Re: [PATCH 2/2] NFSD: Fix server hang when there are multiple layout conflicts

[Dai Ngo <dai.ngo@oracle.com>]

On 11/7/25 5:29 AM, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 06, 2025 at 09:05:26AM -0800, Dai Ngo wrote:
>> When a layout conflict triggers a call to __break_lease, the function
>> nfsd4_layout_lm_break clears the fl_break_time timeout before sending
>> the CB_LAYOUTRECALL. As a result, __break_lease repeatedly restarts
>> its loop, waiting indefinitely for the conflicting file lease to be
>> released.
>>
>> If the number of lease conflicts matches the number of NFSD threads
>> (which defaults to 8), all available NFSD threads become occupied.
>> Consequently, there are no threads left to handle incoming requests
>> or callback replies, leading to a total hang of the NFS server.
>>
>> This issue is reliably reproducible by running the Git test suite
>> on a configuration using SCSI layout.
>>
>> This patch addresses the problem by using the break lease timeout
>> and ensures that the unresponsive client is fenced, preventing it from
>> accessing the data server directly.
>>
>> Fixes: f99d4fbdae67 ("nfsd: add SCSI layout support")
>> Signed-off-by: Dai Ngo <dai.ngo@oracle.com>
>> ---
>>   fs/nfsd/nfs4layouts.c | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++----
>>   1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4layouts.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4layouts.c
>> index 683bd1130afe..b9b1eb32624c 100644
>> --- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4layouts.c
>> +++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4layouts.c
>> @@ -747,11 +747,10 @@ static bool
>>   nfsd4_layout_lm_break(struct file_lease *fl)
>>   {
>>   	/*
>> -	 * We don't want the locks code to timeout the lease for us;
>> -	 * we'll remove it ourself if a layout isn't returned
>> -	 * in time:
>> +	 * Enforce break lease timeout to prevent starvation of
>> +	 * NFSD threads in __break_lease that causes server to
>> +	 * hang.
>>   	 */
>> -	fl->fl_break_time = 0;
>>   	nfsd4_recall_file_layout(fl->c.flc_owner);
>>   	return false;
>>   }
>> @@ -764,9 +763,27 @@ nfsd4_layout_lm_change(struct file_lease *onlist, int arg,
>>   	return lease_modify(onlist, arg, dispose);
>>   }
>>   
>> +static void nfsd_layout_breaker_timedout(struct file_lease *fl)
>> +{
>> +	struct nfs4_layout_stateid *ls = fl->c.flc_owner;
>> +	struct nfsd_file *nf;
>> +
>> +	rcu_read_lock();
>> +	nf = nfsd_file_get(ls->ls_file);
>> +	rcu_read_unlock();
>> +	if (nf) {
> Just a little note on the existing infrastructure (and not this change
> that uses it)h ere:  I wish this would be nfsd_file_tryget and the
> RCU locking was hidden in the helper.  At least some users seems to
> miss the RCU protection or rely on undocumented locks making it
> not required (maybe?).

Make sense, maybe for another day.

>
>> +		int type = ls->ls_layout_type;
> ls_layout_type is a u32, so please use the same type.

will fix.

>
> Otherwise this looks good to me.

Thanks,

-Dai