From: Dmitry Ilvokhin <d@ilvokhin.com>
To: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>,
Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>, Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>,
Boqun Feng <boqun@kernel.org>, Waiman Long <longman@redhat.com>,
Thomas Bogendoerfer <tsbogend@alpha.franken.de>,
"K. Y. Srinivasan" <kys@microsoft.com>,
Haiyang Zhang <haiyangz@microsoft.com>,
Wei Liu <wei.liu@kernel.org>, Dexuan Cui <decui@microsoft.com>,
Long Li <longli@microsoft.com>, Thomas Gleixner <tglx@kernel.org>,
Borislav Petkov <bp@alien8.de>,
Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>,
x86@kernel.org, "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>,
Juergen Gross <jgross@suse.com>,
Ajay Kaher <ajay.kaher@broadcom.com>,
Alexey Makhalov <alexey.makhalov@broadcom.com>,
Broadcom internal kernel review list
<bcm-kernel-feedback-list@broadcom.com>,
Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>,
Vitaly Kuznetsov <vkuznets@redhat.com>,
Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@kernel.org>,
Jason Baron <jbaron@akamai.com>,
Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>,
Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>,
Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@kernel.org>,
Boris Ostrovsky <boris.ostrovsky@oracle.com>,
Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>,
Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@kernel.org>,
Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-mips@vger.kernel.org,
linux-hyperv@vger.kernel.org, virtualization@lists.linux.dev,
kvm@vger.kernel.org, xen-devel@lists.xenproject.org,
linux-arch@vger.kernel.org, linux-trace-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
kernel-team@meta.com, Dmitry Ilvokhin <d@ilvokhin.com>
Subject: [PATCH 3/5] locking/qspinlock: Add contended_release tracepoint
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2026 07:15:43 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <0d998e22a0c595f670cfc6725bb683323aced5cb.1785778551.git.d@ilvokhin.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <cover.1785778551.git.d@ilvokhin.com>
Unlike mutex and rw_semaphore, qspinlock has no owner field, so "perf
lock contention --lock-owner" cannot attribute a contended spinlock to
its holder. The waiter-side contention_begin event records that a
spinlock is contended, but not by whom. Firing contended_release in the
holder's context at unlock is the only way to capture the holder of a
contended spinlock.
Combine the contention check, trace call and release in an out-of-line
queued_spin_release_traced() so the compiler need not preserve the lock
pointer in a callee-saved register across the call.
The check in queued_spin_unlock() is paid on every unlock, even while
the tracepoint is disabled: a static-branch NOP on x86_64, and a few
more instructions to manage a stack frame elsewhere. Gate it behind
CONFIG_QUEUED_SPINLOCKS_TRACE_CONTENDED_RELEASE (default n) so nobody
pays for a tracepoint they do not use. Sleeping locks fire
contended_release regardless.
On x86 this generic path is used only with PARAVIRT_SPINLOCKS=n (e.g.
defconfig). PARAVIRT_SPINLOCKS=y kernels keep the paravirt static_call
unlock and are wired up separately.
All below are with the QUEUED_SPINLOCKS_TRACE_CONTENDED_RELEASE option
enabled.
_raw_spin_unlock(), x86_64 defconfig, GCC 11, tracepoint compiled in but
disabled. The unlock is the single 'movb'. The only instruction added to
the executed path is the 2-byte static-branch NOP. The CALL to the
traced helper and the JMP back are emitted out of line and are reached
only once the static branch is patched on:
endbr64 ; 4 bytes
xchg %ax,%ax ; 2 static-branch NOP
; (added)
movb $0x0,(%rdi) ; 3 unlock (single store)
A: decl %gs:__preempt_count ; 7
je B ; 2
jmp __x86_return_thunk ; 5
call queued_spin_release_traced ; 5 out of line, reached
; only when the
; tracepoint is on
jmp A ; 2 (added)
B: call __SCT__preempt_schedule ; 5
jmp __x86_return_thunk ; 5
Baseline is the same stream without the NOP and the out-of-line
CALL/JMP: 31 bytes vs 40 (+9 bytes).
Binary size impact on x86_64, defconfig: +680 bytes (+0.00%), since all
standard configs out-of-line unlock. Architectures with inlined unlock
(s390 (always), csky and loongarch (both when !PREEMPTION)) will see a
bigger increase in binary size.
On the same path (x86_64, PARAVIRT_SPINLOCKS=n) with the tracepoint
disabled, a _raw_spin_unlock()-heavy nginx workload [1] shows no
measurable difference between baseline and patched kernels in
throughput, latency, cycles, instructions, IPC, or L1 instruction-cache
misses (kernel and total): all deltas stay within run-to-run noise.
Unlike x86, on arm64 the frame setup code (STP, MOV and LDP) lands on
the executed path in addition to static-branch NOP. Binary size impact
on arm64, defconfig: +932 bytes (+0.00%).
The _raw_spin_unlock()-heavy nginx workload reflects the larger hot
path: L1 instruction-cache misses rise ~1.4% (kernel and total) and
instruction count ~0.4%, consistent with the per-unlock frame.
cpu_cycles, throughput and latency show no measurable change and are
within run-to-run noise.
Architectures with fully custom qspinlock implementations (e.g.
PowerPC) are not covered by this change.
