bcache: avoid unnecessary soft lockup in kworker update_writeback_rate()

The kworker routine update_writeback_rate() is schedued to update the
writeback rate in every 5 seconds by default. Before calling
__update_writeback_rate() to do real job, semaphore dc->writeback_lock
should be held by the kworker routine.

At the same time, bcache writeback thread routine bch_writeback_thread()
also needs to hold dc->writeback_lock before flushing dirty data back
into the backing device. If the dirty data set is large, it might be
very long time for bch_writeback_thread() to scan all dirty buckets and
releases dc->writeback_lock. In such case update_writeback_rate() can be
starved for long enough time so that kernel reports a soft lockup warn-
ing started like:
  watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#246 stuck for 23s! [kworker/246:31:179713]

Such soft lockup condition is unnecessary, because after the writeback
thread finishes its job and releases dc->writeback_lock, the kworker
update_writeback_rate() may continue to work and everything is fine
indeed.

This patch avoids the unnecessary soft lockup by the following method,
- Add new member to struct cached_dev
  - dc->rate_update_retry (0 by default)
- In update_writeback_rate() call down_read_trylock(&dc->writeback_lock)
  firstly, if it fails then lock contention happens.
- If dc->rate_update_retry <= BCH_WBRATE_UPDATE_MAX_SKIPS (15), doesn't
  acquire the lock and reschedules the kworker for next try.
- If dc->rate_update_retry > BCH_WBRATE_UPDATE_MAX_SKIPS, no retry
  anymore and call down_read(&dc->writeback_lock) to wait for the lock.

By the above method, at worst case update_writeback_rate() may retry for
1+ minutes before blocking on dc->writeback_lock by calling down_read().
For a 4TB cache device with 1TB dirty data, 90%+ of the unnecessary soft
lockup warning message can be avoided.

When retrying to acquire dc->writeback_lock in update_writeback_rate(),
of course the writeback rate cannot be updated. It is fair, because when
the kworker is blocked on the lock contention of dc->writeback_lock, the
writeback rate cannot be updated neither.

This change follows Jens Axboe's suggestion to a more clear and simple
version.

Signed-off-by: Coly Li <colyli@suse.de>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20220528124550.32834-2-colyli@suse.de
Signed-off-by: Jens Axboe <axboe@kernel.dk>

1 files changed, 7 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/drivers/md/bcache/bcache.h b/drivers/md/bcache/bcache.h
index 9ed9c955add7..2acda9cea0f9 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bcache/bcache.h
+++ b/drivers/md/bcache/bcache.h
@@ -395,6 +395,13 @@ struct cached_dev {
 	atomic_t		io_errors;
 	unsigned int		error_limit;
 	unsigned int		offline_seconds;
+
+	/*
+	 * Retry to update writeback_rate if contention happens for
+	 * down_read(dc->writeback_lock) in update_writeback_rate()
+	 */
+#define BCH_WBRATE_UPDATE_MAX_SKIPS	15
+	unsigned int		rate_update_retry;
 };
 
 enum alloc_reserve {