Re: [Q] Adding a rule to a table, match->check_entry() behavior

2002-04-08 Thread Joakim Axelsson

Ugg, third time :-) Wasn't think clearly. You need to put this reference
counter INSIDE the allocated memory. Since iptables will run checkentry() on
one peace of memory (the new one) and destroy() on another (the old one).
Set the reference counter to 1 after allocating the memory first time
checkentry() is runned.

There :-) 

2002-04-09 05:29:57+0200, Joakim Axelsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ->
> 2002-04-09 03:31:22+0200, Joakim Axelsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ->
> 
> [snip problem]
> 
> I hate answering my own mails :-) But, I talked to Martin Josefsson and he
> told me that my observatiosn was correct. So how did I solve this problem. I
> think it can be nice for anyone else runing into this problem: 
> 
> Typically we initiate some memory in checkentry(). However we only do this
> if userspace has set this point to NULL. This will mean that when changing
> the table the match data struct will go from kernelspace to userspace and
> back unchanged, including the pointer. When checkentry is being runned again
> it simple skips the init since it knows that it has already been initiated.
> The problem is now destroy(), how do we know when we got an actually
> destory() (our rule is remove) or just a destroy() because we changed
> another rule and thuse "reloaded" this rule. Well use a reference counter to
> help your pointer. Set the pointer to NULL and the reference counter to 0
> when first "building" the match in userspace. First time we ever run
> checkentry() in kernel we set the pointer to non NULL and the reference
> counter to 1. Every second time checkentry() is being runned (pointer is non
> NULL) on us we increase the reference count by 1. Every time destroy() is
> being runned we start by decreasing the reference count by 1. If we hit 0 we
> know that we are actually being deleted and we should deallocate the memory
> we used.
> 
> Happy match/target writing with this tip :-)
> 
> I still can't find the doc for how to write a match/target tho? Maybe this
> tip should be there? If not already.
> 
> -- 
> /Gozem A.K.A. Joakim Axelsson

-- 
/Gozem A.K.A. Joakim Axelsson




Re: [Q] Adding a rule to a table, match->check_entry() behavior

2002-04-08 Thread Joakim Axelsson

2002-04-09 03:31:22+0200, Joakim Axelsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ->

[snip problem]

I hate answering my own mails :-) But, I talked to Martin Josefsson and he
told me that my observatiosn was correct. So how did I solve this problem. I
think it can be nice for anyone else runing into this problem: 

Typically we initiate some memory in checkentry(). However we only do this
if userspace has set this point to NULL. This will mean that when changing
the table the match data struct will go from kernelspace to userspace and
back unchanged, including the pointer. When checkentry is being runned again
it simple skips the init since it knows that it has already been initiated.
The problem is now destroy(), how do we know when we got an actually
destory() (our rule is remove) or just a destroy() because we changed
another rule and thuse "reloaded" this rule. Well use a reference counter to
help your pointer. Set the pointer to NULL and the reference counter to 0
when first "building" the match in userspace. First time we ever run
checkentry() in kernel we set the pointer to non NULL and the reference
counter to 1. Every second time checkentry() is being runned (pointer is non
NULL) on us we increase the reference count by 1. Every time destroy() is
being runned we start by decreasing the reference count by 1. If we hit 0 we
know that we are actually being deleted and we should deallocate the memory
we used.

Happy match/target writing with this tip :-)

I still can't find the doc for how to write a match/target tho? Maybe this
tip should be there? If not already.

-- 
/Gozem A.K.A. Joakim Axelsson




[Q] Adding a rule to a table, match->check_entry() behavior

2002-04-08 Thread Joakim Axelsson

As i'm almost finished with my new match (superlimit). I ran into some
strange things. It seams that each time I add a new rule to a table the
entire table is reloaded. Because match->checkentry() for my new match is being
runned once for each existing rule in the table and once for the new rule
coming. And after than match->destroy() is called for each of the already
existing rules. The only conclusion i have for this is that we are actually
replacing the entrie table, not just adding a new rule. 

This must be a problem having it this way. My new match will loose all of
its state when someone adds a rule, and I can for sure say that people do
not expect the behavior to be like that. Is it really a need to replace the
entire table, can't we modify the existing one by being smart. It will save
alot of resources (if the table is long and having many complicated and/or
memory-heavy matches/targets). And we will not loose any state of the
matches/target.

In my example with superlimit (which is mush more flexable than the existing
limit) i can limit on say 5G/day (packets or bytes). Loosing that state
after a half a day is something you don't want, and something a user won't
expect after changing another rule.

Maybe im geting it all wrong here, but atleast thats what i could get out of
the source when I read it.

Second, I can't find any documentation on match nor target how they should
be written (what all the arguments for the function are, etc.). I think I
have read some somewhere, has it been lost? I might have forgotten to set
any flag that this behavior of my new match isn't wanted. That nfcache is
one thing that i'm not sure of.

Third, a question about SMP. I can see that in the old limit code there is a
uggly hack for soliving a SMP-problem. It seams as far as i can tell from
what problem the code tries to work around is that match->checkentry() is
being runned once per CPU.

Sniped from ipt_limit.c:
---8<---

checkentry()
{
  struct ipt_rateinfo *r = matchinfo;

  ...

  /* For SMP, we only want to use one set of counters. */
  r->master = r;
}

match()
{
  struct ipt_rateinfo *r = ((struct ipt_rateinfo *)matchinfo)->master;

  ...
}

---8<

Meaning that every of the number copies we might get of this entry (?) the
last one setting r->master is the one we are working with. Is this correct?

Thanks! Keep the work up!

-- 
/Gozem A.K.A. Joakim Axelsson