Rework the CacheFS documentation to reflect FS-Cache split
Subsystems (2)
David Howells
maintainerPATCH 3/4 Rework the CacheFS documentation to reflect FS-Cache split
The attached patch reworks the CacheFS documentation to reflect the new split between CacheFS and FS-Cache.
Signed-off-by David Howells <[email protected]>
---
warthog1>diffstat fscache-docs-269rc3mm2.diff
cachefs.txt | 881 ------------------------------------------------ caching/backend-api.txt | 317 +++++++++++++++++ caching/cachefs.txt | 274 ++++++++++++++ caching/fscache.txt | 94 +++++ caching/netfs-api.txt | 583 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 5 files changed, 1268 insertions(+), 881 deletions(-)
Documentation/filesystems/cachefs.txt +0 -892
@@ -1,892 +0,0 @@ - =========================== - CacheFS: Caching Filesystem - =========================== - -======== -OVERVIEW -======== - -CacheFS is a general purpose cache for network filesystems, though it could be -used for caching other things such as ISO9660 filesystems too. - -CacheFS uses a block device directly rather than a bunch of files under an -already mounted filesystem. For why this is so, see further on. If necessary, -however, a file can be loopback mounted as a cache. - -CacheFS does not follow the idea of completely loading every netfs file opened -into the cache before it can be operated upon, and then serving the pages out -of CacheFS rather than the netfs because: - - (1) It must be practical to operate without a cache. - - (2) The size of any accessible file must not be limited to the size of the - cache. - - (3) The combined size of all opened files (this includes mapped libraries) - must not be limited to the size of the cache. - - (4) The user should not be forced to download an entire file just to do a - one-off access of a small portion of it. - -It rather serves the cache out in PAGE_SIZE chunks as and when requested by -the netfs('s) using it. - - -CacheFS provides the following facilities: - - (1) More than one block device can be mounted as a cache. - - (2) Caches can be mounted / unmounted at any time. - - (3) The netfs is provided with an interface that allows either party to - withdraw caching facilities from a file (required for (2)). - - (4) The interface to the netfs returns as few errors as possible, preferring - rather to let the netfs remain oblivious. - - (5) Cookies are used to represent files and indexes to the netfs. The simplest - cookie is just a NULL pointer - indicating nothing cached there. - - (6) The netfs is allowed to propose - dynamically - any index hierarchy it - desires, though it must be aware that the index search function is - recursive and stack space is limited. - - (7) Data I/O is done direct to and from the netfs's pages. The netfs indicates - that page A is at index B of the data-file represented by cookie C, and - that it should be read or written. CacheFS may or may not start I/O on - that page, but if it does, a netfs callback will be invoked to indicate - completion. - - (8) Cookies can be "retired" upon release. At this point CacheFS will mark - them as obsolete and the index hierarchy rooted at that point will get - recycled. - - (9) The netfs provides a "match" function for index searches. In addition to - saying whether a match was made or not, this can also specify that an - entry should be updated or deleted. - -(10) All metadata modifications (this includes index contents) are performed - as journalled transactions. These are replayed on mounting. - - -============================================= -WHY A BLOCK DEVICE? WHY NOT A BUNCH OF FILES? -============================================= - -CacheFS is backed by a block device rather than being backed by a bunch of -files on a filesystem. This confers several advantages: - - (1) Performance. - - Going directly to a block device means that we can DMA directly to/from - the the netfs's pages. If another filesystem was managing the backing - store, everything would have to be copied between pages. Whilst DirectIO - does exist, it doesn't appear easy to make use of in this situation. - - New address space or file operations could be added to make it possible to - persuade a backing discfs to generate block I/O directly to/from disc - blocks under its control, but that then means the discfs has to keep track - of I/O requests to pages not under its control. - - Furthermore, we only have to do one lot of readahead calculations, not - two; in the discfs backing case, the netfs would do one and the discfs - would do one. - - (2) Memory. - - Using a block device means that we have a lower memory usage - all data - pages belong to the netfs we're backing. If we used a filesystem, we would - have