Re: [RFC PATCH 4/7] x86: use exit_lazy_tlb rather than membarrier_mm_sync_core_before_usermode

Alan Stern
2020-07-17T16:11:49Z

> > I agree with Nick: A memory barrier is needed somewhere between the
> > assignment at 6 and the return to user mode at 8. Otherwise you end up
> > with the Store Buffer pattern having a memory barrier on only one side,
> > and it is well known that this arrangement does not guarantee any
> > ordering.
>
> Yes, I see this now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why the memory
> barrier at the end of membarrier() needs to be paired with a scheduler
> barrier though.

The memory barrier at the end of membarrier() on CPU0 is necessary in
order to enforce the guarantee that any writes occurring on CPU1 before
the membarrier() is executed will be visible to any code executing on
CPU0 after the membarrier(). Ignoring the kthread issue, we can have:

CPU0 CPU1
x = 1
barrier()
y = 1
r2 = y
membarrier():
a: smp_mb()
b: send IPI IPI-induced mb
c: smp_mb()
r1 = x

The writes to x and y are unordered by the hardware, so it's possible to
have r2 = 1 even though the write to x doesn't execute until b. If the
memory barrier at c is omitted then "r1 = x" can be reordered before b
(although not before a), so we get r1 = 0. This violates the guarantee
that membarrier() is supposed to provide.

The timing of the memory barrier at c has to ensure that it executes
after the IPI-induced memory barrier on CPU1. If it happened before
then we could still end up with r1 = 0. That's why the pairing matters.

I hope this helps your head get properly wrapped. :-)

Alan Stern