[Bug 1431650] [NEW] Multipath devices take long to initialize during initramfs

Launchpad Bug Tracker 1431650 at bugs.launchpad.net
Fri Mar 20 16:18:01 UTC 2015


You have been subscribed to a public bug by Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton):

Problem: during initramfs, multipath devices takes long to initialize
(~30 seconds?)

Symptom:
	<...>
	Loading, please wait...
	<...>
	[    4.492303] device-mapper: multipath: version 1.7.0 loaded
	[    4.643053] random: nonblocking pool is initialized
	worker [116] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:0/0:0:0:0/block/sda is taking a long time
	worker [117] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:2/0:0:2:0/block/sdc is taking a long time
	worker [121] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:1/0:0:1:0/block/sdb is taking a long time
	worker [123] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:3/0:0:3:0/block/sdd is taking a long time
	<... here's the delay ...>
	timeout '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sda'
	slow: '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sda' [181]
	timeout '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdb'
	slow: '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdb' [178]
	timeout '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdc'
	slow: '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdc' [180]
	timeout '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdd'
	slow: '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sdd' [182]
	worker [116] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:0/0:0:0:0/block/sda timeout; kill it
	seq 1059 '/devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:0/0:0:0:0/block/sda' killed
	worker [117] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:2/0:0:2:0/block/sdc timeout; kill it
	seq 1079 '/devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:2/0:0:2:0/block/sdc' killed
	worker [121] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:1/0:0:1:0/block/sdb timeout; kill it
	seq 1069 '/devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:1/0:0:1:0/block/sdb' killed
	worker [123] /devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:3/0:0:3:0/block/sdd timeout; kill it
	seq 1089 '/devices/vio/71000002/host0/target0:0:3/0:0:3:0/block/sdd' killed
	worker [116] terminated by signal 9 (Killed)
	worker [117] terminated by signal 9 (Killed)
	worker [121] terminated by signal 9 (Killed)
	worker [123] terminated by signal 9 (Killed)
	<...>
	<login prompt>

Reason:
	When udev starts to handle the block device, it acquires a lock on it, then processes the rules.
	Therefore, by the time 'multipath' runs (called in udev rules), the block device is already locked.

	For 'multipath' to finish, it must acquire a *exclusive* lock on the block device.
	Thus it fails (exclusive mode doesn't succeed with another lock in place).

	So it loops, trying again until the lock is acquired.
	(messages: "failed to create map (in use)" / "restart multipath configuration process").

        Sure enough, it will keep looping.. until killed by time-out
(message: "timeout '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sda'").

        Only then (after rule-processing) udev releases the lock.

	The next call to the 'multipath' command succeeds (out of udev rules, in /scripts/local-top/multipath).
	This happens because, by that time, udev has finished handling all devices (i.e., 'udev settle' in /scripts/init-bottom/udev, which is run earlier),
	so there's no more the udev worker lock to the underlying block device(s).

Steps to reproduce:
	Do a multipath install (disk-detect/multipath/enable=true), and boot.

Solution:

	left as an exercise for the reader :)
	
	I guess the udev 95-multipath.rules shouldn't be in the initramfs.
	(i.e., add_udev_rules() in /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks from 
	 multipath-tools-boot)

	Booting on multipath devices would still be possible because there's
	another call to 'multipath' on initramfs/scripts/local-top/multipath,
	before mounting root.

	Not sure about the behavior during system operation; e.g., hotplug
	a new disk.. the multipath command would be called from the udev rule
	in the root filesystem now (i.e., /lib/udev/rules.d/ from rootfs, not
	initramfs).  I'm now sure of how multipathd is related to that now.
	
		

Analysis:

        Checking out why '/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/sda' is timing out.