twice as many pages at certain points - one from the netfs and one - from the backing discfs. In the backing discfs model, under situations of - memory pressure, we'd have to allocate or keep around a discfs page to be - able to write out a netfs page; or else we'd need to be able to punch a - hole in the backing file. - - Furthermore, whilst we have to keep a CacheFS inode around in memory for - every netfs inode we're backing, a backing discfs would have to keep the - dentry and possibly a file struct too. - - (3) Holes. - - The cache uses holes to indicate to the netfs that it hasn't yet - downloaded the data for that page. - - Since CacheFS is its own filesystem, it can support holes in files - trivially. Running on top of another discfs would limit us to using ones - that can support holes. - - Furthermore, it would have to be made possible to detect holes in a discfs - file, rather than just seeing zero filled blocks. - - (4) Data Consistency. - - Cachefs uses a pair of journals to keep track of the state of the cache - and all the pages contained therein. This means that it doesn't get into - an inconsistent state in the on-disc cache and it doesn't lose disc space. - - CacheFS takes especial care between the allocation of a block and its - splicing into the on-disc pointer tree, and the data having been written - to disc. If power is interrupted and then restored, the journals are - replayed and if it is seen that a block was allocated but not written it - is then punched out. Being backed by a discfs, I'm not certain what will - happen. It may well be possible to mark a discfs's journal, if it has one, - but how does the discfs deal with those marks? This also limits consistent - caching to running on journalled discfs's where there's a function to - write extraordinary marks into the journal. - - The alternative would be to keep flags in the superblock, and to - re-initialise the cache if it wasn't cleanly unmounted. - - Knowing that your cache is in a good state is vitally important if you, - say, put /usr on AFS. Some organisations put everything barring /etc, - /sbin, /lib and /var on AFS and have an enormous cache on every - computer. Imagine if the power goes out and renders every cache - inconsistent, requiring all the computers to re-initialise their caches - when the power comes back on... - - (5) Recycling. - - Recycling is simple on CacheFS. It can just scan the metadata index to - look for inodes that require reclamation/recycling; and it can also build - up a list of the least recently used inodes so that they can be reclaimed - later to make space. - - Doing this on a discfs would require a search going down through a nest - of directories, and would probably have to be done in userspace. - - (6) Disc Space. - - Whilst the block device does set a hard ceiling on the amount of space - available, CacheFS can guarantee that all that space will be available to - the cache. On a discfs-backed cache, the administrator would probably want - to set a cache size limit, but the system wouldn't be able guarantee that - all that space would be available to the cache - not unless that cache was - on a partition of its own. - - Furthermore, with a discfs-backed cache, if the recycler starts to reclaim - cache files to make space, the freed blocks may just be eaten directly by - userspace programs, potentially resulting in the entire cache being - consumed. Alternatively, netfs operations may end up being held up because - the cache can't get blocks on which to store the data. - - (7) Users. - - Users can't so easily go into CacheFS and run amok. The worst they can do - is cause bits of the cache to be recycled early. With a discfs-backed - cache, they can do all sorts of bad things to the files belonging to the - cache, and they can do this quite by accident. - - -On the other hand, there would be some advantages to using a file-based cache -rather than a blockdev-based cache: - - (1) Having to copy to a discfs's page would mean that a netfs could just make - the copy and then assume its own page is ready to go. - - (2) Backing onto a discfs wouldn't require a committed block device. You would - just nominate a directory and go from there. With CacheFS you have to - repartition or install an extra drive to make use of it in an existing - system (though the loopback device offers a way out). - - (3) CacheFS requires the netfs to store a key in any pertinent index entry, - and it also permits a limited amount arbitrary data to be stored there. - - A discfs could be requested to store the netfs's data in xattrs, and the - filename could be used to store the key, though the key would have to be - rendered as text not binary. Likewise