[PATCH v1 5/5] seqlock: PREEMPT_RT: Do not starve seqlock_t writers

From: Ahmed S. Darwish
Date: Thu Aug 27 2020 - 21:07:16 EST


On PREEMPT_RT, seqlock_t is transformed to a sleeping lock that do not
disable preemption. A seqlock_t reader can thus preempt the write side
section and spin for the enter scheduler tick. If that reader belongs to
a real-time scheduling class, it can spin forever and the kernel will
livelock.

To break such a possible livelock on PREEMPT_RT, implement seqlock_t in
terms of "seqcount_spinlock_t" instead of plain "seqcount_t".

Beside the pure annotational value, this will leverage the already
existing seqcount_LOCKTYPE_T anti-livelock mechanisms -- without adding
any extra code.

Signed-off-by: Ahmed S. Darwish <a.darwish@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
include/linux/seqlock.h | 32 +++++++++++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/linux/seqlock.h b/include/linux/seqlock.h
index 8d4bf12272ba..151e7a18fd7b 100644
--- a/include/linux/seqlock.h
+++ b/include/linux/seqlock.h
@@ -761,13 +761,17 @@ static inline void raw_write_seqcount_t_latch(seqcount_t *s)
* - Documentation/locking/seqlock.rst
*/
typedef struct {
- struct seqcount seqcount;
+ /*
+ * Make sure that readers don't starve writers on PREEMPT_RT: use
+ * seqcount_spinlock_t instead of seqcount_t. Check __SEQ_LOCK().
+ */
+ seqcount_spinlock_t seqcount;
spinlock_t lock;
} seqlock_t;

#define __SEQLOCK_UNLOCKED(lockname) \
{ \
- .seqcount = SEQCNT_ZERO(lockname), \
+ .seqcount = SEQCNT_SPINLOCK_ZERO(lockname, &(lockname).lock), \
.lock = __SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED(lockname) \
}

@@ -777,8 +781,8 @@ typedef struct {
*/
#define seqlock_init(sl) \
do { \
- seqcount_init(&(sl)->seqcount); \
spin_lock_init(&(sl)->lock); \
+ seqcount_spinlock_init(&(sl)->seqcount, &(sl)->lock); \
} while (0)

/**
@@ -825,6 +829,12 @@ static inline unsigned read_seqretry(const seqlock_t *sl, unsigned start)
return read_seqcount_retry(&sl->seqcount, start);
}

+/*
+ * For all seqlock_t write side functions, use write_seqcount_*t*_begin()
+ * instead of the generic write_seqcount_begin(). This way, no redundant
+ * lockdep_assert_held() checks are added.
+ */
+
/**
* write_seqlock() - start a seqlock_t write side critical section
* @sl: Pointer to seqlock_t
@@ -841,7 +851,7 @@ static inline unsigned read_seqretry(const seqlock_t *sl, unsigned start)
static inline void write_seqlock(seqlock_t *sl)
{
spin_lock(&sl->lock);
- write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
}

/**
@@ -853,7 +863,7 @@ static inline void write_seqlock(seqlock_t *sl)
*/
static inline void write_sequnlock(seqlock_t *sl)
{
- write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
spin_unlock(&sl->lock);
}

@@ -867,7 +877,7 @@ static inline void write_sequnlock(seqlock_t *sl)
static inline void write_seqlock_bh(seqlock_t *sl)
{
spin_lock_bh(&sl->lock);
- write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
}

/**
@@ -880,7 +890,7 @@ static inline void write_seqlock_bh(seqlock_t *sl)
*/
static inline void write_sequnlock_bh(seqlock_t *sl)
{
- write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
spin_unlock_bh(&sl->lock);
}

@@ -894,7 +904,7 @@ static inline void write_sequnlock_bh(seqlock_t *sl)
static inline void write_seqlock_irq(seqlock_t *sl)
{
spin_lock_irq(&sl->lock);
- write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
}

/**
@@ -906,7 +916,7 @@ static inline void write_seqlock_irq(seqlock_t *sl)
*/
static inline void write_sequnlock_irq(seqlock_t *sl)
{
- write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
spin_unlock_irq(&sl->lock);
}

@@ -915,7 +925,7 @@ static inline unsigned long __write_seqlock_irqsave(seqlock_t *sl)
unsigned long flags;

spin_lock_irqsave(&sl->lock, flags);
- write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_begin(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
return flags;
}

@@ -944,7 +954,7 @@ static inline unsigned long __write_seqlock_irqsave(seqlock_t *sl)
static inline void
write_sequnlock_irqrestore(seqlock_t *sl, unsigned long flags)
{
- write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount);
+ write_seqcount_t_end(&sl->seqcount.seqcount);
spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sl->lock, flags);
}

--
2.28.0