[PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Daniel Wagner]

blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx uses the first online CPU in hctx->cpumask to
select the software context for a request.

Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on
isolated CPUs"), hctx->cpumask excludes isolated CPUs. If a hardware
context is mapped only to isolated CPUs, the mask is empty and
blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx fails with -EXDEV.

The NVMe fabrics transports use blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx to allocate
the Connect command for each I/O queue. As a result, connecting to a
controller can fail when using isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
partition.

Passthrough requests bypass the software queues and go directly to
hctx->dispatch. Their software context is only used to select the
completion CPU and as a hint when freeing the tag.

Use the software context of an online housekeeping CPU for passthrough
requests.

Fixes: a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on isolated CPUs")
Tested-by: Maurizio Lombardi <mlombard@redhat.com>
Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>
---
Connecting a fabrics controller fails when all CPUs of a hardware
context are isolated with isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
partition. Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block
kworker on isolated CPUs") the CPU mask of such a hardware context is
empty and blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx() fails the Connect command with
-EXDEV. This patch lets passthrough requests use the software context
of a housekeeping CPU instead.

The nvme fabrics fixes from v1 (patches 1 and 3-5) are in nvme-7.4, so
only the blk-mq patch is left. The blktest for this patch is nvme/070,
posted separately.
---
Changes in v2:
- Only the blk-mq patch left, the nvme patches are in nvme-7.4.
- Reword the commit message to describe what the fix does (Hannes).
- Add Tested-by from Maurizio.
- Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20261014-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-v1-0-355156be27b2@kernel.org
---
 block/blk-mq.c | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/block/blk-mq.c b/block/blk-mq.c
index 5fca78778c31..77685e6283fa 100644
--- a/block/blk-mq.c
+++ b/block/blk-mq.c
@@ -717,6 +717,25 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q, blk_opf_t opf,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_mq_alloc_request);
 
+/*
+ * Return an online CPU which is neither isolated from the scheduler domains
+ * nor from managed interrupts, or nr_cpu_ids if there is none.
+ */
+static unsigned int blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu(void)
+{
+	unsigned int cpu;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
+		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu) &&
+		    housekeeping_test_cpu(cpu, HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ))
+			break;
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return cpu;
+}
+
 struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
 	blk_opf_t opf, blk_mq_req_flags_t flags, unsigned int hctx_idx)
 {
@@ -767,8 +786,22 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
 	if (!blk_mq_hw_queue_mapped(data.hctx))
 		goto out_queue_exit;
 	cpu = cpumask_first_and(data.hctx->cpumask, cpu_online_mask);
-	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
-		goto out_queue_exit;
+	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids) {
+		/*
+		 * Isolated CPUs are not part of hctx->cpumask, so it can be
+		 * empty although online CPUs are mapped to this hardware
+		 * context. Passthrough requests are inserted directly into
+		 * hctx->dispatch, so use the software context of a
+		 * housekeeping CPU for them. Inactive hardware contexts have
+		 * no online CPU left.
+		 */
+		if (!blk_op_is_passthrough(opf) ||
+		    test_bit(BLK_MQ_S_INACTIVE, &data.hctx->state))
+			goto out_queue_exit;
+		cpu = blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu();
+		if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
+			goto out_queue_exit;
+	}
 	data.ctx = __blk_mq_get_ctx(q, cpu);
 
 	if (q->elevator)

---
base-commit: c8c53d669d4e45b3a804013251a34387d7e11bfb
change-id: 20261013-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-5b4948362f88

Best regards,
--  
Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Aaron Tomlin]

