[PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Pavel Emelianov]

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If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
will hang forever.

This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.

Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.

[-- Attachment #2: diff-jbd-check-start-journal-thread-return-value --]
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--- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
+++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
@@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
+static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
 {
-	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
+	struct task_struct *t;
+
+	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
+	if (IS_ERR(t))
+		return PTR_ERR(t);
+
 	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void journal_kill_thread(journal_t *journal)
@@ -840,8 +846,7 @@ static int journal_reset(journal_t *jour
 
 	/* Add the dynamic fields and write it to disk. */
 	journal_update_superblock(journal, 1);
-	journal_start_thread(journal);
-	return 0;
+	return journal_start_thread(journal);
 }
 
 /**
--- ./fs/jbd2/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
+++ ./fs/jbd2/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:27:45.000000000 +0400
@@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void jbd2_journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
+static int jbd2_journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
 {
-	kthread_run(kjournald2, journal, "kjournald2");
+	struct task_struct *t;
+
+	t = kthread_run(kjournald2, journal, "kjournald2");
+	if (IS_ERR(t))
+		return PTR_ERR(t);
+
 	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void journal_kill_thread(journal_t *journal)
@@ -840,8 +846,7 @@ static int journal_reset(journal_t *jour
 
 	/* Add the dynamic fields and write it to disk. */
 	jbd2_journal_update_superblock(journal, 1);
-	jbd2_journal_start_thread(journal);
-	return 0;
+	return jbd2_journal_start_thread(journal);
 }
 
 /**

Re: [PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 11:41:14AM +0400, Pavel Emelianov wrote:
> If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
> will hang forever.
> 
> This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.
> 
> Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
> number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.

> --- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
> +++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
> @@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
>  	return 0;
>  }
>  
> -static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
> +static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>  {
> -	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> +	struct task_struct *t;
> +
> +	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> +	if (IS_ERR(t))
> +		return PTR_ERR(t);
> +
>  	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);

Note that this wait_event should exist at all, and the return
value of kthread_run should be assigned to journal->j_task.  Also
the code doesn't use the kthread primitives in other places leading
to crufty code.

Re: [PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Pavel Emelianov]

Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 11:41:14AM +0400, Pavel Emelianov wrote:
>> If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
>> will hang forever.
>>
>> This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.
>>
>> Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
>> number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.
> 
>> --- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
>> +++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
>> @@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
>>  	return 0;
>>  }
>>  
>> -static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>> +static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>>  {
>> -	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
>> +	struct task_struct *t;
>> +
>> +	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
>> +	if (IS_ERR(t))
>> +		return PTR_ERR(t);
>> +
>>  	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
> 
> Note that this wait_event should exist at all, and the return

Should NOT you mean?

> value of kthread_run should be assigned to journal->j_task.  Also
> the code doesn't use the kthread primitives in other places leading
> to crufty code.

Well, this could be done with a separate patch, I think.

> -
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Re: [PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 03:10:42PM +0400, Pavel Emelianov wrote:
> Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> > On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 11:41:14AM +0400, Pavel Emelianov wrote:
> >> If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
> >> will hang forever.
> >>
> >> This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.
> >>
> >> Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
> >> number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.
> > 
> >> --- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
> >> +++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
> >> @@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
> >>  	return 0;
> >>  }
> >>  
> >> -static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
> >> +static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
> >>  {
> >> -	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> >> +	struct task_struct *t;
> >> +
> >> +	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> >> +	if (IS_ERR(t))
> >> +		return PTR_ERR(t);
> >> +
> >>  	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
> > 
> > Note that this wait_event should exist at all, and the return
> 
> Should NOT you mean?

Umm, yes - of course :)

> > value of kthread_run should be assigned to journal->j_task.  Also
> > the code doesn't use the kthread primitives in other places leading
> > to crufty code.
> 
> Well, this could be done with a separate patch, I think.

Re: [PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Andrew Morton]

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:41:14 +0400
Pavel Emelianov <xemul@sw.ru> wrote:

> If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
> will hang forever.
> 
> This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.
> 
> Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
> number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.
> 
> 
> [diff-jbd-check-start-journal-thread-return-value  text/plain (1.7KB)]
> --- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
> +++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
> @@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
>  	return 0;
>  }
>  
> -static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
> +static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>  {
> -	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> +	struct task_struct *t;
> +
> +	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
> +	if (IS_ERR(t))
> +		return PTR_ERR(t);
> +
>  	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
> +	return 0;
>  }

Thanks.   Please don't forget those Signed-off-by:s

I assume that you runtime tested this and that the mount failed in
an appropriate fashion?

Re: [PATCH] Check for error returned by kthread_create on creating journal thread

[Pavel Emelianov]

Andrew Morton wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:41:14 +0400
> Pavel Emelianov <xemul@sw.ru> wrote:
> 
>> If the thread failed to create the subsequent wait_event
>> will hang forever.
>>
>> This is likely to happen if kernel hits max_threads limit.
>>
>> Will be critical for virtualization systems that limit the
>> number of tasks and kernel memory usage within the container.
>>
>>
>> [diff-jbd-check-start-journal-thread-return-value  text/plain (1.7KB)]
>> --- ./fs/jbd/journal.c.jbdthreads	2007-04-16 11:17:36.000000000 +0400
>> +++ ./fs/jbd/journal.c	2007-04-16 11:30:09.000000000 +0400
>> @@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ end_loop:
>>  	return 0;
>>  }
>>  
>> -static void journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>> +static int journal_start_thread(journal_t *journal)
>>  {
>> -	kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
>> +	struct task_struct *t;
>> +
>> +	t = kthread_run(kjournald, journal, "kjournald");
>> +	if (IS_ERR(t))
>> +		return PTR_ERR(t);
>> +
>>  	wait_event(journal->j_wait_done_commit, journal->j_task != 0);
>> +	return 0;
>>  }
> 
> Thanks.   Please don't forget those Signed-off-by:s

I will :)

> I assume that you runtime tested this and that the mount failed in
> an appropriate fashion?
> 

Yes. This was easy to test as we can force kthread_run() to fail
at the moment we want with the help of the beancounters ;)

Moreover this patch lives in our tree for a year or so in both
stable and development branches.