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Re: svn commit: r1040832 - Port a fix for a FSFS packing race

From: Daniel Shahaf <d.s_at_daniel.shahaf.name>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 15:16:37 +0200

Julian Foad wrote on Wed, Dec 01, 2010 at 12:32:45 +0000:
> On Wed, 2010-12-01, stefan2_at_apache.org wrote:
> > Port (not merge) a fix for a FSFS packing race condition from the
> > performance branch to /trunk: There is a slight time window
> > between finding the name of a rev file and actually open it. If
> > the revision in question gets packed just within this window,
> > we will find the new (and final) file name with just one retry.
> >
> > * subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.c
> > (open_pack_or_rev_file): retry once upon "missing file" error
>
> Hi Stefan.
>
> (1) I think the doc string of svn_fs_fs__path_rev_absolute() should note
> that the returned path may no longer be valid by the time you come to
> use it, and the reason for that. Does my patch below sound right?
>

Well, yes, and Stefan already added such a comment at the definition at
my suggestion. But +1 to move that to the declaration.

> (2) Doesn't the exact same race exist in *all* uses of
> svn_fs_fs__path_rev_absolute()? There are five other calls to it,

As far as I can tell, apart from open_pack_or_rev_file(), all callers
always[1] run under the write lock. Since pack operation take the write
lock too, it's not possible for the result of svn_fs_fs__path_rev_absolute()
to become outdated for those callers.

[1] with the exception of set_revision_proplist(), which can be called
either under the write lock or under write_revision_zero() --- but in
the latter case it's called before the format file has been created.

> all of them using the result as a permissions reference to set the
> file permissions on some new file. It seems to me that those uses can
> fail in the same way.
>
> The root problem is the existence of a "get the path of this file" API
> in the presence of semantics whereby the file might be removed from that
> path at any time.
>
> Perhaps your fix is the best fix for this caller, but for the other
> callers I think creating and using a "copy file permissions from
> rev-file of rev R" API would be a better solution than adding re-tries
> there. That API can do the re-try internally.
>
> What do you think?
>
>
> Patch for (1) above:
> [[[
> Index: subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.h
> ===================================================================
> --- subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.h (revision 1040662)
> +++ subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.h (working copy)
> @@ -404,13 +404,16 @@ svn_error_t *svn_fs_fs__txn_changes_fetc
> PERMS_REFERENCE. Temporary allocations are from POOL. */
> svn_error_t *svn_fs_fs__move_into_place(const char *old_filename,
> const char *new_filename,
> const char *perms_reference,
> apr_pool_t *pool);
>
> -/* Sets *PATH to the path of REV in FS, whether in a pack file or not.
> +/* Set *PATH to the path of REV in FS, whether in a pack file or not.
> + The path is not guaranteed to remain correct after the function returns,
> + because it is possible that the revision will become packed just after
> + this call, so the caller should re-try once if the path is not found.
> Allocate in POOL. */

Sounds right.

Bordering on bikeshed, I would suggest some changes:

* Separate describing what the function does ("Sets *PATH to FOO and
  allocates in POOL") from describing the conditions the caller should
  beware of / check for ("sometimes the return value will be out-of-date
  by the time you receive it").

* Mention that the non-guarantee is not in effect if the caller has the
  write lock.

> svn_error_t *
> svn_fs_fs__path_rev_absolute(const char **path,
> svn_fs_t *fs,
> svn_revnum_t rev,
> apr_pool_t *pool);

Also, svn_fs_fs__path_rev_absolute() also does, internally, a single
repeat loop. Theoretically this isn't needed any more now (since all
callers either run under the write lock or retry)...

> ]]]
>
> - Julian
>
>
Received on 2010-12-01 14:18:44 CET

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