[1]: https://lore.kernel.org/all/aiphFXe_TPNPxZ_n@shell.ilvokhin.com/
Signed-off-by: Dmitry Ilvokhin <d@ilvokhin.com>
---
include/asm-generic/qspinlock.h | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++
kernel/Kconfig.locks | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
kernel/locking/qspinlock.c | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 63 insertions(+)
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/qspinlock.h b/include/asm-generic/qspinlock.h
index ae45289e8ec7..2ca94e41823b 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/qspinlock.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/qspinlock.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
#include <asm-generic/qspinlock_types.h>
#include <linux/atomic.h>
+#include <linux/tracepoint-defs.h>
#ifndef queued_spin_is_locked
/**
@@ -130,12 +131,32 @@ static __always_inline void queued_spin_release(struct qspinlock *lock)
#endif
#ifndef queued_spin_unlock
+
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(contended_release);
+
+extern void queued_spin_release_traced(struct qspinlock *lock);
+
/**
* queued_spin_unlock - unlock a queued spinlock
* @lock : Pointer to queued spinlock structure
+ *
+ * Generic tracing wrapper around the arch-overridable
+ * queued_spin_release().
*/
static __always_inline void queued_spin_unlock(struct qspinlock *lock)
{
+ /*
+ * Trace and release are combined in queued_spin_release_traced() so
+ * the compiler does not need to preserve the lock pointer across the
+ * function call, avoiding callee-saved register save/restore on the
+ * hot path. queued_spin_release() is therefore called both here and in
+ * queued_spin_release_traced(). Keep the two in sync.
+ */
+ if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_QUEUED_SPINLOCKS_TRACE_CONTENDED_RELEASE) &&
+ tracepoint_enabled(contended_release)) {
+ queued_spin_release_traced(lock);
+ return;
+ }
queued_spin_release(lock);
}
#endif
diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig.locks b/kernel/Kconfig.locks
index 4198f0273ecd..1c6423aafcd4 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig.locks
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig.locks
@@ -243,6 +243,26 @@ config QUEUED_SPINLOCKS
def_bool y if ARCH_USE_QUEUED_SPINLOCKS
depends on SMP
+config QUEUED_SPINLOCKS_TRACE_CONTENDED_RELEASE
+ bool "Trace contended_release on queued spinlocks"
+ depends on QUEUED_SPINLOCKS && TRACEPOINTS
+ help
+ Fire the lock:contended_release tracepoint when a contended queued
+ spinlock is released, so it is possible to attribute a contended
+ spinlock to its holder.
+
+ Architectures that can patch the unlock site do this at no cost and
+ do not need this option.
+
+ Everywhere else the check is compiled into queued_spin_unlock() and
+ a small cost is paid on every unlock even when the tracepoint is
+ disabled: a static-branch NOP and possibly a few more instructions
+ to manage a stack frame.
+
+ Sleeping locks fire lock:contended_release regardless of this option.
+
+ If unsure, say N.
+
config BPF_ARCH_SPINLOCK
bool
diff --git a/kernel/locking/qspinlock.c b/kernel/locking/qspinlock.c
index af8d122bb649..33fe6d437c8f 100644
--- a/kernel/locking/qspinlock.c
+++ b/kernel/locking/qspinlock.c
@@ -104,6 +104,28 @@ static __always_inline u32 __pv_wait_head_or_lock(struct qspinlock *lock,
#define queued_spin_lock_slowpath native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath
#endif
+#if !defined(queued_spin_unlock) && \
+ IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_QUEUED_SPINLOCKS_TRACE_CONTENDED_RELEASE)
+/*
+ * Out-of-line trace-and-release path for queued_spin_unlock(), used when
+ * the contended_release tracepoint is enabled.
+ *
+ * queued_spin_release() is duplicated here on purpose: doing the release
+ * in this function (rather than tracing here and releasing in the caller)
+ * lets queued_spin_unlock() return right after the call, so the
+ * tracepoint-disabled hot path never has to keep lock live across a call
+ * in a callee-saved register. Keep this release in sync with the one in
+ * queued_spin_unlock().
+ */
+void __lockfunc queued_spin_release_traced(struct qspinlock *lock)
+{
+ if (queued_spin_is_contended(lock))
+ trace_call__contended_release(lock);
+ queued_spin_release(lock);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(queued_spin_release_traced);
+#endif
+
#endif /* _GEN_PV_LOCK_SLOWPATH */
/**
--
2.53.0-Meta
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-08-04 7:16 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 10+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-08-04 7:15 [PATCH 0/5] locking/qspinlock: Add contended_release tracepoint Dmitry Ilvokhin
2026-08-04 7:15 ` [PATCH 1/5] x86/paravirt: Use static_call() for the paravirt spinlock ops Dmitry Ilvokhin
2026-08-04 19:00 ` Borislav Petkov
2026-08-04 19:54 ` Peter Zijlstra
2026-08-04 7:15 ` [PATCH 2/5] locking: Factor out queued_spin_release() Dmitry Ilvokhin
2026-08-04 7:15 ` Dmitry Ilvokhin [this message]
2026-08-04 7:15 ` [PATCH 4/5] tracing/lock: Use TRACE_EVENT_FN() for contended_release Dmitry Ilvokhin
2026-08-04 7:15 ` [PATCH 5/5] x86/paravirt: Trace contended_release on unlock Dmitry Ilvokhin
2026-08-04 7:57 ` [PATCH 0/5] locking/qspinlock: Add contended_release tracepoint Juergen Gross
2026-08-04 10:39 ` Peter Zijlstra
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