indexes could be rendered as - directories with xattrs. - - (4) You could easily make your cache bigger if the discfs has plenty of space, - you could even go across multiple mountpoints. - - -====================== -GENERAL ON-DISC LAYOUT -====================== - -The filesystem is divided into a number of parts: - - 0 +---------------------------+ - | Superblock | - 1 +---------------------------+ - | Update Journal | - +---------------------------+ - | Validity Journal | - +---------------------------+ - | Write-Back Journal | - +---------------------------+ - | | - | Data | - | | - END +---------------------------+ - -The superblock contains the filesystem ID tags and pointers to all the other -regions. - -The update journal consists of a set of entries of sector size that keep track -of what changes have been made to the on-disc filesystem, but not yet -committed. - -The validity journal contains records of data blocks that have been allocated -but not yet written. Upon journal replay, all these blocks will be detached -from their pointers and recycled. - -The writeback journal keeps track of changes that have been made locally to -data blocks, but that have not yet been committed back to the server. This is -not yet implemented. - -The journals are replayed upon mounting to make sure that the cache is in a -reasonable state. - -The data region holds a number of things: - - (1) Index Files - - These are files of entries used by CacheFS internally and by filesystems - that wish to cache data here (such as AFS) to keep track of what's in - the cache at any given time. - - The first index file (inode 1) is special. It holds the CacheFS-specific - metadata for every file in the cache (including direct, single-indirect - and double-indirect block pointers). - - The second index file (inode 2) is also special. It has an entry for - each filesystem that's currently holding data in this cache. - - Every allocated entry in an index has an inode bound to it. This inode is - either another index file or it is a data file. - - (2) Cached Data Files - - These are caches of files from remote servers. Holes in these files - represent blocks not yet obtained from the server. - - (3) Indirection Blocks - - Should a file have more blocks than can be pointed to by the few - pointers in its storage management record, then indirection blocks will - be used to point to further data or indirection blocks. - - Three levels of indirection are currently supported: - - - single indirection - - double indirection - - (4) Allocation Nodes and Free Blocks - - The free blocks of the filesystem are kept in two single-branched - "trees". One tree is the blocks that are ready to be allocated, and the - other is the blocks that have just been recycled. When the former tree - becomes empty, the latter tree is decanted across. - - Each tree is arranged as a chain of "nodes", each node points to the next - node in the chain (unless it's at the end) and also up to 1022 free - blocks. - -Note that all blocks are PAGE_SIZE in size. The blocks are numbered starting -with the superblock at 0. Using 32-bit block pointers, a maximum number of -0xffffffff blocks can be accessed, meaning that the maximum cache size is ~16TB -for 4KB pages. - - -======== -MOUNTING -======== - -Since CacheFS is actually a quasi-filesystem, it requires a block device behind -it. The way to give it one is to mount it as cachefs type on a directory -somewhere. The mounted filesystem will then present the user with a set of -directories outlining the index structure resident in the cache. Indexes -(directories) and files can be turfed out of the cache by the sysadmin through -the use of rmdir and unlink. - -For instance, if a cache contains AFS data, the user might see the following: - - root>mount -t cachefs /dev/hdg9 /cache-hdg9 - root>ls -1 /cache-hdg9 - afs - root>ls -1 /cache-hdg9/afs - cambridge.redhat.com - root>ls -1 /cache-hdg9/afs/cambridge.redhat.com - root.afs - root.cell - -However, a block device that's going to be used for a cache must be prepared -before it can be mounted initially. This is done very simply by: - - echo "cachefs___" >/dev/hdg9 - -During the initial mount, the basic structure will be scribed into the cache, -and then a background thread will "recycle" the as-yet unused data blocks. - - -====================== -NETWORK FILESYSTEM API -====================== - -There is, of course, an API by which a network filesystem can make use of the -CacheFS facilities. This is based around a number of principles: - - (1) Every file and index is represented by a cookie. This cookie may or may - not have anything associated with it, but the netfs doesn't need to care. - - (2) Barring the