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Date:	Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:18:26 -0700
From:	Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
To:	"Kim, Milo" <Milo.Kim@...com>
Cc:	"wim@...ana.be" <wim@...ana.be>,
	"linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org" <linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] watchdog: introduce new watchdog AUTOSTART option

On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 06:51:47AM +0000, Kim, Milo wrote:
> Conventionally, watchdog timer driver is activated by an user space request.
> This patch enables an automatic start/ping operation of a watchdog without an
> application.
> 
> (a) Work flow
> If a watchdog timer driver is configured with WDIOF_AUTOSTART option,
> then it starts and ping automatically on watchdog device registration.
> A delayed workqueue invokes a ping operation of the watchdog periodically.
> In the mean time, if an application tries to open the watchdog device,
> it returns as -EBUSY because the watchdog is already running.
> When the watchdog is unregistered, timed workqueue is canceled.
> 
> (b) Structure changes
> ping_period      : Period time for watchdog ping. Unit is millisecond.
> work             : Workqueue for automatic ping operation.
> WDOG_AUTOSTARTED : Added status bit. Set when ping is done.
>                    Cleared when period time is expired.
> WDIOF_AUTOSTART  : New option flag.
> 
> (c) Documentation
> It describes how it works and how to use this feature in a watchdog driver.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Milo(Woogyom) Kim <milo.kim@...com>

I really don't like that idea. It defeats a significant part of the purpose
for having a watchdog, which is to prevent user-space hangups.

To make this a driver option is even more odd - it forces every user of this
driver to use it in-kernel only, and makes /dev/watchdog quite useless.

I mean, really, if you have such a watchdog, what is the point of using the
watchdog infrastructure in the first place ? Just make it a kernel thread or
timer-activated platform code which pings your watchdog once in a while. No
need to get the watchdog infrastructure involved in the first place.

Am I missing something ?

