f3probe: balance the number of writes and resets

One can write more blocks per pass in order to reduce
the total number of passes.
Trading resets for writes is effective when writing blocks is
cheaper than reseting the device being probed.

This patch dynamically balances the number of writes and
resets while probing.
The effectiveness of this balance is shown below:

A good 256MB drive produced the following measurements:
Probe time: 2.89 seconds
Probe read op: count=64, total time=0.13s, avg op time=2.06ms
Probe write op: count=48, total time=1.41s, avg op time=29.47ms
Probe reset op: count=8, total time=1.35s, avg op time=168.48ms

The results from previous commit (see git log):
Probe time: 47.57 seconds
Probe read op: count=2014, total time=1.72s, avg op time=0.85ms
Probe write op: count=2003, total time=45.32s, avg op time=22.62ms
Probe reset op: count=3, total time=0.53s, avg op time=175.66ms

Moreover, this patch spaces more uniformly
the blocks write_test_blocks() writes to improve
the effectiveness of each pass.

Makefile

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ f3read: utils.o f3read.o
 	$(CC) -o $@ $^
 
 f3probe: libprobe.o utils.o f3probe.o
-	$(CC) -o $@ $^ -ludev
+	$(CC) -o $@ $^ -lm -ludev
 
 -include *.d
 

f3probe.c

@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ static int unit_test(const char *filename)
 			false);
 		assert(dev);
 		max_probe_blocks = probe_device_max_blocks(dev);
-		probe_device(dev, &real_size_byte, &announced_size_byte,
-			&wrap, &block_order);
+		assert(!probe_device(dev, &real_size_byte, &announced_size_byte,
+			&wrap, &block_order));
 		free_device(dev);
 		fake_type = dev_param_to_type(real_size_byte,
 			announced_size_byte, wrap, block_order);
@@ -351,8 +351,11 @@ static int test_device(struct args *args)
 	}
 
 	assert(!gettimeofday(&t1, NULL));
-	probe_device(dev, &real_size_byte, &announced_size_byte,
-		&wrap, &block_order);
+	/* XXX Have a better error handling to recover
+	 * the state of the drive.
+	 */
+	assert(!probe_device(dev, &real_size_byte, &announced_size_byte,
+		&wrap, &block_order));
 	assert(!gettimeofday(&t2, NULL));
 	/* Keep free_device() as close of probe_device() as possible to
 	 * make sure that the written blocks are recovered when

libprobe.c

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <math.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -142,7 +143,8 @@ static inline int dev_write_and_reset(struct device *dev, const char *buf,
 
 void free_device(struct device *dev)
 {
-	dev->free(dev);
+	if (dev->free)
+		dev->free(dev);
 	free(dev);
 }
 
@@ -615,6 +617,19 @@ static void pdev_free(struct device *dev)
 	free_device(pdev->shadow_dev);
 }
 
+/* Detach the shadow device of @pdev, free @pdev, and return
+ * the shadow device.
+ */
+static struct device *pdev_detach_and_free(struct device *dev)
+{
+	struct perf_device *pdev = dev_pdev(dev);
+	struct device *shadow_dev = pdev->shadow_dev;
+	pdev->shadow_dev = NULL;
+	pdev->dev.free = NULL;
+	free_device(&pdev->dev);
+	return shadow_dev;
+}
+
 struct device *create_perf_device(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct perf_device *pdev;
@@ -951,28 +966,122 @@ static int search_wrap(struct device *dev,
 	return false;
 }
 
-#define TEST_N_BLOCKS	1024
+#define MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER	10
 
