Re: [PATCH -tip 5/4] Expands irq-off region in text_poke()

From: Mathieu Desnoyers
Date: Fri Mar 06 2009 - 16:06:44 EST


* Masami Hiramatsu (mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
> Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > * Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> * Ingo Molnar (mingo@xxxxxxx) wrote:
> >>> * Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> @@ -523,14 +526,17 @@ void *__kprobes text_poke(void *addr, co
> >>>> pages[1] = virt_to_page(addr + PAGE_SIZE);
> >>>> }
> >>>> BUG_ON(!pages[0]);
> >>>> - if (!pages[1])
> >>>> - nr_pages = 1;
> >>>> - vaddr = vmap(pages, nr_pages, VM_MAP, PAGE_KERNEL);
> >>>> - BUG_ON(!vaddr);
> >>>> - local_irq_disable();
> >>>> + local_irq_save(flags);
> >>>> + set_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE0, page_to_phys(pages[0]));
> >>>> + if (pages[1])
> >>>> + set_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE1, page_to_phys(pages[1]));
> >>>> + vaddr = (char *)fix_to_virt(FIX_TEXT_POKE0);
> >>>> memcpy(&vaddr[(unsigned long)addr & ~PAGE_MASK], opcode, len);
> >>>> - local_irq_enable();
> >>>> - vunmap(vaddr);
> >>>> + clear_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE0);
> >>>> + if (pages[1])
> >>>> + clear_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE1);
> >>>> + local_flush_tlb();
> >>>> + local_irq_restore(flags);
> >>>> sync_core();
> >>> I'm not sure at all about this widening of the irq-atomic
> >>> section and the idea of allowing non-locked access on single-CPU
> >>> situations - we dont really want to micro-optimize any of this
> >>> on such a level, holding the text lock is a robust rule all code
> >>> should be listening to. (Creating locking assymetry always
> >>> inserts a certain amount of fragility - adding to an already
> >>> fragile concept here.)
> >>>
> >>> And note that there's no reason why text_poke could not be used
> >>> in stop_machine_run() - the stop_machine_run() handler must not
> >>> take the text_lock of course - but outside code calling
> >>> stop_machine_run() can do it and can hence serialize properly.
> >>>
> >>> Note that even if we did this then your v2 patch is not fully
> >>> correct: you need to move the sync_core() at the end of the
> >>> sequence inside the critical section too. (right now this is
> >>> mostly harmless because the INVLPG inside the clear_fixmap()
> >>> happens to be serializing so it has an implicit sync_core()
> >>> property - but nevertheless we better do this straight away to
> >>> not cause problems later down the line.)
> >>>
> >>> Ingo
> >> Agreed. The alternatives_smp_lock/alternatives_smp_unlock
> >> specific case does not bring us much if it has no perceivable
> >> performance impact. It's better to keep a standard interface
> >> and clear requirements.
> >
> > Note that i dont object to another aspect of this same change:
> > the fact that it makes the whole sequence more atomic and more
> > defensive [which is never bad of fragile interfaces].
> >
> > I only got worried about the "lets use this without the text
> > lock" ideas.
> >
> > So if Masami-san sends a delta patch with a different changelog
> > and with the sync_core() bit moved inside the critical section,
> > i'll apply that too.
>
> OK, here is the delta patch.
>
> Expand irq-atomic region to cover fixmap using code and sync_core.
>
> Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxx>
> ---
> arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c | 4 ++--
> 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> Index: linux-2.6-tip/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
> ===================================================================
> --- linux-2.6-tip.orig/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
> +++ linux-2.6-tip/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
> @@ -526,13 +526,12 @@ void *__kprobes text_poke(void *addr, co
> pages[1] = virt_to_page(addr + PAGE_SIZE);
> }
> BUG_ON(!pages[0]);
> + local_irq_save(flags);
> set_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE0, page_to_phys(pages[0]));
> if (pages[1])
> set_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE1, page_to_phys(pages[1]));
> vaddr = (char *)fix_to_virt(FIX_TEXT_POKE0);
> - local_irq_save(flags);
> memcpy(&vaddr[(unsigned long)addr & ~PAGE_MASK], opcode, len);
> - local_irq_restore(flags);
> clear_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE0);
> if (pages[1])
> clear_fixmap(FIX_TEXT_POKE1);
> @@ -540,6 +539,7 @@ void *__kprobes text_poke(void *addr, co
> sync_core();
> /* Could also do a CLFLUSH here to speed up CPU recovery; but
> that causes hangs on some VIA CPUs. */
> + local_irq_restore(flags);
> for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
> BUG_ON(((char *)addr)[i] != ((char *)opcode)[i]);

I think irq off should cover the BUG_ON too. This safety check assumes
we are the only ones modifying "addr".

Mathieu

> return addr;
> --
> Masami Hiramatsu
>
> Software Engineer
> Hitachi Computer Products (America) Inc.
> Software Solutions Division
>
> e-mail: mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx
>

--
Mathieu Desnoyers
OpenPGP key fingerprint: 8CD5 52C3 8E3C 4140 715F BA06 3F25 A8FE 3BAE 9A68
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