[RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support

Jonah Palmer posted 8 patches 1 month, 1 week ago
Patches applied successfully (tree, apply log)
git fetch https://github.com/patchew-project/qemu tags/patchew/20240321155717.1392787-1-jonah.palmer@oracle.com
Maintainers: "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@redhat.com>, Raphael Norwitz <raphael@enfabrica.net>, Kevin Wolf <kwolf@redhat.com>, Hanna Reitz <hreitz@redhat.com>, Jason Wang <jasowang@redhat.com>, Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>, Fam Zheng <fam@euphon.net>, "Eugenio Pérez" <eperezma@redhat.com>, Stefan Hajnoczi <stefanha@redhat.com>
There is a newer version of this series
hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
[RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Jonah Palmer 1 month, 1 week ago
The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
which they were made available by the driver.

These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
solution to support this feature.

The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
mechanism.

---------------------

The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:

We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.

For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):

     elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
    (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)

Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.

While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
element.

In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
in the hash table.

If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.

If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
in the hash table to continue the order.

So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
is 0:

    exp-seq-num = 0:

     elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
    (key: 1)                                         |
                                                     |
                                                     v
                                               ================
                                               |key: 1 - elem1|
                                               ================
    ---------------------
    exp-seq-num = 0:

     elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
    (key: 2)                                         |
                                                     |
                                                     v
                                               ================
                                               |key: 1 - elem1|
                                               |--------------|
                                               |key: 2 - elem2|
                                               ================
    ---------------------
    exp-seq-num = 0:

     elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
    (key: 0)

    exp-seq-num = 1:

    lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
                                             remove elem from table
                                                     |
                                                     v
                                               ================
                                               |key: 2 - elem2|
                                               ================

    exp-seq-num = 2:

    lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
                                             remove elem from table
                                                     |
                                                     v
                                               ================
                                               |   *empty*    |
                                               ================

    exp-seq-num = 3:

    lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
    ---------------------

Jonah Palmer (8):
  virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
  virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
  virtio: Define order variables
  virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
  virtio-net: in-order handling
  vhost-svq: in-order handling
  vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
  virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition

 hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
 hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
 hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
 hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
 hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
 hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
 hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
 hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
 hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
 net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
 11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

-- 
2.39.3
Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Eugenio Perez Martin 1 month, 1 week ago
On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>
> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
> which they were made available by the driver.
>
> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
> solution to support this feature.
>
> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
> mechanism.
>
> ---------------------
>
> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
>
> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
>
> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
>
>      elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>     (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
>
> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
>
> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
> element.
>
> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
> in the hash table.
>
> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
>
> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
> in the hash table to continue the order.
>
> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
> is 0:
>
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
>
>      elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>     (key: 1)                                         |
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 1 - elem1|
>                                                ================
>     ---------------------
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
>
>      elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>     (key: 2)                                         |
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 1 - elem1|
>                                                |--------------|
>                                                |key: 2 - elem2|
>                                                ================
>     ---------------------
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
>
>      elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>     (key: 0)
>
>     exp-seq-num = 1:
>
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>                                              remove elem from table
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 2 - elem2|
>                                                ================
>
>     exp-seq-num = 2:
>
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>                                              remove elem from table
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |   *empty*    |
>                                                ================
>
>     exp-seq-num = 3:
>
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>     ---------------------
>

I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.

So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.

Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.

What do you think, does it make sense to you?

Thanks!


> Jonah Palmer (8):
>   virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>   virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>   virtio: Define order variables
>   virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>   virtio-net: in-order handling
>   vhost-svq: in-order handling
>   vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>   virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
>
>  hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>  hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>  hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>  hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>  hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>  hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>  include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>  net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>  11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>
> --
> 2.39.3
>
Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Jonah Palmer 1 month ago

On 3/22/24 7:18 AM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>
>> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
>> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
>> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
>> which they were made available by the driver.
>>
>> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
>> solution to support this feature.
>>
>> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
>> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
>> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
>> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
>> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
>> mechanism.
>>
>> ---------------------
>>
>> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
>>
>> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
>> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
>> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
>> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
>> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
>> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
>>
>> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
>> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
>> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
>>
>>       elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>>      (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
>>
>> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
>>
>> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
>> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
>> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
>> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
>> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
>> element.
>>
>> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
>> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
>> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
>> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
>> in the hash table.
>>
>> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
>> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
>> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
>> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
>>
>> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
>> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
>> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
>> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
>> in the hash table to continue the order.
>>
>> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
>> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
>> is 0:
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>      (key: 1)                                         |
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
>>                                                 ================
>>      ---------------------
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>      (key: 2)                                         |
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
>>                                                 |--------------|
>>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
>>                                                 ================
>>      ---------------------
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>>      (key: 0)
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 1:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>                                               remove elem from table
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
>>                                                 ================
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 2:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>                                               remove elem from table
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |   *empty*    |
>>                                                 ================
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 3:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>>      ---------------------
>>
> 
> I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
> it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
> because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
> by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
> as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
> experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.
> 

Right, because if descriptors are coming in in-order, we still search 
the (empty) hash table.

