Re: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias

[Cornelia Huck <cohuck@redhat.com>]

On Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:58:04 +0000
Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com> wrote:

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Cornelia Huck <cohuck@redhat.com>
> > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2019 6:09 PM
> > To: Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com>
> > Cc: alex.williamson@redhat.com; Jiri Pirko <jiri@mellanox.com>;
> > kwankhede@nvidia.com; davem@davemloft.net; kvm@vger.kernel.org; linux-
> > kernel@vger.kernel.org; netdev@vger.kernel.org
> > Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias
> > 
> > On Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:33:22 +0000
> > Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com> wrote:
> >   
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Cornelia Huck <cohuck@redhat.com>
> > > > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2019 2:47 PM
> > > > To: Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com>
> > > > Cc: alex.williamson@redhat.com; Jiri Pirko <jiri@mellanox.com>;
> > > > kwankhede@nvidia.com; davem@davemloft.net; kvm@vger.kernel.org;
> > > > linux- kernel@vger.kernel.org; netdev@vger.kernel.org
> > > > Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 1/6] mdev: Introduce sha1 based mdev alias
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:18:59 -0500
> > > > Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com> wrote:
> > > >  
> > > > > Some vendor drivers want an identifier for an mdev device that is
> > > > > shorter than the UUID, due to length restrictions in the consumers
> > > > > of that identifier.
> > > > >
> > > > > Add a callback that allows a vendor driver to request an alias of
> > > > > a specified length to be generated for an mdev device. If
> > > > > generated, that alias is checked for collisions.
> > > > >
> > > > > It is an optional attribute.
> > > > > mdev alias is generated using sha1 from the mdev name.
> > > > >
> > > > > Signed-off-by: Parav Pandit <parav@mellanox.com>
> > > > >
> > > > > ---
> > > > > Changelog:
> > > > > v1->v2:
> > > > >  - Kept mdev_device naturally aligned
> > > > >  - Added error checking for crypt_*() calls
> > > > >  - Corrected a typo from 'and' to 'an'
> > > > >  - Changed return type of generate_alias() from int to char*
> > > > > v0->v1:
> > > > >  - Moved alias length check outside of the parent lock
> > > > >  - Moved alias and digest allocation from kvzalloc to kzalloc
> > > > >  - &alias[0] changed to alias
> > > > >  - alias_length check is nested under get_alias_length callback
> > > > > check
> > > > >  - Changed comments to start with an empty line
> > > > >  - Fixed cleaunup of hash if mdev_bus_register() fails
> > > > >  - Added comment where alias memory ownership is handed over to
> > > > > mdev device
> > > > >  - Updated commit log to indicate motivation for this feature
> > > > > ---
> > > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c    | 123  
> > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-  
> > > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h |   5 +-
> > > > >  drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_sysfs.c   |  13 ++--
> > > > >  include/linux/mdev.h             |   4 +
> > > > >  4 files changed, 135 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)  
> >   
> > > > ...and detached from the local variable here. Who is freeing it? The
> > > > comment states that it is done by the mdev, but I don't see it?
> > > >  
> > > mdev_device_free() frees it.  
> > 
> > Ah yes, I overlooked the kfree().
> >   
> > > once its assigned to mdev, mdev is the owner of it.
> > >  
> > > > This detour via the local variable looks weird to me. Can you either
> > > > create the alias directly in the mdev (would need to happen later in
> > > > the function, but I'm not sure why you generate the alias before
> > > > checking for duplicates anyway), or do an explicit copy?  
> > > Alias duplicate check is done after generating it, because duplicate alias are  
> > not allowed.  
> > > The probability of collision is rare.
> > > So it is speculatively generated without hold the lock, because there is no  
> > need to hold the lock.  
> > > It is compared along with guid while mutex lock is held in single loop.
> > > And if it is duplicate, there is no need to allocate mdev.
> > >
> > > It will be sub optimal to run through the mdev list 2nd time after mdev  
> > creation and after generating alias for duplicate check.
> > 
> > Ok, but what about copying it? I find this "set local variable to NULL after
> > ownership is transferred" pattern a bit unintuitive. Copying it to the mdev (and
> > then unconditionally freeing it) looks more obvious to me.  
> Its not unconditionally freed. 

That's not what I have been saying :(

> Its freed in the error unwinding path.
> I think its ok along with the comment that describes this error path area.

It is not wrong, but I'm not sure I like it.