+static uint64_t estimate_best_n_block(struct device *dev)
+{
+	uint64_t write_count, write_time_us;
+	uint64_t reset_count, reset_time_us;
+	double t_w_us, t_2w_us, t_r_us;
+	uint64_t n_block_order;
+
+	perf_device_sample(dev, NULL, NULL, &write_count, &write_time_us,
+		&reset_count, &reset_time_us);
+	if (!write_count || !reset_count) {
+		/* There is not enough measurements. */
+		return (1 << 2) - 1;
+	}
+
+	/* Let 2^n be the total number of blocks on the drive.
+	 * Let p be the total number of passes.
+	 * Let w = (2^m - 1) be the number of blocks written on each pass,
+	 *   where m >= 1.
+	 *
+	 * A pass is an iteration of the loop in search_edge(), that is,
+	 * a call to write_test_blocks(), dev_reset(), and probe_test_blocks().
+	 *
+	 * The reason to have w = (2^m - 1) instead of w = 2^m is because
+	 * the former leads to a clean relationship between n, p, and m
+	 * when m is constant: 2^n / (w + 1)^p = 1 => p = n/m
+	 *
+	 * Let Tr be the time to reset the device.
+	 * Let Tw be the time to write a block to @dev.
+	 * Let Tw' be the time to write a block to the underlying device
+	 *   of @dev, that is, without overhead due to chaining multiple
+	 *   struct device. For example, when struct safe_device is used
+	 *   Tw > Tw'.
+	 * Let Trd be the time to read a block from @dev.
+	 *
+	 * Notice that each single-block pass reduces the search space in half,
+	 * and that to reduce the search space in half writing blocks,
+	 * one has to increase m of one.
+	 *
+	 * Thus, in order to be better writing more blocks than
+	 * going for another pass, the following relation must be true:
+	 *
+	 * Tr + Tw + Tw' >= (w - 1)(Tw + Tw')
+	 *
+	 * The relation above assumes Trd = 0.
+	 *
+	 * The left side of the relation above is the time to do _another_
+	 * pass writing a single block, whereas the right side is the time to
+	 * stay in the same pass and write (w - 1) more blocks.
+	 * In order words, if there is no advantage to write more blocks,
+	 * we stick to single-block passes.
+	 *
+	 * Tw' is there to account for any operation that writes
+	 * the blocks back (e.g. using struct safe_device), otherwise
+	 * processing operations related per written blocks that is not
+	 * being accounted for (e.g. reading the blocks back to test).
+	 *
+	 * Solving the relation for w: w <= Tr/(Tw + Tw') + 2
+	 *
+	 * However, we are not interested in any w, but only those of
+	 * of the form (2^m - 1) to make sure that we are not better off
+	 * calling another pass. Thus, solving the previous relation for m:
+	 *
+	 * m <= log_2(Tr/(Tw + Tw') + 3)
+	 *
+	 * We approximate Tw' making it equal to Tw.
+	 */
+	t_w_us = (double)write_time_us / write_count;
+	t_r_us = (double)reset_time_us / reset_count;
+	t_2w_us = t_w_us > 0. ? 2. * t_w_us : 1.; /* Avoid zero division. */
+	n_block_order = ilog2(round(t_r_us / t_2w_us + 3.));
+
+	/* Bound the maximum number of blocks per pass to limit
+	 * the necessary amount of memory struct safe_device pre-allocates.
+	 */
+	if (n_block_order > MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER)
+		n_block_order = MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER;
+
+	return (1 << n_block_order) - 1;
+}
+
+/* Write blocks whose offsets are after @left_pos but
+ * less or equal to @right_pos.
+ */
 static int write_test_blocks(struct device *dev, const char *stamp_blk,
 	uint64_t left_pos, uint64_t right_pos,
 	uint64_t *pa, uint64_t *pb, uint64_t *pmax_idx)
 {
-	uint64_t pos = left_pos + 1;
-	uint64_t last_pos;
+	uint64_t pos, last_pos;
+	uint64_t n_block = estimate_best_n_block(dev);
+
+	assert(n_block >= 1);
 
 	/* Find coeficients of function a*idx + b where idx <= max_idx. */
 	assert(left_pos < right_pos);
-	*pb = pos;
-	*pa = (right_pos - *pb) / TEST_N_BLOCKS;
+	*pb = left_pos + 1;
+	*pa = round((right_pos - *pb) / (n_block + 1.));
 	*pa = !*pa ? 1ULL : *pa;
 	*pmax_idx = (right_pos - *pb) / *pa;
-	if (*pmax_idx >= TEST_N_BLOCKS)
-		*pmax_idx = TEST_N_BLOCKS - 1;
+	if (*pmax_idx >= n_block) {
+		/* Shift the zero of the function to the right.
+		 * This avoids picking the leftmost block when a more
+		 * informative block to the right is available.
+		 * This also biases toward righter blocks,
+		 * what improves the time to test good flash drives.
+		 */
+		*pb += *pa;
+
+		*pmax_idx = n_block - 1;
+	}
 	last_pos = *pa * *pmax_idx + *pb;
 	assert(last_pos <= right_pos);
 
