Re: [net,v2] tcp: correct handling of extreme memory squeeze

On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 6:01 PM Stefano Brivio wrote:

On Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:40:16 -0500 Jon Maloy wrote:

...

I can certainly clear tp->pred_flags and post it again, maybe with an improved and shortened log. Would that be acceptable?

Talking about an improved log, what strikes me the most of the whole problem is:

$ tshark -r iperf3_jon_zero_window.pcap -td -Y 'frame.number in { 1064 .. 1068 }' 1064 0.004416 192.168.122.1 → 192.168.122.198 TCP 65534 34482 → 5201 [ACK] Seq=1611679466 Ack=1 Win=36864 Len=65480 1065 0.007334 192.168.122.1 → 192.168.122.198 TCP 65534 34482 → 5201 [ACK] Seq=1611744946 Ack=1 Win=36864 Len=65480 1066 0.005104 192.168.122.1 → 192.168.122.198 TCP 56382 [TCP Window Full] 34482 → 5201 [ACK] Seq=1611810426 Ack=1 Win=36864 Len=56328 1067 0.015226 192.168.122.198 → 192.168.122.1 TCP 54 [TCP ZeroWindow] 5201 → 34482 [ACK] Seq=1 Ack=1611090146 Win=0 Len=0 1068 6.298138 fe80::44b3:f5ff:fe86:c529 → ff02::2 ICMPv6 70 Router Solicitation from 46:b3:f5:86:c5:29

...and then the silence, 192.168.122.198 never announces that its window is not zero, so the peer gives up 15 seconds later:

$ tshark -r iperf3_jon_zero_window_cut.pcap -td -Y 'frame.number in { 1069 .. 1070 }' 1069 8.709313 192.168.122.1 → 192.168.122.198 TCP 55 34466 → 5201 [ACK] Seq=166 Ack=5 Win=36864 Len=1 1070 0.008943 192.168.122.198 → 192.168.122.1 TCP 54 5201 → 34482 [FIN, ACK] Seq=1 Ack=1611090146 Win=778240 Len=0

Data in frame #1069 is iperf3 ending the test.

This didn't happen before e2142825c120 ("net: tcp: send zero-window ACK when no memory") so it's a relatively recent (17 months) regression.

It actually looks pretty simple (and rather serious) to me.

I remembered last time it really also took me some time to totally follow. Packetdrill should be helpful :) As to the patch itself, I agreed with this fix last time while now I have to re-read that long analysis to recall as much as possible. I'm not that sure if it's a bug belonging to the Linux kernel. The other side not sending a window probe causes this issue...? The other part of me says we cannot break the user's behaviour. One way or another, I will also take a look at it again. Thanks, Jason