top-level index (one entry per cached netfs), the index - hierarchy for each netfs is structured according the whim of the netfs. - - (3) Any netfs page being backed by the cache must have a small token - associated with it (possibly pointed to by page->private) so that CacheFS - can keep track of it. - -This API is declared in <linux/cachefs.h>. - - -NETWORK FILESYSTEM DEFINITION ------------------------------ - -CacheFS needs a description of the network filesystem. This is specified using -a record of the following structure: - - struct cachefs_netfs { - const char *name; - unsigned version; - struct cachefs_netfs_operations *ops; - struct cachefs_cookie *primary_index; - ... - }; - -This first three fields should be filled in before registration, and the fourth -will be filled in by the registration function; any other fields should just be -ignored and are for internal use only. - -The fields are: - - (1) The name of the netfs (used as the key in the toplevel index). - - (2) The version of the netfs (if the name matches but the version doesn't, the - entire on-disc hierarchy for this netfs will be scrapped and begun - afresh). - - (3) The operations table is defined as follows: - - struct cachefs_netfs_operations { - struct cachefs_page *(*get_page_cookie)(struct page *page); - }; - - The functions here must all be present. Currently the only one is: - - (a) get_page_cookie(): Get the token used to bind a page to a block in a - cache. This function should allocate it if it doesn't exist. - - Return -ENOMEM if there's not enough memory and -ENODATA if the page - just shouldn't be cached. - - Set *_page_cookie to point to the token and return 0 if there is now a - cookie. Note that the netfs must keep track of the cookie itself (and - free it later). page->private can be used for this (see below). - - (4) The cookie representing the primary index will be allocated according to - another parameter passed into the registration function. - -For example, kAFS (linux/fs/afs/) uses the following definitions to describe -itself: - - static struct cachefs_netfs_operations afs_cache_ops = { - .get_page_cookie = afs_cache_get_page_cookie, - }; - - struct cachefs_netfs afs_cache_netfs = { - .name = "afs", - .version = 0, - .ops = &afs_cache_ops, - }; - - -INDEX DEFINITION ----------------- - -Indexes are used for two purposes: - - (1) To speed up the finding of a file based on a series of keys (such as AFS's - "cell", "volume ID", "vnode ID"). - - (2) To make it easier to discard a subset of all the files cached based around - a particular key - for instance to mirror the removal of an AFS volume. - -However, since it's unlikely that any two netfs's are going to want to define -their index hierarchies in quite the same way, CacheFS tries to impose as few -restraints as possible on how an index is structured and where it is placed in -the tree. The netfs can even mix indexes and data files at the same level, but -it's not recommended. - -There are some limits on indexes: - - (1) All entries in any given index must be the same size. An array of such - entries needn't fit exactly into a page, but they will be not laid across - a page boundary. - - The netfs supplies a blob of data for each index entry, and CacheFS - provides an inode number and a flag. - - (2) The entries in one index can be of a different size to the entries in - another index. - - (3) The entry data must be journallable, and thus must be able to fit into an - update journal entry - this limits the maximum size to a little over 400 - bytes at present. - - (4) The index data must start with the key. The layout of the key is described - in the index definition, and this is used to display the key in some - appropriate way. - - (5) The depth of the index tree should be judged with care as the search - function is recursive. Too many layers will run the kernel out of stack. - -To define an index, a structure of the following type should be filled out: - - struct cachefs_index_def - { - uint8_t name[8]; - uint16_t data_size; - struct { - uint8_t type; - uint16_t len; - } keys[4]; - - cachefs_match_val_t (*match)(void *target_netfs_data, - const void *entry); - - void (*update)(void *source_netfs_data, void *entry); - }; - -This has the following fields: - - (1) The name of the index (NUL terminated unless all 8 chars are used). - - (2) The size of the data blob provided by the netfs. - - (3) A definition of the key(s) at the beginning of the blob. The netfs is - permitted to specify up to four keys. The total length must not exceed the - data size. It is assumed that the keys will be laid end to end in order, - starting at the first byte of the data. - - The type field specifies the way the