Return-Path: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 7.2 \(1874\)) Subject: Re: Background scanning and white list usage From: Marcel Holtmann In-Reply-To: <5318E560.6050200@openbossa.org> Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2014 23:30:14 -0800 Cc: Johan Hedberg , linux-bluetooth@vger.kernel.org Message-Id: <674370E9-FCF0-43B1-B93C-D42778313642@holtmann.org> References: <20140228064422.GA28466@localhost.P-661HNU-F1> <5318E560.6050200@openbossa.org> To: Andre Guedes Sender: linux-bluetooth-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: Hi Andre, >>>> The complicated part comes into play when we have devices with >>>> LE Privacy enabled and when they are using resolvable private >>>> addresses. Meaning when our IRK list is populated with identity >>>> addresses and their IRKs. The only way to make this work with the >>>> current available controller features is if we program the RPA >>>> into the white list. Since that RPA is going to change over time, >>>> we need to stop scanning with the white list filter every now and >>>> then, scan for all devices and resolve the RPA. If we see a new >>>> RPA for a know IRK, we have to replace the old RPA in the white >>>> list with the new RPA. And then we go back to scanning with the >>>> white list filter policy. >>>> >>>> Now the important question is what are good enough intervals to >>>> make this work smoothly. Devices using LE Privacy will take a hit >>>> in their re-connection time, but that is what we have to trade in >>>> for compared to waking up the host for every single advertising >>>> packet. >>>> >>>> My initial idea is to scan 5 minutes using the white list, then >>>> scan 10 seconds without the white list, then back to 5 minutes >>>> using the white list and so on. >>>> >>>> The default value for the PRA lifetime according to the >>>> specification is 15 minutes. I timed recent iOS devices which >>>> seem to be using 9 minutes intervals. So we have to play a little >>>> bit with this and see what are good values. >>>> >>>> Maybe 3 minutes white list scan and 5 seconds without white list >>>> is better. Things to try out. >>> >>> I don't think this is a good idea at all. With LE starting >>> advertising is typically seen as the initiating action of >>> connection creation (unlike with BR/EDR where HCI_Create_Connection >>> is the initiating action). Typically peripherals mean "connect to >>> me now!" when they start connectable advertising. >>> >>> Let's stay you switch on your peripheral device, or it comes into >>> range you haven't used it for some time (hours or even days). If >>> it's using RPAs it's pretty much guaranteed to have a different one >>> than what we know of and even if we're using 3 minutes white list >>> scanning the user is on average going to have to wait for 1.5 >>> minutes for the device to get connected which is not acceptable >>> behavior (the extreme example would be if this is a keyboard or a >>> mouse which you start using for the first time in the morning - >>> moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard should certainly >>> get you a connection in less than 1 second). >> >> HID devices would suffer the most here. Fully agree here. >> >> However since neither Microsoft Windows nor OS X can deal with RPAs >> at the moment, I do not think we are entering a dangerous zone here >> from an interoperability point of view. Actually Windows 8.1 is not >> able to connect to any random address for that matter. >> >> My point is that we certainly not make it worse. > > HoG is not the only problem. I'm afraid delaying re-connection 3-5 > minutes we might become others profiles impractical (e.g. Fob keeps > beeping even if it is beside the cellphone). to be honest not every bonded device needs to auto-reconnect. So this might all work out and when resolution in the controller becomes available, it can be nicely switched over. >>> I fully understand the desire to use the white list as it's a very >>> nice power saving feature, but I don't think we can win here as >>> long as we don't have a way to have the controller do the resolving >>> for us. >>> >>> One thing we could potentially try to do (but which I doubt is >>> really worth it in the end) is to track the age of resolved RPAs. >>> If we have an RPA which was resolved say less than 5 minutes ago we >>> consider it appropriate to place into the white list. Otherwise we >>> skip using the white list. >> >> I was thinking about this as well. Over time we could learn the age >> of a RPA and thus schedule the scanning without white list times most >> efficient. Frankly, I want to get the white list usage going first. >> As long as you only have public or static addresses, it is the way to >> go. And then we optimize it when we have to deal with RPAs. > > I agree with Johan about this aging approach, I seems not worthy. Honestly, I don't see how we would properly deal with white list and LE Privacy issue by now. As I said, we try out best and see how it works out. The interval can be tweaked of course. >> We can not close our eyes to iOS devices using RPAs and I am not >> willing to take the power hit of getting flooded with advertising >> reports. > > To fix this other issue (advertising flooding), filtering duplicates is just fine. > > The problem with enabling filter duplicates in background scan happens in the following scenario: > * Background scan is running. > * A device disconnects and starts advertising. > * Before host gets the disconnect event, the advertising is reported > to host. Since there is no pending LE connection at that time, > nothing happens. > * Host gets the disconnection event and adds a pending connection. > * No advertising is reported (since controller is filtering) and the > connection is never established. that is why we have to disable and re-enable scanning from time to time. > To address this scenario, all we have to do is: always restart background scan when a new LE pending connection is added. This way, we unsure that we don't miss the advertising report. > > If you guys agree with this approach I can write the patches. I want to start using the white list for scanning. That is our next step. Regards Marcel