| From: |
| Andrea Righi <arighi-AT-nvidia.com> |
| To: |
| Ingo Molnar <mingo-AT-redhat.com>, Peter Zijlstra <peterz-AT-infradead.org>, Juri Lelli <juri.lelli-AT-redhat.com>, Vincent Guittot <vincent.guittot-AT-linaro.org> |
| Subject: |
| [PATCHSET v12 sched_ext/for-6.20] Add a deadline server for sched_ext tasks |
| Date: |
| Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:58:58 +0100 |
| Message-ID: |
| <20260126100050.3854740-1-arighi@nvidia.com> |
| Cc: |
| Dietmar Eggemann <dietmar.eggemann-AT-arm.com>, Steven Rostedt <rostedt-AT-goodmis.org>, Ben Segall <bsegall-AT-google.com>, Mel Gorman <mgorman-AT-suse.de>, Valentin Schneider <vschneid-AT-redhat.com>, Tejun Heo <tj-AT-kernel.org>, Joel Fernandes <joelagnelf-AT-nvidia.com>, David Vernet <void-AT-manifault.com>, Changwoo Min <changwoo-AT-igalia.com>, Daniel Hodges <hodgesd-AT-meta.com>, Christian Loehle <christian.loehle-AT-arm.com>, Emil Tsalapatis <emil-AT-etsalapatis.com>, sched-ext-AT-lists.linux.dev, linux-kernel-AT-vger.kernel.org |
| Archive-link: |
| Article |
sched_ext tasks can be starved by long-running RT tasks, especially since
RT throttling was replaced by deadline servers to boost only SCHED_NORMAL
tasks.
Several users in the community have reported issues with RT stalling
sched_ext tasks. This is fairly common on distributions or environments
where applications like video compositors, audio services, etc. run as RT
tasks by default.
Example trace (showing a per-CPU kthread stalled due to the sway Wayland
compositor running as an RT task):
runnable task stall (kworker/0:0[106377] failed to run for 5.043s)
...
CPU 0 : nr_run=3 flags=0xd cpu_rel=0 ops_qseq=20646200 pnt_seq=45388738
curr=sway[994] class=rt_sched_class
R kworker/0:0[106377] -5043ms
scx_state/flags=3/0x1 dsq_flags=0x0 ops_state/qseq=0/0
sticky/holding_cpu=-1/-1 dsq_id=0x8000000000000002 dsq_vtime=0 slice=20000000
cpus=01
This is often perceived as a bug in the BPF schedulers, but in reality they
can't do much: RT tasks run outside their control and can potentially
consume 100% of the CPU bandwidth.
Fix this by adding a sched_ext deadline server, so that sched_ext tasks are
also boosted and do not suffer starvation.
Two kselftests are also provided to verify the starvation fixes and
bandwidth allocation is correct.
== Design ==
- The EXT server is initialized at boot time and remains configured
throughout the system's lifetime
- It starts automatically when the first sched_ext task is enqueued
(rq->scx.nr_running == 1)
- The server's pick function (ext_server_pick_task) always selects
sched_ext tasks when active
- Runtime accounting happens in update_curr_scx() during task execution
and update_curr_idle() when idle
- Bandwidth accounting includes both fair and ext servers in root domain
calculations
- A debugfs interface (/sys/kernel/debug/sched/ext_server/) allows runtime
tuning of server parameters (see notes below)
== Notes ==
1) As discussed during the sched_ext microconference at LPC Tokyo, the plan
is to start with a simple approach, avoiding automatically creating or
tearing down the EXT server bandwidth reservation when a BPF scheduler is
loaded or unloaded. Instead, the reservation is kept permanently active.
This significantly simplifies the logic while still addressing the
starvation issue.
Any fine-tuning of the bandwidth reservation is delegated to the system
administrator, who can adjust it via the debugfs interface. In the future,
a more suitable interface can be introduced and automatic removal of the
reservation when the BPF scheduler is unloaded can be revisited.
A better interface to adjust the dl_server bandwidth reservation can be
discussed at the upcoming OSPM
(https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/aULDwbALUj0V7cVk@jlelli-thin...).
2) IMPORTANT: this patch requires [1] to function properly (sent
separately, not included in this patch set).
[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260123161645.2181752-1-arig...
