Re: [PATCH V6 6/8] fs/xfs: Combine xfs_diflags_to_linux() and xfs_diflags_to_iflags()

[Ira Weiny]

On Wed, Apr 08, 2020 at 05:30:21PM -0700, Darrick J. Wong wrote:

[snip]

> 
> But you're right, this thing keeps swirling around and around and around
> because we can't ever get to agreement on this.  Maybe I'll just become
> XFS BOFH MAINTAINER and make a decision like this:
> 
>  1 Applications must call statx to discover the current S_DAX state.
> 
>  2 There exists an advisory file inode flag FS_XFLAG_DAX that is set based on
>    the parent directory FS_XFLAG_DAX inode flag.  This advisory flag can be
>    changed after file creation, but it does not immediately affect the S_DAX
>    state.
> 
>    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.
>    Unless overridden...
> 
>  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), ignore FS_XFLAG_DAX"
>         "-o dax" by itself means "dax=always"
>    "-o dax=iflag" means "follow FS_XFLAG_DAX" and is the default

per-Dave '-o dax=inode'

> 
>  4 There exists an advisory directory inode flag FS_XFLAG_DAX that can be
>    changed at any time.  The flag state is copied into any files or
>    subdirectories when they are created within that directory.

Good.

>    If programs
>    require file access runs in S_DAX mode, they must create those files
>    inside a directory with FS_XFLAG_DAX set, or mount the fs with an
>    appropriate dax mount option.

Why do we need this to be true?  If the FS_XFLAG_DAX flag can be cleared why
not set it and allow the S_DAX change to occur later just like clearing it?
The logic is exactly the same.

> 
>  5 Programs that require a specific file access mode (DAX or not DAX) must

s/must/can/

>    do one of the following:
> 
>    (a) create files in directories with the FS_XFLAG_DAX flag set as needed;

Again if we allow clearing the flag why not setting?  So this is 1 option they
'can' do.

> 
>    (b) have the administrator set an override via mount option;
> 
>    (c) if they need to change a file's FS_XFLAG_DAX flag so that it does not
>        match the S_DAX state (as reported by statx), they must cause the
>        kernel to evict the inode from memory.  This can be done by:
> 
>        i>   closing the file;
>        ii>  re-opening the file and using statx to see if the fs has
>             changed the S_DAX flag;

i and ii need to be 1 step the user must follow.

>        iii> if not, either unmount and remount the filesystem, or
>             closing the file and using drop_caches.
> 
>  6 I no longer think it's too wild to require 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.

I'm good with this statement.  But I think we need to clean up the verbiage for
the documentation...  ;-)

Thanks for the summary.  I like these to get everyone on the same page.  :-D
Ira

> 
> I think (like Dave said) that if you set XFS_IDONTCACHE on the inode
> when you change the DAX flag, the VFS will kill the inode the instant
> the last user close()s the file.  Then 5.c.ii will actually work.
> 
> --D
> 
> > > 
> > > > Furthermore, if we did want an interface like that why not allow
> > > > the on-disk flag to be set as well as cleared?
> > > 
> > > Well, why not - it's why I implemented the flag in the first place!
> > > The only problem we have here is how to safely change the in-memory
> > > DAX state, and that largely has nothing to do with setting/clearing
> > > the on-disk flag....
> > 
> > With the above change to xfs_diflags_to_iflags() I think we are ok here.
> > 
> > Ira
> >