Re: [PATCH 2/5] kernel.h: Add non_block_start/end()

Jason Gunthorpe
2019-08-15T15:10:32Z

On Thu, Aug 15, 2019 at 04:43:38PM +0200, Daniel Vetter wrote:

> You have to wait for the gpu to finnish current processing in
> invalidate_range_start. Otherwise there's no point to any of this
> really. So the wait_event/dma_fence_wait are unavoidable really.

I don't envy your task :|

But, what you describe sure sounds like a 'registration cache' model,
not the 'shadow pte' model of coherency.

The key difference is that a regirstationcache is allowed to become
incoherent with the VMA's because it holds page pins. It is a
programming bug in userspace to change VA mappings via mmap/munmap/etc
while the device is working on that VA, but it does not harm system
integrity because of the page pin.

The cache ensures that each initiated operation sees a DMA setup that
matches the current VA map when the operation is initiated and allows
expensive device DMA setups to be re-used.

A 'shadow pte' model (ie hmm) *really* needs device support to
directly block DMA access - ie trigger 'device page fault'. ie the
invalidate_start should inform the device to enter a fault mode and
that is it. If the device can't do that, then the driver probably
shouldn't persue this level of coherency. The driver would quickly get
into the messy locking problems like dma_fence_wait from a notifier.

It is important to identify what model you are going for as defining a
'registration cache' coherence expectation allows the driver to skip
blocking in invalidate_range_start. All it does is invalidate the
cache so that future operations pick up the new VA mapping.

Intel's HFI RDMA driver uses this model extensively, and I think it is
well proven, within some limitations of course.

At least, 'registration cache' is the only use model I know of where
it is acceptable to skip invalidate_range_end.

Jason