1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
7 The FS-Cache system provides an API by which actual caches can be supplied to
8 FS-Cache for it to then serve out to network filesystems and other interested
9 parties. This API is used by::
11 #include <linux/fscache-cache.h>.
17 Interaction with the API is handled on three levels: cache, volume and data
18 storage, and each level has its own type of cookie object:
20 ======================= =======================
22 ======================= =======================
23 Cache cookie struct fscache_cache
24 Volume cookie struct fscache_volume
25 Data storage cookie struct fscache_cookie
26 ======================= =======================
28 Cookies are used to provide some filesystem data to the cache, manage state and
29 pin the cache during access in addition to acting as reference points for the
30 API functions. Each cookie has a debugging ID that is included in trace points
31 to make it easier to correlate traces. Note, though, that debugging IDs are
32 simply allocated from incrementing counters and will eventually wrap.
34 The cache backend and the network filesystem can both ask for cache cookies -
35 and if they ask for one of the same name, they'll get the same cookie. Volume
36 and data cookies, however, are created at the behest of the filesystem only.
42 Caches are represented in the API by cache cookies. These are objects of
45 struct fscache_cache {
47 unsigned int debug_id;
52 There are a few fields that the cache backend might be interested in. The
53 ``debug_id`` can be used in tracing to match lines referring to the same cache
54 and ``name`` is the name the cache was registered with. The ``cache_priv``
55 member is private data provided by the cache when it is brought online. The
56 other fields are for internal use.
62 When a cache backend wants to bring a cache online, it should first register
63 the cache name and that will get it a cache cookie. This is done with::
65 struct fscache_cache *fscache_acquire_cache(const char *name);
67 This will look up and potentially create a cache cookie. The cache cookie may
68 have already been created by a network filesystem looking for it, in which case
69 that cache cookie will be used. If the cache cookie is not in use by another
70 cache, it will be moved into the preparing state, otherwise it will return
73 If successful, the cache backend can then start setting up the cache. In the
74 event that the initialisation fails, the cache backend should call::
76 void fscache_relinquish_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache);
78 to reset and discard the cookie.
81 Bringing a Cache Online
82 =======================
84 Once the cache is set up, it can be brought online by calling::
86 int fscache_add_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache,
87 const struct fscache_cache_ops *ops,
90 This stores the cache operations table pointer and cache private data into the
91 cache cookie and moves the cache to the active state, thereby allowing accesses
95 Withdrawing a Cache From Service
96 ================================
98 The cache backend can withdraw a cache from service by calling this function::
100 void fscache_withdraw_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache);
102 This moves the cache to the withdrawn state to prevent new cache- and
103 volume-level accesses from starting and then waits for outstanding cache-level
104 accesses to complete.
106 The cache must then go through the data storage objects it has and tell fscache
107 to withdraw them, calling::
109 void fscache_withdraw_cookie(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
111 on the cookie that each object belongs to. This schedules the specified cookie
112 for withdrawal. This gets offloaded to a workqueue. The cache backend can
113 wait for completion by calling::
115 void fscache_wait_for_objects(struct fscache_cache *cache);
117 Once all the cookies are withdrawn, a cache backend can withdraw all the
120 void fscache_withdraw_volume(struct fscache_volume *volume);
122 to tell fscache that a volume has been withdrawn. This waits for all
123 outstanding accesses on the volume to complete before returning.
125 When the cache is completely withdrawn, fscache should be notified by
128 void fscache_relinquish_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache);
130 to clear fields in the cookie and discard the caller's ref on it.
136 Within a cache, the data storage objects are organised into logical volumes.
137 These are represented in the API as objects of type::
139 struct fscache_volume {
140 struct fscache_cache *cache;
142 unsigned int debug_id;
144 unsigned int key_hash;
150 There are a number of fields here that are of interest to the caching backend:
152 * ``cache`` - The parent cache cookie.
154 * ``cache_priv`` - A place for the cache to stash private data.
156 * ``debug_id`` - A debugging ID for logging in tracepoints.
158 * ``key`` - A printable string with no '/' characters in it that represents
159 the index key for the volume. The key is NUL-terminated and padded out to
160 a multiple of 4 bytes.
162 * ``key_hash`` - A hash of the index key. This should work out the same, no
163 matter the cpu arch and endianness.
165 * ``coherency`` - A piece of coherency data that should be checked when the
166 volume is bound to in the cache.
168 * ``coherency_len`` - The amount of data in the coherency buffer.
