Date:   Thu, 9 Apr 2020 19:17:35 +0200
From:   Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>
To:     "Darrick J. Wong" <darrick.wong@...cle.com>
Cc:     Ira Weiny <ira.weiny@...el.com>,
        Dave Chinner <david@...morbit.com>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Dan Williams <dan.j.williams@...el.com>,
        Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>,
        "Theodore Y. Ts'o" <tytso@....edu>, Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>,
        Jeff Moyer <jmoyer@...hat.com>, linux-ext4@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-xfs@...r.kernel.org, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH V6 6/8] fs/xfs: Combine xfs_diflags_to_linux() and
 xfs_diflags_to_iflags()

On Thu 09-04-20 09:59:27, Darrick J. Wong wrote:
> And today:
> 
>  1. There exists an in-kernel access mode flag S_DAX that is set when
>     file accesses go directly to persistent memory, bypassing the page
>     cache.  Applications must call statx to discover the current S_DAX
>     state (STATX_ATTR_DAX).
> 
>  2. There exists an advisory file inode flag FS_XFLAG_DAX that is
>     inherited from the parent directory FS_XFLAG_DAX inode flag at file
>     creation time.  This advisory flag can be set or cleared at any
>     time, but doing so does not immediately affect the S_DAX state.
> 
>     Unless overridden by mount options (see (3)), if FS_XFLAG_DAX is set
>     and the fs is on pmem then it will enable S_DAX at inode load time;
>     if FS_XFLAG_DAX is not set, it will not enable S_DAX.
> 
>  3. There exists a dax= mount option.
> 
>     "-o dax=never"  means "never set S_DAX, ignore FS_XFLAG_DAX."
> 
>     "-o dax=always" means "always set S_DAX (at least on pmem),
>                     and ignore FS_XFLAG_DAX."
> 
>     "-o dax"        is an alias for "dax=always".
> 
>     "-o dax=inode"  means "follow FS_XFLAG_DAX" and is the default.
> 
>  4. There exists an advisory directory inode flag FS_XFLAG_DAX that can
>     be set or cleared at any time.  The flag state is copied into any
>     files or subdirectories when they are created within that directory.
> 
>  5. Programs that require a specific file access mode (DAX or not DAX)
>     can do one of the following:
> 
>     (a) Create files in directories that the FS_XFLAG_DAX flag set as
>         needed; or
> 
>     (b) Have the administrator set an override via mount option; or
> 
>     (c) Set or clear the file's FS_XFLAG_DAX flag as needed.  Programs
>         must then cause the kernel to evict the inode from memory.  This
>         can be done by:
> 
>         i>  Closing the file and re-opening the file and using statx to
>             see if the fs has changed the S_DAX flag; and
> 
>         ii> If the file still does not have the desired S_DAX access
>             mode, either unmount and remount the filesystem, or close
>             the file and use drop_caches.
> 
>  6. It's not unreasonable that users who want to squeeze every last bit
>     of performance out of the particular rough and tumble bits of their
>     storage also be exposed to the difficulties of what happens when the
>     operating system can't totally virtualize those hardware
>     capabilities.  Your high performance sports car is not a Toyota
>     minivan, as it were.
> 
> Given our overnight discussions, I don't think it'll be difficult to
> hoist XFS_IDONTCACHE to the VFS so that 5.c.i is enough to change the
> S_DAX state if nobody else is using the file.

I still find the "S_DAX changes on inode eviction" confusing but I
guess it's as good as it gets and with XFS_IDONTCACHE lifted to VFS, 
it seems acceptable so OK from me.

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

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