On Mon, Apr 13, 2020 at 12:46:00PM -0700, Darrick J. Wong wrote: > From: Darrick J. Wong <darrick.wong@xxxxxxxxxx> > > Dave and I had a short discussion about whether or not xattr trees > needed to have the same free space tracking that directories have, and > a comparison of how each of the two metadata types interact with > dabtrees resulted. I've reworked this a bit to make it flow better as a > book chapter, so here we go. > > Original-mail: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-xfs/20200404085203.1908-1-chandanrlinux@xxxxxxxxx/T/#mdd12ad06cf5d635772cc38946fc5b22e349e136f > Originally-from: Dave Chinner <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Signed-off-by: Darrick J. Wong <darrick.wong@xxxxxxxxxx> > --- > v2: various fixes suggested by Dave; reflow the paragraphs about > directories to describe the relations between dabtree and dirents only once; > don't talk about an unnamed "we". > --- Looks good to me. Reviewed-by: Bill O'Donnell <billodo@xxxxxxxxxx> > .../extended_attributes.asciidoc | 55 ++++++++++++++++++++ > 1 file changed, 55 insertions(+) > > diff --git a/design/XFS_Filesystem_Structure/extended_attributes.asciidoc b/design/XFS_Filesystem_Structure/extended_attributes.asciidoc > index 99f7b35..b7a6007 100644 > --- a/design/XFS_Filesystem_Structure/extended_attributes.asciidoc > +++ b/design/XFS_Filesystem_Structure/extended_attributes.asciidoc > @@ -910,3 +910,58 @@ Log sequence number of the last write to this block. > > Filesystems formatted prior to v5 do not have this header in the remote block. > Value data begins immediately at offset zero. > + > +== Key Differences Between Directories and Extended Attributes > + > +Though directories and extended attributes can take advantage of the same > +variable length record btree structures (i.e. the dabtree) to map name hashes > +to directory entry records (dirent records) or extended attribute records, > +there are major differences in the ways that each of those users embed the > +btree within the information that they are storing. The directory dabtree leaf > +nodes contain mappings between a name hash and the location of a dirent record > +inside the directory entry segment. Extended attributes, on the other hand, > +store attribute records directly in the leaf nodes of the dabtree. > + > +When XFS adds or removes an attribute record in any dabtree, it splits or > +merges leaf nodes of the tree based on where the name hash index determines a > +record needs to be inserted into or removed. In the attribute dabtree, XFS > +splits or merges sparse leaf nodes of the dabtree as a side effect of inserting > +or removing attribute records. > + > +Directories, however, are subject to stricter constraints. The userspace > +readdir/seekdir/telldir directory cookie API places a requirement on the > +directory structure that dirent record cookie cannot change for the life of the > +dirent record. XFS uses the dirent record's logical offset into the directory > +data segment as the cookie, and hence the dirent record cannot change location. > +Therefore, XFS cannot store dirent records in the leaf nodes of the dabtree > +because the offset into the tree would change as other entries are inserted and > +removed. > + > +Dirent records are therefore stored within directory data blocks, all of which > +are mapped in the first directory segment. The directory dabtree is mapped > +into the second directory segment. Therefore, directory blocks require > +external free space tracking because they are not part of the dabtree itself. > +Because the dabtree only stores pointers to dirent records in the first data > +segment, there is no need to leave holes in the dabtree itself. The dabtree > +splits or merges leaf nodes as required as pointers to the directory data > +segment are added or removed, and needs no free space tracking. > + > +When XFS adds a dirent record, it needs to find the best-fitting free space in > +the directory data segment to turn into the new record. This requires a free > +space index for the directory data segment. The free space index is held in > +the third directory segment. Once XFS has used the free space index to find > +the block with that best free space, it modifies the directory data block and > +updates the dabtree to point the name hash at the new record. When XFS removes > +dirent records, it leaves hole in the data segment so that the rest of the > +entries do not move, and removes the corresponding dabtree name hash mapping. > + > +Note that for small directories, XFS collapses the name hash mappings and > +the free space information into the directory data blocks to save space. > + > +In summary, the requirement for a free space map in the directory structure > +results from storing the dirent records externally to the dabtree. Attribute > +records are stored directly in the dabtree leaf nodes of the dabtree (except > +for remote attribute values which can be anywhere in the attr fork address > +space) and do not need external free space tracking to determine where to best > +insert them. As a result, extended attributes exhibit nearly perfect scaling > +until the computer runs out of memory. >
