Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 10:04:26 +0100
From: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
To: Lai Jiangshan <laijs@cn.fujitsu.com>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>, menage@google.com,
       miaox@cn.fujitsu.com, maxk@qualcomm.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
       Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@chello.nl>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/3] cgroup: introduce cgroup_queue_deferred_work()
Message-ID: <20090118090426.GA27144@elte.hu>
References: <496FEFCA.9050908@cn.fujitsu.com> <4970000E.7040902@cn.fujitsu.com> <20090116125738.22c21bf2.akpm@linux-foundation.org> <4972E30A.6080107@cn.fujitsu.com>
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* Lai Jiangshan <laijs@cn.fujitsu.com> wrote:

> Sometimes we need require a lock to prevent something,
> but this lock cannot nest in cgroup_lock. So this work
> should be moved out of cgroup_lock's critical region.
> 
> Using schedule_work() can move this work out of cgroup_lock's
> critical region. But it's a overkill for move a work to
> other process. And if we need flush_work() with cgroup_lock
> held, schedule_work() can not work for flush_work() will
> cause deadlock.
> 
> Another solution is that deferring the work, and processing
> it after cgroup_lock released. This patch introduces
> cgroup_queue_deferred_work() for queue a cgroup_deferred_work.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Lai Jiangshan <laijs@cn.fujitsu.com>
> Cc: Max Krasnyansky <maxk@qualcomm.com>
> Cc: Miao Xie <miaox@cn.fujitsu.com>
> ---
> diff --git a/include/linux/cgroup.h b/include/linux/cgroup.h
> index e267e62..6d3e6dc 100644
> --- a/include/linux/cgroup.h
> +++ b/include/linux/cgroup.h
> @@ -437,6 +437,19 @@ void cgroup_iter_end(struct cgroup *cgrp, struct cgroup_iter *it);
>  int cgroup_scan_tasks(struct cgroup_scanner *scan);
>  int cgroup_attach_task(struct cgroup *, struct task_struct *);
>  
> +struct cgroup_deferred_work {
> +	struct list_head list;
> +	void (*func)(struct cgroup_deferred_work *);
> +};
> +
> +#define CGROUP_DEFERRED_WORK(name, function)		\
> +	struct cgroup_deferred_work name = {		\
> +		.list = LIST_HEAD_INIT((name).list),	\
> +		.func = (function),			\
> +	};
> +
> +int cgroup_queue_deferred_work(struct cgroup_deferred_work *deferred_work);
> +
>  #else /* !CONFIG_CGROUPS */
>  
>  static inline int cgroup_init_early(void) { return 0; }
> diff --git a/kernel/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup.c
> index c298310..75a352b 100644
> --- a/kernel/cgroup.c
> +++ b/kernel/cgroup.c
> @@ -540,6 +540,7 @@ void cgroup_lock(void)
>  	mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex);
>  }
>  
> +static void cgroup_flush_deferred_work_locked(void);
>  /**
>   * cgroup_unlock - release lock on cgroup changes
>   *
> @@ -547,9 +548,80 @@ void cgroup_lock(void)
>   */
>  void cgroup_unlock(void)
>  {
> +	cgroup_flush_deferred_work_locked();
>  	mutex_unlock(&cgroup_mutex);

So in cgroup_unlock() [which is called all over the places] we first call 
cgroup_flush_deferred_work_locked(), then drop the cgroup_mutex. Then:

>  }
>  
> +/* deferred_work_list is protected by cgroup_mutex */
> +static LIST_HEAD(deferred_work_list);
> +
> +/* flush deferred works with cgroup_lock released */
> +static void cgroup_flush_deferred_work_locked(void)
> +{
> +	static bool running_deferred_work;
> +
> +	if (likely(list_empty(&deferred_work_list)))
> +		return;

we check whether there's any work done, then:

> +
> +	/*
> +	 * Ensure it's not recursive and also
> +	 * ensure deferred works are run orderly.
> +	 */
> +	if (running_deferred_work)
> +		return;
> +	running_deferred_work = true;

we set a recursion flag, then:

> +
> +	for ( ; ; ) {

 [ please change this to the standard 'for (;;)' style. ]

> +		struct cgroup_deferred_work *deferred_work;
> +
> +		/* dequeue the first work, and mark it dequeued */
> +		deferred_work = list_first_entry(&deferred_work_list,
> +				struct cgroup_deferred_work, list);
> +		list_del_init(&deferred_work->list);
> +
> +		mutex_unlock(&cgroup_mutex);

we drop the cgroup_mutex and start processing deferred work, then:

> +
> +		/*
> +		 * cgroup_mutex is released. The callback function can use
> +		 * cgroup_lock()/cgroup_unlock(). This behavior is safe
> +		 * for running_deferred_work is set to 'true'.
> +		 */
> +		deferred_work->func(deferred_work);
> +
> +		/*
> +		 * regain cgroup_mutex to access deferred_work_list
> +		 * and running_deferred_work.
> +		 */
> +		mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex);

then we drop the mutex and:

> +
> +		if (list_empty(&deferred_work_list))
> +			break;
> +	}
> +
> +	running_deferred_work = false;

clear the recursion flag.

So this is already a high-complexity, high-overhead codepath for the 
deferred work case.

Why isnt this in a workqueue? That way there's no overhead for the normal 
fastpath _at all_ - the deferred wakeup would be handled as side-effect of 
the mutex unlock in essence. Nor would you duplicate core kernel 
infrastructure that way.

Plus:

> +int cgroup_queue_deferred_work(struct cgroup_deferred_work *deferred_work)
> +{
> +	int ret = 0;
> +
> +	if (list_empty(&deferred_work->list)) {
> +		list_add_tail(&deferred_work->list, &deferred_work_list);
> +		ret = 1;
> +	}
> +
> +	return ret;

Why is the addition of work dependent on whether it's queued up already? 
Callers should know whether it's queued or not - and if they dont then 
this is hiding a code structure problem elsewhere.

	Ingo
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