On Sat, 18 Jun 2016, Manfred Spraul wrote:

diff --git a/include/linux/sem.h b/include/linux/sem.h
index 976ce3a..d0efd6e 100644
--- a/include/linux/sem.h
+++ b/include/linux/sem.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct sem_array {
        struct list_head        list_id;        /* undo requests on this array 
*/
        int                     sem_nsems;      /* no. of semaphores in array */
        int                     complex_count;  /* pending complex operations */

I see this patch also takes care of complex_count needing READ/WRITE_ONCE
as you change that to always be done with the big sem_perm lock.

+       bool                    complex_mode;   /* no parallel simple ops */

But I'm wondering about races with this one. Doesn't complex_mode need
acquire/release semantics?

};


[...]

/*
- * Wait until all currently ongoing simple ops have completed.
+ * Enter the mode suitable for non-simple operations:
 * Caller must own sem_perm.lock.
- * New simple ops cannot start, because simple ops first check
- * that sem_perm.lock is free.
- * that a) sem_perm.lock is free and b) complex_count is 0.
 */
-static void sem_wait_array(struct sem_array *sma)
+static void complexmode_enter(struct sem_array *sma)
{
        int i;
        struct sem *sem;

-       if (sma->complex_count)  {
-               /* The thread that increased sma->complex_count waited on
-                * all sem->lock locks. Thus we don't need to wait again.
-                */
+       if (sma->complex_mode)  {
+               /* We are already in complex_mode. Nothing to do */

This complex_mode load is serialized because both complexmode_enter() and
_tryleave(), which are the main calls that modify the variable, are serialized
by sem_perm lock, right?

                return;
        }

Btw, I like that this logic is much simpler, just by reading the comments :)

+       WRITE_ONCE(sma->complex_mode, true);
+
+       /* We need a full barrier:
+        * The write to complex_mode must be visible
+        * before we read the first sem->lock spinlock state.
+        */
+       smp_mb();

        for (i = 0; i < sma->sem_nsems; i++) {
                sem = sma->sem_base + i;
@@ -285,6 +294,29 @@ static void sem_wait_array(struct sem_array *sma)
}

/*
+ * Try to leave the mode that disallows simple operations:
+ * Caller must own sem_perm.lock.
+ */
+static void complexmode_tryleave(struct sem_array *sma)
+{
+       if (sma->complex_count)  {
+               /* Complex ops are sleeping.
+                * We must stay in complex mode
+                */
+               return;
+       }
+       /*
+        * Immediately after setting complex_mode to false,
+        * a simple op can start. Thus: all memory writes
+        * performed by the current operation must be visible
+        * before we set complex_mode to false.
+        */
+       smp_wmb();
+
+       WRITE_ONCE(sma->complex_mode, false);

smp_store_release()? See below.

+}
+
+/*
 * If the request contains only one semaphore operation, and there are
 * no complex transactions pending, lock only the semaphore involved.
 * Otherwise, lock the entire semaphore array, since we either have
@@ -300,56 +332,38 @@ static inline int sem_lock(struct sem_array *sma, struct 
sembuf *sops,
                /* Complex operation - acquire a full lock */
                ipc_lock_object(&sma->sem_perm);

-               /* And wait until all simple ops that are processed
-                * right now have dropped their locks.
-                */
-               sem_wait_array(sma);
+               /* Prevent parallel simple ops */
+               complexmode_enter(sma);
                return -1;
        }

        /*
         * Only one semaphore affected - try to optimize locking.
-        * The rules are:
-        * - optimized locking is possible if no complex operation
-        *   is either enqueued or processed right now.
-        * - The test for enqueued complex ops is simple:
-        *      sma->complex_count != 0
-        * - Testing for complex ops that are processed right now is
-        *   a bit more difficult. Complex ops acquire the full lock
-        *   and first wait that the running simple ops have completed.
-        *   (see above)
-        *   Thus: If we own a simple lock and the global lock is free
-        *      and complex_count is now 0, then it will stay 0 and
-        *      thus just locking sem->lock is sufficient.
+        * Optimized locking is possible if no complex operation
+        * is either enqueued or processed right now.
+        *
+        * Both facts are tracked by complex_mode.
         */
        sem = sma->sem_base + sops->sem_num;

-       if (sma->complex_count == 0) {
+       /*
+        * Initial check for complex_mode. Just an optimization,
+        * no locking.
+        */
+       if (!READ_ONCE(sma->complex_mode)) {

We have no lock (which is the whole point), I think we need stronger
guarantees here to avoid racing with another thread that holds sem_perm
lock and is entering complexmode for the first time or vice versa with
tryleave(). An smp_load_acquire here would pair with the suggested
smp_store_release calls.

Thanks,
Davidlohr

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