Hmm... what if we introduced a flag to see if we actually should bother 
searching the hash table? That way we avoid the cost of searching when 
we really don't need to.

> So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
> written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
> elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
> If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.
> 
> Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.
> 
> What do you think, does it make sense to you?
> 

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the suggestion here. Would you 
mind elaborating a bit more for me on this?

For example, say elem0, elem1, and elem2 were enqueued in-order (elem0 
being first, elem2 last) and then elem2 finishes first, elem1 second, 
and elem0 third. Given that these elements finish out-of-order, how 
would you handle these out-of-order elements using your suggestion?

Thanks :)

> Thanks!
> 
> 
>> Jonah Palmer (8):
>>    virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>>    virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>>    virtio: Define order variables
>>    virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>>    virtio-net: in-order handling
>>    vhost-svq: in-order handling
>>    vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>>    virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
>>
>>   hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>>   hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>>   hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>>   hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>   include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>>   net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>>   11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>>
>> --
>> 2.39.3
>>
> 

Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Eugenio Perez Martin 1 month ago
On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 5:52 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 3/22/24 7:18 AM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> > On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
> >> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
> >> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
> >> which they were made available by the driver.
> >>
> >> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
> >> solution to support this feature.
> >>
> >> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
> >> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
> >> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
> >> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
> >> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
> >> mechanism.
> >>
> >> ---------------------
> >>
> >> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
> >>
> >> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
> >> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
> >> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
> >> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
> >> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
> >> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
> >>
> >> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
> >> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
> >> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
> >>
> >>       elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
> >>      (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
> >>
> >> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
> >>
> >> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
> >> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
> >> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
> >> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
> >> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
> >> element.
> >>
> >> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
> >> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
> >> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
> >> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
> >> in the hash table.
> >>
> >> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
> >> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
> >> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
> >> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
> >>
> >> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
> >> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
> >> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
> >> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
> >> in the hash table to continue the order.
> >>
> >> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
> >> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
> >> is 0:
> >>
> >>      exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>
> >>       elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
> >>      (key: 1)                                         |
> >>                                                       |
> >>                                                       v
> >>                                                 ================
> >>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
> >>                                                 ================
> >>      ---------------------
> >>      exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>
> >>       elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
> >>      (key: 2)                                         |
> >>                                                       |
> >>                                                       v
> >>                                                 ================
> >>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
> >>                                                 |--------------|
> >>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
> >>                                                 ================
> >>      ---------------------
> >>      exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>
> >>       elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
> >>      (key: 0)
> >>
> >>      exp-seq-num = 1:
> >>
> >>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
> >>                                               remove elem from table
> >>                                                       |
> >>                                                       v
> >>                                                 ================
> >>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
> >>                                                 ================
> >>
> >>      exp-seq-num = 2:
> >>
> >>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
> >>                                               remove elem from table
> >>                                                       |
> >>                                                       v
> >>                                                 ================
> >>                                                 |   *empty*    |
> >>                                                 ================
> >>
> >>      exp-seq-num = 3:
> >>
> >>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
> >>      ---------------------
> >>
> >
> > I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
> > it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
> > because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
> > by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
> > as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
> > experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.
> >
>
> Right, because if descriptors are coming in in-order, we still search
> the (empty) hash table.
>
> Hmm... what if we introduced a flag to see if we actually should bother
> searching the hash table? That way we avoid the cost of searching when
> we really don't need to.
>
> > So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
> > written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
> > elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
> > If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.
> >
> > Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.
> >
> > What do you think, does it make sense to you?
> >
>
> I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the suggestion here. Would you
> mind elaborating a bit more for me on this?
>
> For example, say elem0, elem1, and elem2 were enqueued in-order (elem0
> being first, elem2 last) and then elem2 finishes first, elem1 second,
> and elem0 third. Given that these elements finish out-of-order, how
> would you handle these out-of-order elements using your suggestion?
>

virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored.

Optionally, virtqueue_push is called. It checks if
vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] is valid. valid can be elem->in_num +
elem->out_num > 0, and reset them on every used ring write. If it is
not valid, this is a no-op. Currently, it is not valid.

Same process for elem1.

virtqueue_fill is the same for elem0. But now virtqueue_flush gets
interesting, as it detects vq->used_elems[0] is used. It scans for the
first not-used element, and it finds it is vq->used_elems[3]. So it
needs to write an used elem with id = 2 and the corresponding length.

Maybe it is interesting to implement ways to improve the look for the
last used descriptor, but if any I'd go for a bitmap and always on top
of the basis series.

The algorithm has not been tested, so maybe I've missed something.

Thanks!

