linux/kernel
Shaohua Li 09223371de rcu: Use softirq to address performance regression
Commit a26ac2455ffcf3(rcu: move TREE_RCU from softirq to kthread)
introduced performance regression. In an AIM7 test, this commit degraded
performance by about 40%.

The commit runs rcu callbacks in a kthread instead of softirq. We observed
high rate of context switch which is caused by this. Out test system has
64 CPUs and HZ is 1000, so we saw more than 64k context switch per second
which is caused by RCU's per-CPU kthread.  A trace showed that most of
the time the RCU per-CPU kthread doesn't actually handle any callbacks,
but instead just does a very small amount of work handling grace periods.
This means that RCU's per-CPU kthreads are making the scheduler do quite
a bit of work in order to allow a very small amount of RCU-related
processing to be done.

Alex Shi's analysis determined that this slowdown is due to lock
contention within the scheduler.  Unfortunately, as Peter Zijlstra points
out, the scheduler's real-time semantics require global action, which
means that this contention is inherent in real-time scheduling.  (Yes,
perhaps someone will come up with a workaround -- otherwise, -rt is not
going to do well on large SMP systems -- but this patch will work around
this issue in the meantime.  And "the meantime" might well be forever.)

This patch therefore re-introduces softirq processing to RCU, but only
for core RCU work.  RCU callbacks are still executed in kthread context,
so that only a small amount of RCU work runs in softirq context in the
common case.  This should minimize ksoftirqd execution, allowing us to
skip boosting of ksoftirqd for CONFIG_RCU_BOOST=y kernels.

Signed-off-by: Shaohua Li <shaohua.li@intel.com>
Tested-by: "Alex,Shi" <alex.shi@intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
2011-06-14 15:25:39 -07:00
..
debug Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
events perf: Fix SIGIO handling 2011-05-28 17:04:59 +02:00
gcov Merge branch 'trivial' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mmarek/kbuild-2.6 2011-03-20 18:14:55 -07:00
irq irq: Remove smp_affinity_list when unregister irq proc 2011-05-26 13:15:28 +02:00
power PM / Hibernate: Update kerneldoc comments in hibernate.c 2011-05-24 23:36:06 +02:00
time hrtimers: Avoid touching inactive timer bases 2011-05-23 13:59:54 +02:00
trace ftrace: Add internal recursive checks 2011-05-25 22:13:49 -04:00
.gitignore
acct.c
async.c
audit_tree.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
audit_watch.c kill path_lookup() 2011-03-14 09:15:23 -04:00
audit.c netlink: kill loginuid/sessionid/sid members from struct netlink_skb_parms 2011-03-03 10:55:40 -08:00
audit.h audit: make functions static 2010-10-30 01:42:19 -04:00
auditfilter.c netlink: kill loginuid/sessionid/sid members from struct netlink_skb_parms 2011-03-03 10:55:40 -08:00
auditsc.c audit: acquire creds selectively to reduce atomic op overhead 2011-04-27 15:11:03 +02:00
backtracetest.c
bounds.c memcg: remove direct page_cgroup-to-page pointer 2011-03-23 19:46:28 -07:00
capability.c Merge branch 'master' into next 2011-05-19 18:51:57 +10:00
cgroup_freezer.c cgroups: add per-thread subsystem callbacks 2011-05-26 17:12:34 -07:00
cgroup.c cgroup: remove the ns_cgroup 2011-05-26 17:12:34 -07:00
compat.c Merge git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/cmetcalf/linux-tile 2011-05-25 15:35:32 -07:00
configs.c llseek: automatically add .llseek fop 2010-10-15 15:53:27 +02:00
cpu.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
cpuset.c cpuset: Fix cpuset_cpus_allowed_fallback(), don't update tsk->rt.nr_cpus_allowed 2011-05-28 17:02:57 +02:00
crash_dump.c crash_dump: export is_kdump_kernel to modules, consolidate elfcorehdr_addr, setup_elfcorehdr and saved_max_pfn 2011-03-23 19:47:19 -07:00
cred.c Merge branch 'docs-move' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rdunlap/linux-docs 2011-05-27 10:25:02 -07:00
delayacct.c
dma.c
elfcore.c
exec_domain.c
exit.c Merge branch 'ptrace' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/oleg/misc 2011-05-20 13:33:21 -07:00
extable.c extable, core_kernel_data(): Make sure all archs define _sdata 2011-05-20 08:56:56 +02:00
fork.c mm: Fix boot crash in mm_alloc() 2011-05-29 11:32:28 -07:00
