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-rw-r--r--Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt27
1 files changed, 27 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
index aef74cdecc21..d1b98257d000 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
@@ -398,6 +398,33 @@ As a consequence of this, default_groups cannot be removed directly via
rmdir(2). They also are not considered when rmdir(2) on the parent
group is checking for children.
+[Dependant Subsystems]
+
+Sometimes other drivers depend on particular configfs items. For
+example, ocfs2 mounts depend on a heartbeat region item. If that
+region item is removed with rmdir(2), the ocfs2 mount must BUG or go
+readonly. Not happy.
+
+configfs provides two additional API calls: configfs_depend_item() and
+configfs_undepend_item(). A client driver can call
+configfs_depend_item() on an existing item to tell configfs that it is
+depended on. configfs will then return -EBUSY from rmdir(2) for that
+item. When the item is no longer depended on, the client driver calls
+configfs_undepend_item() on it.
+
+These API cannot be called underneath any configfs callbacks, as
+they will conflict. They can block and allocate. A client driver
+probably shouldn't calling them of its own gumption. Rather it should
+be providing an API that external subsystems call.
+
+How does this work? Imagine the ocfs2 mount process. When it mounts,
+it asks for a heartbeat region item. This is done via a call into the
+heartbeat code. Inside the heartbeat code, the region item is looked
+up. Here, the heartbeat code calls configfs_depend_item(). If it
+succeeds, then heartbeat knows the region is safe to give to ocfs2.
+If it fails, it was being torn down anyway, and heartbeat can gracefully
+pass up an error.
+
[Committable Items]
NOTE: Committable items are currently unimplemented.