2001-04-09 03:25:57

by warren

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: race condition on looking up inodes



Hi,
I had post a simillar message before.
Thanks for the replay from Albert D. Cahalan. But i found some results
confusing me.
For example, process 1 and process 2 run concurrently and execute the
following system calls.

rename("/usr/hybrid/cfg/data","/usr/mytemp/data1"); /*for process 1*/

----------------------------------------------------------------

rename("/usr/mytemp/data1","/usr/test");/* for process 2*/

----------------------------------------------------------------
It is possible that context switch happens when process 1 is look ing up
the inode for "/usr/mytemp/data1" or the inode for "/usr/hybrid/cfg/data".

It will result in diffrent behaviour for process 2 and confuses the
application.
If so,how does Linux solve?

Thanks.


Warren


2001-04-09 04:40:20

by Alexander Viro

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: race condition on looking up inodes



On Mon, 9 Apr 2001, warren wrote:

>
>
> Hi,
> I had post a simillar message before.
> Thanks for the replay from Albert D. Cahalan. But i found some results
> confusing me.
> For example, process 1 and process 2 run concurrently and execute the
> following system calls.
>
> rename("/usr/hybrid/cfg/data","/usr/mytemp/data1"); /*for process 1*/
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> rename("/usr/mytemp/data1","/usr/test");/* for process 2*/

> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> It is possible that context switch happens when process 1 is look ing up
> the inode for "/usr/mytemp/data1" or the inode for "/usr/hybrid/cfg/data".

> It will result in diffrent behaviour for process 2 and confuses the
> application.

> If so,how does Linux solve?

Solves what, precisely? Result depends on the order of these calls. If
you don't provide any serialization - you get timing-dependent results
you were asking for. What's the problem and what behaviour do you expect?

Besides, what's the difference caused by the moment of context switch?

2001-04-09 05:04:05

by Bernd Eckenfels

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: race condition on looking up inodes

In article <000201c0c0a4$eb5c7b10$321ea8c0@saturn> you wrote:
> rename("/usr/hybrid/cfg/data","/usr/mytemp/data1"); /*for process 1*/
> rename("/usr/mytemp/data1","/usr/test");/* for process 2*/

Rename syscall is expected to be atomic on unixoid systems. And I dont know of
a case where a problem is, besides if you use some network file system, where
nobody can realy gurantee anything (well kidding, but it is harder than on a
local one).

The second rename may see the result of the first rename or the original state
before the first rename. It will not see any half-state or locked nodes.

Greetings
Bernd