Messages in this thread | | | Date | Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:45:46 -0700 | From | Stephen Hemminger <> | Subject | Re: clocksource changes in 2.6.31 - possible regression |
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On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:37:57 -0700 john stultz <johnstul@us.ibm.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 2009-08-17 at 14:11 -0700, john stultz wrote: > > On Mon, 2009-08-17 at 11:27 -0700, Stephen Hemminger wrote: > > > On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:15:54 -0700 > > > john stultz <johnstul@us.ibm.com> wrote: > > > > > > > On Mon, 2009-08-17 at 11:01 -0700, Stephen Hemminger wrote: > > > > > On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:48:57 -0700 > > > > > john stultz <johnstul@us.ibm.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, 2009-08-17 at 09:03 -0700, Stephen Hemminger wrote: > > > > > > > The following commit causes a change for kernels built with HRT but > > > > > > > not actually using HRT. I typically use the generic kernel we ship > > > > > > > on test machines, and that kernel has NOHZ and HRT (for power savings/virt > > > > > > > and HRT for QoS), but I want to be able to enable TSC as a clock source > > > > > > > when doing performance tests with pktgen. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The machine in question is a several year old Opteron box, that > > > > > > > normally reports clocksources: acpi_pm jiffies tsc > > > > > > > but now with 2.6.31-rc6, it only has acpi_pm. > > > > > > > > > > > > I might need to review the patch again, but I believe we just don't > > > > > > allow you to switch to non HRT compatible clocksources (like jiffies) if > > > > > > we're already in HRT mode (and thus would hang when switched). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The behavior you describe where you can't switch to the TSC, may be due > > > > > > to the TSC disqualification code marking it as non HRT compatible > > > > > > (again, I need to double check). While I'm not sure that's really > > > > > > correct, as the TSC is fine for HRT, in this case on your box, the TSC > > > > > > has been marked as unstable (likely due to being unsynced on old AMD SMP > > > > > > systems). There is a real chance that the timekeeping code on your > > > > > > system could see the TSC go backwards, calculate a negative time > > > > > > interval, and then end up hanging. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > TSC was alway stable on this box, and worked fine. There was no > > > > > message in log about TSC instability. The change was bisected > > > > > down to that one commit. > > > > > > > > But just to clarify, the TSC was never selected as the default > > > > clocksource on the box either, right? > > > > > > correct. > > > > > > I am okay with turning it off on boot command line for my tests, > > > but it might be an issue for other users. > > > > > > So looking at the code in question: > > /* > > * Don't show non-HRES clocksource if the tick code is > > * in one shot mode (highres=on or nohz=on) > > */ > > if (!tick_oneshot_mode_active() || > > (src->flags & CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES)) > > > > So we require the clock to be valid for hres if we're in hres mode. > > > > Then looking at where that flag is manipulated: > > $ git grep -n CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES > > include/linux/clocksource.h:214:#define CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:168: cs->flags &= ~(CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES | CLO > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:200: cs->flags |= CLOCK_SOURC > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:257: cs->flags |= CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_ > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:285: cs->flags |= CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:517: !(ovr->flags & CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES)) > > kernel/time/clocksource.c:557: (src->flags & CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR > > kernel/time/timekeeping.c:273: ret = clock->flags & CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_ > > > > > > We can see clocksource.c:168 is the only line that disables the flag and > > that's in clocksource_ratewd() after we've found an actual inconsistency > > from the watchdog. > > > > So unless I'm missing a more subtle bug in the watchdog assignment of > > the CLOCK_SOURCE_VALID_FOR_HRES bit, I'm a little hesitant that its > > really as stable as you feel it is. > > > > Mind running with the following patch and sending me the dmesg? > > Actually, don't.. I found the issue. > > in init_tsc_clocksource(): > /* lower the rating if we already know its unstable: */ > if (check_tsc_unstable()) { > clocksource_tsc.rating = 0; > clocksource_tsc.flags &= ~CLOCK_SOURCE_IS_CONTINUOUS; > } > > We already disqualify the TSC as not continuous, so its not valid for > HRT. So I think the patch in question is still correct. > > However, I think its fair, that as your TSC is being disqualified for > being an old AMD SMP box, and there is a *possibility* that if you don't > run with cpufreq and the SUMA-ness of the box didn't get in the way of > TSC synchronization, you might have an argument for overriding the > unsynchronized_tsc() heuristics. > > Luckily the option is already there. :) > > So try booting with "tsc=reliable" to override those checks, and I think > you'll be able to do what you want to do. >
Good idea, doesn't work.
vyatta@amd1:~$ cat /proc/cmdline BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-rc6 root=/dev/sda1 ro tsc=reliable vyatta@amd1:~$ cat /sys/devices/system/clocksource/clocksource0/available_clocksource acpi_pm
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