[PATCH] Fix SMP race betwen __sync_single_inode and
Patch from Mikulas Patocka <mikulas@artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz> there's a SMP race condition between __sync_single_inode (or __sync_one on 2.4.20) and __mark_inode_dirty. __mark_inode_dirty doesn't take inode spinlock. As we know -- unless you take a spinlock or use barrier, processor can change order of instructions. CPU 1 modify inode (but modifications are in cpu-local buffer and do not go to bus) calls __mark_inode_dirty it sees I_DIRTY and exits immediatelly CPU 2 takes spinlock calls __sync_single_inode inode->i_state &= ~I_DIRTY writes the inode (but does not see modifications by CPU 1 yet) CPU 1 flushes its write buffer to the bus inode is already written, clean, modifications done by CPU1 are lost The easiest fix would be to move the test inside spinlock in __mark_inode_dirty; if you do not want to suffer from performance loss, use the attached patches that use memory barriers to ensure ordering of reads and writes.
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