[dm-devel] [RFC][PATCH] wake_up_var() memory ordering

[Peter Zijlstra]

On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 11:19:35AM +0200, Andreas Gruenbacher wrote:
> > diff --git a/fs/gfs2/glops.c b/fs/gfs2/glops.c
> > index cf4c767005b1..666629ea5da7 100644
> > --- a/fs/gfs2/glops.c
> > +++ b/fs/gfs2/glops.c
> > @@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ static void gfs2_clear_glop_pending(struct gfs2_inode *ip)
> >                 return;
> >
> >         clear_bit_unlock(GIF_GLOP_PENDING, &ip->i_flags);
> > +       smp_mb__after_atomic();
> >         wake_up_bit(&ip->i_flags, GIF_GLOP_PENDING);
> 
> This should become clear_and_wake_up_bit as well, right? There are
> several more instances of the same pattern.

Only if we do as David suggested and make clean_and_wake_up_bit()
provide the RELEASE barrier.

That is, currently clear_and_wake_up_bit() is

	clear_bit()
	smp_mb__after_atomic();
	wake_up_bit();

But the above is:

	clear_bit_unlock();
	smp_mb__after_atomic();
	wake_up_bit()

the difference is that _unlock() uses RELEASE semantics, where
clear_bit() does not.

The difference is illustrated with something like:

	cond = true;
	clear_bit()
	smp_mb__after_atomic();
	wake_up_bit();

In this case, a remote CPU can first observe the clear_bit() and then
the 'cond = true' store. When we use clear_bit_unlock() this is not
possible, because the RELEASE barrier ensures that everything before,
stays before.

> >  }
> >