This debug patch series is base on '[PATCH v3] aoe: fix the potential use-after-free problem in more places' for tracking the reference count of using net_device in aoeif. It adds a nd_pcpu_refcnt field in aoeif structure. And two wrappers, nd_dev_hold() and nd_dev_put() are used to call dev_hold(nd)/dev_put(nd) and maintain ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt at the same time. Defined DEBUG to the top of the aoe.h can enable the tracking function. The nd_pcpu_refcnt will be printed to debugfs: rttavg: 249029 rttdev: 1781043 nskbpool: 0 kicked: 0 maxbcnt: 1024 ref: 0 falloc: 36 ffree: 0000000013c0033f 52540054c48e:0:16:16 ssthresh:8 taint:0 r:1270 w:8 enp1s0:1 <-- the aoeif->nd_pcpu_refcnt is behind nd->name The value of aoeif->nd_pcpu_refcnt will also be printed when 'rmmod aoe': [23412.255237][ T2857] aoe: enp1s0->refcnt: 32, aoeif->nd_refcnt: 0 Using kernel dynamic debug can print more detail log but it causes extra overhead: echo -n 'file drivers/block/aoe/* +p' > /sys/kernel/debug/dynamic_debug/control [ 6961.938642] aoe: tx dev_put enp1s0->refcnt: 31, aoeif->nd_refcnt: 1 [ 7023.368814] aoe: aoecmd_cfg_pkts dev_hold lo->refcnt: 30 [ 7023.370530] aoe: aoecmd_cfg_pkts dev_hold enp1s0->refcnt: 32, aoeif->nd_refcnt: 2 [ 7023.372977] aoe: tx dev_put lo->refcnt: 29 [ 7023.375147] aoe: tx dev_put enp1s0->refcnt: 31, aoeif->nd_refcnt: 1 Normally, after one operation of aoe, the aoeif->nd_refcnt should be shown as '1' which means that calls of dev_hold(nd)/dev_put(nd) are balanced. The final '1' reference of net_device will be removed when rmmod aoe. Chun-Yi Lee (2): aoe: add reference count in aoeif for tracking the using of net_device aoe: using wrappers instead of dev_hold/dev_put for tracking the references of net_device in aoeif drivers/block/aoe/aoe.h | 84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ drivers/block/aoe/aoeblk.c | 5 +++ drivers/block/aoe/aoecmd.c | 24 +++++------ drivers/block/aoe/aoedev.c | 23 ++++++++++- drivers/block/aoe/aoenet.c | 2 +- 5 files changed, 124 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-) -- 2.35.3