Bug 154443

Summary: kernel dm-multipath: can device be destroyed while outstanding pg_init I/O?
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Reporter: Alasdair Kergon <agk>
Component: device-mapper-multipathAssignee: Alasdair Kergon <agk>
Status: CLOSED DUPLICATE QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 4.1CC: agk, christophe.varoqui, dmo, tranlan
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OS: Linux   
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Last Closed: 2005-07-02 19:55:02 UTC Type: ---
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Description Alasdair Kergon 2005-04-11 18:28:24 UTC
Need to re-check the logic in the existing code.

Theory:

> Suspend cannot complete until there is no I/O outstanding, including
> any pg_init I/O.
>   - queueing is disabled while suspended
>   - the last I/O through cannot complete with an error until the last
>     path has failed, which can't happen until the pg_init for its PG
>     has completed.


Comments from Ed Goggin [based on a different version of the code]:

I think there are two other
use cases besides the __switch_pg() case described above whereby
a pg_init i/o can be left outstanding after its multipath structure's
memory is freed.  

First, the most common case -- it is possible for an uncompleted PG
switch to be pending with no i/os queued to the multipath
when a dev_suspend initiated i/o suspension followed by table swap
occurs.  process_queued_ios() when called by multipath_presuspend(),
will initiate a pg_init even though there are no queued user i/os.
Because there are no i/os queued, the suspend will not block
waiting for the pg_init to complete.  If the dm_table_put() call
on the old table frees the multipath structure memory before the
pg_init i/o completes (likely case), the problem occurs.  This case
can be prevented simply by having process_queued_ios() not initiate
a pg_init i/o if there are no queued i/os pended on the multipath
structure.  

Second, a somewhat less common case -- a pg_init i/o is outstanding when
a dev_suspend() call is made on a multipath for which the kernel thinks
it currently has no valid paths.  I think the sequence of events for the
use case is as enumerated below.   I think this case can be prevented
by not calling dispatch_queued_ios() if there is a oustanding pg_init.
This state is detected by the conditional logic
                                                                               
                                                     
        (m->queue_io && !m->pg_init_required)
                                                                               
                                                     
In this case, any queued i/os will be dispatched only after the
outstanding pg_init i/o completes via the call to process_queued_io()
from dm_pg_init_complete().  dm_pg_init_complete() must also be
changed to reset the queue_io flag if the suspended flag is set
even in the case of an error on the pg_init i/o, otherwise the
i/os would never be dispatched in the "all-paths-down" use case.
                                                                               
                                                     
(1)     pg_init i/o is sent and causes queuing of one or more user i/os
(2)     all paths are detected as failed in kernel
(3)     multipath reloads new table causing via dev_suspend() ioctl causing
        i/o suspend followed by table swap
        (a)     pre-suspend causes even the last i/o to fail on
                the last path -- even before the pg_init for its
                PG has completed

Comment 1 Alasdair Kergon 2005-07-02 19:55:02 UTC
With the patch from bug 154442 I think this is now resolved:

A pg_init can't be issued unless there's I/O outstanding.

suspend waits for I/O => it waits for pg_init to complete.

destroy first does suspend.


*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 154442 ***