Re: [PATCH for-next v3 7/9] mm/slab: introduce kfree_rcu_nolock()

[Harry Yoo <harry@kernel.org>]

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On 6/24/26 6:22 PM, hu.shengming@zte.com.cn wrote:
> Harry wrote:
>> Currently, k[v]free_rcu() cannot be called in unknown context since
>> it could lead to a deadlock when called in the middle of k[v]free_rcu().
>>
>> Make users' lives easier by introducing kfree_rcu_nolock() variant,
>> now that kfree_rcu_sheaf() is available on PREEMPT_RT and
>> __kfree_rcu_sheaf() handles unknown context.
>>
>> Unlike k[v]free_rcu(), kfree_rcu_nolock() does not fall back to
>> the kvfree_rcu batching when the sheaves path fails, and falls back to
>> defer_kfree_rcu() instead. In most cases, the sheaves path is expected
>> to succeed and it's unnecessary to add complexity to the existing
>> kvfree_rcu batching.
>>
>> Since defer_kfree_rcu() can be called on caches without sheaves, move
>> deferred_work_barrier() and rcu_barrier() outside the branch in
>> kvfree_rcu_barrier_on_cache().
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Harry Yoo (Oracle) <harry@kernel.org>
> 
> Hi Harry,
> 
> Thanks for the series. These patches fill a clear functional gap in the
> existing free APIs by adding an RCU-deferred free interface for contexts
> where kfree_rcu() cannot safely be used.

Thanks for looking into this, Shengming.

>> ---
>>  include/linux/rcupdate.h | 12 ++++++++++++
>>  mm/slab.h                |  1 +
>>  mm/slab_common.c         | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++--
>>  mm/slub.c                | 23 ++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>  4 files changed, 55 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/mm/slab_common.c b/mm/slab_common.c
>> index 807924a94fb0..5a39e6225160 100644
>> --- a/mm/slab_common.c
>> +++ b/mm/slab_common.c
>> @@ -1263,6 +1263,23 @@ EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(kmem_cache_alloc);
>>  EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(kfree);
>>  EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(kmem_cache_free);
>>  
>> +void kfree_call_rcu_nolock(struct rcu_head *head, void *ptr)
>> +{
>> +	struct slab *slab;
>> +	struct kmem_cache *s;
>> +
>> +	VM_WARN_ON_ONCE(is_vmalloc_addr(ptr) || !virt_to_slab(ptr));
>> +
>> +	slab = virt_to_slab(ptr);
>> +	s = slab->slab_cache;
>> +
>> +	if (__kfree_rcu_sheaf(s, ptr, /* allow_spin = */ false))
>> +		return;
>> +
> 
> One consistency issue to address here: kfree_rcu_sheaf() only calls
> __kfree_rcu_sheaf() for objects belonging to the local NUMA node. This
> avoids filling a CPU's per-CPU sheaves with objects from remote slabs.
> 
> kfree_call_rcu_nolock() currently skips that check and may therefore
> place remote-node objects into the local CPU's RCU sheaf.

That was intentional, but actually, this is a good point. Thanks.

> Could you add the same local-node check used by kfree_rcu_sheaf()
> before calling __kfree_rcu_sheaf(), and route remote-node objects
> directly to the defer_kfree_rcu() fallback path instead?

Falling back to defer_kfree_rcu() in v3 didn't make much sense
as the object is inserted to a global list which would cause more
troubles than NUMA miss.

But once we make the fallback path percpu, your suggestion would make
more sense.

-- 
Cheers,
Harry / Hyeonggon


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