net/packet/af_packet.c | 22 +++++++++++++--------- net/packet/internal.h | 4 ++-- 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
In a system with high real-time requirements, the timeout mechanism of
ordinary timers with jiffies granularity is insufficient to meet the
demands for real-time performance. Meanwhile, the optimization of CPU
usage with af_packet is quite significant. Use hrtimer instead of timer
to help compensate for the shortcomings in real-time performance.
In HZ=100 or HZ=250 system, the update of TP_STATUS_USER is not real-time
enough, with fluctuations reaching over 8ms (on a system with HZ=250).
This is unacceptable in some high real-time systems that require timely
processing of network packets. By replacing it with hrtimer, if a timeout
of 2ms is set, the update of TP_STATUS_USER can be stabilized to within
3 ms.
Signed-off-by: Xin Zhao <jackzxcui1989@163.com>
---
net/packet/af_packet.c | 22 +++++++++++++---------
net/packet/internal.h | 4 ++--
2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
index bc438d0d9..3b3327544 100644
--- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static void prb_retire_current_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
static int prb_queue_frozen(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *);
static void prb_open_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
struct tpacket_block_desc *);
-static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *);
+static enum hrtimer_restart prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct hrtimer *);
static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *);
static void prb_fill_rxhash(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *, struct tpacket3_hdr *);
static void prb_clear_rxhash(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ static __be16 vlan_get_protocol_dgram(const struct sk_buff *skb)
static void prb_del_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
{
- timer_delete_sync(&pkc->retire_blk_timer);
+ hrtimer_cancel(&pkc->retire_blk_timer);
}
static void prb_shutdown_retire_blk_timer(struct packet_sock *po,
@@ -603,9 +603,10 @@ static void prb_setup_retire_blk_timer(struct packet_sock *po)
struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc;
pkc = GET_PBDQC_FROM_RB(&po->rx_ring);
- timer_setup(&pkc->retire_blk_timer, prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired,
- 0);
- pkc->retire_blk_timer.expires = jiffies;
+ hrtimer_setup(&pkc->retire_blk_timer, prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired,
+ CLOCK_MONOTONIC, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);
+ if (pkc->tov_in_msecs == 0)
+ pkc->tov_in_msecs = jiffies_to_msecs(1);
}
static int prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo(struct packet_sock *po,
@@ -676,7 +677,7 @@ static void init_prb_bdqc(struct packet_sock *po,
else
p1->retire_blk_tov = prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo(po,
req_u->req3.tp_block_size);
- p1->tov_in_jiffies = msecs_to_jiffies(p1->retire_blk_tov);
+ p1->tov_in_msecs = p1->retire_blk_tov;
p1->blk_sizeof_priv = req_u->req3.tp_sizeof_priv;
rwlock_init(&p1->blk_fill_in_prog_lock);
@@ -691,8 +692,8 @@ static void init_prb_bdqc(struct packet_sock *po,
*/
static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
{
- mod_timer(&pkc->retire_blk_timer,
- jiffies + pkc->tov_in_jiffies);
+ hrtimer_start_range_ns(&pkc->retire_blk_timer,
+ ms_to_ktime(pkc->tov_in_msecs), 0, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);
pkc->last_kactive_blk_num = pkc->kactive_blk_num;
}
@@ -719,8 +720,9 @@ static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
* prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo() calculates the tmo.
*
*/
-static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *t)
+static enum hrtimer_restart prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct hrtimer *t)
{
+ enum hrtimer_restart ret = HRTIMER_RESTART;
struct packet_sock *po =
timer_container_of(po, t, rx_ring.prb_bdqc.retire_blk_timer);
struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc = GET_PBDQC_FROM_RB(&po->rx_ring);
@@ -787,9 +789,11 @@ static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *t)
refresh_timer:
_prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(pkc);
+ ret = HRTIMER_RESTART;
out:
spin_unlock(&po->sk.sk_receive_queue.lock);
+ return ret;
}
static void prb_flush_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc1,
diff --git a/net/packet/internal.h b/net/packet/internal.h
index 1e743d031..41df245e3 100644
--- a/net/packet/internal.h
+++ b/net/packet/internal.h
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ struct tpacket_kbdq_core {
unsigned short retire_blk_tov;
unsigned short version;
- unsigned long tov_in_jiffies;
+ unsigned long tov_in_msecs;
/* timer to retire an outstanding block */
- struct timer_list retire_blk_timer;
+ struct hrtimer retire_blk_timer;
};
struct pgv {
--
2.34.1
Xin Zhao wrote:
> In a system with high real-time requirements, the timeout mechanism of
> ordinary timers with jiffies granularity is insufficient to meet the
> demands for real-time performance. Meanwhile, the optimization of CPU
> usage with af_packet is quite significant. Use hrtimer instead of timer
> to help compensate for the shortcomings in real-time performance.
> In HZ=100 or HZ=250 system, the update of TP_STATUS_USER is not real-time
> enough, with fluctuations reaching over 8ms (on a system with HZ=250).
> This is unacceptable in some high real-time systems that require timely
> processing of network packets. By replacing it with hrtimer, if a timeout
> of 2ms is set, the update of TP_STATUS_USER can be stabilized to within
> 3 ms.
