Re: [PATCH V2 5/5] blk-mq: Wait for for hctx inflight requests on CPU unplug

John Garry
2019-05-30T09:31:47Z

Hi Ming,

>>
>>> Thinking of this issue further, so far, one doable solution is to
>>> expose reply queues
>>> as blk-mq hw queues, as done by the following patchset:
>>>
>>> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-block/20180205152035.15016-1-ming.lei@redhat.com/
>>
>> I thought that this patchset had fundamental issues, in terms of working for
>> all types of hosts. FYI, I did the backport of latest hisi_sas_v3 to v4.15
>
> Could you explain it a bit about the fundamental issues for all types of
> host?
>

*As I understand*, splitting the tagset has issues with dual-mode HBAs -
as in supporting NVMe and SCSI, as some HBAs do.

> It is just for hosts with multiple reply queues, such as hisi_sas v3,
> megaraid_sas, mpt3sas and hpsa.
>
>> with this patchset (as you may have noticed in my git send mistake), but we
>> have not got to test it yet.
>>
>> On a related topic, we did test exposing reply queues as blk-mq hw queues
>> and generating the host-wide tag internally in the LLDD with sbitmap, and
>> unfortunately we were experiencing a significant performance hit, like 2300K
>> -> 1800K IOPs for 4K read.
>>
>> We need to test this further. I don't understand why we get such a big hit.
>
> The performance regression shouldn't have been introduced in theory, and it is
> because blk_mq_queue_tag_busy_iter() iterates over the same duplicated tags multiple
> times, which can be fixed easily.
>

We are testing further, and I will tentatively say that we're getting
better results (than previously) after fixing something in the LLDD. TBC.

>>
>>>
>>> In which global host-wide tags are shared for all blk-mq hw queues.
>>>
>>> Also we can remove all the reply_map stuff in drivers, then solve the problem of
>>> draining in-flight requests during unplugging CPU in a generic approach.
>>
>> So you're saying that removing this reply queue stuff can make the solution
>> to the problem more generic, but do you have an idea of the overall
>> solution?
>
> 1) convert reply queue into blk-mq hw queue first
>
> 2) then all drivers are in same position wrt. handling requests vs.
> unplugging CPU (shutdown managed IRQ)
>
> The current handling in blk_mq_hctx_notify_dead() is actually wrong,

Yeah, the comment reads that it's going away, but it's actually gone.

> at that time, all CPUs on the hctx are dead, blk_mq_run_hw_queue()
> still dispatches requests on driver's hw queue, and driver is invisible
> to DEAD CPUs mapped to this hctx, and finally interrupt for these
> requests on the hctx are lost.
>
> Frankly speaking, the above 2nd problem is still hard to solve.
>
> 1) take_cpu_down() shutdown managed IRQ first, then run teardown callback
> for states in [CPUHP_AP_ONLINE, CPUHP_AP_OFFLINE) on the to-be-offline
> CPU
>
> 2) However, all runnable tasks are removed from the CPU in the teardown
> callback for CPUHP_AP_SCHED_STARTING, which is run after managed IRQs
> are shutdown. That said it is hard to avoid new request queued to
> the hctx with all DEAD CPUs.
>
> 3) we don't support to freeze queue for specific hctx yet, or that way
> may not be accepted because of extra cost in fast path
>
> 4) once request is allocated, it should be submitted to driver no matter
> if CPU hotplug happens or not. Or free it and re-allocate new request
> on proper sw/hw queue?
>
>>
>>>
>>> Last time, it was reported that the patchset causes performance regression,
>>> which is actually caused by duplicated io accounting in
>>> blk_mq_queue_tag_busy_iter(),
>>> which should be fixed easily.
>>>
>>> What do you think of this approach?
>>
>> It would still be good to have a forward port of this patchset for testing,
>> if we're serious about it. Or at least this bug you mention fixed.
>
> I plan to make this patchset workable on 5.2-rc for your test first.
>

ok, thanks. I assume that we're still open to not adding support for
global tags in blk-mq, but rather the LLDD generating the unique tag
with sbitmap.

Cheers,
John

>
> Thanks,
> Ming
>
> .
>