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From: Steve Lord <lord@xfs.org>
To: Linux Kernel <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: negative dentry_stat.nr_unused causes aggressive dcache pruning
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 16:16:52 -0600	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <41B77D54.4080909@xfs.org> (raw)


I have seen this stat go negative (just from booting up a multi cpu box),
and looking at the code, it is manipulated without locking in a number
of places. I have only seen this in real life on a 2.4 kernel, but 2.6
also looks vulnerable.

In 2.4 this can cause shrink_dcache_memory to attempt to push the whole
dcache out by calling prune_dcache with a negative parameter, prune_dcache
just keeps going until count hits zero or the dentry_unused list
empties.

In 2.6 kernels I do not see a real use of the variable which would cause harm,
although is someone was to start relying on more than -1 coming back from
shrink_dcache_memory there might be problems.

The problem code is dput which is the only place it is manipulated
without the dcache lock.

nr_dentry is not mp safe either, but no one depends on that.

Steve



             reply	other threads:[~2004-12-08 22:21 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 7+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2004-12-08 22:16 Steve Lord [this message]
2004-12-08 23:01 ` Greg Banks
2004-12-09 10:09 ` Andrew Morton
2004-12-09 16:33   ` Steve Lord
2004-12-09 20:54   ` Steve Lord
2004-12-09 21:19     ` Andrew Morton
2004-12-09 21:51       ` Steve Lord

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