[PATCH v2 9/9] doc: Update documentation about list_for_each_entry_rcu

Joel Fernandes (Google)
2019-07-12T17:01:18Z

This patch updates the documentation with information about
usage of lockdep with list_for_each_entry_rcu().

Signed-off-by: Joel Fernandes (Google) <joel@joelfernandes.org>
---
Documentation/RCU/lockdep.txt | 15 +++++++++++----
Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt | 9 ++++++++-
2 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/lockdep.txt b/Documentation/RCU/lockdep.txt
index da51d3068850..3d967df3a801 100644
--- a/Documentation/RCU/lockdep.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RCU/lockdep.txt
@@ -96,7 +96,14 @@ other flavors of rcu_dereference(). On the other hand, it is illegal
to use rcu_dereference_protected() if either the RCU-protected pointer
or the RCU-protected data that it points to can change concurrently.

-There are currently only "universal" versions of the rcu_assign_pointer()
-and RCU list-/tree-traversal primitives, which do not (yet) check for
-being in an RCU read-side critical section. In the future, separate
-versions of these primitives might be created.
+Similar to rcu_dereference_protected, The RCU list and hlist traversal
+primitives also check for whether there are called from within a reader
+section. However, an optional lockdep expression can be passed to them as
+the last argument in case they are called under other non-RCU protection.
+
+For example, the workqueue for_each_pwq() macro is implemented as follows.
+It is safe to call for_each_pwq() outside a reader section but under protection
+of wq->mutex:
+#define for_each_pwq(pwq, wq)
+ list_for_each_entry_rcu((pwq), &(wq)->pwqs, pwqs_node,
+ lock_is_held(&(wq->mutex).dep_map))
diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt
index 981651a8b65d..a08c03735963 100644
--- a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ rcu_dereference()
at any time, including immediately after the rcu_dereference().
And, again like rcu_assign_pointer(), rcu_dereference() is
typically used indirectly, via the _rcu list-manipulation
- primitives, such as list_for_each_entry_rcu().
+ primitives, such as list_for_each_entry_rcu() [2].

[1] The variant rcu_dereference_protected() can be used outside
of an RCU read-side critical section as long as the usage is
@@ -305,6 +305,13 @@ rcu_dereference()
a lockdep splat is emitted. See RCU/Design/Requirements/Requirements.html
and the API's code comments for more details and example usage.

+ [2] In case the list_for_each_entry_rcu() primitive is intended
+ to be used outside of an RCU reader section such as when
+ protected by a lock, then an additional lockdep expression can be
+ passed as the last argument to it so that RCU lockdep checking code
+ knows that the dereference of the list pointers are safe. If the
+ indicated protection is not provided, a lockdep splat is emitted.
+
The following diagram shows how each API communicates among the
reader, updater, and reclaimer.

--
2.22.0.510.g264f2c817a-goog