[Question]nfs: never returned delegation

zhangjian (CG)
2025-08-11T12:48:25Z

Recently, we meet a NFS problem in 5.10. There are so many test_state_id request after a non-privilaged request in tcpdump result. There are 40w+ delegations in client (I read the delegation list from /proc/kcore).
Firstly, I think state manager cost a lot in nfs_server_reap_expired_delegations. But I see they are all in NFS_DELEGATION_REVOKED state except 6 in NFS_DELEGATION_REFERENCED (I read this from /proc/kcore too).
I analyze NFS code and find if NFSPROC4_CLNT_DELEGRETURN procedure meet ETIMEOUT, delegation will be marked as NFS4ERR_DELEG_REVOKED and never return it again. NFS server will keep the revoked delegation in clp->cl_revoked forever. This will result in following sequence response with RECALLABLE_STATE_REVOKED flag. Client will send test_state_id request for all non-revoked delegation.
This can only be solved by restarting NFS server.
I think ETIMEOUT in NFSPROC4_CLNT_DELEGRETURN procedure may be not the only case that cause lots of non-terminable test_state_id requests after any non-privilaged request.
Wish NFS experts give some advices on this problem.