This patchset is also available in the following git branch:
git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/arighi/linux.git scx-dl-server
Changes in v12:
- Move dl_server execution state reset on stop fix to a separate patch
(https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260123161645.2181752-1-arig...)
- Removed per-patch changelog (keeping a global changelog here)
- Link to v11: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260120215808.188032-1-arigh...
Changes in v11:
- do not create/remove the bandwidth reservation for the ext server when a
BPF scheduler is loaded/unloaded, but keep the reservation bandwdith
always active
- change rt_stall kselftest to validate both FAIR and EXT DL servers
- Link to v10: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250903095008.162049-1-arigh...
Changes in v10:
- reordered patches to better isolate sched_ext changes vs sched/deadline
changes (Andrea Righi)
- define ext_server only with CONFIG_SCHED_CLASS_EXT=y (Andrea Righi)
- add WARN_ON_ONCE(!cpus) check in dl_server_apply_params() (Andrea Righi)
- wait for inactive_task_timer to fire before removing the bandwidth
reservation (Juri Lelli)
- remove explicit dl_server_stop() in dequeue_task_scx() to reduce timer
reprogramming overhead (Juri Lelli)
- do not restart pick_task() when invoked by the dl_server (Tejun Heo)
- rename rq_dl_server to dl_server (Peter Zijlstra)
- fixed a missing dl_server start in dl_server_on() (Christian Loehle)
- add a comment to the rt_stall selftest to better explain the 4%
threshold (Emil Tsalapatis)
- Link to v9: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251017093214.70029-1-arighi...
Changes in v9:
- Drop the ->balance() logic as its functionality is now integrated into
->pick_task(), allowing dl_server to call pick_task_scx() directly
- Link to v8: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250903095008.162049-1-arigh...
Changes in v8:
- Add tj's patch to de-couple balance and pick_task and avoid changing
sched/core callbacks to propagate @rf
- Simplify dl_se->dl_server check (suggested by PeterZ)
- Small coding style fixes in the kselftests
- Link to v7: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250809184800.129831-1-joela...
Changes in v7:
- Rebased to Linus master
- Link to v6: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250702232944.3221001-1-joel...
Changes in v6:
- Added Acks to few patches
- Fixes to few nits suggested by Tejun
- Link to v5: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250620203234.3349930-1-joel...
Changes in v5:
- Added a kselftest (total_bw) to sched_ext to verify bandwidth values
from debugfs
- Address comment from Andrea about redundant rq clock invalidation
- Link to v4: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250617200523.1261231-1-joel...
Changes in v4:
- Fixed issues with hotplugged CPUs having their DL server bandwidth
altered due to loading SCX
- Fixed other issues
- Rebased on Linus master
- All sched_ext kselftests reliably pass now, also verified that the
total_bw in debugfs (CONFIG_SCHED_DEBUG) is conserved with these patches
- Link to v3: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250613051734.4023260-1-joel...
Changes in v3:
- Removed code duplication in debugfs. Made ext interface separate
- Fixed issue where rq_lock_irqsave was not used in the relinquish patch
- Fixed running bw accounting issue in dl_server_remove_params
- Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250602180110.816225-1-joela...
Changes in v2:
- Fixed a hang related to using rq_lock instead of rq_lock_irqsave
- Added support to remove BW of DL servers when they are switched to/from EXT
- Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250315022158.2354454-1-joel...
Andrea Righi (2):
sched_ext: Add a DL server for sched_ext tasks
selftests/sched_ext: Add test for sched_ext dl_server
Joel Fernandes (5):
sched/deadline: Clear the defer params
sched/debug: Fix updating of ppos on server write ops
sched/debug: Stop and start server based on if it was active
sched/debug: Add support to change sched_ext server params
selftests/sched_ext: Add test for DL server total_bw consistency
kernel/sched/core.c | 6 +
kernel/sched/deadline.c | 86 +++++--
kernel/sched/debug.c | 171 +++++++++++---
kernel/sched/ext.c | 33 +++
kernel/sched/idle.c | 3 +
kernel/sched/sched.h | 2 +
kernel/sched/topology.c | 5 +
tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/Makefile | 2 +
tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/rt_stall.bpf.c | 23 ++
tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/rt_stall.c | 240 +++++++++++++++++++
tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/total_bw.c | 281 +++++++++++++++++++++++
11 files changed, 801 insertions(+), 51 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/rt_stall.bpf.c
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/rt_stall.c
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/sched_ext/total_bw.c