On Tue, Nov 03, 2026 at 03:57:22PM +0100, Daniel Wagner wrote:
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx uses the first online CPU in hctx->cpumask to
> select the software context for a request.
> 
> Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on
> isolated CPUs"), hctx->cpumask excludes isolated CPUs. If a hardware
> context is mapped only to isolated CPUs, the mask is empty and
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx fails with -EXDEV.
> 
> The NVMe fabrics transports use blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx to allocate
> the Connect command for each I/O queue. As a result, connecting to a
> controller can fail when using isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
> partition.
> 
> Passthrough requests bypass the software queues and go directly to
> hctx->dispatch. Their software context is only used to select the
> completion CPU and as a hint when freeing the tag.
> 
> Use the software context of an online housekeeping CPU for passthrough
> requests.
> 
> Fixes: a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on isolated CPUs")
> Tested-by: Maurizio Lombardi <mlombard@redhat.com>
> Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>
> ---
> Connecting a fabrics controller fails when all CPUs of a hardware
> context are isolated with isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
> partition. Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block
> kworker on isolated CPUs") the CPU mask of such a hardware context is
> empty and blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx() fails the Connect command with
> -EXDEV. This patch lets passthrough requests use the software context
> of a housekeeping CPU instead.
> 
> The nvme fabrics fixes from v1 (patches 1 and 3-5) are in nvme-7.4, so
> only the blk-mq patch is left. The blktest for this patch is nvme/070,
> posted separately.
> ---
> Changes in v2:
> - Only the blk-mq patch left, the nvme patches are in nvme-7.4.
> - Reword the commit message to describe what the fix does (Hannes).
> - Add Tested-by from Maurizio.
> - Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20261014-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-v1-0-355156be27b2@kernel.org
> ---
>  block/blk-mq.c | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
>  1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/block/blk-mq.c b/block/blk-mq.c
> index 5fca78778c31..77685e6283fa 100644
> --- a/block/blk-mq.c
> +++ b/block/blk-mq.c
> @@ -717,6 +717,25 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q, blk_opf_t opf,
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_mq_alloc_request);
>  
> +/*
> + * Return an online CPU which is neither isolated from the scheduler domains
> + * nor from managed interrupts, or nr_cpu_ids if there is none.
> + */
> +static unsigned int blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu(void)
> +{
> +	unsigned int cpu;
> +
> +	rcu_read_lock();
> +	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
> +		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu) &&
> +		    housekeeping_test_cpu(cpu, HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ))
> +			break;
> +	}
> +	rcu_read_unlock();
> +
> +	return cpu;
> +}
> +
>  struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
>  	blk_opf_t opf, blk_mq_req_flags_t flags, unsigned int hctx_idx)
>  {
> @@ -767,8 +786,22 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
>  	if (!blk_mq_hw_queue_mapped(data.hctx))
>  		goto out_queue_exit;
>  	cpu = cpumask_first_and(data.hctx->cpumask, cpu_online_mask);
> -	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
> -		goto out_queue_exit;
> +	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids) {
> +		/*
> +		 * Isolated CPUs are not part of hctx->cpumask, so it can be
> +		 * empty although online CPUs are mapped to this hardware
> +		 * context. Passthrough requests are inserted directly into
> +		 * hctx->dispatch, so use the software context of a
> +		 * housekeeping CPU for them. Inactive hardware contexts have
> +		 * no online CPU left.
> +		 */
> +		if (!blk_op_is_passthrough(opf) ||
> +		    test_bit(BLK_MQ_S_INACTIVE, &data.hctx->state))
> +			goto out_queue_exit;
> +		cpu = blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu();
> +		if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
> +			goto out_queue_exit;
> +	}
>  	data.ctx = __blk_mq_get_ctx(q, cpu);
>  
>  	if (q->elevator)
> 
> ---
> base-commit: c8c53d669d4e45b3a804013251a34387d7e11bfb
> change-id: 20261013-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-5b4948362f88
> 
> Best regards,
> --  
> Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>
> 

Thank you.

Reviewed-by: Aaron Tomlin <atomlin@atomlin.com>

-- 
Aaron Tomlin

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Sebastian Andrzej Siewior]

On 2026-11-03 15:57:22 [+0100], Daniel Wagner wrote:
> --- a/block/blk-mq.c
> +++ b/block/blk-mq.c
> @@ -717,6 +717,25 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q, blk_opf_t opf,
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_mq_alloc_request);
>  
> +/*
> + * Return an online CPU which is neither isolated from the scheduler domains
> + * nor from managed interrupts, or nr_cpu_ids if there is none.
> + */
> +static unsigned int blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu(void)
> +{
> +	unsigned int cpu;
> +
> +	rcu_read_lock();
> +	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
> +		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu) &&
> +		    housekeeping_test_cpu(cpu, HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ))
> +			break;
> +	}

What about
	guard(rcu);
	for_each_cpu_and(cpu, cpu_online_mask, housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ)) {
		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu)
			break;
	}

this ends up with one less function call ;)

> +	rcu_read_unlock();
> +
> +	return cpu;
> +}
> +
>  struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
>  	blk_opf_t opf, blk_mq_req_flags_t flags, unsigned int hctx_idx)
>  {

Reviewed-by: Sebastian Andrzej Siewior <bigeasy@linutronix.de>

Sebastian

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Tue, Nov 03, 2026 at 05:37:48PM +0100, Sebastian Andrzej Siewior wrote:
> What about
> 	guard(rcu);
> 	for_each_cpu_and(cpu, cpu_online_mask, housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ)) {
> 		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu)
> 			break;
> 	}
> 
> this ends up with one less function call ;)

Please avoid this completely unreadable and unaditable guard crap.

