Task Lifecycle
--------------
-The following pseudo-code summarizes the entire lifecycle of a task managed
-by a sched_ext scheduler:
+The following pseudo-code presents a rough overview of the entire lifecycle
+of a task managed by a sched_ext scheduler:
.. code-block:: c
ops.runnable(); /* Task becomes ready to run */
while (task_is_runnable(task)) {
- if (task is not in a DSQ && task->scx.slice == 0) {
+ if (task is not in a DSQ || task->scx.slice == 0) {
ops.enqueue(); /* Task can be added to a DSQ */
/* Task property change (i.e., affinity, nice, etc.)? */
if (sched_change(task)) {
ops.dequeue(); /* Exiting BPF scheduler custody */
+ ops.quiescent();
+
+ /* Property change callback, e.g. ops.set_weight() */
+
+ ops.runnable();
continue;
}
- }
- /* Any usable CPU becomes available */
+ /* Any usable CPU becomes available */
- ops.dispatch(); /* Task is moved to a local DSQ */
- ops.dequeue(); /* Exiting BPF scheduler custody */
+ ops.dispatch(); /* Task is moved to a local DSQ */
+ ops.dequeue(); /* Exiting BPF scheduler custody */
+ }
ops.running(); /* Task starts running on its assigned CPU */
ops.disable(); /* Disable BPF scheduling for the task */
ops.exit_task(); /* Task is destroyed */
+Note that the above pseudo-code does not cover all possible state transitions
+and edge cases, to name a few examples:
+
+* ``ops.dispatch()`` may fail to move the task to a local DSQ due to a racing
+ property change on that task, in which case ``ops.dispatch()`` will be
+ retried.
+
+* The task may be direct-dispatched to a local DSQ from ``ops.enqueue()``,
+ in which case ``ops.dispatch()`` and ``ops.dequeue()`` are skipped and we go
+ straight to ``ops.running()``.
+
+* Property changes may occur at virtually any point during the task's lifecycle,
+ not just when the task is queued and waiting to be dispatched. For example,
+ changing a property of a running task will lead to the callback sequence
+ ``ops.stopping()`` -> ``ops.quiescent()`` -> (property change callback) ->
+ ``ops.runnable()`` -> ``ops.running()``.
+
+* A sched_ext task can be preempted by a task from a higher-priority scheduling
+ class, in which case it will exit the tick-dispatch loop even though it is runnable
+ and has a non-zero slice.
+
+See the "Scheduling Cycle" section for a more detailed description of how
+a freshly woken up task gets on a CPU.
+
Where to Look
=============