Re: [patch] slab: Fix a cpu hotplug race condition while tuning slab cpu caches

[Ravikiran G Thirumalai <kiran@scalex86.org>]

On Mon, Oct 16, 2006 at 11:15:11AM -0700, Andrew Morton wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:54:39 -0700
> Ravikiran G Thirumalai <kiran@scalex86.org> wrote:
> 
> The problem is obvious: we have some data (the array caches) and we have a
> data structure which is used to look up that data (cpu_online_map).  But
> we're releasing the lock while these two things are in an inconsistent
> state.
> 
> So you could have fixed this by taking cache_chain_mutex in CPU_UP_PREPARE
> and releasing it in CPU_ONLINE and CPU_UP_CANCELED.

Hmm, yes. I suppose so. Maybe we can do away with other uses of
lock_cpu_hotplug() in slab.c as well then!  Will give it a shot. Slab
locking might look uglier than what it already is though no?

> 
> >  	list_for_each_entry(cachep, &cache_chain, next) {
> > @@ -4087,6 +4088,7 @@ ssize_t slabinfo_write(struct file *file
> >  		}
> >  	}
> >  	mutex_unlock(&cache_chain_mutex);
> > +	unlock_cpu_hotplug();
> >  	if (res >= 0)
> >  		res = count;
> >  	return res;
> 
> Given that this lock_cpu_hotplug() happens at a high level I guess it'll
> avoid the usual lock_cpu_hotplug() horrors and we can live with it.  I
> assume lockdep was enabled when you were testing this?

Not when I tested it.  I just retested with lockdep on and things seemed 
fine on a SMP.

Thanks,
Kiran