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-rw-r--r--include/linux/aio.h34
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/include/linux/aio.h b/include/linux/aio.h
index a4d5af907f90..60def658b246 100644
--- a/include/linux/aio.h
+++ b/include/linux/aio.h
@@ -43,6 +43,40 @@ struct kioctx;
#define kiocbIsKicked(iocb) test_bit(KIF_KICKED, &(iocb)->ki_flags)
#define kiocbIsCancelled(iocb) test_bit(KIF_CANCELLED, &(iocb)->ki_flags)
+/* is there a better place to document function pointer methods? */
+/**
+ * ki_retry - iocb forward progress callback
+ * @kiocb: The kiocb struct to advance by performing an operation.
+ *
+ * This callback is called when the AIO core wants a given AIO operation
+ * to make forward progress. The kiocb argument describes the operation
+ * that is to be performed. As the operation proceeds, perhaps partially,
+ * ki_retry is expected to update the kiocb with progress made. Typically
+ * ki_retry is set in the AIO core and it itself calls file_operations
+ * helpers.
+ *
+ * ki_retry's return value determines when the AIO operation is completed
+ * and an event is generated in the AIO event ring. Except the special
+ * return values described below, the value that is returned from ki_retry
+ * is transferred directly into the completion ring as the operation's
+ * resulting status. Once this has happened ki_retry *MUST NOT* reference
+ * the kiocb pointer again.
+ *
+ * If ki_retry returns -EIOCBQUEUED it has made a promise that aio_complete()
+ * will be called on the kiocb pointer in the future. The AIO core will
+ * not ask the method again -- ki_retry must ensure forward progress.
+ * aio_complete() must be called once and only once in the future, multiple
+ * calls may result in undefined behaviour.
+ *
+ * If ki_retry returns -EIOCBRETRY it has made a promise that kick_iocb()
+ * will be called on the kiocb pointer in the future. This may happen
+ * through generic helpers that associate kiocb->ki_wait with a wait
+ * queue head that ki_retry uses via current->io_wait. It can also happen
+ * with custom tracking and manual calls to kick_iocb(), though that is
+ * discouraged. In either case, kick_iocb() must be called once and only
+ * once. ki_retry must ensure forward progress, the AIO core will wait
+ * indefinitely for kick_iocb() to be called.
+ */
struct kiocb {
struct list_head ki_run_list;
long ki_flags;