Re: [PATCH 1/2] jbd2: check need_resched() when skipping busy checkpoint buffers

On Jul 13, 2026, at 04:22, Max Kellermann <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> journal_shrink_one_cp_list() skips busy checkpoint buffers when called
> with JBD2_SHRINK_BUSY_SKIP.  The continue statement on this path also
> skips the need_resched() check at the end of the loop body.
> 
> Consequently, when a checkpoint list contains mostly busy buffers, the
> shrinker can walk the entire list while holding journal->j_list_lock,
> even when a reschedule has been requested.  Large checkpoint lists under
> memory pressure can therefore cause long lock hold times and leave other
> CPUs spinning on j_list_lock, resulting in soft lockups or RCU stalls.
> 
> Route the busy-buffer path through the need_resched() check so that the
> shrinker can release j_list_lock and reschedule promptly, restoring
> parity with the clean-buffer path, which already checks need_resched().
> This does not change which checkpoint buffers are eligible for removal.

One question I had about this patch is whether the list cleanup could get
into a livelock if it becomes too large?  If the iterator is processing
a large number of jh that cannot be freed, then `need_resched()` is hit,
if it restarts from the beginning of the list each time without processing
at least one jh it will not make forward progress.

Cheers, Andreas

> Fixes: b98dba273a0e ("jbd2: remove journal_clean_one_cp_list()")
> Cc: [email protected]
> Signed-off-by: Max Kellermann <[email protected]>
> ---
> fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c | 3 ++-
> 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
> index 1508e2f54462..5266017565ac 100644
> --- a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
> +++ b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
> @@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ static unsigned long journal_shrink_one_cp_list(struct journal_head *jh,
>  			ret = jbd2_journal_try_remove_checkpoint(jh);
>  			if (ret < 0) {
>  				if (type == JBD2_SHRINK_BUSY_SKIP)
> -					continue;
> +					goto next;
>  				break;
>  			}
>  		}
> @@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ static unsigned long journal_shrink_one_cp_list(struct journal_head *jh,
>  			break;
>  		}
>  
> +next:
>  		if (need_resched())
>  			break;
>  	} while (jh != last_jh);
> -- 
> 2.47.3
> 
> 


Cheers, Andreas