> Thanks :)
>
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> >> Jonah Palmer (8):
> >>    virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
> >>    virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
> >>    virtio: Define order variables
> >>    virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
> >>    virtio-net: in-order handling
> >>    vhost-svq: in-order handling
> >>    vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
> >>    virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
> >>
> >>   hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
> >>   hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
> >>   hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
> >>   hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
> >>   hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
> >>   hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
> >>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
> >>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
> >>   hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> >>   include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
> >>   net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
> >>   11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
> >>
> >> --
> >> 2.39.3
> >>
> >
>
Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Jonah Palmer 1 month ago

On 3/25/24 4:33 PM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 5:52 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/22/24 7:18 AM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
>>> On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
>>>> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
>>>> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
>>>> which they were made available by the driver.
>>>>
>>>> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
>>>> solution to support this feature.
>>>>
>>>> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
>>>> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
>>>> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
>>>> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
>>>> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
>>>> mechanism.
>>>>
>>>> ---------------------
>>>>
>>>> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
>>>>
>>>> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
>>>> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
>>>> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
>>>> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
>>>> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
>>>> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
>>>>
>>>> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
>>>> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
>>>> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
>>>>
>>>>        elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>>>>       (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
>>>>
>>>> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
>>>>
>>>> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
>>>> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
>>>> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
>>>> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
>>>> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
>>>> element.
>>>>
>>>> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
>>>> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
>>>> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
>>>> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
>>>> in the hash table.
>>>>
>>>> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
>>>> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
>>>> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
>>>> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
>>>>
>>>> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
>>>> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
>>>> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
>>>> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
>>>> in the hash table to continue the order.
>>>>
>>>> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
>>>> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
>>>> is 0:
>>>>
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>
>>>>        elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>>>       (key: 1)                                         |
>>>>                                                        |
>>>>                                                        v
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>                                                  |key: 1 - elem1|
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>       ---------------------
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>
>>>>        elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>>>       (key: 2)                                         |
>>>>                                                        |
>>>>                                                        v
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>                                                  |key: 1 - elem1|
>>>>                                                  |--------------|
>>>>                                                  |key: 2 - elem2|
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>       ---------------------
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>
>>>>        elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>>>>       (key: 0)
>>>>
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 1:
>>>>
>>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>>>                                                remove elem from table
>>>>                                                        |
>>>>                                                        v
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>                                                  |key: 2 - elem2|
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 2:
>>>>
>>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>>>                                                remove elem from table
>>>>                                                        |
>>>>                                                        v
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>                                                  |   *empty*    |
>>>>                                                  ================
>>>>
>>>>       exp-seq-num = 3:
>>>>
>>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>>>>       ---------------------
>>>>
>>>
>>> I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
>>> it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
>>> because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
>>> by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
>>> as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
>>> experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.
>>>
>>
>> Right, because if descriptors are coming in in-order, we still search
>> the (empty) hash table.
>>
>> Hmm... what if we introduced a flag to see if we actually should bother
>> searching the hash table? That way we avoid the cost of searching when
>> we really don't need to.
>>
>>> So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
>>> written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
>>> elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
>>> If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.
>>>
>>> Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.
>>>
>>> What do you think, does it make sense to you?
>>>
>>
>> I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the suggestion here. Would you
>> mind elaborating a bit more for me on this?
>>
>> For example, say elem0, elem1, and elem2 were enqueued in-order (elem0
>> being first, elem2 last) and then elem2 finishes first, elem1 second,
>> and elem0 third. Given that these elements finish out-of-order, how
>> would you handle these out-of-order elements using your suggestion?
>>
> 
> virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
> vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
> index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored.
> 
> Optionally, virtqueue_push is called. It checks if
> vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] is valid. valid can be elem->in_num +
> elem->out_num > 0, and reset them on every used ring write. If it is
> not valid, this is a no-op. Currently, it is not valid.
> 
> Same process for elem1.
> 
> virtqueue_fill is the same for elem0. But now virtqueue_flush gets
> interesting, as it detects vq->used_elems[0] is used. It scans for the
> first not-used element, and it finds it is vq->used_elems[3]. So it
> needs to write an used elem with id = 2 and the corresponding length.
> 
> Maybe it is interesting to implement ways to improve the look for the
> last used descriptor, but if any I'd go for a bitmap and always on top
> of the basis series.
> 
> The algorithm has not been tested, so maybe I've missed something.
> 
> Thanks!
> 

Thank you for taking the time to clarify for this for me, I appreciate it.

I spent some time yesterday and this morning working this over in my 
head. I believe I understand what you're trying to do here and it makes 
more sense than employing a data structure like a hash table for this 
kind of job. However, I have a few questions regarding this implementation.

So, one question is on the reuse of the VirtQueue's used_elems array. 
Wont reusing this array cause issues with packed VQ operations, since it 
also uses this array? If we want to stick with using this array 
specifically, perhaps we may need to rewrite its logic if the device has 
negotiated the in_order feature? E.g.

virtqueue_packed_flush (...) {
    if (virtio_vdev_has_feature(vdev, VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER) {
       // new logic
    } else {
      // current logic
    }
}
-----------

Regarding this paragraph:

"virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored."

This looks exactly like virtqueue_packed_fill except for the idx 
parameter we'd pass in (sequence_num % vq->vring.num).

In any case, regardless of whether this element being passed in is 
considered to be in-order or not, we still add this element to 
vq->used_elems in virtqueue_fill. Ok, got it.

Then you say "Optionally, virtqueue_push is called". I assume by 
"optionally" you mean we need to know if this is a single-shot operation 
or a batched operation. A single-shot operation would call for 
virtqueue_push whereas a batched operation would just use 
virtqueue_fill. If this is what you meant by that then ok, I understand 
that too.

