linux-ext4 - Re: [RFC] mke2fs -E hash_alg=siphash: any interest?

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Message-ID: <20140921210416.27127.qmail@ns.horizon.com>
Date:	21 Sep 2014 17:04:16 -0400
From:	linux@...izon.com
To:	linux@...izon.com, tytso@....edu
Cc:	linux-ext4@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC] mke2fs -E hash_alg=siphash: any interest?

> I'm certainly not against adding a new hash function.  The reality is
> that it would be quite a while before we could turn it on by default,
> because of the backwards compatibility concerns.

Well, yes, obviously!  My itch is just that I want to use it myself;
I prefer it for security and cleanliness reasons.  The benchmarks are
mostly to prove that it isn't slower.

> The question I would ask is whether we can show an anctual performance
> improvement with the hash being used in situ.

I quite agree, but I'll have to have a working patch before such
a test can be made.

One things I'm coming across immediately that I have to ask for
design guidance on is the hash algorithm number assignment:

- Should I leave room for more hashes with a signed/unsigned distinction,
  or should I assume that's a historical kludge that won't be perpetuated?
  SipHash is defined on a byte string, so there isn't really a signed
  version.
- Should I use a new EXT2_HASH_SIPHASH_62 = 6, or should I
  renumber the (internal-only) EXT2_HASH_*_UNSIGNED values and use
  EXT2_HASH_SIPHASH_4_2 = 4?

None of this is truly final, but it would make my life easier if I
didn't have to change it on my test filesystems too often.
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