[Federated-fs] FSN and filesets

Ellard, Daniel Daniel.Ellard at netapp.com
Wed Oct 3 12:40:00 PDT 2007


No, not at all.  NFSv4 has no concept of junctions, and our job is to
keep it that way.

What I meant is that v4 is perfectly happy to go through multiple
referrals for a single path.  There's no requirement that, in the case
where there's a referral, the referral point the client at the "right"
server.  Traversing a path might generate a referral for every component
of the path.

-Dan 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erasani, Pranoop 
> Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 3:35 PM
> To: Ellard, Daniel; Renu Tewari; Raj, Theresa
> Cc: federated-fs at sdsc.edu
> Subject: RE: [Federated-fs] FSN and filesets
> 
> > I agree that it's best (in the sense of "most efficient") if the 
> > exported path doesn't contain any junctions -- and if it 
> does contain 
> > a junction, it only makes sense for the junction to be the last 
> > component of the path.  However, guaranteeing this is 
> nontrivial, and 
> > I think that the v4 referral protocol handles either case 
> properly, so 
> > we don't need to worry about it for v4.
> 
> I probably didn't follow this discussion appropriately. Are 
> you suggesting that NFSv4 is capable enough to detect paths 
> that have junctions. I don't see how, NFSv4 (as in spec) in 
> fact does not preclude giving out any path.
> 
> It's upto implementations to restrict paths that can lead 
> into circular loops. Seems like Renu alluded to this. Just 
> wanted to throw this question out, just in case if I was 
> missing something.
> 
> - Pranoop
> 
> > This might be a more serious problem for v3 but I haven't thought 
> > about it enough yet.
> > 
> > -Dan
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Renu Tewari [mailto:tewarir at us.ibm.com]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 1:50 AM
> > > To: Raj, Theresa
> > > Cc: federated-fs at sdsc.edu
> > > Subject: Re: [Federated-fs] FSN and filesets
> > > 
> > > You raise a valid point. I think the point to note is 
> that the the 
> > > namespace path that the clients are traversing could be
> > different from
> > > the path returned in fs_locations.  The path in
> > fs_locations which is
> > > a path that has been exported by the server should not contain 
> > > junctions to avoid the looping issue you raised.  The FSL
> > path is this
> > > local path at the server  which should not contain junctions.
> > > 
> > > renu
> > > -
> > > Sent by:        federated-fs-bounces at sdsc.edu
> > > To:     "Ellard, Daniel" <Daniel.Ellard at netapp.com>, 
> > > <federated-fs at sdsc.edu>
> > > cc:      
> > > Subject:        Re: [Federated-fs] FSN and filesets
> > > 
> > > 
> > > In this example the FSLs are serverX:/x and serverY:/y,
> > right. So the
> > > pathnames in these FSLs don't include any intermediate junction 
> > > components. If there is any junction component in the 
> pathname from 
> > > the FSL (for example FSL serverX:/w/x where w is a
> > junction), then we
> > > end up looping forever.
> > > 
> > > Theresa
> > > 
> > > >  -----Original Message-----
> > > >  From: Ellard, Daniel
> > > >  Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 12:13 PM
> > > >  To: Raj, Theresa; federated-fs at sdsc.edu
> > > >  Subject: Re: [Federated-fs] FSN and filesets
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >  Maybe I'm missing something...  Here's my 
> understanding of this.
> > > > 
> > > >  Let's say that our namespace is rooted at /a, and the
> > client  has
> > > > mounted this from server R.  Let's say that /a/b is a
> > junction to
> > > > FSN X and /a/b/c is a junction to FSN Y.  Now  the client
> > tries to
> > > > resolve /a/b/c.
> > > > 
> > > >  When the client hits R:/a/b, server R recognizes that 
> this  is a 
> > > > junction to FSN X. Server R does a resolve on X and
> > finds the FSL
> > > > serverX:/x, and so server R refers the client  to continue the 
> > > > resolution there.
> > > > 
> > > >  The path that the client is trying to resolve is 
> rewritten,  as 
> > > > part of the referral so that instead of starting over 
> at  /a/b/c, 
> > > > the client starts over at the new path of /x/c,  because that's 
> > > > where, on serverX, /a/b/c is.
> > > > 
> > > >  Now when the client tries to resolve /x/c and hits the
> > junction c
> > > > and the process repeats.  But (as long as the  paths 
> are properly
> > > > formed) each step chips away at the path  and we don't
> > start again
> > > > at the root.
> > > > 
> > > >  -Dan
> > > > 
> > > >  On 10/2/07 2:09 PM, "Raj, Theresa" 
> > <Theresa.Raj at netapp.com> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > >  > I might be missing something here, but I can't see how
> > > we can make
> > > >  > progress down a path.
> > > >  > If a pathname on a destination fileserver has a non-leaf
> > > junction
> > > >  > component, then at that junction the fileserver gives out  a 