Thanks,
Guenter

> ---
>  Documentation/watchdog/watchdog-without-app.txt |   59 ++++++++++++++++
>  drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c                 |   86 ++++++++++++++++++++++-
>  include/linux/watchdog.h                        |    6 ++
>  include/uapi/linux/watchdog.h                   |    1 +
>  4 files changed, 151 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>  create mode 100644 Documentation/watchdog/watchdog-without-app.txt
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/watchdog/watchdog-without-app.txt b/Documentation/watchdog/watchdog-without-app.txt
> new file mode 100644
> index 0000000..596a30a
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/Documentation/watchdog/watchdog-without-app.txt
> @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
> +The Linux WatchDog Timer Driver without an Application
> +======================================================
> +
> +Milo Kim <milo.kim@...com>
> +
> +Introduction
> +------------
> +Linux WatchDog Timer (WDT) driver is activated by an user space request.
> +If a WDT needs to be enabled alone, without an application, you can configure
> +the WDT driver with 'AUTOSTART' option.
> +
> +How it works
> +------------
> +* Conventional watchdog system
> +
> +  (WDT driver)        ------------                       (WDT Application)
> +   register    -->      WDT Core
> +                      ------------
> +   .start      <--      WDT Dev   /dev/watchdogN  <--       open
> +   .ping              ------------                 .        ioctl - keepalive
> +   .stop                                           .        close
> +                                                   .
> +                                                   activated by an application
> +
> +* Watchdog autostart feature
> +
> +  (WDT driver)        ------------
> +   register    -->      WDT Core
> +                      ------------
> +   .start      <--      WDT Dev   /dev/watchdogN
> +   .ping        .     ------------
> +                .
> +                .
> +                start and ping periodically without an application
> +
> +How to use
> +----------
> +1) Add 'WDIOF_AUTOSTART' option in your watchdog_info.
> +
> +static const struct watchdog_info foo_wdt_info = {
> +	.options = WDIOF_SETTIMEOUT | WDIOF_KEEPALIVEPING | WDIOF_AUTOSTART,
> +	.identity = "Auto Watchdog Sample",
> +};
> +
> +2) Define the value of 'ping_period' in your watchdog_device structure.
> +   Unit is millisecond.
> +
> +static int foo_wdt_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
> +{
> +	struct watchdog_device *foo_wdt;
> +
> +	foo_wdt->info = &foo_wdt_info;
> +	foo_wdt->ops = &foo_wdt_ops;
> +	foo_wdt->ping_period = 1000;	/* kick a watchdog per 1 sec */
> +
> +	return watchdog_register_device(foo_wdt);
> +}
> +
> +Then the foo watchdog is started and ping periodically without an application.
> diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
> index 08b48bb..42bfc9a 100644
> --- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
> +++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
> @@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
>  
>  #include "watchdog_core.h"
>  
> +#define MAX_PING_PERIOD		(60 * 60 * 1000)	/* 1 hour */
> +
>  /* the dev_t structure to store the dynamically allocated watchdog devices */
>  static dev_t watchdog_devt;
>  /* the watchdog device behind /dev/watchdog */
> @@ -115,6 +117,70 @@ out_start:
>  	return err;
>  }
>  
> +static void watchdog_set_autostart(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
> +{
> +	schedule_delayed_work(&wdd->work, msecs_to_jiffies(wdd->ping_period));
> +	set_bit(WDOG_AUTOSTARTED, &wdd->status);
> +}
> +
> +static void watchdog_clear_autostart(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
> +{
> +	clear_bit(WDOG_AUTOSTARTED, &wdd->status);
> +}
> +
> +static bool watchdog_autostarted(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
> +{
> +	return test_bit(WDOG_AUTOSTARTED, &wdd->status);
> +}
> +
> +static void watchdog_autoping_work(struct work_struct *w)
> +{
> +	struct watchdog_device *wdd = container_of(w, struct watchdog_device,
> +						work.work);
> +	int err;
> +
> +	if (!watchdog_autostarted(wdd))
> +		return;
> +
> +	watchdog_clear_autostart(wdd);
> +
> +	err = watchdog_ping(wdd);
> +	if (err)
> +		return;
> +
> +	watchdog_set_autostart(wdd);
> +}
> +
> +/*
> + *	watchdog_auto_start: start the watchdong and ping it
> + *	@wdd: the watchdog device to start
> + *
> + *	If watchdog_info has WDIOF_AUTOSTART option, then the watchdog
> + *	starts automatically. Ping operation is done by internal timer.
> + *	The watchdog driver is activated without a watchdog user application.
> + *	This function should be used by the watchdog driver, not an user-space
> + *	interface.
> + */
> +
> +static int watchdog_auto_start(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
> +{
> +	int err;
> +
> +	if (wdd->ping_period < 1 || wdd->ping_period >= MAX_PING_PERIOD) {
> +		pr_err("invalid ping time value:%u\n", wdd->ping_period);
> +		return -EINVAL;
> +	}
> +
> +	err = watchdog_start(wdd);
> +	if (err)
> +		return err;
> +
> +	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&wdd->work, watchdog_autoping_work);
> +	watchdog_set_autostart(wdd);
> +
> +	return 0;
> +}
> +
>  /*
>   *	watchdog_stop: wrapper to stop the watchdog.
>   *	@wddev: the watchdog device to stop
> @@ -420,7 +486,8 @@ static int watchdog_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
>  		wdd = container_of(inode->i_cdev, struct watchdog_device, cdev);
>  
>  	/* the watchdog is single open! */
> -	if (test_and_set_bit(WDOG_DEV_OPEN, &wdd->status))
> +	if (test_and_set_bit(WDOG_DEV_OPEN, &wdd->status) ||
> +	    watchdog_autostarted(wdd))
>  		return -EBUSY;
>  
>  	/*
> @@ -550,7 +617,21 @@ int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *watchdog)
>  			misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
>  			old_wdd = NULL;
>  		}
> +		return err;
> +	}
> +
> +	/* Activate the watchdog automatically by the driver itself */
> +	if (watchdog->info->options & WDIOF_AUTOSTART) {
> +		err = watchdog_auto_start(watchdog);
> +		if (err) {
> +			cdev_del(&watchdog->cdev);
> +			if (watchdog->id == 0) {
> +				misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
> +				old_wdd = NULL;
> +			}
> +		}
>  	}
> +
>  	return err;
>  }
>  
> @@ -563,6 +644,9 @@ int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *watchdog)
>  
>  int watchdog_dev_unregister(struct watchdog_device *watchdog)
>  {
> +	if (watchdog_autostarted(watchdog))
> +		cancel_delayed_work_sync(&watchdog->work);
> +
>  	mutex_lock(&watchdog->lock);
>  	set_bit(WDOG_UNREGISTERED, &watchdog->status);
>  	mutex_unlock(&watchdog->lock);
> diff --git a/include/linux/watchdog.h b/include/linux/watchdog.h
> index 2a3038e..4b7478a 100644
> --- a/include/linux/watchdog.h
> +++ b/include/linux/watchdog.h
> @@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ struct watchdog_ops {
>   * @timeout:	The watchdog devices timeout value.
>   * @min_timeout:The watchdog devices minimum timeout value.
>   * @max_timeout:The watchdog devices maximum timeout value.
> + * @ping_period:Period time for watchdog ping. Unit is millisecond.
> + *		Only valid with WDIOF_AUTOSTART.
> + * @work:       Workqueue for handling auto ping
>   * @driver-data:Pointer to the drivers private data.
>   * @lock:	Lock for watchdog core internal use only.
>   * @status:	Field that contains the devices internal status bits.
> @@ -86,6 +89,8 @@ struct watchdog_device {
>  	unsigned int timeout;
>  	unsigned int min_timeout;
>  	unsigned int max_timeout;
> +	unsigned int ping_period;
> +	struct delayed_work work;
>  	void *driver_data;
>  	struct mutex lock;
>  	unsigned long status;
> @@ -95,6 +100,7 @@ struct watchdog_device {
>  #define WDOG_ALLOW_RELEASE	2	/* Did we receive the magic char ? */
>  #define WDOG_NO_WAY_OUT		3	/* Is 'nowayout' feature set ? */
>  #define WDOG_UNREGISTERED	4	/* Has the device been unregistered */
> +#define WDOG_AUTOSTARTED	5	/* Started and kicked automatically */
>  };
>  
>  #ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT
> diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/watchdog.h b/include/uapi/linux/watchdog.h
> index 2babe72..9095ec8 100644
> --- a/include/uapi/linux/watchdog.h
> +++ b/include/uapi/linux/watchdog.h
> @@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct watchdog_info {
>  #define	WDIOF_PRETIMEOUT	0x0200  /* Pretimeout (in seconds), get/set */
>  #define	WDIOF_ALARMONLY		0x0400	/* Watchdog triggers a management or
>  					   other external alarm not a reboot */
> +#define	WDIOF_AUTOSTART		0x1000	/* Start and ping automatically */
>  #define	WDIOF_KEEPALIVEPING	0x8000	/* Keep alive ping reply */
>  
>  #define	WDIOS_DISABLECARD	0x0001	/* Turn off the watchdog timer */
> -- 
> 1.7.9.5
> 
> 
> Best Regards,
> Milo
> 
> 
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