[PATCH v2 0/3] replace old wq(s), added WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue

[PATCH v2 0/3] replace old wq(s), added WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue

[Marco Crivellari]

Hi,

=== Current situation: problems ===

Let's consider a nohz_full system with isolated CPUs: wq_unbound_cpumask is
set to the housekeeping CPUs, for !WQ_UNBOUND the local CPU is selected.

This leads to different scenarios if a work item is scheduled on an
isolated CPU where "delay" value is 0 or greater then 0:
        schedule_delayed_work(, 0);

This will be handled by __queue_work() that will queue the work item on the
current local (isolated) CPU, while:

        schedule_delayed_work(, 1);

Will move the timer on an housekeeping CPU, and schedule the work there.

Currently if a user enqueue a work item using schedule_delayed_work() the
used wq is "system_wq" (per-cpu wq) while queue_delayed_work() use
WORK_CPU_UNBOUND (used when a cpu is not specified). The same applies to
schedule_work() that is using system_wq and queue_work(), that makes use
again of WORK_CPU_UNBOUND.

This lack of consistency cannot be addressed without refactoring the API.

=== Recent changes to the WQ API ===

The following, address the recent changes in the Workqueue API:

- commit 128ea9f6ccfb ("workqueue: Add system_percpu_wq and system_dfl_wq")
- commit 930c2ea566af ("workqueue: Add new WQ_PERCPU flag")

The old workqueues will be removed in a future release cycle.

=== Introduced Changes by this series ===

1) [P 1] Replace uses of system_wq

    system_wq is a per-CPU workqueue, but his name is not clear.
    Because of that, system_wq has been replaced with system_percpu_wq.

2) [P 2-3] add WQ_PERCPU to all relevant alloc_workqueue() users

    This change adds a new WQ_PERCPU flag to explicitly request
    alloc_workqueue() to be per-cpu when WQ_UNBOUND has not been specified.


Thanks!

---
Changes in v2:
- improved commit logs

- rebased on v7.0-rc1

Marco Crivellari (3):
  nvmet: replace use of system_wq with system_percpu_wq
  nvme: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users
  nvmet-fc: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users

 drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c        | 2 +-
 drivers/nvme/target/core.c             | 5 +++--
 drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c | 2 +-
 drivers/nvme/target/fc.c               | 6 +++---
 drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c              | 2 +-
 5 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

-- 
2.51.1

[PATCH v2 1/3] nvmet: replace use of system_wq with system_percpu_wq

[Marco Crivellari]

This patch continues the effort to refactor workqueue APIs, which has begun
with the changes introducing new workqueues and a new alloc_workqueue flag:

   commit 128ea9f6ccfb ("workqueue: Add system_percpu_wq and system_dfl_wq")
   commit 930c2ea566af ("workqueue: Add new WQ_PERCPU flag")

The point of the refactoring is to eventually alter the default behavior of
workqueues to become unbound by default so that their workload placement is
optimized by the scheduler.

Before that to happen, workqueue users must be converted to the better named
new workqueues with no intended behaviour changes:

   system_wq -> system_percpu_wq
   system_unbound_wq -> system_dfl_wq

This way the old obsolete workqueues (system_wq, system_unbound_wq) can be
removed in the future.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250221112003.1dSuoGyc@linutronix.de/
Suggested-by: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Marco Crivellari <marco.crivellari@suse.com>
---
 drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c        | 2 +-
 drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
index 9de93f65d7d7..ed60e48ee82f 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
@@ -1603,7 +1603,7 @@ void nvmet_execute_keep_alive(struct nvmet_req *req)
 
 	pr_debug("ctrl %d update keep-alive timer for %d secs\n",
 		ctrl->cntlid, ctrl->kato);
-	mod_delayed_work(system_wq, &ctrl->ka_work, ctrl->kato * HZ);
+	mod_delayed_work(system_percpu_wq, &ctrl->ka_work, ctrl->kato * HZ);
 out:
 	nvmet_req_complete(req, status);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c b/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
index 5946681cb0e3..e039650945b1 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ void nvmet_execute_auth_send(struct nvmet_req *req)
 	    req->sq->dhchap_step != NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_FAILURE2) {
 		unsigned long auth_expire_secs = ctrl->kato ? ctrl->kato : 120;
 
-		mod_delayed_work(system_wq, &req->sq->auth_expired_work,
+		mod_delayed_work(system_percpu_wq, &req->sq->auth_expired_work,
 				 auth_expire_secs * HZ);
 		goto complete;
 	}
-- 
2.52.0

[PATCH v2 2/3] nvme: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users

[Marco Crivellari]

This continues the effort to refactor workqueue APIs, which began with
the introduction of new workqueues and a new alloc_workqueue flag in:

   commit 128ea9f6ccfb ("workqueue: Add system_percpu_wq and system_dfl_wq")
   commit 930c2ea566af ("workqueue: Add new WQ_PERCPU flag")

The refactoring is going to alter the default behavior of
alloc_workqueue() to be unbound by default.

With the introduction of the WQ_PERCPU flag (equivalent to !WQ_UNBOUND),
any alloc_workqueue() caller that doesn’t explicitly specify WQ_UNBOUND
must now use WQ_PERCPU. For more details see the Link tag below.