	Boot with: 
		break=top,pre-multipath,post-multipath

		<...>
		Spawning shell within the initramfs
		<...>
		(initramfs)

	Increase verbosity on multipath and udevd, and show udevd
	And, to save time/output, reduce the udev timeout, and restrict that command 
	to only a single disk (e.g., sda).

		udevd:
	
		(initramfs) grep udevd /scripts/init-top/udev 
		/lib/systemd/systemd-udevd --daemon --resolve-names=never

                (initramfs) sed '/systemd-udevd/ { s:--daemon:--debug
--event-timeout=5: ; s:$: 2>\&1 \&: }' -i /scripts/init-top/udev

		(initramfs) grep udevd /scripts/init-top/udev 
		/lib/systemd/systemd-udevd --debug --event-timeout=5 --resolve-names=never 2>&1 &

                multipath:

		(initramfs) grep -F 'multipath -v' /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules 
		ACTION=="add|change", SUBSYSTEM=="block", RUN+="/sbin/multipath -v0 /dev/$name"

                (initramfs) sed '/multipath -v/ { s:-v0:-v3: ;
s:^:KERNEL=="sda", : }' -i /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules

		(initramfs) grep -F 'multipath -v' /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules 
		KERNEL=="sda", ACTION=="add|change", SUBSYSTEM=="block", RUN+="/sbin/multipath -v3 /dev/$name"
	
	Let initramfs continue:

                (initramfs) exit

	The udevd output rolls out. 
	The output of the multipath command is looping.  Looking closer, it's always
	restarting the multipath configuration process.  At the end of each iteration
	(it's looping..), there is this block:

		'/sbin/multipath -v3 /dev/sda'(out) 'Mar 12 13:44:48 | mpath0: set ACT_CREATE (map does not exist)'
		'/sbin/multipath -v3 /dev/sda'(out) 'Mar 12 13:44:48 | mpath0: failed to create map (in use)'
		'/sbin/multipath -v3 /dev/sda'(out) 'Mar 12 13:44:48 | mpath0: domap (4294967295) failure for create/reload map'
		'/sbin/multipath -v3 /dev/sda'(out) 'Mar 12 13:44:48 | restart multipath configuration process'

        Searching multipath-tools source package for what causes that
error message "failed to create map (in use)".

		# apt-get source multipath-tools
		# cd multipath-tools-*
		# grep -r 'failed to create map (in use)' .
		./libmultipath/configure.c:                     condlog(3, "%s: failed to create map (in use)",

        And there it is, in domap() (also mentioned in the error):

		extern int
		domap (struct multipath * mpp)
		{
		...
			case ACT_CREATE:
				if (lock_multipath(mpp, 1)) {
				        condlog(3, "%s: failed to create map (in use)",
				                mpp->alias);
				        return DOMAP_RETRY;
				}

        The error thus comes from lock_multipath(), in the same file:

		static int
		lock_multipath (struct multipath * mpp, int lock)
		{
		...
				        if (lock && flock(pp->fd, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB) &&
				            errno == EWOULDBLOCK)
				                return 1;

        So, basically, it's trying to lock a file w/ exclusive access
flock(fd, LOCK_EX).

        To check what file is that, on another system, which is booted
already, let's use strace:

		# strace -f strace.multipath multipath -v0 /dev/sda
		<...>
		26362 open("/dev/sda", O_RDONLY)        = 5
		<...>
		26362 flock(5, LOCK_EX|LOCK_NB)         = 0
		<...>

        OK; it tries to lock the same device that is passed as argument.

	In order to discover the owner of the lock in the initramfs... hm..
	there's no lsof or something.  
	
	Let's use a script to check every process's open files
	(if a file is locked, it must be open; e.g., flock operates on an open file descriptor).
	
	Reboot to that point again, in the initramfs (i.e., break=..., sed ...; NOT exit).

		break=top,pre-multipath,post-multipath
		(initramfs) sed '/systemd-udevd/ { s:--daemon:--debug --event-timeout=5: ; s:$: 2>\&1 \&: }' -i /scripts/init-top/udev
		(initramfs) sed '/multipath -v/ { s:-v0:-v3: ;  s:^:KERNEL=="sda", : }' -i /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules
	
	But now *REPLACE* the multipath command to a script which searches for an 
	open fd for the device specified (expect sda, per the restriction inserted),
	and list some details of the owning process.
	
	note: we replace (not append) just to avoid the flock from multipath,
	      for not to confuse us.

