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[PATCH v3 00/10] upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data

From
Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im>
Date
Mar 10, 2026, 13:24 UTC
Message-ID
<20260310-pks-upload-pack-write-contention-v3-0-8bc97aa3e267@pks.im>
In-Reply-To
<20260227-pks-upload-pack-write-contention-v1-0-7166fe255704@pks.im>
Hi,

this small patch series fixes some heavy lock contention when writing data from git-upload-pack(1) into pipes. This lock contention can be observed when having hundreds of git-upload-pack(1) processes active at the same time that write data into pipes at dozens of gigabits per second.

I have uploaded the flame graph that clearly shows the lock contention at [1].

Changes in v3:
  - Fix handling of `iov_len` overflows in writev(3p) wrapper.
  - Add another patch that causes us to flush out data instead of
    sending a 0005 keepalive packet.
  - Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260303-pks-upload-pack-write-contention-v2-0-7321830f08fe@pks.im
Changes in v2:
  - Change the buffer size in git-pack-objects(1) to also reduce the
    number of write syscalls over there.
  - Introduce writev to half the number of syscalls when writing
    pktlines.
  - Use `sizeof(os->buffer)` instead of open-coding its size.
  - Improve keepalive logic in git-upload-pack(1) to account for
    buffering.
  - Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260227-pks-upload-pack-write-contention-v1-0-7166fe255704@pks.im
Thanks!
Patrick
[1]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/git/-/work_items/675
---
Patrick Steinhardt (10):
      upload-pack: fix debug statement when flushing packfile data
      upload-pack: adapt keepalives based on buffering
      upload-pack: prefer flushing data over sending keepalive
      upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data
      compat/posix: introduce writev(3p) wrapper
      wrapper: introduce writev(3p) wrappers
      sideband: use writev(3p) to send pktlines
      csum-file: introduce `hashfd_ext()`
      csum-file: drop `hashfd_throughput()`
      builtin/pack-objects: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data
 Makefile               |  4 +++
 builtin/pack-objects.c | 23 +++++++++++---
 compat/posix.h         | 14 +++++++++
 compat/writev.c        | 44 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 config.mak.uname       |  2 ++
 csum-file.c            | 28 +++++------------
 csum-file.h            | 16 ++++++++--
 meson.build            |  1 +
 sideband.c             | 14 +++++++--
 upload-pack.c          | 81 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
 wrapper.c              | 41 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
 wrapper.h              |  9 ++++++
 write-or-die.c         |  8 +++++
 write-or-die.h         |  1 +
 14 files changed, 239 insertions(+), 47 deletions(-)
Range-diff versus v2:
 1:  ef3244ffcc =  1:  540b577540 upload-pack: fix debug statement when flushing packfile data
 2:  3297edd609 =  2:  253d119b10 upload-pack: adapt keepalives based on buffering
 -:  ---------- >  3:  960c650063 upload-pack: prefer flushing data over sending keepalive
 3:  84671fb222 =  4:  0e147c41cf upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data
 4:  bd1f070cb4 <  -:  ---------- git-compat-util: introduce `cast_size_t_to_ssize_t()`
 5:  d5acbd1584 !  5:  b6fbd89b8e compat/posix: introduce writev(3p) wrapper
    @@ compat/writev.c (new)
     +ssize_t git_writev(int fd, const struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt)
     +{
     +	size_t total_written = 0;
    ++	size_t sum = 0;
    ++
    ++	/*
    ++	 * According to writev(3p), the syscall shall error with EINVAL in case
    ++	 * the sum of `iov_len` overflows `ssize_t`.
    ++	 */
    ++	 for (int i = 0; i < iovcnt; i++) {
    ++		if (iov[i].iov_len > maximum_signed_value_of_type(ssize_t) ||
    ++		    iov[i].iov_len + sum > maximum_signed_value_of_type(ssize_t)) {
    ++			errno = EINVAL;
    ++			return -1;
    ++		}
    ++
    ++		sum += iov[i].iov_len;
    ++	}
     +
     +	for (int i = 0; i < iovcnt; i++) {
     +		const char *bytes = iov[i].iov_base;
    @@ compat/writev.c (new)
     +	}
     +
     +out:
    -+	return cast_size_t_to_ssize_t(total_written);
    ++	return (ssize_t) total_written;
     +}
     
