Date:	Wed, 4 May 2011 21:19:12 +0200
From:	Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>
To:	Surbhi Palande <surbhi.palande@...onical.com>
Cc:	Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>,
	Toshiyuki Okajima <toshi.okajima@...fujitsu.com>,
	Ted Ts'o <tytso@....edu>,
	Masayoshi MIZUMA <m.mizuma@...fujitsu.com>,
	Andreas Dilger <adilger.kernel@...ger.ca>,
	linux-ext4@...r.kernel.org, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
	sandeen@...hat.com
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH] Re: [BUG] ext4: cannot unfreeze a filesystem due
 to a deadlock

On Wed 04-05-11 15:09:37, Surbhi Palande wrote:
> On 05/03/2011 06:19 PM, Jan Kara wrote:
> >On Tue 03-05-11 14:01:50, Surbhi Palande wrote:
> >>On 04/18/2011 12:05 PM, Toshiyuki Okajima wrote:
> >>>(2011/04/16 2:13), Jan Kara wrote:
> >>>>Hello,
> >>>>
> >>>>On Fri 15-04-11 22:39:07, Toshiyuki Okajima wrote:
> >>>>>>For ext3 or ext4 without delayed allocation we block inside writepage()
> >>>>>>function. But as I wrote to Dave Chinner, ->page_mkwrite() should
> >>>>>>probably
> >>>>>>get modified to block while minor-faulting the page on frozen fs
> >>>>>>because
> >>>>>>when blocks are already allocated we may skip starting a transaction
> >>>>>>and so
> >>>>>>we could possibly modify the filesystem.
> >>>>>OK. I think ->page_mkwrite() should also block writing the
> >>>>>minor-faulting pages.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>(minor-pagefault)
> >>>>>->  do_wp_page()
> >>>>>->  page_mkwrite(= ext4_mkwrite())
> >>>>>=>  BLOCK!
> >>>>>
> >>>>>(major-pagefault)
> >>>>>->  do_liner_fault()
> >>>>>->  page_mkwrite(= ext4_mkwrite())
> >>>>>=>  BLOCK!
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>Mizuma-san's reproducer also writes the data which maps to the
> >>>>>>>>>file (mmap).
> >>>>>>>>>The original problem happens after the fsfreeze operation is done.
> >>>>>>>>>I understand the normal write operation (not mmap) can be blocked
> >>>>>>>>>while
> >>>>>>>>>fsfreezing. So, I guess we don't always block all the write
> >>>>>>>>>operation
> >>>>>>>>>while fsfreezing.
> >>>>>>>>Technically speaking, we block all the transaction starts which
> >>>>>>>>means we
> >>>>>>>>end up blocking all the writes from going to disk. But that does
> >>>>>>>>not mean
> >>>>>>>>we block all the writes from going to in-memory cache - as you
> >>>>>>>>properly
> >>>>>>>>note the mmap case is one of such exceptions.
> >>>>>>>Hm, I also think we can allow the writes to in-memory cache but we
> >>>>>>>can't allow
> >>>>>>>the writes to disk while fsfreezing. I am considering that mmap
> >>>>>>>path can
> >>>>>>>write to disk while fsfreezing because this deadlock problem
> >>>>>>>happens after
> >>>>>>>fsfreeze operation is done...
> >>>>>>I'm sorry I don't understand now - are you speaking about the case
> >>>>>>above
> >>>>>>when writepage() does not wait for filesystem being frozen or something
> >>>>>>else?
> >>>>>Sorry, I didn't understand around the page fault path.
> >>>>>So, I had read the kernel source code around it, then I maybe
> >>>>>understand...
> >>>>>
> >>>>>I worry whether we can update the file data in mmap case while
> >>>>>fsfreezing.
> >>>>>Of course, I understand that we can write to in-memory cache, and it
> >>>>>is not a
> >>>>>problem. However, if we can write to disk while fsfreezing, it is a
> >>>>>problem.
> >>>>>So, I summarize the cases whether we can write to disk or not.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Cases (Whether we can write the data mmapped to the file on the disk
> >>>>>while fsfreezing)
> >>>>>
> >>>>>[1] One of the page which has been mmapped is not bound. And
> >>>>>the page is not allocated yet. (major fault?)
> >>>>>
> >>>>>(1) user dirtys a page
> >>>>>(2) a page fault occurs (do_page_fault)
> >>>>>(3) __do_falut is called.
> >>>>>(4) ext4_page_mkwrite is called
> >>>>>(5) ext4_write_begin is called
> >>>>>(6) ext4_journal_start_sb =>  We can STOP!
> >>>>>
> >>>>>[2] One of the page which has been mmapped is not bound. But
> >>>>>the page is already allocated, and the buffer_heads of the page
> >>>>>are not mapped (BH_Mapped). (minor fault?)
> >>>>>
> >>>>>(1) user dirtys a page
> >>>>>(2) a page fault occurs (do_page_fault)
> >>>>>(3) do_wp_page is called.
> >>>>>(4) ext4_page_mkwrite is called
> >>>>>(5) ext4_write_begin is called
> >>>>>(6) ext4_journal_start_sb =>  We can STOP!
> >>
> >>What happens in the case as follows:
> >>
> >>Task 1: Mmapped writes
> >>t1)ext4_page_mkwrite()
> >>   t2) ext4_write_begin() (FS is thawed so we proceed)
> >>   t3) ext4_write_end() (journal is stopped now)
> >>-----Pre-empted-----
> >>
> >>
> >>Task 2: Freeze Task
> >>t4) freezes the super block...
> >>...(continues)....
> >>tn) the page cache is clean and the F.S is frozen. Freeze has
> >>completed execution.
> >>
> >>Task 1: Mmapped writes
> >>tn+1) ext4_page_mkwrite() returns 0.
> >>tn+2) __do_fault() gets control, code gets executed.
> >>tn+3) _do_fault() marks the page dirty if the intent is to write to
> >>a file based page which faulted.
> >>
> >>So you end up dirtying the page cache when the F.S is frozen? No?
> >   You are right ext4_page_mkrite() as currently implemented has problems.
> >You have to return the page locked (and check for frozen fs with page lock
> >held) to avoid races.
> >
> >If you check for frozen fs with page lock held, you are guaranteed that
> >freezing code must wait for the page to get unlocked before proceeding. And
> >before the page is unlocked, it is marked dirty by the pagefault code which
> >makes freezing code write the page and writeprotect it again. So everything
> >will be safe.
> For the locked page to be a part of the freeze initiated sync,
> should its owner inode not be dirtied? The page fault handler
> dirties the page, but who ensures that the inode is dirtied at this
> point?
  Follow the path from set_page_dirty() -> __set_page_dirty_buffers()
-> __set_page_dirty() -> __mark_inode_dirty(mapping->host, I_DIRTY_PAGES);

  More code reading would save you (and me) some typing ;).

								Honza
-- 
Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>
SUSE Labs, CR
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