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Re: [PATCH 7/7][TAKE5] ext4: support new modes

To: Andreas Dilger <adilger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 7/7][TAKE5] ext4: support new modes
From: "Amit K. Arora" <aarora@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:37:52 +0530
Cc: linux-fsdevel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, linux-ext4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, David Chinner <dgc@xxxxxxx>, suparna@xxxxxxxxxx, cmm@xxxxxxxxxx, xfs@xxxxxxxxxxx
In-reply-to: <20070625215625.GL5181@schatzie.adilger.int>
References: <20070511110301.GB28425@in.ibm.com> <20070512080157.GF85884050@sgi.com> <20070612061652.GA6320@amitarora.in.ibm.com> <20070613235217.GS86004887@sgi.com> <20070614091458.GH5181@schatzie.adilger.int> <20070614120413.GD86004887@sgi.com> <20070614193347.GN5181@schatzie.adilger.int> <20070625132810.GA1951@amitarora.in.ibm.com> <20070625135051.GH1951@amitarora.in.ibm.com> <20070625215625.GL5181@schatzie.adilger.int>
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On Mon, Jun 25, 2007 at 03:56:25PM -0600, Andreas Dilger wrote:
> On Jun 25, 2007  19:20 +0530, Amit K. Arora wrote:
> > @@ -2499,7 +2500,8 @@ long ext4_fallocate(struct inode *inode,
> >      * currently supporting (pre)allocate mode for extent-based
> >      * files _only_
> >      */
> > -   if (mode != FA_ALLOCATE || !(EXT4_I(inode)->i_flags & EXT4_EXTENTS_FL))
> > +   if (!(EXT4_I(inode)->i_flags & EXT4_EXTENTS_FL) ||
> > +           !(mode == FA_ALLOCATE || mode == FA_RESV_SPACE))
> >             return -EOPNOTSUPP;
> 
> This should probably just check for the individual flags it can support
> (e.g. no FA_FL_DEALLOC, no FA_FL_DEL_DATA).

Hmm.. I am thinking of a scenario when the file system supports some
individual flags, but does not support a particular combination of them.
Just for example sake, assume we have FA_ZERO_SPACE mode also. Now, if a
file system supports FA_ZERO_SPACE, FA_ALLOCATE, FA_DEALLOCATE and
FA_RESV_SPACE; and no other mode (i.e. FA_UNRESV_SPACE is not supported
for some reason). This means that although we support FA_FL_DEALLOC,
FA_FL_KEEP_SIZE and FA_FL_DEL_DATA flags, but we do not support the
combination of all these flags (which is nothing but FA_UNRESV_SPACE).
 
> I also thought another proposed flag was to determine whether mtime (and
> maybe ctime) is changed when doing prealloc/dealloc space?  Default should
> probably be to change mtime/ctime, and have FA_FL_NO_MTIME.  Someone else
> should decide if we want to allow changing the file w/o changing ctime, if
> that is required even though the file is not visibly changing.  Maybe the
> ctime update should be implicit if the size or mtime are changing?

Is it really required ? I mean, why should we allow users not to update
ctime/mtime even if the file metadata/data gets updated ? It sounds
a bit "unnatural" to me.
Is there any application scenario in your mind, when you suggest of
giving this flexibility to userspace ?

I think, modifying ctime/mtime should be dependent on the other flags.
E.g., if we do not zero out data blocks on allocation/deallocation,
update only ctime. Otherwise, update ctime and mtime both.

--
Regards,
Amit Arora


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