Re: [RFC PATCH] sched/deadline: Avoid dl_server boosting with expired deadline

[Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>]

On Thu, Oct 30, 2025 at 07:42:05PM +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 12:11:51PM +0200, Gabriele Monaco wrote:
> 
> Sorry, finally cycling back to this.
> 
> > > So how about something like this for starters?
> > > 
> > 
> > Thanks Peter for sharing this patch, I run it through my test and the model
> > seems to pass (i.e. no more boosting after deadline). What I found curious
> > however, is that throughout the test, servers went only through replenish
> > events.
> > The system under test is mostly idle (6 periodic dl tasks on a 16 CPUs virtme-ng
> > VM), so I expect not to see any task boosted by the servers, but in 5 minutes I
> > didn't even observe any start/stop for the server.
> > 
> > I'm not sure why this is happening, but looking at traces it seems replenish
> > occurs more often and perhaps doesn't let the server stop:
> > 
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    14.312395: (+950124) event_nomiss:         -9: idle x dl_replenish_idle -> idle
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    14.312401: (+6)     sched_dl_replenish:   comm=server pid=-9 runtime=50000000 deadline=15253307235 yielded=0
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    15.262771: (+950370) event_nomiss:         -9: idle x dl_replenish_idle -> idle
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    15.262781: (+10)    sched_dl_replenish:   comm=server pid=-9 runtime=50000000 deadline=16203668554 yielded=0
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    16.213117: (+950336) event_nomiss:         -9: idle x dl_replenish_idle -> idle
> > <idle>-0     [009] d.h3.    16.213123: (+6)     sched_dl_replenish:   comm=server pid=-9 runtime=50000000 deadline=17154029879 yielded=0
> > 
> > Is this expected?
> 
> Sort of, that was next on the list. Let me see if I can make it stop a
> little more.

OK, so I've gone over things again and all I got was a comment.

That is, today I think it all works as expected.

The dl_server will stop once the fair class goes idle long enough. Can
you confirm this?

---
--- a/kernel/sched/deadline.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/deadline.c
@@ -1152,6 +1152,94 @@ static void __push_dl_task(struct rq *rq
 /* a defer timer will not be reset if the runtime consumed was < dl_server_min_res */
 static const u64 dl_server_min_res = 1 * NSEC_PER_MSEC;
 
+
+/*
+ * dl_server && dl_defer:
+ *   dl_defer_armed = 0
+ *   dl_defer_running = 0
+ *   dl_throttled = 0
+ *
+ * [1] dl_server_start()
+ *   dl_server_active = 1;
+ *   enqueue_dl_entity()
+ *     update_dl_entity(WAKEUP)
+ *       if (!dl_defer_running)
+ *         dl_defer_armed = 1;
+ *         dl_defer_throttled = 1;
+ *     if (dl_throttled && start_dl_timer())
+ *       return;
+ *       // start server into waiting for zero-laxity
+ *
+ * // deplete server runtime from fair-class
+ * [2] update_curr_dl_se()
+ *   if (dl_defer && dl_throttled && dl_runtime_exceeded())
+ *     dl_defer_running = 0;
+ *     hrtimer_try_to_cancel();   // stop timer
+ *     replenish_dl_new_period()
+ *       // advance period
+ *       dl_throttled = 1;
+ *       dl_defer_armed = 1;
+ *       start_dl_timer();        // restart timer
+ *       // back into waiting for zero-laxity
+ *
+ * // timer actually fires means we have runtime
+ * [4] dl_server_timer()
+ *   if (dl_defer_armed)
+ *     dl_defer_running = 1;
+ *   enqueue_dl_entity(REPLENISH)
+ *     replenish_dl_entity()
+ *       opt-fwd-period
+ *       if (dl_throttled)
+ *         dl_throttled = 0;
+ *       if (dl_defer_armed)
+ *         dl_defer_armed = 0;
+ *     __enqueue_dl_entity();
+ *     // server queued
+ *
+ * // schedule server
+ * [5] pick_task_dl()
+ *   p = server_pick_task();
+ *   if (!p)
+ *     dl_server_stop()
+ *       dequeue_dl_entity();
+ *       hrtimer_try_to_cancel();
+ *       dl_defer_armed = 0;
+ *       dl_throttled = 0;
+ *       dl_server_active = 0;
+ *       // goto [1]
+ *
+ * // server running
+ * [6] update_curr_dl_se()
+ *   if (dl_runtime_exceeded())
+ *     dl_throttled = 1;
+ *     dequeue_dl_entity();
+ *     start_dl_timer();
+ *     // replenish-timer
+ *
+ * // goto [2]
+ *
+ * [7] dl_server_timer()
+ *   enqueue_dl_entity(REPLENISH)
+ *     replenish_dl_entity()
+ *       fwd-period
+ *       if (dl_throttled)
+ *         dl_throttled = 0;
+ *     __enqueue_dl_entity();
+ *     // goto [5]
+ *
+ * Notes:
+ *
+ *  - When there are fair tasks running the most likely loop is [2]->[2].
+ *    the dl_server never actually runs, the timer never fires.
+ *
+ *  - When there is actual fair starvation; the timer fires and starts the
+ *    dl_server. This will then throttle and replenish like a normal DL
+ *    task. Notably it will not 'defer' again.
+ *
+ *  - When fair goes idle, it will not consume dl_server budget so the server
+ *    will start. However, it will find there are no fair tasks to run and
+ *    stop itself.
+ */
 static enum hrtimer_restart dl_server_timer(struct hrtimer *timer, struct sched_dl_entity *dl_se)
 {
 	struct rq *rq = rq_of_dl_se(dl_se);