Return-Path: linux-nfs-owner@vger.kernel.org Received: from natasha.panasas.com ([67.152.220.90]:44894 "EHLO natasha.panasas.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751366Ab2AYTFG (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:05:06 -0500 Message-ID: <4F20524C.6030704@panasas.com> Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:04:44 +0200 From: Boaz Harrosh MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Chuck Lever CC: Jim Rees , Srinivas KANDAGATLA , , , , , Subject: Re: [RFC:PATCH 3.1.0] do_mount: Add mount retry option for nfs root mount. References: <1327503003-21722-1-git-send-email-srinivas.kandagatla@st.com> <4F202BD4.5020400@panasas.com> <20120125183200.GA26907@umich.edu> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Sender: linux-nfs-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 01/25/2012 08:52 PM, Chuck Lever wrote: > > >> I always thought that was inconsistent. With an hard mount NFS >> will never give up and will retry for ever freezing all IOers until >> the server came back. Only with root-mount it gives up. > > Not true, user space mount can also give up. See nfs(5), the retry= > option. This is not NFS I/O we're talking about here, there is no > risk of data corruption. So "hard" versus "soft" does not apply. > OK I see your point >> Please explain what is the benefits of giving up at all. Can a machine >> be at all usable without it's root? > > There are several different root file system options built into the > kernel. NFSROOT is but one. Each is tried in succession. If NFSROOT > never gives up, then the others that follow it are never tried. > OK I did not know that. Thanks for the explanation, good to know. In the few times I tried NFSROOT I never setup an alternative. I wish that in the case that the NFSROOT is the only option it would keep trying. When the Kernel does not find it's root it panics, I know. If the sata disk is not there, it's not there. But with NFSROOT there is a good chance it will come up soon. (We all saw the same power outage and the server is slow to boot) I just think it could be more user friendly that's all Thanks Boaz