      ## config.mak.uname ##
 6:  e3525cd25e =  6:  0a90ab2f62 wrapper: introduce writev(3p) wrappers
 7:  fe07f2d331 =  7:  5e29cfbf10 sideband: use writev(3p) to send pktlines
 8:  4563ad923f =  8:  32b59d5f29 csum-file: introduce `hashfd_ext()`
 9:  549b3dbefc =  9:  a5b0eb3627 csum-file: drop `hashfd_throughput()`
10:  155f79b128 = 10:  a82959772e builtin/pack-objects: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data

--- base-commit: fb1b83bcddff60463f6e86bb021784c88d0b748c change-id: 20260227-pks-upload-pack-write-contention-435ce01f5fe9

Previous: Patrick SteinhardtNext: Patrick Steinhardt
Message 37 of 53 in “upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile data”
  1. 0/2 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Feb 27, 2026
  2. 1/2 upload-pack: fix debug statement when flushing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Feb 27, 2026
  3. 2/2 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Feb 27, 2026
  4. brian m. carlsonFeb 27, 2026
  5. Patrick SteinhardtFeb 27, 2026
  6. Junio C HamanoFeb 27, 2026
  7. Jeff KingFeb 27, 2026
  8. Patrick SteinhardtMar 2, 2026
  9. Jeff KingMar 2, 2026
  10. Patrick SteinhardtMar 3, 2026
  11. Jeff KingMar 3, 2026
  12. Patrick SteinhardtMar 3, 2026
  13. 00/10 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  14. 01/10 upload-pack: fix debug statement when flushing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  15. 02/10 upload-pack: adapt keepalives based on bufferingPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  16. Jeff KingMar 5, 2026
  17. Patrick SteinhardtMar 10, 2026
  18. 03/10 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  19. Jeff KingMar 5, 2026
  20. Patrick SteinhardtMar 10, 2026
  21. 04/10 git-compat-util: introduce `cast_size_t_to_ssize_t()`Patrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  22. 05/10 compat/posix: introduce writev(3p) wrapperPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  23. Junio C HamanoMar 4, 2026
  24. Jeff KingMar 5, 2026
  25. brian m. carlsonMar 5, 2026
  26. Johannes SixtMar 5, 2026
  27. brian m. carlsonMar 5, 2026
  28. Patrick SteinhardtMar 10, 2026
  29. 06/10 wrapper: introduce writev(3p) wrappersPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  30. 07/10 sideband: use writev(3p) to send pktlinesPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  31. Junio C HamanoMar 4, 2026
  32. 08/10 csum-file: introduce `hashfd_ext()`Patrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  33. Junio C HamanoMar 4, 2026
  34. Patrick SteinhardtMar 10, 2026
  35. 09/10 csum-file: drop `hashfd_throughput()`Patrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  36. 10/10 builtin/pack-objects: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 3, 2026
  37. 00/10 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  38. 01/10 upload-pack: fix debug statement when flushing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  39. 02/10 upload-pack: adapt keepalives based on bufferingPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  40. 03/10 upload-pack: prefer flushing data over sending keepalivePatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  41. Junio C HamanoMar 10, 2026
  42. Patrick SteinhardtMar 10, 2026
  43. 04/10 upload-pack: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  44. 05/10 compat/posix: introduce writev(3p) wrapperPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  45. Junio C HamanoMar 10, 2026
  46. 06/10 wrapper: introduce writev(3p) wrappersPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  47. 07/10 sideband: use writev(3p) to send pktlinesPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  48. 08/10 csum-file: introduce `hashfd_ext()`Patrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  49. 09/10 csum-file: drop `hashfd_throughput()`Patrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  50. 10/10 builtin/pack-objects: reduce lock contention when writing packfile dataPatrick Steinhardt, Mar 10, 2026
  51. Junio C HamanoMar 10, 2026
  52. Johannes SixtMar 10, 2026
  53. Patrick SteinhardtMar 11, 2026

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