[Patch net-next v2] tcp: introduce a per-route knob for quick ack

[Patch net-next v2] tcp: introduce a per-route knob for quick ack

[Cong Wang]

From: Cong Wang <amwang@redhat.com>

In previous discussions, I tried to find some reasonable heuristics
for delayed ACK, however this seems not possible, according to Eric:

	"ACKS might also be delayed because of bidirectional
	traffic, and is more controlled by the application
	response time. TCP stack can not easily estimate it."

	"ACK can be incredibly useful to recover from losses in
	a short time.

	The vast majority of TCP sessions are small lived, and we
	send one ACK per received segment anyway at beginning or
	retransmits to let the sender smoothly increase its cwnd,
	so an auto-tuning facility wont help them that much."

and according to David:

	"ACKs are the only information we have to detect loss.

	And, for the same reasons that TCP VEGAS is fundamentally
	broken, we cannot measure the pipe or some other
	receiver-side-visible piece of information to determine
	when it's "safe" to stretch ACK.

	And even if it's "safe", we should not do it so that losses are
	accurately detected and we don't spuriously retransmit.

	The only way to know when the bandwidth increases is to
	"test" it, by sending more and more packets until drops happen.
	That's why all successful congestion control algorithms must
	operate on explicited tested pieces of information.

	Similarly, it's not really possible to universally know if
	it's safe to stretch ACK or not."

It still makes sense to enable or disable quick ack mode like
what TCP_QUICK_ACK does.

Similar to TCP_QUICK_ACK option, but for people who can't
modify the source code and still wants to control
TCP delayed ACK behavior. As David suggested, this should belong
to per-path scope, since different pathes may want different
behaviors.

Cc: Eric Dumazet <eric.dumazet@gmail.com>
Cc: Rick Jones <rick.jones2@hp.com>
Cc: Stephen Hemminger <stephen@networkplumber.org>
Cc: "David S. Miller" <davem@davemloft.net>
Cc: Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
CC: David Laight <David.Laight@ACULAB.COM>
Signed-off-by: Cong Wang <amwang@redhat.com>

---
v2: improve changelog

 include/uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h |    2 ++
 net/ipv4/tcp_input.c           |    5 ++++-
 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c          |    6 ++++--
 3 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h b/include/uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h
index 7a2144e..eb0f1a5 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h
@@ -386,6 +386,8 @@ enum {
 #define RTAX_RTO_MIN RTAX_RTO_MIN
 	RTAX_INITRWND,
 #define RTAX_INITRWND RTAX_INITRWND
+	RTAX_QUICKACK,
+#define RTAX_QUICKACK RTAX_QUICKACK
 	__RTAX_MAX
 };
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
index 907311c..51ed9b7 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
@@ -3726,6 +3726,7 @@ void tcp_reset(struct sock *sk)
 static void tcp_fin(struct sock *sk)
 {
 	struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
+	const struct dst_entry *dst;
 
 	inet_csk_schedule_ack(sk);
 
@@ -3737,7 +3738,9 @@ static void tcp_fin(struct sock *sk)
 	case TCP_ESTABLISHED:
 		/* Move to CLOSE_WAIT */
 		tcp_set_state(sk, TCP_CLOSE_WAIT);
-		inet_csk(sk)->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
+		dst = __sk_dst_get(sk);
+		if (!dst_metric(dst, RTAX_QUICKACK))
+			inet_csk(sk)->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
 		break;
 
 	case TCP_CLOSE_WAIT:
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
index ec335fa..f840b92 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ static void tcp_event_data_sent(struct tcp_sock *tp,
 {
 	struct inet_connection_sock *icsk = inet_csk(sk);
 	const u32 now = tcp_time_stamp;
+	const struct dst_entry *dst = __sk_dst_get(sk);
 
 	if (sysctl_tcp_slow_start_after_idle &&
 	    (!tp->packets_out && (s32)(now - tp->lsndtime) > icsk->icsk_rto))
@@ -170,8 +171,9 @@ static void tcp_event_data_sent(struct tcp_sock *tp,
 	/* If it is a reply for ato after last received
 	 * packet, enter pingpong mode.
 	 */
-	if ((u32)(now - icsk->icsk_ack.lrcvtime) < icsk->icsk_ack.ato)
-		icsk->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
+	if ((u32)(now - icsk->icsk_ack.lrcvtime) < icsk->icsk_ack.ato &&
+	    !dst_metric(dst, RTAX_QUICKACK))
+			icsk->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
 }
 
 /* Account for an ACK we sent. */

[Patch iproute2] add quickack option to ip route

[Cong Wang]

From: Cong Wang <amwang@redhat.com>

This patch adds quickack option to enable/disable TCP quick ack
mode for per-route.