However, I think before we start considering whether or not we need to 
call virtqueue_push or continue with virtqueue_fill, we first should 
know whether or not this element is in-order. And I think to do that we 
should use the check you mentioned:

if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].in_num + 
vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].out_num > 0)

or perhaps:

if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] != NULL)

If the element is found not to be in-order, I assume we return and we 
are done with the handling of this element for now.

Now my confusion with this part comes from calling virtqueue_push inside 
of the virtqueue_fill function. Wouldn't calling virtqueue_push inside 
of virtqueue_fill present some kind of recursive execution path? Unless 
I'm missing something here, this probably isn't something we need to do, 
right?
-----------

Lastly, when execution reaches virtqueue_flush, what would define an 
element as unused? Perhaps...

if (vq->used_elems[i] == NULL)

or

if (vq->used_elems[i].in_num + vq->used_elems[i].out_num > 0)

Thanks Eugenio!

>> Thanks :)
>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>>
>>>> Jonah Palmer (8):
>>>>     virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>>>>     virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>>>>     virtio: Define order variables
>>>>     virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>>>>     virtio-net: in-order handling
>>>>     vhost-svq: in-order handling
>>>>     vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>>>>     virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
>>>>
>>>>    hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>>>>    hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>>>>    hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>>>>    hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>>>>    hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>>>>    hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>>>    include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>>>>    net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>>>>    11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> 2.39.3
>>>>
>>>
>>
> 

Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Eugenio Perez Martin 1 month ago
On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 5:49 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 3/25/24 4:33 PM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> > On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 5:52 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 3/22/24 7:18 AM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> >>> On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
> >>>> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
> >>>> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
> >>>> which they were made available by the driver.
> >>>>
> >>>> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
> >>>> solution to support this feature.
> >>>>
> >>>> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
> >>>> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
> >>>> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
> >>>> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
> >>>> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
> >>>> mechanism.
> >>>>
> >>>> ---------------------
> >>>>
> >>>> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
> >>>>
> >>>> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
> >>>> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
> >>>> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
> >>>> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
> >>>> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
> >>>> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
> >>>>
> >>>> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
> >>>> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
> >>>> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
> >>>>
> >>>>        elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
> >>>>       (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
> >>>>
> >>>> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
> >>>>
> >>>> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
> >>>> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
> >>>> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
> >>>> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
> >>>> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
> >>>> element.
> >>>>
> >>>> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
> >>>> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
> >>>> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
> >>>> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
> >>>> in the hash table.
> >>>>
> >>>> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
> >>>> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
> >>>> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
> >>>> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
> >>>>
> >>>> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
> >>>> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
> >>>> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
> >>>> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
> >>>> in the hash table to continue the order.
> >>>>
> >>>> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
> >>>> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
> >>>> is 0:
> >>>>
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>>>
> >>>>        elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
> >>>>       (key: 1)                                         |
> >>>>                                                        |
> >>>>                                                        v
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>                                                  |key: 1 - elem1|
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>       ---------------------
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>>>
> >>>>        elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
> >>>>       (key: 2)                                         |
> >>>>                                                        |
> >>>>                                                        v
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>                                                  |key: 1 - elem1|
> >>>>                                                  |--------------|
> >>>>                                                  |key: 2 - elem2|
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>       ---------------------
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 0:
> >>>>
> >>>>        elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
> >>>>       (key: 0)
> >>>>
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 1:
> >>>>
> >>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
> >>>>                                                remove elem from table
> >>>>                                                        |
> >>>>                                                        v
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>                                                  |key: 2 - elem2|
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 2:
> >>>>
> >>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
> >>>>                                                remove elem from table
> >>>>                                                        |
> >>>>                                                        v
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>                                                  |   *empty*    |
> >>>>                                                  ================
> >>>>
> >>>>       exp-seq-num = 3:
> >>>>
> >>>>       lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
> >>>>       ---------------------
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
> >>> it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
> >>> because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
> >>> by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
> >>> as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
> >>> experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Right, because if descriptors are coming in in-order, we still search
> >> the (empty) hash table.
> >>
> >> Hmm... what if we introduced a flag to see if we actually should bother
> >> searching the hash table? That way we avoid the cost of searching when
> >> we really don't need to.
> >>
> >>> So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
> >>> written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
> >>> elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
> >>> If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.
> >>>
> >>> Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.
> >>>
> >>> What do you think, does it make sense to you?
> >>>
> >>
> >> I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the suggestion here. Would you
> >> mind elaborating a bit more for me on this?
> >>
> >> For example, say elem0, elem1, and elem2 were enqueued in-order (elem0
> >> being first, elem2 last) and then elem2 finishes first, elem1 second,
> >> and elem0 third. Given that these elements finish out-of-order, how
> >> would you handle these out-of-order elements using your suggestion?
> >>
> >
> > virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
> > vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
> > index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored.
> >
> > Optionally, virtqueue_push is called. It checks if
> > vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] is valid. valid can be elem->in_num +
> > elem->out_num > 0, and reset them on every used ring write. If it is
> > not valid, this is a no-op. Currently, it is not valid.
> >
> > Same process for elem1.
> >
> > virtqueue_fill is the same for elem0. But now virtqueue_flush gets
> > interesting, as it detects vq->used_elems[0] is used. It scans for the
> > first not-used element, and it finds it is vq->used_elems[3]. So it
> > needs to write an used elem with id = 2 and the corresponding length.
> >
> > Maybe it is interesting to implement ways to improve the look for the
> > last used descriptor, but if any I'd go for a bitmap and always on top
> > of the basis series.
> >
> > The algorithm has not been tested, so maybe I've missed something.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
>
> Thank you for taking the time to clarify for this for me, I appreciate it.
>
> I spent some time yesterday and this morning working this over in my
> head. I believe I understand what you're trying to do here and it makes
> more sense than employing a data structure like a hash table for this
> kind of job. However, I have a few questions regarding this implementation.
>
> So, one question is on the reuse of the VirtQueue's used_elems array.
> Wont reusing this array cause issues with packed VQ operations, since it
> also uses this array? If we want to stick with using this array
> specifically, perhaps we may need to rewrite its logic if the device has
> negotiated the in_order feature? E.g.
>
> virtqueue_packed_flush (...) {
>     if (virtio_vdev_has_feature(vdev, VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER) {
>        // new logic
>     } else {
>       // current logic
>     }
> }
> -----------
>