174 A volume is a logical group of data storage objects, each of which is
175 represented to the network filesystem by a cookie. Cookies are represented in
176 the API as objects of type::
178 struct fscache_cookie {
179 struct fscache_volume *volume;
182 unsigned int debug_id;
183 unsigned int inval_counter;
192 The fields in the cookie that are of interest to the cache backend are:
194 * ``volume`` - The parent volume cookie.
196 * ``cache_priv`` - A place for the cache to stash private data.
198 * ``flags`` - A collection of bit flags, including:
200 * FSCACHE_COOKIE_NO_DATA_TO_READ - There is no data available in the
201 cache to be read as the cookie has been created or invalidated.
203 * FSCACHE_COOKIE_NEEDS_UPDATE - The coherency data and/or object size has
204 been changed and needs committing.
206 * FSCACHE_COOKIE_LOCAL_WRITE - The netfs's data has been modified
207 locally, so the cache object may be in an incoherent state with respect
210 * FSCACHE_COOKIE_HAVE_DATA - The backend should set this if it
211 successfully stores data into the cache.
213 * FSCACHE_COOKIE_RETIRED - The cookie was invalidated when it was
214 relinquished and the cached data should be discarded.
216 * ``debug_id`` - A debugging ID for logging in tracepoints.
218 * ``inval_counter`` - The number of invalidations done on the cookie.
220 * ``advice`` - Information about how the cookie is to be used.
222 * ``key_hash`` - A hash of the index key. This should work out the same, no
223 matter the cpu arch and endianness.
225 * ``key_len`` - The length of the index key.
227 * ``aux_len`` - The length of the coherency data buffer.
229 Each cookie has an index key, which may be stored inline to the cookie or
230 elsewhere. A pointer to this can be obtained by calling::
232 void *fscache_get_key(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
234 The index key is a binary blob, the storage for which is padded out to a
237 Each cookie also has a buffer for coherency data. This may also be inline or
238 detached from the cookie and a pointer is obtained by calling::
240 void *fscache_get_aux(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
247 Data storage cookies are counted and this is used to block cache withdrawal
248 completion until all objects have been destroyed. The following functions are
249 provided to the cache to deal with that::
251 void fscache_count_object(struct fscache_cache *cache);
252 void fscache_uncount_object(struct fscache_cache *cache);
253 void fscache_wait_for_objects(struct fscache_cache *cache);
255 The count function records the allocation of an object in a cache and the
256 uncount function records its destruction. Warning: by the time the uncount
257 function returns, the cache may have been destroyed.
259 The wait function can be used during the withdrawal procedure to wait for
260 fscache to finish withdrawing all the objects in the cache. When it completes,
261 there will be no remaining objects referring to the cache object or any volume
268 The cache backend implements the cache management API by providing a table of
269 operations that fscache can use to manage various aspects of the cache. These
270 are held in a structure of type::
272 struct fscache_cache_ops {
277 This contains a printable name for the cache backend driver plus a number of
278 pointers to methods to allow fscache to request management of the cache:
280 * Set up a volume cookie [optional]::
282 void (*acquire_volume)(struct fscache_volume *volume);
284 This method is called when a volume cookie is being created. The caller
285 holds a cache-level access pin to prevent the cache from going away for
286 the duration. This method should set up the resources to access a volume
287 in the cache and should not return until it has done so.
289 If successful, it can set ``cache_priv`` to its own data.
292 * Clean up volume cookie [optional]::
294 void (*free_volume)(struct fscache_volume *volume);
296 This method is called when a volume cookie is being released if
297 ``cache_priv`` is set.
300 * Look up a cookie in the cache [mandatory]::
302 bool (*lookup_cookie)(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
304 This method is called to look up/create the resources needed to access the
305 data storage for a cookie. It is called from a worker thread with a
306 volume-level access pin in the cache to prevent it from being withdrawn.
308 True should be returned if successful and false otherwise. If false is
309 returned, the withdraw_cookie op (see below) will be called.
311 If lookup fails, but the object could still be created (e.g. it hasn't
312 been cached before), then::
314 void fscache_cookie_lookup_negative(
315 struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
317 can be called to let the network filesystem proceed and start downloading
318 stuff whilst the cache backend gets on with the job of creating things.
320 If successful, ``cookie->cache_priv`` can be set.
323 * Withdraw an object without any cookie access counts held [mandatory]::
325 void (*withdraw_cookie)(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
327 This method is called to withdraw a cookie from service. It will be
328 called when the cookie is relinquished by the netfs, withdrawn or culled
329 by the cache backend or closed after a period of non-use by fscache.
