Minutes03-14-2007

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Ext4 Developer Interlock Call: 03-14-07 Minutes

Attendees: Mingming Cao, Eric Sandeen, Ted Ts'o, Dave Kleikamp, Suparna Bhattacharya, Takashi Sato, Avantika Mathur

Minutes can be accessed at: http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Developer%27s_Conference_Call

Ext4 git Tree:

  • Shaggy and Eric fixed the recent problems with the nanosecond timestamps in the git tree
  • There is a general problem that the git tree is not updated frequently
    • Ted feels there is not enough testing done to feel comfortable updating to a new release
      • Many of the patches added to the tree are not tested properly.
      • It would be helpful if people could pick up the tree and test it, and make sure all upstream merging criteria is met by ext4 developers.
    • Currently looking at methods of automating testing of each new git tree release on different architectures and benchmarks.
    • Slow code review is also slowing down ext4.
  • Ted suggested maintaining a git tree that tracks the patch queue, so there can be multiple people working on the patch queue. - When patches are stable, update the central git tree that can then be pushed upstream.
  • Ted will start a second git tree, and initially put Shaggy and Mingming as additional users who can access the tree.


OLS:

  • The Ext4 OLS Paper was accepted.
  • Avantika presented the basic outline for the paper, Suparna had comments on the layout
    • Rather than grouping features based on time (when they are going to be included), group them based on classification,
      • - i.e. scalability, block placement, new features.
    • This way the paper can be used as a reference for people who want to learn about ext4
  • Avantika will update the outline and send out a new version
  • In the 2005 OLS ext3 paper, benchmarks tio dbench and filemark were used.
    • Looking into different benchmarks to use in this paper.
    • Eric suggested looking at CPU utilization test used by David Chinner in his XFS OLS paper last year.


Preallocation:

  • Amit has been working on implementing the fallocate systemn call
    • he was struggling with the mode bit and implementation on different architectures.
  • Having difficulty in how to order the parameters on s390 architecture
  • Suparna will ask Amit to post his current patches, so other can begin reviewing and helping out.


i_version Patches:

  • the high 32 bit of the i_version field is still required to support the full 64 bit i_version number NFSv4 requires
  • The general consensus on the call was to use the i_extra_isize in the inode for the high 32 bits.
    • This would keep i_version completely separated from ctime
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