Re: [PATCH 2/2] tools/memory-model: Add write ordering by release-acquire and by locks

From: Will Deacon
Date: Fri Jun 22 2018 - 04:09:00 EST


Hi Alan,

On Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 01:27:12PM -0400, Alan Stern wrote:
> More than one kernel developer has expressed the opinion that the LKMM
> should enforce ordering of writes by release-acquire chains and by
> locking. In other words, given the following code:
>
> WRITE_ONCE(x, 1);
> spin_unlock(&s):
> spin_lock(&s);
> WRITE_ONCE(y, 1);
>
> or the following:
>
> smp_store_release(&x, 1);
> r1 = smp_load_acquire(&x); // r1 = 1
> WRITE_ONCE(y, 1);
>
> the stores to x and y should be propagated in order to all other CPUs,
> even though those other CPUs might not access the lock s or be part of
> the release-acquire chain. In terms of the memory model, this means
> that rel-rf-acq-po should be part of the cumul-fence relation.
>
> All the architectures supported by the Linux kernel (including RISC-V)
> do behave this way, albeit for varying reasons. Therefore this patch
> changes the model in accordance with the developers' wishes.

Interesting...

I think the second example would preclude us using LDAPR for load-acquire,
so I'm surprised that RISC-V is ok with this. For example, the first test
below is allowed on arm64.

I also think this would break if we used DMB LD to implement load-acquire
(second test below).

So I'm not a big fan of this change, and I'm surprised this works on all
architectures. What's the justification?

Will

--->8

AArch64 MP+poslq-poqp+poap
"PosWRLQ PodRWQP RfePA PodRRAP FrePL"
Generator=diyone7 (version 7.46+3)
Prefetch=0:x=F,0:y=W,1:y=F,1:x=T
Com=Rf Fr
Orig=PosWRLQ PodRWQP RfePA PodRRAP FrePL
{
0:X1=x; 0:X4=y;
1:X1=y; 1:X3=x;
}
P0 | P1 ;
MOV W0,#1 | LDAR W0,[X1] ;
STLR W0,[X1] | LDR W2,[X3] ;
LDAPR W2,[X1] | ;
MOV W3,#1 | ;
STR W3,[X4] | ;
exists
(1:X0=1 /\ 1:X2=0)


AArch64 MP+pos-dmb.ld+poap
"PosWR DMB.LDdRW RfePA PodRRAP Fre"
Generator=diyone7 (version 7.46+3)
Prefetch=0:x=F,0:y=W,1:y=F,1:x=T
Com=Rf Fr
Orig=PosWR DMB.LDdRW RfePA PodRRAP Fre
{
0:X1=x; 0:X4=y;
1:X1=y; 1:X3=x;
}
P0 | P1 ;
MOV W0,#1 | LDAR W0,[X1] ;
STR W0,[X1] | LDR W2,[X3] ;
LDR W2,[X1] | ;
DMB LD | ;
MOV W3,#1 | ;
STR W3,[X4] | ;
exists
(1:X0=1 /\ 1:X2=0)