netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next V7 07/14] devlink: Add parent dev to devlink API

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Message-ID: <20260211085738.5835f812@kernel.org>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:57:38 -0800
From: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>
To: Cosmin Ratiu <cratiu@...dia.com>
Cc: Tariq Toukan <tariqt@...dia.com>, "corbet@....net" <corbet@....net>,
 "andrew+netdev@...n.ch" <andrew+netdev@...n.ch>, "donald.hunter@...il.com"
 <donald.hunter@...il.com>, "davem@...emloft.net" <davem@...emloft.net>,
 "leon@...nel.org" <leon@...nel.org>, "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org"
 <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, "edumazet@...gle.com"
 <edumazet@...gle.com>, "linux-rdma@...r.kernel.org"
 <linux-rdma@...r.kernel.org>, "jiri@...nulli.us" <jiri@...nulli.us>,
 "pabeni@...hat.com" <pabeni@...hat.com>, Jiri Pirko <jiri@...dia.com>,
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 Mahameed <saeedm@...dia.com>, "netdev@...r.kernel.org"
 <netdev@...r.kernel.org>, Gal Pressman <gal@...dia.com>, Moshe Shemesh
 <moshe@...dia.com>, "krzk@...nel.org" <krzk@...nel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next V7 07/14] devlink: Add parent dev to devlink
 API

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:28:14 +0000 Cosmin Ratiu wrote:
> > > +		/* Drop the parent devlink lock but don't release
> > > the reference.
> > > +		 * This will keep it alive until the end of the
> > > request.
> > > +		 */  
> > 
> > To be clear -- devlink instances do not behave like netdev instances.
> > netdev instances prevent unregistration of the netdev.
> > devlink refs are normal refs, they just keep the memory around.
> > If memory serves me..  
> 
> If no reference is held, a concurrent user op could release the parent
> devlink instance altogether, and free its memory, that's the reason for
> keeping a ref alive for the duration of this request.

I suppose my comment was more about using the word "alive" 
in networking context. I associate "alive" with registered. 
See dev_isalive(). Here you're just keeping the object
from being freed.