>
> Signed-off-by: Xin Zhao <jackzxcui1989@163.com>
> ---
> net/packet/af_packet.c | 22 +++++++++++++---------
> net/packet/internal.h | 4 ++--
> 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
> index bc438d0d9..3b3327544 100644
> --- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
> +++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
> @@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static void prb_retire_current_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
> static int prb_queue_frozen(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *);
> static void prb_open_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
> struct tpacket_block_desc *);
> -static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *);
> +static enum hrtimer_restart prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct hrtimer *);
> static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *);
> static void prb_fill_rxhash(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *, struct tpacket3_hdr *);
> static void prb_clear_rxhash(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *,
> @@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ static __be16 vlan_get_protocol_dgram(const struct sk_buff *skb)
>
> static void prb_del_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
> {
> - timer_delete_sync(&pkc->retire_blk_timer);
> + hrtimer_cancel(&pkc->retire_blk_timer);
> }
>
> static void prb_shutdown_retire_blk_timer(struct packet_sock *po,
> @@ -603,9 +603,10 @@ static void prb_setup_retire_blk_timer(struct packet_sock *po)
> struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc;
>
> pkc = GET_PBDQC_FROM_RB(&po->rx_ring);
> - timer_setup(&pkc->retire_blk_timer, prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired,
> - 0);
> - pkc->retire_blk_timer.expires = jiffies;
> + hrtimer_setup(&pkc->retire_blk_timer, prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired,
> + CLOCK_MONOTONIC, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);
> + if (pkc->tov_in_msecs == 0)
> + pkc->tov_in_msecs = jiffies_to_msecs(1);
why is this bounds check needed now, while it was not needed when
converting to jiffies?
init_prb_bdqc will compute a retire_blk_tov if it is passed as zero,
by calling prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo.
> }
>
> static int prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo(struct packet_sock *po,
> @@ -676,7 +677,7 @@ static void init_prb_bdqc(struct packet_sock *po,
> else
> p1->retire_blk_tov = prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo(po,
> req_u->req3.tp_block_size);
> - p1->tov_in_jiffies = msecs_to_jiffies(p1->retire_blk_tov);
> + p1->tov_in_msecs = p1->retire_blk_tov;
> p1->blk_sizeof_priv = req_u->req3.tp_sizeof_priv;
> rwlock_init(&p1->blk_fill_in_prog_lock);
>
> @@ -691,8 +692,8 @@ static void init_prb_bdqc(struct packet_sock *po,
> */
> static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
> {
> - mod_timer(&pkc->retire_blk_timer,
> - jiffies + pkc->tov_in_jiffies);
> + hrtimer_start_range_ns(&pkc->retire_blk_timer,
> + ms_to_ktime(pkc->tov_in_msecs), 0, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);
Just hrtimer_start if leaving the slack (delta_ns) as 0.
More importantly, this scheduled the timer, while the caller also
returns HRTIMER_RESTART. Should this just call hrtimer_set_expires or
hrtimer_forward.
> pkc->last_kactive_blk_num = pkc->kactive_blk_num;
> }
>
> @@ -719,8 +720,9 @@ static void _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc)
> * prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo() calculates the tmo.
> *
> */
> -static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *t)
> +static enum hrtimer_restart prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct hrtimer *t)
> {
> + enum hrtimer_restart ret = HRTIMER_RESTART;
> struct packet_sock *po =
> timer_container_of(po, t, rx_ring.prb_bdqc.retire_blk_timer);
> struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc = GET_PBDQC_FROM_RB(&po->rx_ring);
> @@ -787,9 +789,11 @@ static void prb_retire_rx_blk_timer_expired(struct timer_list *t)
>
> refresh_timer:
> _prb_refresh_rx_retire_blk_timer(pkc);
> + ret = HRTIMER_RESTART;
reinitializing a variable that was already set to the same value?
>
> out:
> spin_unlock(&po->sk.sk_receive_queue.lock);
> + return ret;
just return HRTIMER_RESTART directly.
> }
>
> static void prb_flush_block(struct tpacket_kbdq_core *pkc1,
> diff --git a/net/packet/internal.h b/net/packet/internal.h
> index 1e743d031..41df245e3 100644
> --- a/net/packet/internal.h
> +++ b/net/packet/internal.h
> @@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ struct tpacket_kbdq_core {
>
> unsigned short retire_blk_tov;
> unsigned short version;
> - unsigned long tov_in_jiffies;
> + unsigned long tov_in_msecs;
>
> /* timer to retire an outstanding block */
> - struct timer_list retire_blk_timer;
> + struct hrtimer retire_blk_timer;
> };
>
> struct pgv {
> --
> 2.34.1
>
Xin Zhao wrote: > In a system with high real-time requirements, the timeout mechanism of > ordinary timers with jiffies granularity is insufficient to meet the > demands for real-time performance. Meanwhile, the optimization of CPU > usage with af_packet is quite significant. Use hrtimer instead of timer > to help compensate for the shortcomings in real-time performance. > In HZ=100 or HZ=250 system, the update of TP_STATUS_USER is not real-time > enough, with fluctuations reaching over 8ms (on a system with HZ=250). > This is unacceptable in some high real-time systems that require timely > processing of network packets. By replacing it with hrtimer, if a timeout > of 2ms is set, the update of TP_STATUS_USER can be stabilized to within > 3 ms. > > Signed-off-by: Xin Zhao <jackzxcui1989@163.com> This is a resubmit of the patch you yesterday [1]? While the discussion on the original patch was ongoing too. Net-next is also closed. See also see also Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst for the process. I'll take a closer look later. Agreed in principle that it's preferable to replace timer with hrtimer than to add a CONFIG to select between them. [1] https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20250808032623.11485-1-jackzxcui1989@163.com/
© 2016 - 2026 Red Hat, Inc.