Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2015 08:45:01 -0800
From: Jacob Pan <jacob.jun.pan@linux.intel.com>
To: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@linutronix.de>, LKML <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        Arjan van de Ven <arjan@linux.intel.com>, Paul Turner <pjt@google.com>,
        Len Brown <len.brown@intel.com>,
        Srinivas Pandruvada <srinivas.pandruvada@linux.intel.com>,
        Tim Chen <tim.c.chen@linux.intel.com>,
        Andi Kleen <andi.kleen@intel.com>,
        Rafael Wysocki <rafael.j.wysocki@intel.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 3/3] sched: introduce synchronized idle injection
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On Tue, 3 Nov 2015 14:31:20 +0100
Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org> wrote:

> > @@ -5136,6 +5148,16 @@ pick_next_task_fair(struct rq *rq, struct
> > task_struct *prev) struct task_struct *p;
> >  	int new_tasks;
> >  
> > +#ifdef CONFIG_CFS_IDLE_INJECT
> > +	if (cfs_rq->force_throttled &&
> > +		!idle_cpu(cpu_of(rq)) &&
> > +		!unlikely(local_softirq_pending())) {
> > +		/* forced idle, pick no task */
> > +		trace_sched_cfs_idle_inject(cpu_of(rq), 1);
> > +		update_curr(cfs_rq);
> > +		return NULL;
> > +	}
> > +#endif
> >  again:
> >  #ifdef CONFIG_FAIR_GROUP_SCHED
> >  	if (!cfs_rq->nr_running)
> 
> So this is horrible...
> 
> This is a fast path, and you just put at least one cachemiss in it, a
> branch (without hint) and some goofy code (wth are we checking
> softirqs?).
> 
softirq is checked here since it is one of the conditions to stop
sched tick. can_stop_idle_tick(). but we don't have to check here, you
are right.
> How about you frob things such that cfs_rq->nr_running == 0 and we'll
> hit the idle: path, at that point you can test if we're forced idle
> and skip the load-balancing attempt.
> 
> There's probably a fair number of icky cases to deal with if you frob
> cfs_rq->nr_running, like the enqueue path which will add to it. We'll
> have to come up with something to not slow that down either.
> 
> The thing is, both schedule and enqueue are very hot and this is code
> that will 'never' run.
Fair enough, I will give that a try, I guess it would be costly
and hard to scale if we were to dequeue/enqueue every se for every
period of injection plus locking. Let me get some data first.

I understand we don't want to sacrifice the hot patch for some code
almost 'never' run. But I also have follow up plan to use this code for
consolidating/synchronizing idle during balanced semi-active workload.
In that case, it may run more often. e.g.

Before:
CPU0 ______||| ||  |___________| || || |_____
CPU1 _________||| ||  |_______| || |_______

After:

CPU0 ______||| ||  |___________| || || |_____
CPU1 ______||| ||  |___________| || |_______

The goal is to have overlapping idle time if the load is already
balanced. The energy saving can be significant.

Jacob
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