 	/* Write test blocks. */
-	for (; pos <= last_pos; pos += *pa)
+	for (pos = *pb; pos <= last_pos; pos += *pa)
 		if (dev_write_block(dev, stamp_blk, pos) &&
 			dev_write_block(dev, stamp_blk, pos))
 			return true;
@@ -1069,20 +1178,35 @@ int probe_device_max_blocks(struct device *dev)
 {
 	uint64_t num_blocks = dev_get_size_byte(dev) >>
 		dev_get_block_order(dev);
-	int num_blocks_order = ceiling_log2(num_blocks);
-	div_t div_num_passes = div(num_blocks_order, ilog2(TEST_N_BLOCKS));
-	int num_passes = div_num_passes.quot + (div_num_passes.rem ? 1 : 0);
+	int n = ceiling_log2(num_blocks);
+
+	/* Make sure that there is no overflow in the formula below.
+	 * The number 10 is arbitrary here, that is, it's not tight.
+	 */
+	assert(MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER < sizeof(int) - 10);
+
 	return
 		/* search_wrap() */
 		1 +
-		/* Search_edge() */
-		num_passes * TEST_N_BLOCKS;
+		/* Search_edge()
+		 *
+		 * The number of used blocks is (p * w); see comments in
+		 * estimate_best_n_block() for the definition of the variables.
+		 *
+		 * p * w = n/m * (2^m - 1) < n/m * 2^m = n * (2^m / m)
+		 *
+		 * Let f(m) be 2^m / m. One can prove that f(m + 1) >= f(m)
+		 * for all m >= 1. Therefore, the following bound is true.
+		 *
+		 * p * w < n * f(max_m)
+		 */
+		((n << MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER) / MAX_N_BLOCK_ORDER);
 }
 
 /* XXX Properly handle read and write errors.
  * Review each assert to check if them can be removed.
  */
-void probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
+int probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
 	uint64_t *pannounced_size_byte, int *pwrap, int *pblock_order)
 {
 	uint64_t dev_size_byte = dev_get_size_byte(dev);
@@ -1098,10 +1222,15 @@ void probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
 	 */
 	uint64_t left_pos = 10;
 	uint64_t right_pos = (dev_size_byte >> block_order) - 1;
+	struct device *pdev;
 
 	assert(dev_size_byte % block_size == 0);
 	assert(left_pos < right_pos);
 
+	pdev = create_perf_device(dev);
+	if (!pdev)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	/* Aligning these pointers is necessary to directly read and write
 	 * the block device.
 	 * For the file device, this is superfluous.
@@ -1114,24 +1243,28 @@ void probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
 	/* Make sure that there is at least a good block at the beginning
 	 * of the drive.
 	 */
-	if (test_block(dev, stamp_blk, probe_blk, left_pos))
+	if (test_block(pdev, stamp_blk, probe_blk, left_pos))
 		goto bad;
 
-	if (search_wrap(dev, left_pos, &right_pos, stamp_blk, probe_blk))
+	if (search_wrap(pdev, left_pos, &right_pos, stamp_blk, probe_blk))
 		goto bad;
 
-	if (search_edge(dev, &left_pos, right_pos, stamp_blk, probe_blk))
+	if (search_edge(pdev, &left_pos, right_pos, stamp_blk, probe_blk))
 		goto bad;
 
 	*preal_size_byte = (left_pos + 1) << block_order;
 	*pannounced_size_byte = dev_size_byte;
 	*pwrap = ceiling_log2(right_pos << block_order);
 	*pblock_order = block_order;
-	return;
+	goto out;
 
 bad:
 	*preal_size_byte = 0;
 	*pannounced_size_byte = dev_size_byte;
 	*pwrap = ceiling_log2(dev_size_byte);
 	*pblock_order = block_order;
+
+out:
+	pdev_detach_and_free(pdev);
+	return 0;
 }

libprobe.h

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ struct device *create_safe_device(struct device *dev, int max_blocks,
 void free_device(struct device *dev);
 
 int probe_device_max_blocks(struct device *dev);
-void probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
+int probe_device(struct device *dev, uint64_t *preal_size_byte,
 	uint64_t *pannounced_size_byte, int *pwrap, int *block_order);
 
 #endif	/* HEADER_LIBPROBE_H */