[patch V2 08/15] Documentation: Add lock ordering and nesting documentation

[Thomas Gleixner]

"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck at kernel.org> writes:
>
>  - The soft interrupt related suffix (_bh()) still disables softirq
>    handlers.  However, unlike non-PREEMPT_RT kernels (which disable
>    preemption to get this effect), PREEMPT_RT kernels use a per-CPU
>    lock to exclude softirq handlers.

I've made that:

  - The soft interrupt related suffix (_bh()) still disables softirq
    handlers.

    Non-PREEMPT_RT kernels disable preemption to get this effect.

    PREEMPT_RT kernels use a per-CPU lock for serialization. The lock
    disables softirq handlers and prevents reentrancy by a preempting
    task.
    
On non-RT this is implicit through preemption disable, but it's non
obvious for RT as preemption stays enabled.

> PREEMPT_RT kernels preserve all other spinlock_t semantics:
>
>  - Tasks holding a spinlock_t do not migrate.  Non-PREEMPT_RT kernels
>    avoid migration by disabling preemption.  PREEMPT_RT kernels instead
>    disable migration, which ensures that pointers to per-CPU variables
>    remain valid even if the task is preempted.
>
>  - Task state is preserved across spinlock acquisition, ensuring that the
>    task-state rules apply to all kernel configurations.  In non-PREEMPT_RT
>    kernels leave task state untouched.  However, PREEMPT_RT must change
>    task state if the task blocks during acquisition.  Therefore, the
>    corresponding lock wakeup restores the task state.  Note that regular
>    (not lock related) wakeups do not restore task state.

   - Task state is preserved across spinlock acquisition, ensuring that the
     task-state rules apply to all kernel configurations.  Non-PREEMPT_RT
     kernels leave task state untouched.  However, PREEMPT_RT must change
     task state if the task blocks during acquisition.  Therefore, it
     saves the current task state before blocking and the corresponding
     lock wakeup restores it. A regular not lock related wakeup sets the
     task state to RUNNING. If this happens while the task is blocked on
     a spinlock then the saved task state is changed so that correct
     state is restored on lock wakeup.

Hmm?

> But this code failes on PREEMPT_RT kernels because the memory allocator
> is fully preemptible and therefore cannot be invoked from truly atomic
> contexts.  However, it is perfectly fine to invoke the memory allocator
> while holding a normal non-raw spinlocks because they do not disable
> preemption::
>
>> +  spin_lock(&lock);
>> +  p = kmalloc(sizeof(*p), GFP_ATOMIC);
>> +
>> +Most places which use GFP_ATOMIC allocations are safe on PREEMPT_RT as the
>> +execution is forced into thread context and the lock substitution is
>> +ensuring preemptibility.
>
> Interestingly enough, most uses of GFP_ATOMIC allocations are
> actually safe on PREEMPT_RT because the the lock substitution ensures
> preemptibility.  Only those GFP_ATOMIC allocations that are invoke
> while holding a raw spinlock or with preemption otherwise disabled need
> adjustment to work correctly on PREEMPT_RT.
>
> [ I am not as confident of the above as I would like to be... ]

I'd leave that whole paragraph out. This documents the rules and from
the above code examples it's pretty clear what works and what not :)

> And meeting time, will continue later!

Enjoy!

Thanks,

        tglx