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Re: [PATCH v3 4/5] evtchn: convert domain event lock to an r/w one



Hi Jan,

On 22/12/2020 09:46, Jan Beulich wrote:
On 21.12.2020 18:45, Julien Grall wrote:
On 14/12/2020 09:40, Jan Beulich wrote:
On 11.12.2020 11:57, Julien Grall wrote:
On 11/12/2020 10:32, Jan Beulich wrote:
On 09.12.2020 12:54, Julien Grall wrote:
On 23/11/2020 13:29, Jan Beulich wrote:
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ int evtchn_close(struct domain *d1, int
         long           rc = 0;
again:
-    spin_lock(&d1->event_lock);
+    write_lock(&d1->event_lock);
if ( !port_is_valid(d1, port1) )
         {
@@ -690,13 +690,11 @@ int evtchn_close(struct domain *d1, int
                     BUG();
if ( d1 < d2 )
-            {
-                spin_lock(&d2->event_lock);
-            }
+                read_lock(&d2->event_lock);

This change made me realized that I don't quite understand how the
rwlock is meant to work for event_lock. I was actually expecting this to
be a write_lock() given there are state changed in the d2 events.

Well, the protection needs to be against racing changes, i.e.
parallel invocations of this same function, or evtchn_close().
It is debatable whether evtchn_status() and
domain_dump_evtchn_info() would better also be locked out
(other read_lock() uses aren't applicable to interdomain
channels).

Could you outline how a developper can find out whether he/she should
use read_lock or write_lock?

I could try to, but it would again be a port type dependent
model, just like for the per-channel locks.

It is quite important to have clear locking strategy (in particular
rwlock) so we can make correct decision when to use read_lock or write_lock.

So I'd like it to
be clarified first whether you aren't instead indirectly
asking for these to become write_lock()

Well, I don't understand why this is a read_lock() (even with your
previous explanation). I am not suggesting to switch to a write_lock(),
but instead asking for the reasoning behind the decision.

So if what I've said in my previous reply isn't enough (including the
argument towards using two write_lock() here), I'm struggling to
figure what else to say. The primary goal is to exclude changes to
the same ports. For this it is sufficient to hold just one of the two
locks in writer mode, as the other (racing) one will acquire that
same lock for at least reading. The question whether both need to use
writer mode can only be decided when looking at the sites acquiring
just one of the locks in reader mode (hence the reference to
evtchn_status() and domain_dump_evtchn_info()) - if races with them
are deemed to be a problem, switching to both-writers will be needed.

I had another look at the code based on your explanation. I don't think
it is fine to allow evtchn_status() to be concurrently called with
evtchn_close().

evtchn_close() contains the following code:

    chn2->state = ECS_UNBOUND;
    chn2->u.unbound.remote_domid = d1->domain_id;

Where chn2 is a event channel of the remote domain (d2). Your patch will
only held the read lock for d2.

However evtchn_status() expects the event channel state to not change
behind its back. This assumption doesn't hold for d2, and you could
possibly end up to see the new value of chn2->state after the new
chn2->u.unbound.remote_domid.

Thanksfully, it doesn't look like chn2->u.interdomain.remote_domain
would be overwritten. Otherwise, this would be a straight dereference of
an invalid pointer.

So I think, we need to held the write event lock for both domain.

Well, okay. Three considerations though:

1) Neither evtchn_status() nor domain_dump_evtchn_info() appear to
have a real need to acquire the per-domain lock. They could as well
acquire the per-channel ones. (In the latter case this will then
also allow inserting the so far missing process_pending_softirqs()
call; it shouldn't be made with a lock held.)
I agree that evtchn_status() doesn't need to acquire the per-domain lock. I am not entirely sure about domain_dump_evtchn_info() because AFAICT the PIRQ tree (used by domain_pirq_to_irq()) is protected with d->event_lock.


2) With the double-locking changed and with 1) addressed, there's
going to be almost no read_lock() left. hvm_migrate_pirqs() and
do_physdev_op()'s PHYSDEVOP_eoi handling, evtchn_move_pirqs(), and
hvm_dpci_msi_eoi(). While for these it may still be helpful to be
possible to run in parallel, I then nevertheless wonder whether the
change as a whole is still worthwhile.

I can see some value in one future case. As we are going to support non-cooperative migration of guest, we will need to restore event channels (including PIRQs) for the domain. From my understanding, when the vCPU is first scheduled we will end up to migrate all the interrupts as the vCPU may not be created on the targeted pCPU.

So allowing evtchn_mode_pirqs() and hvm_migrate_pirqs() to run in parallel would slighlty reduce the downtime. Although, I don't have any numbers backing this statement.

3) With the per-channel double locking and with 1) addressed I
can't really see the need for the double per-domain locking in
evtchn_bind_interdomain() and evtchn_close(). The write lock is
needed for the domain allocating a new port or freeing one. But why
is there any need for holding the remote domain's lock, when its
side of the channel gets guarded by the per-channel lock anyway?

If 1) is addressed, then I think it should be fine to just acquire the read event lock of the remote domain.

Cheers,

--
Julien Grall



 


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