Re: [PATCH v2 6/7] arch_topology,arm,arm64: define arch_scale_freq_invariant()

Catalin Marinas
2020-07-30T11:46:18Z

On Wed, Jul 22, 2020 at 10:37:31AM +0100, Ionela Voinescu wrote:
> From: Valentin Schneider <valentin.schneider@arm.com>
>
> arch_scale_freq_invariant() is used by schedutil to determine whether
> the scheduler's load-tracking signals are frequency invariant. Its
> definition is overridable, though by default it is hardcoded to 'true'
> if arch_scale_freq_capacity() is defined ('false' otherwise).
>
> This behaviour is not overridden on arm, arm64 and other users of the
> generic arch topology driver, which is somewhat precarious:
> arch_scale_freq_capacity() will always be defined, yet not all cpufreq
> drivers are guaranteed to drive the frequency invariance scale factor
> setting. In other words, the load-tracking signals may very well *not*
> be frequency invariant.
>
> Now that cpufreq can be queried on whether the current driver is driving
> the Frequency Invariance (FI) scale setting, the current situation can
> be improved. This combines the query of whether cpufreq supports the
> setting of the frequency scale factor, with whether all online CPUs are
> counter-based FI enabled.
>
> While cpufreq FI enablement applies at system level, for all CPUs,
> counter-based FI support could also be used for only a subset of CPUs to
> set the invariance scale factor. Therefore, if cpufreq-based FI support
> is present, we consider the system to be invariant. If missing, we
> require all online CPUs to be counter-based FI enabled in order for the
> full system to be considered invariant.
>
> If the system ends up not being invariant, a new condition is needed in
> the counter initialization code that disables all scale factor setting
> based on counters.
>
> Precedence of counters over cpufreq use is not important here. The
> invariant status is only given to the system if all CPUs have at least
> one method of setting the frequency scale factor.
>
> Signed-off-by: Valentin Schneider <valentin.schneider@arm.com>
> Signed-off-by: Ionela Voinescu <ionela.voinescu@arm.com>
> Cc: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@arm.com>
> Cc: Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>
> Cc: Sudeep Holla <sudeep.holla@arm.com>

Acked-by: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@arm.com>