[RFC] dm-raid1: not to add newly-allocated RH_CLEAN region to clean_regions

["Jun'ichi Nomura" <j-nomura@ce.jp.nec.com>]

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Hi,

I would like to know whether the attached patch is something
acceptable or not.

In dm-raid1.c, 'clean_regions' in region hash is a list used
to link regions which are clean AND no longer interested (freeable).
So I think it's safe not to add newly-allocated RH_CLEAN entry
to the list because someone who allocates it has interest
on the region.

In the current code, rh_alloc()/rh_find() is called from:
  - rh_inc(), which makes the state RH_DIRTY if it's RH_CLEAN
  - __rh_recovery_prepare(), which makes the state RH_RECOVERING
  - rh_delay(), which is called when the region is RH_RECOVERING

So none uses the newly allocated RH_CLEAN region as-is.
RH_DIRTY region is changed back to RH_CLEAN and then connected
to clean_regions when pending I/O completes.
RH_RECOVERING region is reclaimed when the recovery on the
region completes.

If this patch is acceptable, we can also merge RH_CLEAN and
RH_DIRTY into one state.

Comments are welcome.

Thanks,
Jun'ichi "Nick" Nomura

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[RFC] dm-raid1: not to add newly-allocated RH_CLEAN region to clean_regions

The clean_regions list is used to maintain reclaimable hash entries.
If the region is known to be marked RH_DIRTY or RH_RECOVERING later,
it's not necessarily connected to clean_regions even if it's clean.

OTOH, region hash entries are allocated only when the region is going
to be written (RH_DIRTY) or recoverred (RH_RECOVERING).

So it's safe not to add RH_CLEAN region to clean_regions in __rh_alloc().
Not adding to clean_regions protects the region from potential race
condition that the hash entry is reclaimed by rh_update_states()
before use.

Signed-off-by: Jun'ichi Nomura <j-nomura@ce.jp.nec.com>

diff -urp linux.orig/drivers/md/dm-raid1.c linux/drivers/md/dm-raid1.c
--- linux.orig/drivers/md/dm-raid1.c	2005-12-26 05:25:04.000000000 -0500
+++ linux/drivers/md/dm-raid1.c	2006-01-06 11:47:03.000000000 -0500
@@ -255,11 +254,6 @@ static struct region *__rh_alloc(struct 
 
 	else {
 		__rh_insert(rh, nreg);
-		if (nreg->state == RH_CLEAN) {
-			spin_lock(&rh->region_lock);
-			list_add(&nreg->list, &rh->clean_regions);
-			spin_unlock(&rh->region_lock);
-		}
 		reg = nreg;
 	}
 	write_unlock_irq(&rh->hash_lock);

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