> > > > referral  > and the client resets the pathname lookup
> > with the new
> > > > FSL. Then again  > when it hits the junction that caused the 
> > > > original  referral, there is  > another referral. So, we
> > are back to
> > > > the original FSL where the  > pathname has  a
> > intermediate junction
> > > > component.
> > > >  >
> > > >  > Clients might have a notion that they are doing
> > lookups for a  >
> > > > referral, but servers don't. So the server will give out  MOVED 
> > > > error  > and a referral even for referral lookups.
> > > >  >
> > > >  > If the above scenario that I mentioned is a 
> possibility,  then 
> > > > I'd like  > some text about precluding intermediate
> > junctions in the
> > > > pathname in  > FSLs.
> > > >  >
> > > >  > Thanks,
> > > >  > Theresa
> > > >  >
> > > >  >>  -----Original Message-----
> > > >  >>  From: Ellard, Daniel
> > > >  >>  Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:42 AM  >>  To: 
> > Raj, Theresa;
> > > > federated-fs at sdsc.edu  >>  Subject: Re: [Federated-fs] FSN and 
> > > > filesets  >>  >>  >>  >>  It's possible that resolution
> > can traverse
> > > > multiple  junctions.  I  >> don't think this is (necessarily) a 
> > > > problem,  as long
> > > as we make
> > > >  >> progress down the path.
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>  A hazard would be if the admin creates a junction
> > that  loops
> > > > back  >> to one of its ancestors in the namespace, causing 
> > > > resolution to go  >> into a loop.  (Do  >>  v4 clients 
> recognize 
> > > > when they're going around in a referral  >>  look?)  We 
> currently 
> > > > trust the admins to do the right thing  >>  -- should we do 
> > > > something stronger?
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>  -Dan
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>  On 10/2/07 1:23 PM, "Raj, Theresa" 
> > > >  <Theresa.Raj at netapp.com> wrote:
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>> Ok.
> > > >  >>>
> > > >  >>> I have a question about FSLs and the pathname that it 
> > > > provides. Is  >>> there anything that percludes the admin from 
> > > > setting up  >>  this pathname  >>> such that one or more of its 
> > > > component is a junction? If  >>  this pathname  >>> has 
> junction 
> > > > components then I'm afraid that clients
> > > will never
> > > >  >>> resolve this pathname and could keep ping ponging
> > between  >>
> > > > fileservers.
> > > >  >>>
> > > >  >>> Theresa
> > > >  >>>
> > > >  >>>>  -----Original Message-----
> > > >  >>>>  From: Ellard, Daniel
> > > >  >>>>  Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 8:25 AM  >>>>  To: Raj, 
> > > > Theresa; 'federated-fs at sdsc.edu'
> > > >  >>>>  Subject: RE: [Federated-fs] FSN and filesets  >>>>  >>>>
> > > > >>>>  If that's the case, then that's something else that does
> > > >  >>   need to be
> > > >  >>>> distinguished!
> > > >  >>>>
> > > >  >>>>  A junction represents the relationship between a  >> 
> > > > directory  in one  >>>> fileset (or more generally, a 
> node in the
> > > > namespace)  and  >>  the root of  >>>> another fileset.  
> > If filesets
> > > > are the  building blocks, then  >>>> junctions are the
> > nails, or the
> > > > glue  (pick your metaphor).
> > > >  >>>>
> > > >  >>>>  -Dan
> > > >  >>>>
> > > >  >>>>> -----Original Message-----
> > > >  >>>>> From: Raj, Theresa
> > > >  >>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 11:18 AM  >>>>>
> > To: Ellard,
> > > > Daniel; federated-fs at sdsc.edu  >>>>> Subject: RE: 
> > [Federated-fs] FSN
> > > > and filesets  >>>>>  >>>>> It seems to me that junction
> > is another
> > > > term that is  being used  >>>>> interchangeably for a
> > fileset.  Or
> > > > at least, I haven't  made the  >>>>> distinction between
> > a fileset
> > > > and a junction.
> > > >  >>>>>
> > > >  >>>>> Theresa
> > > >  >>>>>
> > > >  >>>>>>  -----Original Message-----  >>>>>>  From: 
> Ellard, Daniel  
> > > > >>>>>>  Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 12:34 PM  >>>>>>  To:
> > > > federated-fs at sdsc.edu  >>>>>>  Subject: [Federated-fs] FSN and 
> > > > filesets  >>>>>>  >>>>>>  >>>>>>  The current document defines 
> > > > fileset first, and then FSN,  >>>>> and then  >>>>>> says
> > that these
> > > > two terms are used interchangably.
> > > >  >>>>>>  I'd like to scrub the document and fix the usage
> > to keep
> > > > >>>>> these terms  >>>>>> distinguished.  A fileset is
> > the unit of
> > > > management and  >>>>> abstraction  >>>>>> for data, and a
> > FSN is a
> > > > name for  a fileset.  It's useful  >>>>> to be able  >>>>>> to 
> > > > distinguish between  the thing and the name of the thing.
> > > >  >>>>>>
> > > >  >>>>>>  Thoughts?
> > > >  >>>>>> -Dan
> > > >  >>>>>>
> > > >  >>>>>>
> > > >  >>>>>>
> > > >  >>>>>
> > > >  >>>>
> > > >  >>
> > > >  >>
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
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