summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/Documentation/sched-coding.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/sched-coding.txt')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/sched-coding.txt126
1 files changed, 126 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/sched-coding.txt b/Documentation/sched-coding.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2b75ef67c9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/sched-coding.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+ Reference for various scheduler-related methods in the O(1) scheduler
+ Robert Love <rml@tech9.net>, MontaVista Software
+
+
+Note most of these methods are local to kernel/sched.c - this is by design.
+The scheduler is meant to be self-contained and abstracted away. This document
+is primarily for understanding the scheduler, not interfacing to it. Some of
+the discussed interfaces, however, are general process/scheduling methods.
+They are typically defined in include/linux/sched.h.
+
+
+Main Scheduling Methods
+-----------------------
+
+void load_balance(runqueue_t *this_rq, int idle)
+ Attempts to pull tasks from one cpu to another to balance cpu usage,
+ if needed. This method is called explicitly if the runqueues are
+ inbalanced or periodically by the timer tick. Prior to calling,
+ the current runqueue must be locked and interrupts disabled.
+
+void schedule()
+ The main scheduling function. Upon return, the highest priority
+ process will be active.
+
+
+Locking
+-------
+
+Each runqueue has its own lock, rq->lock. When multiple runqueues need
+to be locked, lock acquires must be ordered by ascending &runqueue value.
+
+A specific runqueue is locked via
+
+ task_rq_lock(task_t pid, unsigned long *flags)
+
+which disables preemption, disables interrupts, and locks the runqueue pid is
+running on. Likewise,
+
+ task_rq_unlock(task_t pid, unsigned long *flags)
+
+unlocks the runqueue pid is running on, restores interrupts to their previous
+state, and reenables preemption.
+
+The routines
+
+ double_rq_lock(runqueue_t *rq1, runqueue_t *rq2)
+
+and
+
+ double_rq_unlock(runqueue_t *rq1, runqueue_t *rq2)
+
+safely lock and unlock, respectively, the two specified runqueues. They do
+not, however, disable and restore interrupts. Users are required to do so
+manually before and after calls.
+
+
+Values
+------
+
+MAX_PRIO
+ The maximum priority of the system, stored in the task as task->prio.
+ Lower priorities are higher. Normal (non-RT) priorities range from
+ MAX_RT_PRIO to (MAX_PRIO - 1).
+MAX_RT_PRIO
+ The maximum real-time priority of the system. Valid RT priorities
+ range from 0 to (MAX_RT_PRIO - 1).
+MAX_USER_RT_PRIO
+ The maximum real-time priority that is exported to user-space. Should
+ always be equal to or less than MAX_RT_PRIO. Setting it less allows
+ kernel threads to have higher priorities than any user-space task.
+MIN_TIMESLICE
+MAX_TIMESLICE
+ Respectively, the minimum and maximum timeslices (quanta) of a process.
+
+Data
+----
+
+struct runqueue
+ The main per-CPU runqueue data structure.
+struct task_struct
+ The main per-process data structure.
+
+
+General Methods
+---------------
+
+cpu_rq(cpu)
+ Returns the runqueue of the specified cpu.
+this_rq()
+ Returns the runqueue of the current cpu.
+task_rq(pid)
+ Returns the runqueue which holds the specified pid.
+cpu_curr(cpu)
+ Returns the task currently running on the given cpu.
+rt_task(pid)
+ Returns true if pid is real-time, false if not.
+
+
+Process Control Methods
+-----------------------
+
+void set_user_nice(task_t *p, long nice)
+ Sets the "nice" value of task p to the given value.
+int setscheduler(pid_t pid, int policy, struct sched_param *param)
+ Sets the scheduling policy and parameters for the given pid.
+int set_cpus_allowed(task_t *p, unsigned long new_mask)
+ Sets a given task's CPU affinity and migrates it to a proper cpu.
+ Callers must have a valid reference to the task and assure the
+ task not exit prematurely. No locks can be held during the call.
+set_task_state(tsk, state_value)
+ Sets the given task's state to the given value.
+set_current_state(state_value)
+ Sets the current task's state to the given value.
+void set_tsk_need_resched(struct task_struct *tsk)
+ Sets need_resched in the given task.
+void clear_tsk_need_resched(struct task_struct *tsk)
+ Clears need_resched in the given task.
+void set_need_resched()
+ Sets need_resched in the current task.
+void clear_need_resched()
+ Clears need_resched in the current task.
+int need_resched()
+ Returns true if need_resched is set in the current task, false
+ otherwise.
+yield()
+ Place the current process at the end of the runqueue and call schedule.