Re: [PATCH] cache-tree: avoid needless promisor object fetch
Hi Jonathan,
On Thu, 22 Apr 2021, Jonathan Tan wrote:
> In update_one() (used only by cache_tree_update()), there is an object
> existence check that, if it fails, will automatically trigger a lazy
> fetch in a partial clone. But the fetch is not necessary - the object is
> not actually being used.
I find it curious, though, that the `ce_missing_ok` variable is defined thusly (sadly, the context of your diff is too small to show it):
ce_missing_ok = mode == S_IFGITLINK || missing_ok ||
(has_promisor_remote() &&
ce_skip_worktree(ce));Which means that the `has_object_file()` function is only called if the entry is not marked with the `skip-worktree` bit, i.e. if it is _not_ excluded from the sparse checkout.
Wouldn't that mean that the object _should_ be there?
I guess what I am saying is that while the commit message focuses on the "What?" of the patch, I would love to hear more about the "Why?". And maybe the "When?" as in: when does this actually matter?
And since the bug was critical enough for you to spend time on crafting it, maybe it would make sense to add a regression test to ensure that this bug does not creep in again?
>
> Replace that check with two checks: an object existence check that does
> not fetch, and then a check that that object is a promisor object.
This essentially repeats what the diff says, but it might make more sense to explain why the post-image of this diff is more correct (and maybe discuss performance implications).
>
> Doing this avoids multiple lazy fetches when merging two trees in a
> partial clone, as noticed at $DAYJOB.
Ah. But where are those trees fetched, then?
Maybe lead with the description of the bug?
Show 8 quoted lines
> Signed-off-by: Jonathan Tan <jonathantanmy@google.com>
> ---
> Another alternative is to think about whether the object existence check
> here is needed in the first place.
>
> There might also be other places we can make a similar change in
> update_one(), but I limited myself to what's needed to solve the
> specific case we discovered at $DAYJOB.
I only see another `has_object_file()` call site at the very beginning, and I think this needs to fetch. Or maybe it is more efficient to construct the cache tree from scratch than fetch it?
There is also `cache_tree_fully_valid_1()`, where I think the same handling could potentially make sense. (Or, if you target `seen`, `cache_tree_fully_valid()`.
Ciao, Johannes
Show 31 quoted lines
> ---
> cache-tree.c | 5 ++++-
> 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/cache-tree.c b/cache-tree.c
> index add1f07713..6728722597 100644
> --- a/cache-tree.c
> +++ b/cache-tree.c
> @@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
> #include "object-store.h"
> #include "replace-object.h"
> #include "promisor-remote.h"
> +#include "packfile.h"
>
> #ifndef DEBUG_CACHE_TREE
> #define DEBUG_CACHE_TREE 0
> @@ -362,7 +363,9 @@ static int update_one(struct cache_tree *it,
> (has_promisor_remote() &&
> ce_skip_worktree(ce));
> if (is_null_oid(oid) ||
> - (!ce_missing_ok && !has_object_file(oid))) {
> + (!ce_missing_ok &&
> + !has_object_file_with_flags(oid, OBJECT_INFO_SKIP_FETCH_OBJECT) &&
> + !is_promisor_object(oid))) {
> strbuf_release(&buffer);
> if (expected_missing)
> return -1;
> --
> 2.31.1.498.g6c1eba8ee3d-goog
>
>