In order to keep alloc_workqueue() behavior identical, explicitly request
WQ_PERCPU.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250221112003.1dSuoGyc@linutronix.de/
Suggested-by: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Marco Crivellari <marco.crivellari@suse.com>
---
 drivers/nvme/target/core.c | 5 +++--
 drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c  | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index 5e43d0acc86e..376d38b62da2 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -1942,12 +1942,13 @@ static int __init nvmet_init(void)
 	if (!nvmet_bvec_cache)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	zbd_wq = alloc_workqueue("nvmet-zbd-wq", WQ_MEM_RECLAIM, 0);
+	zbd_wq = alloc_workqueue("nvmet-zbd-wq", WQ_MEM_RECLAIM | WQ_PERCPU,
+				 0);
 	if (!zbd_wq)
 		goto out_destroy_bvec_cache;
 
 	buffered_io_wq = alloc_workqueue("nvmet-buffered-io-wq",
-			WQ_MEM_RECLAIM, 0);
+			WQ_MEM_RECLAIM | WQ_PERCPU, 0);
 	if (!buffered_io_wq)
 		goto out_free_zbd_work_queue;
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c b/drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c
index acc71a26733f..4b8b02341ddc 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/tcp.c
@@ -2225,7 +2225,7 @@ static int __init nvmet_tcp_init(void)
 	int ret;
 
 	nvmet_tcp_wq = alloc_workqueue("nvmet_tcp_wq",
-				WQ_MEM_RECLAIM | WQ_HIGHPRI, 0);
+				WQ_MEM_RECLAIM | WQ_HIGHPRI | WQ_PERCPU, 0);
 	if (!nvmet_tcp_wq)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-- 
2.52.0

[PATCH v2 3/3] nvmet-fc: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users

[Marco Crivellari]

This continues the effort to refactor workqueue APIs, which began with
the introduction of new workqueues and a new alloc_workqueue flag in:

   commit 128ea9f6ccfb ("workqueue: Add system_percpu_wq and system_dfl_wq")
   commit 930c2ea566af ("workqueue: Add new WQ_PERCPU flag")

The refactoring is going to alter the default behavior of
alloc_workqueue() to be unbound by default.

With the introduction of the WQ_PERCPU flag (equivalent to !WQ_UNBOUND),
any alloc_workqueue() caller that doesn’t explicitly specify WQ_UNBOUND
must now use WQ_PERCPU. For more details see the Link tag below.

In order to keep alloc_workqueue() behavior identical, explicitly request
WQ_PERCPU.

Cc: Justin Tee <justin.tee@broadcom.com>
Cc: Naresh Gottumukkala <nareshgottumukkala83@gmail.com>
CC: Paul Ely <paul.ely@broadcom.com>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250221112003.1dSuoGyc@linutronix.de/
Suggested-by: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Marco Crivellari <marco.crivellari@suse.com>
---
 drivers/nvme/target/fc.c | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
index 4eaadc711c99..d161707559ce 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
@@ -792,9 +792,9 @@ nvmet_fc_alloc_target_queue(struct nvmet_fc_tgt_assoc *assoc,
 	if (!queue)
 		return NULL;
 
-	queue->work_q = alloc_workqueue("ntfc%d.%d.%d", 0, 0,
-				assoc->tgtport->fc_target_port.port_num,
-				assoc->a_id, qid);
+	queue->work_q = alloc_workqueue("ntfc%d.%d.%d", WQ_PERCPU, 0,
+					assoc->tgtport->fc_target_port.port_num,
+					assoc->a_id, qid);
 	if (!queue->work_q)
 		goto out_free_queue;
 
-- 
2.52.0

Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] nvmet: replace use of system_wq with system_percpu_wq

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 11:23:27AM +0100, Marco Crivellari wrote:
>    system_unbound_wq -> system_dfl_wq

"dfl" is a weird acronym, that doesn't really help understanding the
code.  What does it even mean?

Either way given that this has already been picked, I guess we're stuck
with it, so:

Reviewed-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>

Re: [PATCH v2 2/3] nvme: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users

[Christoph Hellwig]

Looks good:

Reviewed-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>

Re: [PATCH v2 3/3] nvmet-fc: add WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue users

[Christoph Hellwig]

Looks good:

Reviewed-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>

Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] nvmet: replace use of system_wq with system_percpu_wq

[Sebastian Andrzej Siewior]

On 2026-03-20 08:57:50 [+0100], Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> "dfl" is a weird acronym, that doesn't really help understanding the
> code.  What does it even mean?
default
^ ^  ^

Sebastian

Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] replace old wq(s), added WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue

[Keith Busch]

On Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 11:23:26AM +0100, Marco Crivellari wrote:
> 1) [P 1] Replace uses of system_wq
> 
>     system_wq is a per-CPU workqueue, but his name is not clear.
>     Because of that, system_wq has been replaced with system_percpu_wq.
> 
> 2) [P 2-3] add WQ_PERCPU to all relevant alloc_workqueue() users
> 
>     This change adds a new WQ_PERCPU flag to explicitly request
>     alloc_workqueue() to be per-cpu when WQ_UNBOUND has not been specified.

Thanks applied to nvme-7.1.

Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] replace old wq(s), added WQ_PERCPU to alloc_workqueue

[Marco Crivellari]

On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 4:23 PM Keith Busch <kbusch@kernel.org> wrote:
> [...]
> Thanks applied to nvme-7.1.

Many thanks!


-- 

Marco Crivellari

L3 Support Engineer