon: use a kernel thread instead a workqueue

On 08.09.21 16:47, Boris Ostrovsky wrote:
>
> On 8/27/21 8:32 AM, Juergen Gross wrote:
>> +static bool balloon_thread_cond(enum bp_state state, long credit)
>> +{
>> + if (state != BP_EAGAIN)
>> + credit = 0;
>> +
>> + return current_credit() != credit || kthread_should_stop();
>> +}
>> +
>> +/*
>> + * As this is a kthread it is guaranteed to run as a single instance only.
>> * We may of course race updates of the target counts (which are protected
>> * by the balloon lock), or with changes to the Xen hard limit, but we will
>> * recover from these in time.
>> */
>> -static void balloon_process(struct work_struct *work)
>> +static int balloon_thread(void *unused)
>> {
>> enum bp_state state = BP_DONE;
>> long credit;
>> + unsigned long timeout;
>> +
>> + set_freezable();
>> + for (;;) {
>> + if (state == BP_EAGAIN)
>> + timeout = balloon_stats.schedule_delay * HZ;
>> + else
>> + timeout = 3600 * HZ;
>> + credit = current_credit();
>>
>> + wait_event_interruptible_timeout(balloon_thread_wq,
>> + balloon_thread_cond(state, credit), timeout);
>
>
> Given that wait_event_interruptible_timeout() is a bunch of nested macros do we need to worry here about overly aggressive compiler optimizing out 'credit = current_credit()'?

I don't think so. current_credit() is reading from balloon_stats, which
is a global variable. So the compiler shouldn't assume the contents
won't change.

But I can add a barrier() after 'credit = current_credit()' in case
you'd feel uneasy without it.


Juergen


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