Merge branches 'softirq-for-linus', 'x86-debug-for-linus', 'x86-numa-for-linus',...

[mv-sheeva.git] / Documentation / RCU / stallwarn.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/stallwarn.txt b/Documentation/RCU/stallwarn.txt
index 44c6dcc93d6dad8e9cee2cadb9f49fa992c5eb00..862c08ef1fde4436ddac8010ba4a1aae40328719 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/RCU/stallwarn.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RCU/stallwarn.txt
@@ -80,6 +80,24 @@ o    A CPU looping with bottom halves disabled.  This condition can
 o      For !CONFIG_PREEMPT kernels, a CPU looping anywhere in the kernel
        without invoking schedule().
 
+o      A CPU-bound real-time task in a CONFIG_PREEMPT kernel, which might
+       happen to preempt a low-priority task in the middle of an RCU
+       read-side critical section.   This is especially damaging if
+       that low-priority task is not permitted to run on any other CPU,
+       in which case the next RCU grace period can never complete, which
+       will eventually cause the system to run out of memory and hang.
+       While the system is in the process of running itself out of
+       memory, you might see stall-warning messages.
+
+o      A CPU-bound real-time task in a CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT kernel that
+       is running at a higher priority than the RCU softirq threads.
+       This will prevent RCU callbacks from ever being invoked,
+       and in a CONFIG_TREE_PREEMPT_RCU kernel will further prevent
+       RCU grace periods from ever completing.  Either way, the
+       system will eventually run out of memory and hang.  In the
+       CONFIG_TREE_PREEMPT_RCU case, you might see stall-warning
+       messages.
+
 o      A bug in the RCU implementation.
 
 o      A hardware failure.  This is quite unlikely, but has occurred