How is anyone supposed to understand that above mess?

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Sebastian Andrzej Siewior]

On 2026-11-04 08:17:03 [+0100], Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 03, 2026 at 05:37:48PM +0100, Sebastian Andrzej Siewior wrote:
> > What about
> > 	guard(rcu);
> > 	for_each_cpu_and(cpu, cpu_online_mask, housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ)) {
> > 		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu)
> > 			break;
> > 	}
> > 
> > this ends up with one less function call ;)
> 
> Please avoid this completely unreadable and unaditable guard crap.

If you/ block prefers to avoid guard() then fine. I usually get punched
the other way around.

> How is anyone supposed to understand that above mess?

I can show you code where you start crying. Anyway. My main selling
point was for_each_cpu_and().

Sebastian

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Wed, Nov 04, 2026 at 08:37:10AM +0100, Sebastian Andrzej Siewior wrote:
> On 2026-11-04 08:17:03 [+0100], Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> > On Tue, Nov 03, 2026 at 05:37:48PM +0100, Sebastian Andrzej Siewior wrote:
> > > What about
> > > 	guard(rcu);
> > > 	for_each_cpu_and(cpu, cpu_online_mask, housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ)) {
> > > 		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu)
> > > 			break;
> > > 	}
> > > 
> > > this ends up with one less function call ;)
> > 
> > Please avoid this completely unreadable and unaditable guard crap.
> 
> If you/ block prefers to avoid guard() then fine. I usually get punched
> the other way around.
> 
> > How is anyone supposed to understand that above mess?
> 
> I can show you code where you start crying.

I don't cry easily, but I've basically given up trying to understand
or fix code infested too much by at and other CLASS/__cleanup magic
like the core VFS code, because my brain can't cope with it...

> Anyway. My main selling
> point was for_each_cpu_and().

I guess the advantage would be to reduce the iteration, so it's 
probably ok.  I don't find it particularly easier to read, and given
that this is a slow path it might not matter.

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Nilay Shroff]

On 11/3/26 8:27 PM, Daniel Wagner wrote:
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx uses the first online CPU in hctx->cpumask to
> select the software context for a request.
> 
> Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on
> isolated CPUs"), hctx->cpumask excludes isolated CPUs. If a hardware
> context is mapped only to isolated CPUs, the mask is empty and
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx fails with -EXDEV.
> 
> The NVMe fabrics transports use blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx to allocate
> the Connect command for each I/O queue. As a result, connecting to a
> controller can fail when using isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
> partition.
> 
> Passthrough requests bypass the software queues and go directly to
> hctx->dispatch. Their software context is only used to select the
> completion CPU and as a hint when freeing the tag.
> 
> Use the software context of an online housekeeping CPU for passthrough
> requests.
> 
> Fixes: a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on isolated CPUs")
> Tested-by: Maurizio Lombardi<mlombard@redhat.com>
> Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner<dwagner@suse.de>

Looks good to me:
Reviewed-by: Nilay Shroff <nilay@linux.ibm.com>

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Christoph Hellwig]

Looks good:

Reviewed-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>

Re: [PATCH v2] blk-mq: use a housekeeping CPU for passthrough requests on isolated hctxs

[Hannes Reinecke]