data should be displayed. It can be - one of: - - (*) CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_NOTUSED - key field not used - (*) CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_BIN - display byte-by-byte in hex - (*) CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_ASCIIZ - NUL-terminated ASCII - (*) CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_IPV4ADDR - display as IPv4 address - (*) CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_IPV6ADDR - display as IPv6 address - - (4) A function to compare an in-page-cache index entry blob with the data - passed to the cookie acquisition function. This function can also be used - to extract data from the blob and copy it into the netfs's structures. - - The values this function can return are: - - (*) CACHEFS_MATCH_FAILED - failed to match - (*) CACHEFS_MATCH_SUCCESS - successful match - (*) CACHEFS_MATCH_SUCCESS_UPDATE - successful match, entry needs update - (*) CACHEFS_MATCH_SUCCESS_DELETE - entry should be deleted - - For example, in linux/fs/afs/vnode.c: - - static cachefs_match_val_t - afs_vnode_cache_match(void *target, const void *entry) - { - const struct afs_cache_vnode *cvnode = entry; - struct afs_vnode *vnode = target; - - if (vnode->fid.vnode != cvnode->vnode_id) - return CACHEFS_MATCH_FAILED; - - if (vnode->fid.unique != cvnode->vnode_unique || - vnode->status.version != cvnode->data_version) - return CACHEFS_MATCH_SUCCESS_DELETE; - - return CACHEFS_MATCH_SUCCESS; - } - - (5) A function to initialise or update an in-page-cache index entry blob from - netfs data passed to CacheFS by the netfs. This function should not assume - that there's any data yet in the in-page-cache. - - Continuing the above example: - - static void afs_vnode_cache_update(void *source, void *entry) - { - struct afs_cache_vnode *cvnode = entry; - struct afs_vnode *vnode = source; - - cvnode->vnode_id = vnode->fid.vnode; - cvnode->vnode_unique = vnode->fid.unique; - cvnode->data_version = vnode->status.version; - } - -To finish the above example, the index definition for the "vnode" level is as -follows: - - struct cachefs_index_def afs_vnode_cache_index_def = { - .name = "vnode", - .data_size = sizeof(struct afs_cache_vnode), - .keys[0] = { CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_BIN, 4 }, - .match = afs_vnode_cache_match, - .update = afs_vnode_cache_update, - }; - -The first element of struct afs_cache_vnode is the vnode ID. - -And for contrast, the cell index definition is: - - struct cachefs_index_def afs_cache_cell_index_def = { - .name = "cell_ix", - .data_size = sizeof(afs_cell_t), - .keys[0] = { CACHEFS_INDEX_KEYS_ASCIIZ, 64 }, - .match = afs_cell_cache_match, - .update = afs_cell_cache_update, - }; - -The cell index is the primary index for kAFS. - - -NETWORK FILESYSTEM (UN)REGISTRATION ------------------------------------ - -The first step is to declare the network filesystem to the cache. This also -involves specifying the layout of the primary index (for AFS, this would be the -"cell" level). - -The registration function is: - - int cachefs_register_netfs(struct cachefs_netfs *netfs, - struct cachefs_index_def *primary_idef); - -It just takes pointers to the netfs definition and the primary index -definition. It returns 0 or an error as appropriate. - -For kAFS, registration is done as follows: - - ret = cachefs_register_netfs(&afs_cache_netfs, - &afs_cache_cell_index_def); - -The last step is, of course, unregistration: - - void cachefs_unregister_netfs(struct cachefs_netfs *netfs); - - -INDEX REGISTRATION ------------------- - -The second step is to inform cachefs about part of an index hierarchy that can -be used to locate files. This is done by requesting a cookie for each index in -the path to the file: - - struct cachefs_cookie * - cachefs_acquire_cookie(struct cachefs_cookie *iparent, - struct cachefs_index_def *idef, - void *netfs_data); - -This function creates an index entry in the index represented by iparent, -loading the associated blob by calling iparent's update method with the -supplied netfs_data. - -It also creates a new index inode, formatted according to the definition -supplied in idef. The new cookie is then returned in *_cookie. - -Note that this function never returns an error - all errors are handled -internally. It may also return CACHEFS_NEGATIVE_COOKIE. It is quite acceptable -to pass this token back to this function as iparent (or even to the relinquish -cookie, read page and write page functions - see below). - -Note also that no indexes are actually created on disc until a data file needs -to be created somewhere down the hierarchy. Furthermore, an index may be -created in several different caches independently at different