freezer.c Freezer: Use SMP barriers 2011-05-17 23:19:17 +02:00
futex_compat.c userns: user namespaces: convert several capable() calls 2011-03-23 19:47:08 -07:00
futex.c futex: Set FLAGS_HAS_TIMEOUT during futex_wait restart setup 2011-04-15 16:34:32 +02:00
groups.c userns: user namespaces: convert several capable() calls 2011-03-23 19:47:08 -07:00
hrtimer.c hrtimers: Fix typo causing erratic timers 2011-05-25 15:31:58 -07:00
hung_task.c watchdog, hung_task_timeout: Add Kconfig configurable default 2011-04-28 09:13:17 +02:00
irq_work.c irq_work: Use per cpu atomics instead of regular atomics 2010-12-18 15:54:48 +01:00
itimer.c
jump_label.c jump_label: Check entries limit in __jump_label_update 2011-05-25 19:56:36 -04:00
kallsyms.c Merge branch 'core-fixes-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/linux-2.6-tip 2011-03-25 17:52:22 -07:00
Kconfig.freezer
Kconfig.hz
Kconfig.locks arch:Kconfig.locks Remove unused config option. 2011-04-10 17:01:05 +02:00
Kconfig.preempt
kexec.c PM: Remove sysdev suspend, resume and shutdown operations 2011-05-11 21:37:15 +02:00
kfifo.c kfifo: fix scatterlist usage 2010-10-01 10:50:58 -07:00
kmod.c Merge branch 'next' into for-linus 2011-05-24 22:55:24 +10:00
kprobes.c Merge branch 'for-2.6.38' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tj/percpu 2011-01-07 17:02:58 -08:00
ksysfs.c kernel/ksysfs.c: expose file_caps_enabled in sysfs 2011-04-19 16:45:51 -07:00
kthread.c cpuset: Fix cpuset_cpus_allowed_fallback(), don't update tsk->rt.nr_cpus_allowed 2011-05-28 17:02:57 +02:00
latencytop.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
lockdep_internals.h
lockdep_proc.c lockdep: Remove unused 'factor' variable from lockdep_stats_show() 2011-03-23 13:54:47 +01:00
lockdep_states.h
lockdep.c lockdep: Remove cmpxchg to update nr_chain_hlocks 2011-04-22 11:06:59 +02:00
Makefile cgroup: remove the ns_cgroup 2011-05-26 17:12:34 -07:00
module.c Merge branch 'staging-next' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/staging-2.6 2011-05-23 12:49:28 -07:00
mutex-debug.c mutex: Use p->on_cpu for the adaptive spin 2011-04-14 08:52:33 +02:00
mutex-debug.h mutex: Use p->on_cpu for the adaptive spin 2011-04-14 08:52:33 +02:00
mutex.c lockdep, mutex: provide mutex_lock_nest_lock 2011-05-25 08:39:17 -07:00
mutex.h mutex: Use p->on_cpu for the adaptive spin 2011-04-14 08:52:33 +02:00
notifier.c
nsproxy.c cgroup: remove the ns_cgroup 2011-05-26 17:12:34 -07:00
padata.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
panic.c move x86 specific oops=panic to generic code 2011-03-22 17:44:11 -07:00
params.c params.c: Use new strtobool function to process boolean inputs 2011-05-19 16:55:28 +09:30
pid_namespace.c pidns: call pid_ns_prepare_proc() from create_pid_namespace() 2011-03-23 19:46:58 -07:00
pid.c next_pidmap: fix overflow condition 2011-04-18 10:35:30 -07:00
pm_qos_params.c Merge branch 'idle-release' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/lenb/linux-idle-2.6 2011-05-29 11:18:09 -07:00
posix-cpu-timers.c hrtimers: Avoid touching inactive timer bases 2011-05-23 13:59:54 +02:00
posix-timers.c posix-timers: RCU conversion 2011-05-24 12:10:51 +02:00
printk.c printk: allocate kernel log buffer earlier 2011-05-25 08:39:48 -07:00
profile.c kernel/profile.c: remove some duplicate code from profile_hits() 2011-05-26 17:12:37 -07:00
ptrace.c ptrace: ptrace_resume() shouldn't wake up !TASK_TRACED thread 2011-05-25 19:20:21 +02:00
range.c kernel/range.c: fix clean_sort_range() for the case of full array 2010-11-12 07:55:31 -08:00
rcupdate.c rcu: Use WARN_ON_ONCE for DEBUG_OBJECTS_RCU_HEAD warnings 2011-05-05 23:16:57 -07:00
rcutiny_plugin.h rcu: Converge TINY_RCU expedited and normal boosting 2011-05-05 23:16:58 -07:00
rcutiny.c sanitize <linux/prefetch.h> usage 2011-05-20 12:50:29 -07:00
rcutorture.c rcu: mark rcutorture boosting callback as being on-stack 2011-05-05 23:16:57 -07:00
rcutree_plugin.h rcu: Use softirq to address performance regression 2011-06-14 15:25:39 -07:00
rcutree_trace.c rcu: Decrease memory-barrier usage based on semi-formal proof 2011-05-26 09:42:23 -07:00
rcutree.c rcu: Use softirq to address performance regression 2011-06-14 15:25:39 -07:00
rcutree.h rcu: Use softirq to address performance regression 2011-06-14 15:25:39 -07:00
