Re: [PATCH] vfs: Add a trace point in the mark_inode_dirty function

Kok, Auke
2009-11-11T23:38:12Z

Frank Ch. Eigler wrote:
> Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org> writes:
>
>> [...] ok let me rephrase that. What would a user DO with this inode
>> number information, given that the filename is already passed on;
>> what additional useful, not-infinitely-hard-to-get piece of
>> information [...]
>
> Perhaps "infinitely hard" is the wrong criterion, but passing inode
> numbers lets a tracepoint client track changes to the same file, even
> though the file may be renamed/unlinked over time.

If you already know what the file object is, sure. We're interested in the case
where we have no clue what the file object actually is to begin with. Having a
trace with a random inode number pop up and then disappear into thin air won't
help much at all, especially if we can't map it back to something "real" on disk.
in time.

Auke