Summary:
The `ColumnFamilyData::UnrefAndTryDelete` code currently on the trunk
unlocks the DB mutex before destroying the `ThreadLocalPtr` holding
the per-thread `SuperVersion` pointers when the only remaining reference
is the back reference from `super_version_`. The idea behind this was to
break the circular dependency between `ColumnFamilyData` and `SuperVersion`:
when the penultimate reference goes away, `ColumnFamilyData` can clean up
the `SuperVersion`, which can in turn clean up `ColumnFamilyData`. (Assuming there
is a `SuperVersion` and it is not referenced by anything else.) However,
unlocking the mutex throws a wrench in this plan by making it possible for another thread
to jump in and take another reference to the `ColumnFamilyData`, keeping the
object alive in a zombie `ThreadLocalPtr`-less state. This can cause issues like
https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/issues/8440 ,
https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/issues/8382 ,
and might also explain the `was_last_ref` assertion failures from the `ColumnFamilySet`
destructor we sometimes observe during close in our stress tests.
Digging through the archives, this unlocking goes way back to 2014 (or earlier). The original
rationale was that `SuperVersionUnrefHandle` used to lock the mutex so it can call
`SuperVersion::Cleanup`; however, this logic turned out to be deadlock-prone.
https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/pull/3510 fixed the deadlock but left the
unlocking in place. https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/pull/6147 then introduced
the circular dependency and associated cleanup logic described above (in order
to enable iterators to keep the `ColumnFamilyData` for dropped column families alive),
and moved the unlocking-relocking snippet to its present location in `UnrefAndTryDelete`.
Finally, https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/pull/7749 fixed a memory leak but
apparently exacerbated the race by (otherwise correctly) switching to `UnrefAndTryDelete`
in `SuperVersion::Cleanup`.
The patch simply eliminates the unlocking and relocking, which has been unnecessary
ever since https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/issues/3510 made `SuperVersionUnrefHandle` lock-free.
This closes the window during which another thread could increase the reference count,
and hopefully fixes the issues above.
Pull Request resolved: https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/pull/8605
Test Plan: Ran `make check` and stress tests locally.
Reviewed By: pdillinger
Differential Revision: D30051035
Pulled By: ltamasi
fbshipit-source-id: 8fe559e4b4ad69fc142579f8bc393ef525918528
Levi Tamasi
3f7e929865