times. This is -all handled transparently, and the netfs doesn't see any of it. - -For example, with AFS, a cell would be added to the primary index. This index -entry would have a dependent inode containing a volume location index for the -volume mappings within this cell: - - cell->cache = - cachefs_acquire_cookie(afs_cache_netfs.primary_index, - &afs_vlocation_cache_index_def, - cell); - -Then when a volume location was accessed, it would be entered into the cell's -index and an inode would be allocated that acts as a volume type and hash chain -combination: - - vlocation->cache = - cachefs_acquire_cookie(cell->cache, - &afs_volume_cache_index_def, - vlocation); - -And then a particular flavour of volume (R/O for example) could be added to -that index, creating another index for vnodes (AFS inode equivalents): - - volume->cache = - cachefs_acquire_cookie(vlocation->cache, - &afs_vnode_cache_index_def, - volume); - - -DATA FILE REGISTRATION ----------------------- - -The third step is to request a data file be created in the cache. This is -almost identical to index cookie acquisition. The only difference is that a -NULL index definition is passed. - - vnode->cache = - cachefs_acquire_cookie(volume->cache, - NULL, - vnode); - - - -PAGE ALLOC/READ/WRITE ---------------------- - -And the fourth step is to propose a page be cached. There are two functions -that are used to do this. - -Firstly, the netfs should ask CacheFS to examine the caches and read the -contents cached for a particular page of a particular file if present, or else -allocate space to store the contents if not: - - typedef - void (*cachefs_rw_complete_t)(void *cookie_data, - struct page *page, - void *end_io_data, - int error); - - int cachefs_read_or_alloc_page(struct cachefs_cookie *cookie, - struct page *page, - cachefs_rw_complete_t end_io_func, - void *end_io_data, - unsigned long gfp); - -The cookie argument must specify a data file cookie, the page specified will -have the data loaded into it (and is also used to specify the page number), and -the gfp argument is used to control how any memory allocations made are satisfied. - -If the cookie indicates the inode is not cached: - - (1) The function will return -ENOBUFS. - -Else if there's a copy of the page resident on disc: - - (1) The function will submit a request to read the data off the disc directly - into the page specified. - - (2) The function will return 0. - - (3) When the read is complete, end_io_func() will be invoked with: - - (*) The netfs data supplied when the cookie was created. - - (*) The page descriptor. - - (*) The data passed to the above function. - - (*) An argument that's 0 on success or negative for an error. - - If an error occurs, it should be assumed that the page contains no usable - data. - -Otherwise, if there's not a copy available on disc: - - (1) A block may be allocated in the cache and attached to the inode at the - appropriate place. - - (2) The validity journal will be marked to indicate this page does not yet - contain valid data. - - (3) The function will return -ENODATA. - - -Secondly, if the netfs changes the contents of the page (either due to an -initial download or if a user performs a write), then the page should be -written back to the cache: - - int cachefs_write_page(struct cachefs_cookie *cookie, - struct page *page, - cachefs_rw_complete_t end_io_func, - void *end_io_data, - unsigned long gfp); - -The cookie argument must specify a data file cookie, the page specified should -contain the data to be written (and is also used to specify the page number), -and the gfp argument is used to control how any memory allocations made are -satisfied. - -If the cookie indicates the inode is not cached then: - - (1) The function will return -ENOBUFS. - -Else if there's a block allocated on disc to hold this page: - - (1) The function will submit a request to write the data to the disc directly - from the page specified. - - (2) The function will return 0. - - (3) When the write is complete: - - (a) Any associated validity journal entry will be cleared (the block now - contains valid data as far as CacheFS is concerned). - - (b) end_io_func() will be invoked with: - - (*) The netfs data supplied when the cookie was created. - - (*) The page descriptor. - - (*) The data passed to the above function. - - (*) An argument that's 0 on success or negative for an error. - - If an error happens, it can be assumed that the page has been - discarded from the cache. - - -PAGE UNCACHING --------------- - -To uncache a page, this function should be called: - - void cachefs_uncache_page(struct cachefs_cookie *cookie, - struct page *page); - -This detaches the page specified from the data file