Re: [PATCH] cpufreq: schedutil: Don't skip freq update when limits change

["Rafael J. Wysocki" <rafael@kernel.org>]

On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 11:11 AM Rafael J. Wysocki <rjw@rjwysocki.net> wrote:
>
> On Friday, August 2, 2019 5:48:19 AM CEST Viresh Kumar wrote:
> > On 01-08-19, 10:57, Doug Smythies wrote:
> > > On 2019.07.31 23:17 Viresh Kumar wrote:
> > > > On 31-07-19, 17:20, Doug Smythies wrote:
> > > >> Summary:
> > > >>
> > > >> The old way, using UINT_MAX had two purposes: first,
> > > >> as a "need to do a frequency update" flag; but also second, to
> > > >> force any subsequent old/new frequency comparison to NOT be "the same,
> > > >> so why bother actually updating" (see: sugov_update_next_freq). All
> > > >> patches so far have been dealing with the flag, but only partially
> > > >> the comparisons. In a busy system, and when schedutil.c doesn't actually
> > > >> know the currently set system limits, the new frequency is dominated by
> > > >> values the same as the old frequency. So, when sugov_fast_switch calls
> > > >> sugov_update_next_freq, false is usually returned.
> > > >
> > > > And finally we know "Why" :)
> > > >
> > > > Good work Doug. Thanks for taking it to the end.
> > > >
> > > >> However, if we move the resetting of the flag and add another condition
> > > >> to the "no need to actually update" decision, then perhaps this patch
> > > >> version 1 will be O.K. It seems to be. (see way later in this e-mail).
> > > >
> > > >> With all this new knowledge, how about going back to
> > > >> version 1 of this patch, and then adding this:
> > > >>
> > > >> diff --git a/kernel/sched/cpufreq_schedutil.c b/kernel/sched/cpufreq_schedutil.c
> > > >> index 808d32b..f9156db 100644
> > > >> --- a/kernel/sched/cpufreq_schedutil.c
> > > >> +++ b/kernel/sched/cpufreq_schedutil.c
> > > >> @@ -100,7 +100,12 @@ static bool sugov_should_update_freq(struct sugov_policy *sg_policy, u64 time)
> > > >>  static bool sugov_update_next_freq(struct sugov_policy *sg_policy, u64 time,
> > > >>                                    unsigned int next_freq)
> > > >>  {
> > > >> -       if (sg_policy->next_freq == next_freq)
> > > >> +       /*
> > > >> +        * Always force an update if the flag is set, regardless.
> > > >> +        * In some implementations (intel_cpufreq) the frequency is clamped
> > > >> +        * further downstream, and might not actually be different here.
> > > >> +        */
> > > >> +       if (sg_policy->next_freq == next_freq && !sg_policy->need_freq_update)
> > > >>                 return false;
> > > >
> > > > This is not correct because this is an optimization we have in place
> > > > to make things more efficient. And it was working by luck earlier and
> > > > my patch broke it for good :)
> > >
> > > Disagree.
> > > All I did was use a flag where it used to be set to UNIT_MAX, to basically
> > > implement the same thing.
> >
> > And the earlier code wasn't fully correct as well, that's why we tried
> > to fix it earlier.
>
> Your argument seems to be "There was an earlier problem related to this, which
> was fixed, so it is fragile and I'd rather avoid it".  Still, you are claiming that the
> code was in fact incorrect and you are not giving convincing arguments to
> support that.
>
> > So introducing the UINT_MAX thing again would be
> > wrong, even if it fixes the problem for you.
>
> Would it be wrong, because it would reintroduce the fragile code, or would it
> be wrong, because it would re-introduce a bug?  What bug if so?
>
> > Also this won't fix the issue for rest of the governors but just
> > schedutil. Because this is a driver only problem and there is no point
> > trying to fix that in a governor.
>
> Well, I'm not convinced that this is a driver problem yet.

I stand corrected, this is a driver problem, but IMO it needs to be
addressed differently.