[ovs-dev] [PATCH v2] ovs rcu: update rcu pointer first

[Ben Pfaff]

Oh, I apologize that I made a mistake about the author.

I appreciate feedback from anyone.

On Wed, Jun 03, 2020 at 12:37:27AM +0000, Yanqin Wei wrote:
> Hi Ben,
> 
> This patch is from Linhai, but I have the same concern about this.  I will read ovs-rcu comments and feedback.
> Thanks for your time.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Wei Yanqin
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Ben Pfaff <blp at ovn.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 8:35 AM
> > To: Yanqin Wei <Yanqin.Wei at arm.com>
> > Cc: Linhaifeng <haifeng.lin at huawei.com>; dev at openvswitch.org; nd
> > <nd at arm.com>; Lilijun (Jerry) <jerry.lilijun at huawei.com>; chenchanghu
> > <chenchanghu at huawei.com>; Lichunhe <lichunhe at huawei.com>
> > Subject: Re: [ovs-dev] [PATCH v2] ovs rcu: update rcu pointer first
> > 
> > This is not how RCU works in OVS.  Every thread is by default considered active.
> > They rarely quiesce except implicitly inside poll_block().
> > Please read the large comment at the top of ovs-rcu.h.
> > 
> > Is your patch based on actual bugs that you have found, or is it just some kind
> > of precaution?  If it is the latter, then it is not needed.
> > 
> > On Tue, Jun 02, 2020 at 11:22:57PM +0000, Yanqin Wei wrote:
> > > Hi Ben,
> > >
> > > If my understanding is correct, the writer could not be a rcu thread because it
> > does not need report holding or not holding pointers.
> > > So old memory will be freed after all rcu thread report quiesce.
> > >
> > > Best Regards,
> > > Wei Yanqin
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Ben Pfaff <blp at ovn.org>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 1:28 AM
> > > > To: Linhaifeng <haifeng.lin at huawei.com>
> > > > Cc: Yanqin Wei <Yanqin.Wei at arm.com>; dev at openvswitch.org; nd
> > > > <nd at arm.com>; Lilijun (Jerry) <jerry.lilijun at huawei.com>;
> > > > chenchanghu <chenchanghu at huawei.com>; Lichunhe
> > <lichunhe at huawei.com>
> > > > Subject: Re: [ovs-dev] [PATCH v2] ovs rcu: update rcu pointer first
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Jun 02, 2020 at 07:27:59AM +0000, Linhaifeng wrote:
> > > > > We should update rcu pointer first then use ovsrcu_postpone to
> > > > > free otherwise maybe cause use-after-free.
> > > > > e.g.,reader indicates momentary quiescent and access old pointer
> > > > > after writer postpone free old pointer and before setting new pointer.
> > > > >
> > > > > Signed-off-by: Linhaifeng <haifeng.lin at huawei.com>
> > > >
> > > > I don't see how that's possible, since the writer hasn't quiesced.