relay.c Clean up relay_alloc_page_array() slightly by using vzalloc rather than vmalloc and memset 2010-11-05 08:21:34 -07:00
res_counter.c memcg: res_counter_read_u64(): fix potential races on 32-bit machines 2011-03-23 19:46:22 -07:00
resource.c resources: add arch hook for preventing allocation in reserved areas 2010-12-17 10:01:09 -08:00
rtmutex_common.h rtmutex: Simplify PI algorithm and make highest prio task get lock 2011-01-27 21:13:51 -05:00
rtmutex-debug.c rtmutex: Simplify PI algorithm and make highest prio task get lock 2011-01-27 21:13:51 -05:00
rtmutex-debug.h
rtmutex-tester.c rtmutex: tester: Remove the remaining BKL leftovers 2011-02-22 22:07:22 +01:00
rtmutex.c rtmutex: Simplify PI algorithm and make highest prio task get lock 2011-01-27 21:13:51 -05:00
rtmutex.h
rwsem.c
sched_autogroup.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
sched_autogroup.h sched, autogroup: Stop going ahead if autogroup is disabled 2011-02-23 11:33:59 +01:00
sched_clock.c sched: Add some clock info to sched_debug 2010-11-23 10:29:08 +01:00
sched_cpupri.c
sched_cpupri.h
sched_debug.c sched: Get rid of lock_depth 2011-04-24 13:18:38 +02:00
sched_fair.c sched: Fix ->min_vruntime calculation in dequeue_entity() 2011-05-28 17:02:56 +02:00
sched_features.h sched: Move the second half of ttwu() to the remote cpu 2011-04-14 08:52:41 +02:00
sched_idletask.c sched: Drop the rq argument to sched_class::select_task_rq() 2011-04-14 08:52:36 +02:00
sched_rt.c sched: More sched_domain iterations fixes 2011-05-28 17:02:54 +02:00
sched_stats.h sched: More sched_domain iterations fixes 2011-05-28 17:02:54 +02:00
sched_stoptask.c sched: Drop the rq argument to sched_class::select_task_rq() 2011-04-14 08:52:36 +02:00
sched.c cpuset: Fix cpuset_cpus_allowed_fallback(), don't update tsk->rt.nr_cpus_allowed 2011-05-28 17:02:57 +02:00
seccomp.c
semaphore.c
signal.c signal: sys_pause() should check signal_pending() 2011-05-25 19:22:27 +02:00
smp.c smp: move smp setup functions to kernel/smp.c 2011-03-22 17:44:11 -07:00
softirq.c rcu: Use softirq to address performance regression 2011-06-14 15:25:39 -07:00
spinlock.c
srcu.c rcu: demote SRCU_SYNCHRONIZE_DELAY from kernel-parameter status 2011-01-14 04:56:49 -08:00
stacktrace.c
stop_machine.c kthread: use kthread_create_on_node() 2011-03-22 17:44:01 -07:00
sys_ni.c ipc: Add missing sys_ni entries for ipc/compat.c functions 2011-05-20 13:53:02 -07:00
sys.c Merge branch 'driver-core-next' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/driver-core-2.6 2011-05-19 18:24:11 -07:00
sysctl_binary.c open-style analog of vfs_path_lookup() 2011-03-14 09:15:28 -04:00
sysctl_check.c sysctl_check: drop dead code 2011-03-23 19:46:51 -07:00
sysctl.c Merge git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/cmetcalf/linux-tile 2011-05-25 15:35:32 -07:00
taskstats.c taskstats: use appropriate printk priority level 2011-03-23 19:47:14 -07:00
test_kprobes.c kprobes: Fix selftest to clear flags field for reusing probes 2010-10-14 08:55:27 +02:00
time.c Merge branch 'timers-core-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/linux-2.6-tip 2011-03-15 18:53:35 -07:00
timeconst.pl
timer.c Merge branch 'timers-core-for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/linux-2.6-tip 2011-03-15 18:53:35 -07:00
tracepoint.c jump label: Introduce static_branch() interface 2011-04-04 12:48:08 -04:00
tsacct.c taskstats: use real microsecond granularity for CPU times 2010-10-27 18:03:17 -07:00
uid16.c userns: user namespaces: convert several capable() calls 2011-03-23 19:47:08 -07:00
up.c
user_namespace.c user_ns: improve the user_ns on-the-slab packaging 2011-01-13 08:03:18 -08:00
user-return-notifier.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
user.c userns: add a user_namespace as creator/owner of uts_namespace 2011-03-23 19:46:59 -07:00
utsname_sysctl.c
utsname.c ns proc: Add support for the uts namespace 2011-05-10 14:35:35 -07:00
wait.c Fix common misspellings 2011-03-31 11:26:23 -03:00
watchdog.c kernel/watchdog.c: Use proper ANSI C prototypes 2011-05-23 21:07:40 -07:00
workqueue_sched.h
workqueue.c Merge branch 'for-2.6.40' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tj/percpu 2011-05-24 11:53:42 -07:00