That's right.

> Regarding this paragraph:
>
> "virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
> vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
> index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored."
>
> This looks exactly like virtqueue_packed_fill except for the idx
> parameter we'd pass in (sequence_num % vq->vring.num).
>
> In any case, regardless of whether this element being passed in is
> considered to be in-order or not, we still add this element to
> vq->used_elems in virtqueue_fill. Ok, got it.
>
> Then you say "Optionally, virtqueue_push is called". I assume by
> "optionally" you mean we need to know if this is a single-shot operation
> or a batched operation. A single-shot operation would call for
> virtqueue_push whereas a batched operation would just use
> virtqueue_fill. If this is what you meant by that then ok, I understand
> that too.
>

Totally correct.

> However, I think before we start considering whether or not we need to
> call virtqueue_push or continue with virtqueue_fill, we first should
> know whether or not this element is in-order. And I think to do that we
> should use the check you mentioned:
>
> if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].in_num +
> vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].out_num > 0)
>
> or perhaps:
>
> if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] != NULL)
>
> If the element is found not to be in-order, I assume we return and we
> are done with the handling of this element for now.
>
> Now my confusion with this part comes from calling virtqueue_push inside
> of the virtqueue_fill function. Wouldn't calling virtqueue_push inside
> of virtqueue_fill present some kind of recursive execution path? Unless
> I'm missing something here, this probably isn't something we need to do,
> right?

Maybe I explained something wrong, but virtqueue_fill should not call
virtqueue_push. It's up to the caller (virtio-net, virtio-blk, etc) to
call one or another. Can you elaborate?

> -----------
>
> Lastly, when execution reaches virtqueue_flush, what would define an
> element as unused? Perhaps...
>
> if (vq->used_elems[i] == NULL)
>

used_elems is not an array of pointers but an array of
VirtQueueElement so we cannot do this way.

> or
>
> if (vq->used_elems[i].in_num + vq->used_elems[i].out_num > 0)
>

Right, I propose to reset both in_num = out_num = 0.

Thanks!

> Thanks Eugenio!
>
> >> Thanks :)
> >>
> >>> Thanks!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Jonah Palmer (8):
> >>>>     virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
> >>>>     virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
> >>>>     virtio: Define order variables
> >>>>     virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
> >>>>     virtio-net: in-order handling
> >>>>     vhost-svq: in-order handling
> >>>>     vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
> >>>>     virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
> >>>>
> >>>>    hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
> >>>>    hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
> >>>>    hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
> >>>>    hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
> >>>>    hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
> >>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
> >>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
> >>>>    hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
> >>>>    hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> >>>>    include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
> >>>>    net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
> >>>>    11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> 2.39.3
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Jonah Palmer 1 month ago

