[RFC PATCH] ipc/sem.c: Add one more memory barrier to sem_lock().

[Manfred Spraul]

Hi,

What do you think about the following patch for sem_lock()?

Other options:

1) I don't like

	#define smp_mb__after_unlock_wait()	smp_rmb()

	I think it is too specific: the last block in sem_lock uses

		if (sma->complex_count == 0) {
			smp_rmb();
			return;
		}

2) What about

	#define smp_aquire__after_control_barrier()	smp_rmb()


Best regards,
	Manfred


xxxxx

sem_lock() does not properly pair memory barriers.

Theoretially an acquire barrier would the right operation.
But since the existing control boundary is a write memory barrier,
it is cheaper use an smp_rmb().

Signed-off-by: Manfred Spraul <manfred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
 ipc/sem.c | 26 +++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/ipc/sem.c b/ipc/sem.c
index 9284211..d43011d 100644
--- a/ipc/sem.c
+++ b/ipc/sem.c
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ static void sem_wait_array(struct sem_array *sma)
 	if (sma->complex_count)  {
 		/* The thread that increased sma->complex_count waited on
 		 * all sem->lock locks. Thus we don't need to wait again.
+		 *
+		 * The is no need for memory barriers: with
+		 * complex_count>0, all threads acquire/release
+		 * sem_perm.lock, thus spin_lock/unlock is the barrier.
 		 */
 		return;
 	}
@@ -275,6 +279,20 @@ static void sem_wait_array(struct sem_array *sma)
 		sem = sma->sem_base + i;
 		spin_unlock_wait(&sem->lock);
 	}
+	/*
+	 * We own sem_perm.lock, all owners of sma->sem_base[i].lock have
+	 * dropped their locks. But we still need a memory barrier:
+	 * - The lock dropping thread did a spin_unlock(), which is the
+	 *   release memory barrier.
+	 * - But the spin_unlock(&sma->sem_base[i].lock) might have
+	 *   happened after this thread did spin_lock(&sma->sem_perm.lock),
+	 *   thus the acquire memory barrier in this thread is missing.
+	 * - spin_unlock_wait() is internally a loop, thus we have a control
+	 *   boundary. As writes are not speculated, we have already a barrier
+	 *   for writes. Reads can be performed speculatively, therefore a
+	 *   smp_rmb() is necessary.
+	 */
+	smp_rmb();
 }
 
 /*
@@ -341,7 +359,13 @@ static inline int sem_lock(struct sem_array *sma, struct sembuf *sops,
 			 * Thus: if is now 0, then it will stay 0.
 			 */
 			if (sma->complex_count == 0) {
-				/* fast path successful! */
+				/*
+				 * Fast path successful!
+				 * We only need a final memory barrier.
+				 * (see sem_wait_array() for details).
+				 */
+				smp_rmb();
+
 				return sops->sem_num;
 			}
 		}
-- 
2.1.0

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