Re: [PATCH printk v3 04/14] printk: ringbuffer: Do not skip non-finalized records with prb_next_seq()

[Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com>]

On Mon 2024-01-15 13:01:36, John Ogness wrote:
> On 2024-01-12, Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com> wrote:
> >>  u64 prb_next_seq(struct printk_ringbuffer *rb)
> >>  {
> >> -	struct prb_desc_ring *desc_ring = &rb->desc_ring;
> >> -	enum desc_state d_state;
> >> -	unsigned long id;
> >>  	u64 seq;
> >>  
> >> -	/* Check if the cached @id still points to a valid @seq. */
> >> -	id = atomic_long_read(&desc_ring->last_finalized_id);
> >> -	d_state = desc_read(desc_ring, id, NULL, &seq, NULL);
> >> +	seq = desc_last_finalized_seq(rb);
> >
> > desc_last_finalized_seq() does internally:
> >
> > 	ulseq = atomic_long_read_acquire(&desc_ring->last_finalized_seq
> > 					); /* LMM(desc_last_finalized_seq:A) */
> >
> >
> > It guarantees that this CPU would see the data which were seen by the
> > CPU which updated desc_ring->last_finalized_seq.
> >
> > So far so good.
> >
> > The problem is that I somehow miss the counter part. Maybe,
> > it is not needed. It just looks strange.
> 
> As the comments in desc_last_finalized_seq() state: "This pairs with
> desc_update_last_finalized:A."
> 
> desc_update_last_finalized() successfully reads a record and then uses a
> cmpxchg_release() to set the new @last_finalized_seq value (of the
> record it just read). That is the counter part.
> 
> >> -	if (d_state == desc_finalized || d_state == desc_reusable) {
> >> -		/*
> >> -		 * Begin searching after the last finalized record.
> >> -		 *
> >> -		 * On 0, the search must begin at 0 because of hack#2
> >> -		 * of the bootstrapping phase it is not known if a
> >> -		 * record at index 0 exists.
> >> -		 */
> >> -		if (seq != 0)
> >> -			seq++;
> >> -	} else {
> >> -		/*
> >> -		 * The information about the last finalized sequence number
> >> -		 * has gone. It should happen only when there is a flood of
> >> -		 * new messages and the ringbuffer is rapidly recycled.
> >> -		 * Give up and start from the beginning.
> >> -		 */
> >> -		seq = 0;
> >> -	}
> >> +	/*
> >> +	 * Begin searching after the last finalized record.
> >> +	 *
> >> +	 * On 0, the search must begin at 0 because of hack#2
> >> +	 * of the bootstrapping phase it is not known if a
> >> +	 * record at index 0 exists.
> >> +	 */
> >> +	if (seq != 0)
> >> +		seq++;
> >>  
> >>  	/*
> >>  	 * The information about the last finalized @seq might be inaccurate.
> >
> > Below is the code:
> >
> > 	while (_prb_read_valid(rb, &seq, NULL, NULL))
> > 		seq++;
> >
> > Maybe, the release() should be here to make sure that the CPU which
> > would see this "seq" would also the data.
> 
> The acquire is with @last_finalized_seq. So the release must also be
> with @last_finalized_seq. The important thing is that the CPU that
> updates @last_finalized_seq has actually read the corresponding record
> beforehand. That is exactly what desc_update_last_finalized() does.

I probably did not describe it well. The CPU updating @last_finalized_seq
does the right thing. I was not sure about the CPU which reads
@last_finalized_seq via prb_next_seq().

To make it more clear:

u64 prb_next_seq(struct printk_ringbuffer *rb)
{
	u64 seq;

	seq = desc_last_finalized_seq(rb);
	      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	      |
	      `-> This includes atomic_long_read_acquire(last_finalized_seq)


	if (seq != 0)
		seq++;

	while (_prb_read_valid(rb, &seq, NULL, NULL))
		seq++;

	return seq;
}

But where is the atomic_long_read_release(last_finalized_seq) in
this code path?

IMHO, the barrier provided by the acquire() is _important_ to make sure
that _prb_read_valid() would see the valid descriptor.

Now, I think that the related read_release(seq) is hidden in:

static int prb_read(struct printk_ringbuffer *rb, u64 seq,
		    struct printk_record *r, unsigned int *line_count)
{
	/* Get a local copy of the correct descriptor (if available). */
	err = desc_read_finalized_seq(desc_ring, id, seq, &desc);

	/* If requested, copy meta data. */
	if (r->info)
		memcpy(r->info, info, sizeof(*(r->info)));

	/* Copy text data. If it fails, this is a data-less record. */
	if (!copy_data(&rb->text_data_ring, &desc.text_blk_lpos, info->text_len,
		       r->text_buf, r->text_buf_size, line_count)) {
		return -ENOENT;
	}

	/* Ensure the record is still finalized and has the same @seq. */
	return desc_read_finalized_seq(desc_ring, id, seq, &desc);
	       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	       |
	       `-> This includes a memory barrier /* LMM(desc_read:A) */
		   which makes sure that the data are read before
		   the desc/data could be reused.
}

I consider this /* LMM(desc_read:A) */ as a counter part for that
acquire() in prb_next_seq().


Summary:

I saw atomic_long_read_acquire(last_finalized_seq) called from
prb_next_seq() code path. The barrier looked important to me.
But I saw neither the counter-part nor any comment. I wanted
to understand it because it might be important for reviewing
following patches which depend on prb_next_seq().

Does it make sense now, please?

Best Regards,
Petr