Re: [PATCH 03/13] xfs: rationalise xfs_mount_wq users

Mark Tinguely
2012-09-06T15:07:50Z

On 09/05/12 19:46, Dave Chinner wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 05, 2012 at 08:16:59AM -0500, Mark Tinguely wrote:
>> On 09/04/12 23:30, Dave Chinner wrote:
>>> On Tue, Sep 04, 2012 at 10:48:17AM -0500, Mark Tinguely wrote:
>>>> On 08/30/12 07:00, Dave Chinner wrote:
>>>>> - /*
>>>>> - * We shouldn't write/force the log if we are in the mount/unmount
>>>>> - * process or on a read only filesystem. The workqueue still needs to be
>>>>> - * active in both cases, however, because it is used for inode reclaim
>>>>> - * during these times. Use the MS_ACTIVE flag to avoid doing anything
>>>>> - * during mount. Doing work during unmount is avoided by calling
>>>>> - * cancel_delayed_work_sync on this work queue before tearing down
>>>>> - * the ail and the log in xfs_log_unmount.
>>>>> - */
>>>>> - if (!(mp->m_super->s_flags& MS_ACTIVE)&&
>>>>> - !(mp->m_flags& XFS_MOUNT_RDONLY)) {
>>>>> + if (!(mp->m_flags& XFS_MOUNT_RDONLY)) {
>>>>> /* dgc: errors ignored here */
>>>>> if (mp->m_super->s_writers.frozen == SB_UNFROZEN&&
>>>>> xfs_log_need_covered(mp))
>>>>> @@ -408,8 +398,7 @@ xfs_sync_worker(
>>>>> else
>>>>> xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
>>>>>
>>>>> - /* start pushing all the metadata that is currently
>>>>> - * dirty */
>>>>> + /* start pushing all the metadata that is currently dirty */
>>>>> xfs_ail_push_all(mp->m_ail);
>>>>> }
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It appears that the removal of the MS_ACTIVE flag is causing the
>>>> "atomic_read(&bp->b_hold)> 0," ASSERT.
>>>
>>> I must be being slow today - I don't see why that would cause any
>>> problems. The worker is not started at the end of the mount process
>>> after everything is set up (i.e. just before MS_ACTIVE is removed),
>>> and the worker is stopped before anything is torn down. That should
>>> effectively replicate what the MS_ACTIVE flag is providing in the
>>> old code.
>>>
>>> Can you explain in more detail what lead you to this conclusion?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Dave.
>>
>> You are correct, it does not make sense, but with the
>> !(mp->m_super->s_flags& MS_ACTIVE)
>> test removed, test 107 causes the above assert on
>> different machines/architectures. Place the test in, the
>> assert does not happen.
>
> test 107 is not in the auto group. That means it is generally
> unreliable as a regression test, so I don't run it. That said, I
> don't see anything unusual in that test that would cause problems...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dave.

I misspoke, it is xfs test 179. I hit it doing a "check -g auto".

My test boxes had CONFIG_XFS_DEBUG=y which may be a factor. The
test ran fine on a box without the debug enabled and assert as
soon as I added it back.

The buffer with zero b_hold count is the freelist buffer (XAGF)
for AG0. The buffer is marked STALE, it has already gone through
the release code, so there is no transaction pointer nor log item
pointer. The xlog_cil_committed() is being called with the
XFS_LI_ABORTED flag.

The X86_32 machine is now asserting with:
XFS: Assertion failed: fs_is_ok, file: /xfs/fs/xfs/xfs_alloc.c, line:
1503
The X86_64 machines are still asserting on the zero b_hold.

Adding back the MS_ACTIVE or (it appears) not compiling with the
CONFIG_XFS_DEBUG option seems to make the problem go away too.
Timing? Does not explain the removal of the XFS_DEBUG.

Sorry if this is a wild goose chase.

--Mark T.