331 The caller doesn't hold any access pins, but it is called from a
332 non-reentrant work item to manage races between the various ways
333 withdrawal can occur.
335 The cookie will have the ``FSCACHE_COOKIE_RETIRED`` flag set on it if the
336 associated data is to be removed from the cache.
339 * Change the size of a data storage object [mandatory]::
341 void (*resize_cookie)(struct netfs_cache_resources *cres,
344 This method is called to inform the cache backend of a change in size of
345 the netfs file due to local truncation. The cache backend should make all
346 of the changes it needs to make before returning as this is done under the
349 The caller holds a cookie-level access pin to prevent a race with
350 withdrawal and the netfs must have the cookie marked in-use to prevent
351 garbage collection or culling from removing any resources.
354 * Invalidate a data storage object [mandatory]::
356 bool (*invalidate_cookie)(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
358 This is called when the network filesystem detects a third-party
359 modification or when an O_DIRECT write is made locally. This requests
360 that the cache backend should throw away all the data in the cache for
361 this object and start afresh. It should return true if successful and
364 On entry, new I O/operations are blocked. Once the cache is in a position
365 to accept I/O again, the backend should release the block by calling::
367 void fscache_resume_after_invalidation(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
369 If the method returns false, caching will be withdrawn for this cookie.
372 * Prepare to make local modifications to the cache [mandatory]::
374 void (*prepare_to_write)(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
376 This method is called when the network filesystem finds that it is going
377 to need to modify the contents of the cache due to local writes or
378 truncations. This gives the cache a chance to note that a cache object
379 may be incoherent with respect to the server and may need writing back
380 later. This may also cause the cached data to be scrapped on later
381 rebinding if not properly committed.
384 * Begin an operation for the netfs lib [mandatory]::
386 bool (*begin_operation)(struct netfs_cache_resources *cres,
387 enum fscache_want_state want_state);
389 This method is called when an I/O operation is being set up (read, write
390 or resize). The caller holds an access pin on the cookie and must have
391 marked the cookie as in-use.
393 If it can, the backend should attach any resources it needs to keep around
394 to the netfs_cache_resources object and return true.
396 If it can't complete the setup, it should return false.
398 The want_state parameter indicates the state the caller needs the cache
399 object to be in and what it wants to do during the operation:
401 * ``FSCACHE_WANT_PARAMS`` - The caller just wants to access cache
402 object parameters; it doesn't need to do data I/O yet.
404 * ``FSCACHE_WANT_READ`` - The caller wants to read data.
406 * ``FSCACHE_WANT_WRITE`` - The caller wants to write to or resize the
409 Note that there won't necessarily be anything attached to the cookie's
410 cache_priv yet if the cookie is still being created.
416 A cache backend provides a data I/O API by through the netfs library's ``struct
417 netfs_cache_ops`` attached to a ``struct netfs_cache_resources`` by the
418 ``begin_operation`` method described above.
420 See the Documentation/filesystems/netfs_library.rst for a description.
423 Miscellaneous Functions
424 =======================
426 FS-Cache provides some utilities that a cache backend may make use of:
428 * Note occurrence of an I/O error in a cache::
430 void fscache_io_error(struct fscache_cache *cache);
432 This tells FS-Cache that an I/O error occurred in the cache. This
433 prevents any new I/O from being started on the cache.
435 This does not actually withdraw the cache. That must be done separately.
437 * Note cessation of caching on a cookie due to failure::
439 void fscache_caching_failed(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
441 This notes that a the caching that was being done on a cookie failed in
442 some way, for instance the backing storage failed to be created or
443 invalidation failed and that no further I/O operations should take place
444 on it until the cache is reset.
446 * Count I/O requests::
448 void fscache_count_read(void);
449 void fscache_count_write(void);
451 These record reads and writes from/to the cache. The numbers are
452 displayed in /proc/fs/fscache/stats.
454 * Count out-of-space errors::
456 void fscache_count_no_write_space(void);
457 void fscache_count_no_create_space(void);
459 These record ENOSPC errors in the cache, divided into failures of data
460 writes and failures of filesystem object creations (e.g. mkdir).
462 * Count objects culled::
464 void fscache_count_culled(void);
466 This records the culling of an object.
468 * Get the cookie from a set of cache resources::
470 struct fscache_cookie *fscache_cres_cookie(struct netfs_cache_resources *cres)
472 Pull a pointer to the cookie from the cache resources. This may return a
473 NULL cookie if no cookie was set.
476 API Function Reference
477 ======================
479 .. kernel-doc:: include/linux/fscache-cache.h