Re: perf events ring buffer memory barrier on powerpc

[Victor Kaplansky <VICTORK@il.ibm.com>]

"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote on 10/31/2013
08:40:15 AM:

> > void ubuf_read(void)
> > {
> >    u64 head, tail;
> >
> >    tail = ACCESS_ONCE(ubuf->tail);
> >    head = ACCESS_ONCE(ubuf->head);
> >
> >    /*
> >     * Ensure we read the buffer boundaries before the actual buffer
> >     * data...
> >     */
> >    smp_rmb(); /* C, matches with B */
> >
> >    while (tail != head) {
> >       obj = ubuf->data + tail;
> >       /* process obj */
> >       tail += obj->size;
> >       tail %= ubuf->size;
> >    }
> >
> >    /*
> >     * Ensure all data reads are complete before we issue the
> >     * ubuf->tail update; once that update hits, kbuf_write() can
> >     * observe and overwrite data.
> >     */
> >    smp_mb(); /* D, matches with A */
> >
> >    ubuf->tail = tail;
> > }

> > Could we replace A and C with an smp_read_barrier_depends()?
>
> C, yes, given that you have ACCESS_ONCE() on the fetch from ->tail
> and that the value fetch from ->tail feeds into the address used for
> the "obj =" assignment.

No! You must to have a full smp_rmb() at C. The race on the reader side
is not between fetch of @tail and read from address pointed by @tail.
The real race here is between a fetch of @head and read of obj from
memory pointed by @tail.

Regards,
-- Victor