[PATCH bpf-next] selftests/bpf: retry bpf_map_update_elem() when E2BIG is returned

[PATCH bpf-next] selftests/bpf: retry bpf_map_update_elem() when E2BIG is returned

[Matt Bobrowski]

Executing the test_maps binary on platforms with extremely high core
counts may cause intermittent assertion failures in
test_update_delete() (called via test_map_parallel()). This can occur
because bpf_map_update_elem() under some circumstances (specifically
in this case while performing bpf_map_update_elem() with BPF_NOEXIST
on a BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH with its map_flags set to BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC)
can return an E2BIG error code i.e.

error -7 7
tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void test_update_delete(unsigned int, void *): Assertion `err == 0' failed.
tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void
__run_parallel(unsigned int, void (*)(unsigned int, void *), void *): Assertion `status == 0' failed.

As it turns out, is_map_full() which is called from alloc_htab_elem()
can take on a conservative approach when htab->use_percpu_counter is
true (which is the case here because the percpu_counter is used when a
BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH is created with its map_flags set to
BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). This conservative approach approach prioritizes
preventing over-allocation and potential issues that could arise from
possibly exceeding htab->map.max_entries in highly concurrent
environments, even if it means slightly under-utilizing the htab map's
capacity.

Given that bpf_map_update_elem() from test_update_delete() can return
E2BIG, update can_retry() such that it also accounts for the E2BIG
error code (specifically only when running with map_flags being set to
BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). The retry loop will allow the global count
belonging to the percpu_counter to become synchronized and better
reflect the current htab map's capacity.

Signed-off-by: Matt Bobrowski <mattbobrowski@google.com>
---
 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c | 3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
index 3fae9ce46ca9..ccc5acd55ff9 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
@@ -1399,7 +1399,8 @@ static void test_map_stress(void)
 static bool can_retry(int err)
 {
 	return (err == EAGAIN || err == EBUSY ||
-		(err == ENOMEM && map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
+		((err == ENOMEM || err == E2BIG) &&
+		 map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
 }
 
 int map_update_retriable(int map_fd, const void *key, const void *value, int flags, int attempts,
-- 
2.51.2.1041.gc1ab5b90ca-goog

Re: [PATCH bpf-next] selftests/bpf: retry bpf_map_update_elem() when E2BIG is returned

[Song Liu]

On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 12:32 AM Matt Bobrowski
<mattbobrowski@google.com> wrote:
>
> Executing the test_maps binary on platforms with extremely high core
> counts may cause intermittent assertion failures in
> test_update_delete() (called via test_map_parallel()). This can occur
> because bpf_map_update_elem() under some circumstances (specifically
> in this case while performing bpf_map_update_elem() with BPF_NOEXIST
> on a BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH with its map_flags set to BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC)
> can return an E2BIG error code i.e.
>
> error -7 7
> tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void test_update_delete(unsigned int, void *): Assertion `err == 0' failed.
> tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void
> __run_parallel(unsigned int, void (*)(unsigned int, void *), void *): Assertion `status == 0' failed.
>
> As it turns out, is_map_full() which is called from alloc_htab_elem()
> can take on a conservative approach when htab->use_percpu_counter is
> true (which is the case here because the percpu_counter is used when a
> BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH is created with its map_flags set to
> BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). This conservative approach approach prioritizes

s/approach approach/approach

AFAICT checkpatch.pl also warns double "approach", as well as line exceed
75 character above.

> preventing over-allocation and potential issues that could arise from
> possibly exceeding htab->map.max_entries in highly concurrent
> environments, even if it means slightly under-utilizing the htab map's
> capacity.
>
> Given that bpf_map_update_elem() from test_update_delete() can return
> E2BIG, update can_retry() such that it also accounts for the E2BIG
> error code (specifically only when running with map_flags being set to
> BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). The retry loop will allow the global count
> belonging to the percpu_counter to become synchronized and better
> reflect the current htab map's capacity.
>
> Signed-off-by: Matt Bobrowski <mattbobrowski@google.com>

Other than the nitpick above, this looks good to me.

Acked-by: Song Liu <song@kernel.org>


> ---
>  tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c | 3 ++-
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> index 3fae9ce46ca9..ccc5acd55ff9 100644
> --- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> @@ -1399,7 +1399,8 @@ static void test_map_stress(void)
>  static bool can_retry(int err)
>  {
>         return (err == EAGAIN || err == EBUSY ||
> -               (err == ENOMEM && map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
> +               ((err == ENOMEM || err == E2BIG) &&
> +                map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
>  }
>
>  int map_update_retriable(int map_fd, const void *key, const void *value, int flags, int attempts,
> --
> 2.51.2.1041.gc1ab5b90ca-goog
>

Re: [PATCH bpf-next] selftests/bpf: retry bpf_map_update_elem() when E2BIG is returned

[Matt Bobrowski]

On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 05:00:50PM -0800, Song Liu wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 12:32 AM Matt Bobrowski
> <mattbobrowski@google.com> wrote:
> >
> > Executing the test_maps binary on platforms with extremely high core
> > counts may cause intermittent assertion failures in
> > test_update_delete() (called via test_map_parallel()). This can occur
> > because bpf_map_update_elem() under some circumstances (specifically
> > in this case while performing bpf_map_update_elem() with BPF_NOEXIST
> > on a BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH with its map_flags set to BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC)
> > can return an E2BIG error code i.e.
> >
> > error -7 7
> > tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void test_update_delete(unsigned int, void *): Assertion `err == 0' failed.
> > tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c:#: void
> > __run_parallel(unsigned int, void (*)(unsigned int, void *), void *): Assertion `status == 0' failed.
> >
> > As it turns out, is_map_full() which is called from alloc_htab_elem()
> > can take on a conservative approach when htab->use_percpu_counter is
> > true (which is the case here because the percpu_counter is used when a
> > BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH is created with its map_flags set to
> > BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). This conservative approach approach prioritizes
> 
> s/approach approach/approach
> 
> AFAICT checkpatch.pl also warns double "approach", as well as line exceed
> 75 character above.

ACK. Will respin with nits addressed at some point today.

> > preventing over-allocation and potential issues that could arise from
> > possibly exceeding htab->map.max_entries in highly concurrent
> > environments, even if it means slightly under-utilizing the htab map's
> > capacity.
> >
> > Given that bpf_map_update_elem() from test_update_delete() can return
> > E2BIG, update can_retry() such that it also accounts for the E2BIG
> > error code (specifically only when running with map_flags being set to
> > BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC). The retry loop will allow the global count
> > belonging to the percpu_counter to become synchronized and better
> > reflect the current htab map's capacity.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Matt Bobrowski <mattbobrowski@google.com>
> 
> Other than the nitpick above, this looks good to me.
> 
> Acked-by: Song Liu <song@kernel.org>
> 
> 
> > ---
> >  tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c | 3 ++-
> >  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> > index 3fae9ce46ca9..ccc5acd55ff9 100644
> > --- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> > +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_maps.c
> > @@ -1399,7 +1399,8 @@ static void test_map_stress(void)
> >  static bool can_retry(int err)
> >  {
> >         return (err == EAGAIN || err == EBUSY ||
> > -               (err == ENOMEM && map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
> > +               ((err == ENOMEM || err == E2BIG) &&
> > +                map_opts.map_flags == BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC));
> >  }
> >
> >  int map_update_retriable(int map_fd, const void *key, const void *value, int flags, int attempts,
> > --
> > 2.51.2.1041.gc1ab5b90ca-goog
> >