On 3/26/24 2:34 PM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 5:49 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/25/24 4:33 PM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
>>> On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 5:52 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/22/24 7:18 AM, Eugenio Perez Martin wrote:
>>>>> On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 4:57 PM Jonah Palmer <jonah.palmer@oracle.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
>>>>>> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
>>>>>> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
>>>>>> which they were made available by the driver.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
>>>>>> solution to support this feature.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
>>>>>> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
>>>>>> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
>>>>>> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
>>>>>> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
>>>>>> mechanism.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
>>>>>> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
>>>>>> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
>>>>>> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
>>>>>> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
>>>>>> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
>>>>>> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
>>>>>> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
>>>>>>
>>>>>>         elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>>>>>>        (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
>>>>>> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
>>>>>> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
>>>>>> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
>>>>>> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
>>>>>> element.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
>>>>>> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
>>>>>> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
>>>>>> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
>>>>>> in the hash table.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
>>>>>> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
>>>>>> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
>>>>>> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
>>>>>> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
>>>>>> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
>>>>>> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
>>>>>> in the hash table to continue the order.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
>>>>>> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
>>>>>> is 0:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>         elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>>>>>        (key: 1)                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         v
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>                                                   |key: 1 - elem1|
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>        ---------------------
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>         elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>>>>>        (key: 2)                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         v
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>                                                   |key: 1 - elem1|
>>>>>>                                                   |--------------|
>>>>>>                                                   |key: 2 - elem2|
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>        ---------------------
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 0:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>         elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>>>>>>        (key: 0)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 1:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>>>>>                                                 remove elem from table
>>>>>>                                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         v
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>                                                   |key: 2 - elem2|
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 2:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>>>>>                                                 remove elem from table
>>>>>>                                                         |
>>>>>>                                                         v
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>                                                   |   *empty*    |
>>>>>>                                                   ================
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        exp-seq-num = 3:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>        lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>>>>>>        ---------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I think to use a hashtable to handle this has an important drawback:
>>>>> it hurts performance on the devices that are using right in-order
>>>>> because of hash calculus, to benefit devices that are using it badly
>>>>> by using descriptors out of order. We should use data structs that are
>>>>> as free as possible for the first, and we don't care to worse the
>>>>> experience of the devices that enable in_order and they shouldn't.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Right, because if descriptors are coming in in-order, we still search
>>>> the (empty) hash table.
>>>>
>>>> Hmm... what if we introduced a flag to see if we actually should bother
>>>> searching the hash table? That way we avoid the cost of searching when
>>>> we really don't need to.
>>>>
>>>>> So I suggest reusing vq->used_elems array vq. At each used descriptor
>>>>> written in the used ring, you know the next head is elem->index +
>>>>> elem->ndescs, so you can check if that element has been filled or not.
>>>>> If used, it needs to be flushed too. If not used, just return.
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course virtqueue_flush also needs to take this into account.
>>>>>
>>>>> What do you think, does it make sense to you?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the suggestion here. Would you
>>>> mind elaborating a bit more for me on this?
>>>>
>>>> For example, say elem0, elem1, and elem2 were enqueued in-order (elem0
>>>> being first, elem2 last) and then elem2 finishes first, elem1 second,
>>>> and elem0 third. Given that these elements finish out-of-order, how
>>>> would you handle these out-of-order elements using your suggestion?
>>>>
>>>
>>> virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
>>> vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
>>> index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored.
>>>
>>> Optionally, virtqueue_push is called. It checks if
>>> vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] is valid. valid can be elem->in_num +
>>> elem->out_num > 0, and reset them on every used ring write. If it is
>>> not valid, this is a no-op. Currently, it is not valid.
>>>
>>> Same process for elem1.
>>>
>>> virtqueue_fill is the same for elem0. But now virtqueue_flush gets
>>> interesting, as it detects vq->used_elems[0] is used. It scans for the
>>> first not-used element, and it finds it is vq->used_elems[3]. So it
>>> needs to write an used elem with id = 2 and the corresponding length.
>>>
>>> Maybe it is interesting to implement ways to improve the look for the
>>> last used descriptor, but if any I'd go for a bitmap and always on top
>>> of the basis series.
>>>
>>> The algorithm has not been tested, so maybe I've missed something.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>
>> Thank you for taking the time to clarify for this for me, I appreciate it.
>>
>> I spent some time yesterday and this morning working this over in my
>> head. I believe I understand what you're trying to do here and it makes
>> more sense than employing a data structure like a hash table for this
>> kind of job. However, I have a few questions regarding this implementation.
>>
>> So, one question is on the reuse of the VirtQueue's used_elems array.
>> Wont reusing this array cause issues with packed VQ operations, since it
>> also uses this array? If we want to stick with using this array
>> specifically, perhaps we may need to rewrite its logic if the device has
>> negotiated the in_order feature? E.g.
>>
>> virtqueue_packed_flush (...) {
>>      if (virtio_vdev_has_feature(vdev, VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER) {
>>         // new logic
>>      } else {
>>        // current logic
>>      }
>> }
>> -----------
>>
> 
> That's right.
> 
>> Regarding this paragraph:
>>
>> "virtqueue_fill is called first with elem2. So vq->used_elems[2 %
>> vq->num] is filled with the needed information of the descriptor:
>> index, len and ndescs. idx function parameter is ignored."
>>
>> This looks exactly like virtqueue_packed_fill except for the idx
>> parameter we'd pass in (sequence_num % vq->vring.num).
>>
>> In any case, regardless of whether this element being passed in is
>> considered to be in-order or not, we still add this element to
>> vq->used_elems in virtqueue_fill. Ok, got it.
>>
>> Then you say "Optionally, virtqueue_push is called". I assume by
>> "optionally" you mean we need to know if this is a single-shot operation
>> or a batched operation. A single-shot operation would call for
>> virtqueue_push whereas a batched operation would just use
>> virtqueue_fill. If this is what you meant by that then ok, I understand
>> that too.
>>
> 
> Totally correct.
> 
>> However, I think before we start considering whether or not we need to
>> call virtqueue_push or continue with virtqueue_fill, we first should
>> know whether or not this element is in-order. And I think to do that we
>> should use the check you mentioned:
>>
>> if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].in_num +
>> vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx].out_num > 0)
>>
>> or perhaps:
>>
>> if (vq->used_elems[vq->used_idx] != NULL)
>>
>> If the element is found not to be in-order, I assume we return and we
>> are done with the handling of this element for now.
>>
>> Now my confusion with this part comes from calling virtqueue_push inside
>> of the virtqueue_fill function. Wouldn't calling virtqueue_push inside
>> of virtqueue_fill present some kind of recursive execution path? Unless
>> I'm missing something here, this probably isn't something we need to do,
>> right?
> 
> Maybe I explained something wrong, but virtqueue_fill should not call
> virtqueue_push. It's up to the caller (virtio-net, virtio-blk, etc) to
> call one or another. Can you elaborate?
> 

