RE: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias

[Parav Pandit]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cornelia Huck <cohuck@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, August 30, 2019 6:09 PM
> To: Parav Pandit <parav@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: alex.williamson@xxxxxxxxxx; Jiri Pirko <jiri@xxxxxxxxxxxx>;
> kwankhede@xxxxxxxxxx; davem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; kvm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-
> kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; netdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias
> 
> On Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:33:22 +0000
> Parav Pandit <parav@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Cornelia Huck <cohuck@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2019 2:47 PM
> > > To: Parav Pandit <parav@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Cc: alex.williamson@xxxxxxxxxx; Jiri Pirko <jiri@xxxxxxxxxxxx>;
> > > kwankhede@xxxxxxxxxx; davem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; kvm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> > > linux- kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; netdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias
> > >
> > > On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:18:59 -0500
> > > Parav Pandit <parav@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Some vendor drivers want an identifier for an mdev device that is
> > > > shorter than the UUID, due to length restrictions in the consumers
> > > > of that identifier.
> > > >
> > > > Add a callback that allows a vendor driver to request an alias of
> > > > a specified length to be generated for an mdev device. If
> > > > generated, that alias is checked for collisions.
> > > >
> > > > It is an optional attribute.
> > > > mdev alias is generated using sha1 from the mdev name.
> > > >
> > > > Signed-off-by: Parav Pandit <parav@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > >
> > > > ---
> > > > Changelog:
> > > > v1->v2:
> > > >  - Kept mdev_device naturally aligned
> > > >  - Added error checking for crypt_*() calls
> > > >  - Corrected a typo from 'and' to 'an'
> > > >  - Changed return type of generate_alias() from int to char*
> > > > v0->v1:
> > > >  - Moved alias length check outside of the parent lock
> > > >  - Moved alias and digest allocation from kvzalloc to kzalloc
> > > >  - &alias[0] changed to alias
> > > >  - alias_length check is nested under get_alias_length callback
> > > > check
> > > >  - Changed comments to start with an empty line
> > > >  - Fixed cleaunup of hash if mdev_bus_register() fails
> > > >  - Added comment where alias memory ownership is handed over to
> > > > mdev device
> > > >  - Updated commit log to indicate motivation for this feature
> > > > ---
> > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c    | 123
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h |   5 +-
> > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_sysfs.c   |  13 ++--
> > > >  include/linux/mdev.h             |   4 +
> > > >  4 files changed, 135 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
> 
> > > ...and detached from the local variable here. Who is freeing it? The
> > > comment states that it is done by the mdev, but I don't see it?
> > >
> > mdev_device_free() frees it.
> 
> Ah yes, I overlooked the kfree().
> 
> > once its assigned to mdev, mdev is the owner of it.
> >
> > > This detour via the local variable looks weird to me. Can you either
> > > create the alias directly in the mdev (would need to happen later in
> > > the function, but I'm not sure why you generate the alias before
> > > checking for duplicates anyway), or do an explicit copy?
> > Alias duplicate check is done after generating it, because duplicate alias are
> not allowed.
> > The probability of collision is rare.
> > So it is speculatively generated without hold the lock, because there is no
> need to hold the lock.
> > It is compared along with guid while mutex lock is held in single loop.
> > And if it is duplicate, there is no need to allocate mdev.
> >
> > It will be sub optimal to run through the mdev list 2nd time after mdev
> creation and after generating alias for duplicate check.
> 
> Ok, but what about copying it? I find this "set local variable to NULL after
> ownership is transferred" pattern a bit unintuitive. Copying it to the mdev (and
> then unconditionally freeing it) looks more obvious to me.
Its not unconditionally freed. Its freed in the error unwinding path.
I think its ok along with the comment that describes this error path area.