On 11/3/26 3:57 PM, Daniel Wagner wrote:
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx uses the first online CPU in hctx->cpumask to
> select the software context for a request.
> 
> Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on
> isolated CPUs"), hctx->cpumask excludes isolated CPUs. If a hardware
> context is mapped only to isolated CPUs, the mask is empty and
> blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx fails with -EXDEV.
> 
> The NVMe fabrics transports use blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx to allocate
> the Connect command for each I/O queue. As a result, connecting to a
> controller can fail when using isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
> partition.
> 
> Passthrough requests bypass the software queues and go directly to
> hctx->dispatch. Their software context is only used to select the
> completion CPU and as a hint when freeing the tag.
> 
> Use the software context of an online housekeeping CPU for passthrough
> requests.
> 
> Fixes: a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block kworker on isolated CPUs")
> Tested-by: Maurizio Lombardi <mlombard@redhat.com>
> Signed-off-by: Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>
> ---
> Connecting a fabrics controller fails when all CPUs of a hardware
> context are isolated with isolcpus=domain or an isolated cpuset
> partition. Since commit a46c27026da1 ("blk-mq: don't schedule block
> kworker on isolated CPUs") the CPU mask of such a hardware context is
> empty and blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx() fails the Connect command with
> -EXDEV. This patch lets passthrough requests use the software context
> of a housekeeping CPU instead.
> 
> The nvme fabrics fixes from v1 (patches 1 and 3-5) are in nvme-7.4, so
> only the blk-mq patch is left. The blktest for this patch is nvme/070,
> posted separately.
> ---
> Changes in v2:
> - Only the blk-mq patch left, the nvme patches are in nvme-7.4.
> - Reword the commit message to describe what the fix does (Hannes).
> - Add Tested-by from Maurizio.
> - Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20261014-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-v1-0-355156be27b2@kernel.org
> ---
>   block/blk-mq.c | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
>   1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/block/blk-mq.c b/block/blk-mq.c
> index 5fca78778c31..77685e6283fa 100644
> --- a/block/blk-mq.c
> +++ b/block/blk-mq.c
> @@ -717,6 +717,25 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q, blk_opf_t opf,
>   }
>   EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_mq_alloc_request);
>   
> +/*
> + * Return an online CPU which is neither isolated from the scheduler domains
> + * nor from managed interrupts, or nr_cpu_ids if there is none.
> + */
> +static unsigned int blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu(void)
> +{
> +	unsigned int cpu;
> +
> +	rcu_read_lock();
> +	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
> +		if (!cpu_is_isolated(cpu) &&
> +		    housekeeping_test_cpu(cpu, HK_TYPE_MANAGED_IRQ))
> +			break;
> +	}
> +	rcu_read_unlock();
> +
> +	return cpu;
> +}
> +
>   struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
>   	blk_opf_t opf, blk_mq_req_flags_t flags, unsigned int hctx_idx)
>   {
> @@ -767,8 +786,22 @@ struct request *blk_mq_alloc_request_hctx(struct request_queue *q,
>   	if (!blk_mq_hw_queue_mapped(data.hctx))
>   		goto out_queue_exit;
>   	cpu = cpumask_first_and(data.hctx->cpumask, cpu_online_mask);
> -	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
> -		goto out_queue_exit;
> +	if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids) {
> +		/*
> +		 * Isolated CPUs are not part of hctx->cpumask, so it can be
> +		 * empty although online CPUs are mapped to this hardware
> +		 * context. Passthrough requests are inserted directly into
> +		 * hctx->dispatch, so use the software context of a
> +		 * housekeeping CPU for them. Inactive hardware contexts have
> +		 * no online CPU left.
> +		 */
> +		if (!blk_op_is_passthrough(opf) ||
> +		    test_bit(BLK_MQ_S_INACTIVE, &data.hctx->state))
> +			goto out_queue_exit;
> +		cpu = blk_mq_housekeeping_cpu();
> +		if (cpu >= nr_cpu_ids)
> +			goto out_queue_exit;
> +	}
>   	data.ctx = __blk_mq_get_ctx(q, cpu);
>   
>   	if (q->elevator)
> 
> ---
> base-commit: c8c53d669d4e45b3a804013251a34387d7e11bfb
> change-id: 20261013-nvme-fabrics-isolcpu-5b4948362f88
> 
> Best regards,
> --
> Daniel Wagner <dwagner@suse.de>
> 

Reviewed-by: Hannes Reinecke <hare@kernel.org>

Cheers,

Hannes
-- 
Dr. Hannes Reinecke                  Kernel Storage Architect
hare@suse.de                                +49 911 74053 688
SUSE Software Solutions GmbH, Frankenstr. 146, 90461 Nürnberg
HRB 36809 (AG Nürnberg), GF: I. Totev, A. McDonald, W. Knoblich