Cc: Stephen Hemminger <stephen@networkplumber.org>
Cc: "David S. Miller" <davem@davemloft.net>
Cc: Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
Signed-off-by: Cong Wang <amwang@redhat.com>

---
diff --git a/include/linux/rtnetlink.h b/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
index 93370bd..248fdd3 100644
--- a/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
@@ -386,6 +386,8 @@ enum {
 #define RTAX_RTO_MIN RTAX_RTO_MIN
 	RTAX_INITRWND,
 #define RTAX_INITRWND RTAX_INITRWND
+	RTAX_QUICKACK,
+#define RTAX_QUICKACK RTAX_QUICKACK
 	__RTAX_MAX
 };
 
diff --git a/ip/iproute.c b/ip/iproute.c
index adef774..46710b2 100644
--- a/ip/iproute.c
+++ b/ip/iproute.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ static const char *mx_names[RTAX_MAX+1] = {
 	[RTAX_FEATURES] = "features",
 	[RTAX_RTO_MIN]	= "rto_min",
 	[RTAX_INITRWND]	= "initrwnd",
+	[RTAX_QUICKACK]	= "quickack",
 };
 static void usage(void) __attribute__((noreturn));
 
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ static void usage(void)
 	fprintf(stderr, "           [ window NUMBER] [ cwnd NUMBER ] [ initcwnd NUMBER ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "           [ ssthresh NUMBER ] [ realms REALM ] [ src ADDRESS ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "           [ rto_min TIME ] [ hoplimit NUMBER ] [ initrwnd NUMBER ]\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "           [ quickack BOOL ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "TYPE := [ unicast | local | broadcast | multicast | throw |\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "          unreachable | prohibit | blackhole | nat ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "TABLE_ID := [ local | main | default | all | NUMBER ]\n");
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ static void usage(void)
 	fprintf(stderr, "NHFLAGS := [ onlink | pervasive ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "RTPROTO := [ kernel | boot | static | NUMBER ]\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "TIME := NUMBER[s|ms]\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "BOOL := [1|0]\n");
 	exit(-1);
 }
 
@@ -885,6 +888,14 @@ static int iproute_modify(int cmd, unsigned flags, int argc, char **argv)
 			if (get_unsigned(&win, *argv, 0))
 				invarg("\"initrwnd\" value is invalid\n", *argv);
 			rta_addattr32(mxrta, sizeof(mxbuf), RTAX_INITRWND, win);
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "quickack") == 0) {
+			unsigned quickack;
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			if (get_unsigned(&quickack, *argv, 0))
+				invarg("\"quickack\" value is invalid\n", *argv);
+			if (quickack != 1 && quickack != 0)
+				invarg("\"quickack\" value should be 0 or 1\n", *argv);
+			rta_addattr32(mxrta, sizeof(mxbuf), RTAX_QUICKACK, quickack);
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "rttvar") == 0) {
 			unsigned win;
 			NEXT_ARG();
diff --git a/man/man8/ip-route.8.in b/man/man8/ip-route.8.in
index 2c35a97..01997fa 100644
--- a/man/man8/ip-route.8.in
+++ b/man/man8/ip-route.8.in
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ replace " } "
 .IR NUMBER " ] [ "
 .B  initrwnd
 .IR NUMBER " ]"
+.B  quickack
+.IR BOOL " ]"
 
 .ti -8
 .IR TYPE " := [ "
@@ -401,6 +403,10 @@ Actual window size is this value multiplied by the MSS of the connection.
 The default value is zero, meaning to use Slow Start value.
 
 .TP
+.BI quickack " BOOL " "(3.11+ only)"
+Enable or disable quick ack for connections to this destination.
+
+.TP
 .BI advmss " NUMBER " "(2.3.15+ only)"
 the MSS ('Maximal Segment Size') to advertise to these
 destinations when establishing TCP connections.  If it is not given,

Re: [Patch net-next v2] tcp: introduce a per-route knob for quick ack

[Eric Dumazet]

On Thu, 2013-06-13 at 14:24 +0800, Cong Wang wrote:


> diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
> index 907311c..51ed9b7 100644
> --- a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
> +++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
> @@ -3726,6 +3726,7 @@ void tcp_reset(struct sock *sk)
>  static void tcp_fin(struct sock *sk)
>  {
>  	struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
> +	const struct dst_entry *dst;
>  
>  	inet_csk_schedule_ack(sk);
>  
> @@ -3737,7 +3738,9 @@ static void tcp_fin(struct sock *sk)
>  	case TCP_ESTABLISHED:
>  		/* Move to CLOSE_WAIT */
>  		tcp_set_state(sk, TCP_CLOSE_WAIT);
> -		inet_csk(sk)->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
> +		dst = __sk_dst_get(sk);

	What if dst is NULL ?

> +		if (!dst_metric(dst, RTAX_QUICKACK))
> +			inet_csk(sk)->icsk_ack.pingpong = 1;
>  		break;
>  
>  	case TCP_CLOSE_WAIT:
> diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> index ec335fa..f840b92 100644
> --- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> +++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> @@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ static void tcp_event_data_sent(struct tcp_sock *tp,
>  {
>  	struct inet_connection_sock *icsk = inet_csk(sk);
>  	const u32 now = tcp_time_stamp;
> +	const struct dst_entry *dst = __sk_dst_get(sk);
>  


Same here : Are you sure dst cannot be NULL ?

Re: [Patch net-next v2] tcp: introduce a per-route knob for quick ack

[Cong Wang]

On Wed, 2013-06-12 at 23:42 -0700, Eric Dumazet wrote:
> On Thu, 2013-06-13 at 14:24 +0800, Cong Wang wrote:
> > diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> > index ec335fa..f840b92 100644
> > --- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> > +++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
> > @@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ static void tcp_event_data_sent(struct tcp_sock *tp,
> >  {
> >  	struct inet_connection_sock *icsk = inet_csk(sk);
> >  	const u32 now = tcp_time_stamp;
> > +	const struct dst_entry *dst = __sk_dst_get(sk);
> >  
> 
> 
> Same here : Are you sure dst cannot be NULL ?
> 

No, I missed the check for some reason... Will fix it.

Thanks.