Oh I see, my apologies! I misunderstood and thought you were suggesting 
to call virtqueue_push inside of virtqueue_fill.

>> -----------
>>
>> Lastly, when execution reaches virtqueue_flush, what would define an
>> element as unused? Perhaps...
>>
>> if (vq->used_elems[i] == NULL)
>>
> 
> used_elems is not an array of pointers but an array of
> VirtQueueElement so we cannot do this way.
> 
>> or
>>
>> if (vq->used_elems[i].in_num + vq->used_elems[i].out_num > 0)
>>
> 
> Right, I propose to reset both in_num = out_num = 0.
> 
> Thanks!
> 

Gotcha. I'll take this and work on getting a v2 RFC out.

Thank you for the re-clarifying things again Eugenio!

>> Thanks Eugenio!
>>
>>>> Thanks :)
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Jonah Palmer (8):
>>>>>>      virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>>>>>>      virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>>>>>>      virtio: Define order variables
>>>>>>      virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>>>>>>      virtio-net: in-order handling
>>>>>>      vhost-svq: in-order handling
>>>>>>      vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>>>>>>      virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>>>>>>     hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>>>>>>     hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>>>>>>     hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>>>>>>     hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>>>>>>     hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>>>>>>     hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>>>>>>     hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>>>>>>     hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>>>>>     include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>>>>>>     net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>>>>>>     11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> 2.39.3
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
> 

Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Dongli Zhang 1 month, 1 week ago
Hi Jonah,

Would you mind helping explain how does VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER improve the performance?

https://lore.kernel.org/all/20240321155717.1392787-1-jonah.palmer@oracle.com/#t

I tried to look for it from prior discussions but could not find why.

https://lore.kernel.org/all/BYAPR18MB2791DF7E6C0F61E2D8698E8FA08DA@BYAPR18MB2791.namprd18.prod.outlook.com/

Thank you very much!

Dongli Zhang

On 3/21/24 08:57, Jonah Palmer wrote:
> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
> which they were made available by the driver.
> 
> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
> solution to support this feature.
> 
> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
> mechanism.
> 
> ---------------------
> 
> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
> 
> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
> 
> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
> 
>      elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>     (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
> 
> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
> 
> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
> element.
> 
> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
> in the hash table.
> 
> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
> 
> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
> in the hash table to continue the order.
> 
> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
> is 0:
> 
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
> 
>      elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>     (key: 1)                                         |
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 1 - elem1|
>                                                ================
>     ---------------------
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
> 
>      elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>     (key: 2)                                         |
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 1 - elem1|
>                                                |--------------|
>                                                |key: 2 - elem2|
>                                                ================
>     ---------------------
>     exp-seq-num = 0:
> 
>      elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>     (key: 0)
> 
>     exp-seq-num = 1:
> 
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>                                              remove elem from table
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |key: 2 - elem2|
>                                                ================
> 
>     exp-seq-num = 2:
> 
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>                                              remove elem from table
>                                                      |
>                                                      v
>                                                ================
>                                                |   *empty*    |
>                                                ================
> 
>     exp-seq-num = 3:
> 
>     lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>     ---------------------
> 
> Jonah Palmer (8):
>   virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>   virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>   virtio: Define order variables
>   virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>   virtio-net: in-order handling
>   vhost-svq: in-order handling
>   vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>   virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
> 
>  hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>  hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>  hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>  hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>  hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>  hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>  hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>  include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>  net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>  11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>
Re: [RFC 0/8] virtio,vhost: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER support
Posted by Jonah Palmer 1 month, 1 week ago

On 3/21/24 3:48 PM, Dongli Zhang wrote:
> Hi Jonah,
> 
> Would you mind helping explain how does VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER improve the performance?
> 
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20240321155717.1392787-1-jonah.palmer@oracle.com/#t
> 
> I tried to look for it from prior discussions but could not find why.
> 
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/BYAPR18MB2791DF7E6C0F61E2D8698E8FA08DA@BYAPR18MB2791.namprd18.prod.outlook.com/
> 
> Thank you very much!
> 
> Dongli Zhang
> 

Hey Dongli,

So VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER can theoretically improve performance under certain 
conditions. Whether it can improve performance today, I'm not sure.

But, if we can guarantee that all buffers are used by the device in the 
same order in which they're made available by the driver (enforcing a 
strict in-order processing and completion of requests), then we can 
leverage this to our advantage.

