[PATCH v4 30/30] context-tracking: Add a Kconfig to enable IPI deferral for NO_HZ_IDLE

Valentin Schneider
2025-01-14T18:05:21Z

With NO_HZ_IDLE, we get CONTEXT_TRACKING_IDLE, so we get these
transitions:

ct_idle_enter()
ct_kernel_exit()
ct_state_inc_clear_work()

ct_idle_exit()
ct_kernel_enter()
ct_work_flush()

With just CONTEXT_TRACKING_IDLE, ct_state_inc_clear_work() is just
ct_state_inc() and ct_work_flush() is a no-op. However, making them be
functional as if under CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK would allow NO_HZ_IDLE to
leverage IPI deferral to keep idle CPUs idle longer.

Having this enabled for NO_HZ_IDLE is a different argument than for having
it for NO_HZ_FULL (power savings vs latency/performance), but the backing
mechanism is identical.

Add a default-no option to enable IPI deferral with NO_HZ_IDLE.

Signed-off-by: Valentin Schneider <vschneid@redhat.com>
---
kernel/time/Kconfig | 16 +++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/kernel/time/Kconfig b/kernel/time/Kconfig
index 7e8106a0d981f..c7398fe5382a0 100644
--- a/kernel/time/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/time/Kconfig
@@ -183,9 +183,23 @@ config CONTEXT_TRACKING_USER_FORCE

config CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK
bool
- depends on HAVE_CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK && CONTEXT_TRACKING_USER
+ depends on HAVE_CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK && (CONTEXT_TRACKING_USER || CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK_IDLE)
default y

+config CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK_IDLE
+ bool
+ depends on HAVE_CONTEXT_TRACKING_WORK && CONTEXT_TRACKING_IDLE && !CONTEXT_TRACKING_USER
+ default n
+ help
+ This option enables deferral of some IPIs when they are targeted at CPUs
+ that are idle. This can help keep CPUs idle longer, but induces some
+ extra overhead to idle <-> kernel transitions and to IPI sending.
+
+ Say Y if the power improvements are worth more to you than the added
+ overheads.
+
+ Say N otherwise.
+
config NO_HZ
bool "Old Idle dynticks config"
help
--
2.43.0