Re: [RFC patch 08/18] cnt32_to_63 should use smp_rmb()

Mathieu Desnoyers
2008-11-07T17:17:06Z

* David Howells (dhowells@redhat.com) wrote:
> Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@polymtl.ca> wrote:
>
> > First off, using this macro with get_cycles() is simply buggy, because the
> > macro expects _perfect_ order of timestamps, no skew whatsoever, or
> > otherwise time could jump.
>
> Erm... Why can't I pass it get_cycles()? Are you saying that sched_clock()
> in MN10300 is wrong for it's use of get_cycles() with cnt32_to_63()?
>

Yes. Do you think the synchronization of the cycles counters is
_perfect_ across CPUs so that there is no possible way whatsoever that
two cycle counter values appear to go backward between CPUs ? (also
taking in account delays in __m_cnt_hi write-back...)

As I showed in my previous example, if you are unlucky enough to hit the
spot where the cycle counters go backward at the time warp edge, time
will jump of 2^32, so about 4.29s at 1GHz.

> > __x.lo = readl(cnt_lo); /* mmio read */
>
> readl() might insert an extra barrier instruction. Not only that, io_addr
> must be unsigned long.

If we expect the only correct use-case to be with readl(), I don't see
the problem with added synchronization.

>

Ah, right, then the parameters should be updated accordingly.

static inline u64 cnt32_to_63(unsigned long io_addr, u32 *__m_cnt_hi)
{
union cnt32_to_63 __x;
__x.hi = *__m_cnt_hi; /* memory read for high bits internal state */
rmb(); /*
* read high bits before low bits insures time
* does not go backward. Sync across
* CPUs and for interrupts.
*/
__x.lo = readl(io_addr); /* mmio read */
if (unlikely((s32)(__x.hi ^ __x.lo) < 0))
*__m_cnt_hi =
__x.hi = (__x.hi ^ 0x80000000) + (__x.hi >> 31);
return __x.val;
}

Mathieu

> David

--
Mathieu Desnoyers
OpenPGP key fingerprint: 8CD5 52C3 8E3C 4140 715F BA06 3F25 A8FE 3BAE 9A68