[RFC PATCH v2 1/5] softirq: Allow raising SCHED_SOFTIRQ from SMP-call-function on RT kernel

K Prateek Nayak
2024-09-04T11:13:02Z

do_softirq_post_smp_call_flush() on PREEMPT_RT kernels carries a
WARN_ON_ONCE() for any SOFTIRQ being raised from an SMP-call-function.
Since do_softirq_post_smp_call_flush() is called with interrupts
disabled, raising a SOFTIRQ during flush_smp_call_function_queue() can
lead to longer interrupts disabled sections.

Since commit b2a02fc43a1f ("smp: Optimize
send_call_function_single_ipi()") IPIs to an idle CPU in
TIF_POLLING_NRFLAG mode can be optimized out by instead setting
TIF_NEED_RESCHED bit in idle task's thread_info and relying on the
flush_smp_call_function_queue() in the idle-exit path to run the
SMP-call-function.

To trigger an idle load balancing, the scheduler queues
nohz_csd_function() responsible for triggering an idle load balancing on
a target nohz idle CPU and sends an IPI. Only now, this IPI can be
optimized out and the SMP-call-function is executed from
flush_smp_call_function_queue() in do_idle() which can raise a
SCHED_SOFTIRQ to trigger the balancing.

So far, this went undetected since, the need_resched() check in
nohz_csd_function() would make it bail out of idle load balancing early
as the idle thread does not clear TIF_POLLING_NRFLAG before calling
flush_smp_call_function_queue(). The need_resched() check was added with
the intent to catch a new task wakeup, however, it has recently
discovered to be unnecessary and will be removed soon. As such,
nohz_csd_function() will raise a SCHED_SOFTIRQ from
flush_smp_call_function_queue() to trigger an idle load balance on an
idle target. Account for this and prevent a WARN_ON_ONCE() when
SCHED_SOFTIRQ is raised from flush_smp_call_function_queue().

Signed-off-by: K Prateek Nayak <kprateek.nayak@amd.com>
---
v1..v2:

- New patch. Approach discussed in
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/225e6d74-ed43-51dd-d1aa-c75c86dd58eb@amd.com/
---
kernel/softirq.c | 15 +++++++++++----
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/softirq.c b/kernel/softirq.c
index d082e7840f88..8c4524ce65fa 100644
--- a/kernel/softirq.c
+++ b/kernel/softirq.c
@@ -280,17 +280,24 @@ static inline void invoke_softirq(void)
wakeup_softirqd();
}

+#define SCHED_SOFTIRQ_MASK BIT(SCHED_SOFTIRQ)
+
/*
* flush_smp_call_function_queue() can raise a soft interrupt in a function
- * call. On RT kernels this is undesired and the only known functionality
- * in the block layer which does this is disabled on RT. If soft interrupts
- * get raised which haven't been raised before the flush, warn so it can be
+ * call. On RT kernels this is undesired and the only known functionalities
+ * are in the block layer which is disabled on RT, and in the scheduler for
+ * idle load balancing. If soft interrupts get raised which haven't been
+ * raised before the flush, warn if it is not a SCHED_SOFTIRQ so it can be
* investigated.
*/
void do_softirq_post_smp_call_flush(unsigned int was_pending)
{
- if (WARN_ON_ONCE(was_pending != local_softirq_pending()))
+ unsigned int is_pending = local_softirq_pending();
+
+ if (unlikely(was_pending != is_pending)) {
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(was_pending != (is_pending & ~SCHED_SOFTIRQ_MASK));
invoke_softirq();
+ }
}

#else /* CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT */
--
2.34.1