For example, we could simplify device and driver logic such as not 
needing complex mechanisms to track the completion of out-of-order 
requests (reduce request management overhead). Though the need of 
complex mechanisms to force this data to be in-order kind of defeats 
this benefit.

It could also improve cache utilization since sequential access patterns 
are more cache-friendly compared to random access patterns.

Also, in-order processing is more predictable, making it easier to 
optimize device and driver performance. E.g. it can allow us to 
fine-tune things without having to account for the variability of 
out-of-order completions.

But again, the actual performance impact will vary depending on the use 
case and workload. Scenarios that require high levels of parallelism or 
where out-of-order completions are efficiently managed, the flexibility 
of out-of-order processing can still be preferable.

Jonah

> On 3/21/24 08:57, Jonah Palmer wrote:
>> The goal of these patches is to add support to a variety of virtio and
>> vhost devices for the VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER transport feature. This feature
>> indicates that all buffers are used by the device in the same order in
>> which they were made available by the driver.
>>
>> These patches attempt to implement a generalized, non-device-specific
>> solution to support this feature.
>>
>> The core feature behind this solution is a buffer mechanism in the form
>> of GLib's GHashTable. The decision behind using a hash table was to
>> leverage their ability for quick lookup, insertion, and removal
>> operations. Given that our keys are simply numbers of an ordered
>> sequence, a hash table seemed like the best choice for a buffer
>> mechanism.
>>
>> ---------------------
>>
>> The strategy behind this implementation is as follows:
>>
>> We know that buffers that are popped from the available ring and enqueued
>> for further processing will always done in the same order in which they
>> were made available by the driver. Given this, we can note their order
>> by assigning the resulting VirtQueueElement a key. This key is a number
>> in a sequence that represents the order in which they were popped from
>> the available ring, relative to the other VirtQueueElements.
>>
>> For example, given 3 "elements" that were popped from the available
>> ring, we assign a key value to them which represents their order (elem0
>> is popped first, then elem1, then lastly elem2):
>>
>>       elem2   --  elem1   --  elem0   ---> Enqueue for processing
>>      (key: 2)    (key: 1)    (key: 0)
>>
>> Then these elements are enqueued for further processing by the host.
>>
>> While most devices will return these completed elements in the same
>> order in which they were enqueued, some devices may not (e.g.
>> virtio-blk). To guarantee that these elements are put on the used ring
>> in the same order in which they were enqueued, we can use a buffering
>> mechanism that keeps track of the next expected sequence number of an
>> element.
>>
>> In other words, if the completed element does not have a key value that
>> matches the next expected sequence number, then we know this element is
>> not in-order and we must stash it away in a hash table until an order
>> can be made. The element's key value is used as the key for placing it
>> in the hash table.
>>
>> If the completed element has a key value that matches the next expected
>> sequence number, then we know this element is in-order and we can push
>> it on the used ring. Then we increment the next expected sequence number
>> and check if the hash table contains an element at this key location.
>>
>> If so, we retrieve this element, push it to the used ring, delete the
>> key-value pair from the hash table, increment the next expected sequence
>> number, and check the hash table again for an element at this new key
>> location. This process is repeated until we're unable to find an element
>> in the hash table to continue the order.
>>
>> So, for example, say the 3 elements we enqueued were completed in the
>> following order: elem1, elem2, elem0. The next expected sequence number
>> is 0:
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem1   --> elem1.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>      (key: 1)                                         |
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
>>                                                 ================
>>      ---------------------
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem2   --> elem2.key == exp-seq-num ? --> No, stash it
>>      (key: 2)                                         |
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 1 - elem1|
>>                                                 |--------------|
>>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
>>                                                 ================
>>      ---------------------
>>      exp-seq-num = 0:
>>
>>       elem0   --> elem0.key == exp-seq-num ? --> Yes, push to used ring
>>      (key: 0)
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 1:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>                                               remove elem from table
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |key: 2 - elem2|
>>                                                 ================
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 2:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> Yes, push to used ring,
>>                                               remove elem from table
>>                                                       |
>>                                                       v
>>                                                 ================
>>                                                 |   *empty*    |
>>                                                 ================
>>
>>      exp-seq-num = 3:
>>
>>      lookup(table, exp-seq-num) != NULL ? --> No, done
>>      ---------------------
>>
>> Jonah Palmer (8):
>>    virtio: Define InOrderVQElement
>>    virtio: Create/destroy/reset VirtQueue In-Order hash table
>>    virtio: Define order variables
>>    virtio: Implement in-order handling for virtio devices
>>    virtio-net: in-order handling
>>    vhost-svq: in-order handling
>>    vhost/vhost-user: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER to vhost feature bits
>>    virtio: Add VIRTIO_F_IN_ORDER property definition
>>
>>   hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/net/vhost_net.c                 |   2 +
>>   hw/net/virtio-net.c                |   6 +-
>>   hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c               |   1 +
>>   hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c |  15 ++++-
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c          |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c       |   1 +
>>   hw/virtio/virtio.c                 | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>   include/hw/virtio/virtio.h         |  20 +++++-
>>   net/vhost-vdpa.c                   |   1 +
>>   11 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
>>