On 04/18/2013 07:00 PM, Gleb Natapov wrote: > On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 02:32:46PM +0800, Xiao Guangrong wrote: >> pte_list_clear_concurrently allows us to reset pte-desc entry >> out of mmu-lock. We can reset spte out of mmu-lock if we can protect the >> lifecycle of sp, we use this way to achieve the goal: >> >> unmap_memslot_rmap_nolock(): >> for-each-rmap-in-slot: >> preempt_disable >> kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = rmapp >> clear spte and reset rmap entry >> kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = NULL >> preempt_enable >> >> Other patch like zap-sp and mmu-notify which are protected >> by mmu-lock: >> clear spte and reset rmap entry >> retry: >> if (kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap == rmap) >> goto retry >> (the wait is very rare and clear one rmap is very fast, it >> is not bad even if wait is needed) >> > I do not understand what how this achieve the goal. Suppose that rmap > == X and kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap == NULL so "goto retry" is skipped, > but moment later unmap_memslot_rmap_nolock() does > vm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = X. Access rmap is always safe since rmap and its entries are valid until memslot is destroyed. This algorithm protects spte since it can be freed in the protection of mmu-lock. In your scenario: ====== CPU 1 CPU 2 vcpu / mmu-notify access the RMAP unmap rmap out of mmu-lock which is under which is under mmu-lock slot-lock zap spte1 clear RMAP entry kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = NULL, do not wait free spte1 set kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = RMAP walking RMAP and do not see spet1 on RMAP (the entry of spte 1 has been reset by CPU 1) set kvm->arch.being_unmapped_rmap = NULL ====== That protect CPU 2 can not access the freed-spte. -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe kvm" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html