indicated by the cookie and -unbinds it from the underlying block. - -Note that pages can't be explicitly detached from the a data file. The whole -data file must be retired (see the relinquish cookie function below). - -Furthermore, note that this does not cancel the asynchronous read or write -operation started by the read/alloc and write functions. - - -INDEX AND DATA FILE UPDATE --------------------------- - -To request an update of the index data for an index or data file, the following -function should be called: - - void cachefs_update_cookie(struct cachefs_cookie *cookie); - -This function will refer back to the netfs_data pointer stored in the cookie by -the acquisition function to obtain the data to write into each revised index -entry. The update method in the parent index definition will be called to -transfer the data. - - -INDEX AND DATA FILE UNREGISTRATION ----------------------------------- - -To get rid of a cookie, this function should be called. - - void cachefs_relinquish_cookie(struct cachefs_cookie *cookie, - int retire); - -If retire is non-zero, then the index or file will be marked for recycling, and -all copies of it will be removed from all active caches in which it is present. - -If retire is zero, then the inode may be available again next the the -acquisition function is called. - -One very important note - relinquish must NOT be called unless all "child" -indexes, files and pages have been relinquished first. - - -PAGE TOKEN MANAGEMENT ---------------------- - -As previously mentioned, the netfs must keep a token associated with each page -currently actively backed by the cache. This is used by CacheFS to go from a -page to the internal representation of the underlying block and back again. It -is particularly important for managing the withdrawal of a cache whilst it is -in active service (eg: it got unmounted). - -The token is this: - - struct cachefs_page { - ... - }; - -Note that all fields are for internal CacheFS use only. - -The token only needs to be allocated when CacheFS asks for it. This it will do -by calling the get_page_cookie() method in the netfs definition ops table. Once -allocated, the same token should be presented every time the method is called -again for a particular page. - -The token should be retained by the netfs, and should be deleted only after the -page has been uncached. - -One way to achieve this is to attach the token to page->private (and set the -PG_private bit on the page) once allocated. Shortcut routines are provided by -CacheFS to do this. Firstly, to retrieve if present and allocate if not: - - struct cachefs_page *cachefs_page_get_private(struct page *page, - unsigned gfp); - -Secondly to retrieve if present and BUG if not: - - static inline - struct cachefs_page *cachefs_page_grab_private(struct page *page); - -To clean up the tokens, the netfs inode hosting the page should be provided -with address space operations that circumvent the buffer-head operations for a -page. For instance: - - struct address_space_operations afs_fs_aops = { - ... - .sync_page = block_sync_page, - .set_page_dirty = __set_page_dirty_nobuffers, - .releasepage = afs_file_releasepage, - .invalidatepage = afs_file_invalidatepage, - }; - - static int afs_file_invalidatepage(struct page *page, - unsigned long offset) - { - struct afs_vnode *vnode = AFS_FS_I(page->mapping->host); - int ret = 1; - - BUG_ON(!PageLocked(page)); - if (!PagePrivate(page)) - return 1; - cachefs_uncache_page(vnode->cache,page); - if (offset == 0) - return 1; - BUG_ON(!PageLocked(page)); - if (PageWriteback(page)) - return 0; - return page->mapping->a_ops->releasepage(page, 0); - } - - static int afs_file_releasepage(struct page *page, int gfp_flags) - { - struct cachefs_page *token; - struct afs_vnode *vnode = AFS_FS_I(page->mapping->host); - - if (PagePrivate(page)) { - cachefs_uncache_page(vnode->cache, page); - token = (struct cachefs_page *) page->private; - page->private = 0; - ClearPagePrivate(page); - if (token) - kfree(token); - } - return 0; - } - - -INDEX AND DATA FILE INVALIDATION --------------------------------- - -There is no direct way to invalidate an index subtree or a data file. To do -this, the caller should relinquish and retire the cookie they have, and then -acquire a new one.
Documentation/filesystems/caching/backend-api.txt +317 -0
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Documentation/filesystems/caching/cachefs.txt +274 -0
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Documentation/filesystems/caching/fscache.txt +94 -0
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Documentation/filesystems/caching/netfs-api.txt +583 -0
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