		(initramfs) sed 's:/sbin/multipath -v. /dev/:/find.sh :' -i /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules
		(initramfs) grep -F 'find.sh' /lib/udev/rules.d/95-multipath.rules 
		KERNEL=="sda", ACTION=="add|change", SUBSYSTEM=="block", RUN+="/find.sh $name"

		(initramfs) cat <<EOF >/find.sh
		#!/bin/sh
		#set -x
		for dir in /proc/*
		do
		    [ -d "\$dir/fd" ] || continue
		    ls -l \$dir/fd | grep -q \$1 || continue

		    echo "FD FOUND"
		    echo "process: \$dir"
		    ls -l \$dir/exe
		    echo "cmdline: \$(cat \$dir/cmdline | tr '\0' ' ')"
		    echo "file descriptors:"
		    ls -l \$dir/fd
		done
		EOF

	OK; let's go for udev.
	
	(initramfs) exit
	
	Lots of udev output..
	Searching back for the scripts' output (find.sh).. Tip: use 'screen'.

	Got it.
	The lock is from udevd.  
	See fd 6.

		<...>
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'FD FOUND'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'process: /proc/369'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwxrwxrwx    1         0 /proc/369/exe -> /lib/systemd/systemd-udevd'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'cmdline: /lib/systemd/systemd-udevd --debug --event-timeout=5 --resolve-names=never '
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'file descriptors:'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lr-x------    1        64 11 -> pipe:[8569]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 10 -> socket:[8352]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 9 -> anon_inode:[eventpoll]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 8 -> socket:[8351]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lr-x------    1        64 7 -> pipe:[8568]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lr-x------    1        64 6 -> /dev/sda'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lr-x------    1        64 5 -> anon_inode:inotify'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 4 -> anon_inode:[eventpoll]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 3 -> anon_inode:[signalfd]'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 2 -> /dev/console'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lrwx------    1        64 1 -> /dev/console'
		'/find.sh sda'(out) 'lr-x------    1        64 0 -> /dev/null'
		'/find.sh sda' [422] exit with return code 0

        And if you search backwards for that PID, it reaches the fork of
a udev worker:

                seq 873 forked new worker [369]

        Looking at udevd code for a worker:

		# apt-get source systemd
		# cd systemd-*
		# grep -r worker .
		  hmm.. udevd.c.. ah, "worker_new".. looking.
		  
		static void worker_new(struct event *event) {
			<...>
				fd_lock = open(udev_device_get_devnode(d), O_RDONLY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW|O_NONBLOCK);
				if (fd_lock >= 0 && flock(fd_lock, LOCK_SH|LOCK_NB) < 0) {
			<...>
	
			        /* apply rules, create node, symlinks */
			        udev_event_execute_rules(udev_event,		
			<...>
			        safe_close(fd_lock);
		}
	
	And there's a very meaningful comment above it:

                /*
                 * Take a shared lock on the device node; this establishes
                 * a concept of device "ownership" to serialize device
                 * access. External processes holding an exclusive lock will
                 * cause udev to skip the event handling; in the case udev
                 * acquired the lock, the external process can block until
                 * udev has finished its event handling.
                 */

	Specially:
	
		in the case udev
                 * acquired the lock, the external process can block until
                 * udev has finished its event handling.

	AH.
	So, that explains it all.

	See:
	1) udevd/worker acquires a lock of the block device (shared access),
	2) process the udev rules (e.g., 95-multipath.rules)
	3) *afterwards*, release the lock.

	So, the 'multipath' command that is run inside the udev rule
	that handles the add event of a block device (e.g., sda),
	will never finish (will keep looping until killed by timeout),
	because it requires an exclusive lock of that device..

	however, that device already has a lock in place (locked by
	udev worker before rule processing), which will only be
	released after the rule processing (after multipath ends.)

** Affects: multipath-tools (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
     Assignee: Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (mathieu-tl)
         Status: In Progress


** Tags: architecture-ppc64le bugnameltc-122821 patch severity-critical targetmilestone-inin1504
-- 
Multipath devices take long to initialize during initramfs
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1431650
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