linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] virtio-blk: allow toggling host cache between writeback and writethrough

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Date:	Wed, 4 Jul 2012 19:02:59 +0300
From:	"Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>
To:	Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@...hat.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, rusty@...tcorp.com.au,
	kvm@...r.kernel.org, virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] virtio-blk: allow toggling host cache between writeback
 and writethrough

On Wed, Jul 04, 2012 at 05:54:16PM +0200, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> Il 04/07/2012 17:42, Michael S. Tsirkin ha scritto:
> > On Tue, Jul 03, 2012 at 03:19:37PM +0200, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> >> This patch adds support for the new VIRTIO_BLK_F_CONFIG_WCE feature,
> >> which exposes the cache mode in the configuration space and lets the
> >> driver modify it.  The cache mode is exposed via sysfs.
> >>
> >> Even if the host does not support the new feature, the cache mode is
> >> visible (thanks to the existing VIRTIO_BLK_F_WCE), but not modifiable.
> >>
> >> Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@...hat.com>
> > 
> > I note this has been applied but I think the userspace
> > API is a bit painful to use. Let's fix it before
> > it gets set in stone?
> 
> I'm trying to mimic the existing userspace API for SCSI disks.  FWIW I
> would totally agree with you.

Hmm. Want to try fixing scsi? Need to be compatible but it could
maybe ignore spaces.

> >> +static int virtblk_get_cache_mode(struct virtio_device *vdev)
> > 
> > Why are you converting u8 to int here?
> 
> The fact that it is a u8 is really an internal detail.  Perhaps the bug
> is using u8 in the callers.

Make it bool then?

You are using u8 in the config. So you could get any value
besides 0 and 1, and you interpret that as 1.
Is 1 always a safe value? If not maybe it's better to set
to a safe value if it is not 0 or 1, that is we don't know how to interpret it.

> >> +static const char *virtblk_cache_types[] = {
> >> +	"write through", "write back"
> >> +};
> >> +
> > 
> > I wonder whether something that lacks space would have been better,
> > especially for show: shells might get confused and split
> > a string at a space. How about we change it to writethrough,
> > writeback before it's too late? It's part of a userspace API
> > after all, and you see to prefer writeback in one word in your own
> > code so let's not inflict pain on others :)
> > 
> > Also, would be nice to make it discoverable what the legal
> > values are. Another attribute valid_cache_types with all values
> > space separated?
> 
> We probably should add such an attribute to SCSI disks too... Even with
> the spaces we could make the values \n-separated.
> 
> >> +static ssize_t
> >> +virtblk_cache_type_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
> >> +			 const char *buf, size_t count)
> >> +{
> >> +	struct gendisk *disk = dev_to_disk(dev);
> >> +	struct virtio_blk *vblk = disk->private_data;
> >> +	struct virtio_device *vdev = vblk->vdev;
> >> +	int i;
> >> +	u8 writeback;
> >> +
> >> +	BUG_ON(!virtio_has_feature(vblk->vdev, VIRTIO_BLK_F_CONFIG_WCE));
> >> +	for (i = ARRAY_SIZE(virtblk_cache_types); --i >= 0; )
> >> +		if (sysfs_streq(buf, virtblk_cache_types[i]))
> >> +			break;
> >> +
> >> +	if (i < 0)
> >> +		return -EINVAL;
> >> +
> >> +	writeback = i;
> >> +	vdev->config->set(vdev,
> >> +			  offsetof(struct virtio_blk_config, wce),
> >> +			  &writeback, sizeof(writeback));
> >> +
> >> +	virtblk_update_cache_mode(vdev);
> >> +	return count;
> >> +}
> >> +
> >> +static ssize_t
> >> +virtblk_cache_type_show(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
> >> +			 char *buf)
> >> +{
> >> +	struct gendisk *disk = dev_to_disk(dev);
> >> +	struct virtio_blk *vblk = disk->private_data;
> >> +	u8 writeback = virtblk_get_cache_mode(vblk->vdev);
> >> +
> >> +	BUG_ON(writeback >= ARRAY_SIZE(virtblk_cache_types));
> >> +	return snprintf(buf, 40, "%s\n", virtblk_cache_types[writeback]);
> > 
> > Why 40? Why snprintf? A plain sprintf won't do?
> 
> I plead guilty of cut-and-paste from drivers/scsi/sd.c. :)
> 
> Paolo
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