3 files changed, 65 insertions, 16 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/backend-api.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/backend-api.txt
index f4769b9399df..d78bab9622c6 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/backend-api.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/backend-api.txt
@@ -308,6 +308,18 @@ performed on the denizens of the cache.  These are held in a structure of type:
      obtained by calling object->cookie->def->get_aux()/get_attr().
 
 
+ (*) Invalidate data object [mandatory]:
+
+        int (*invalidate_object)(struct fscache_operation *op)
+
+     This is called to invalidate a data object (as pointed to by op->object).
+     All the data stored for this object should be discarded and an
+     attr_changed operation should be performed.  The caller will follow up
+     with an object update operation.
+
+     fscache_op_complete() must be called on op before returning.
+
+
  (*) Discard object [mandatory]:
 
         void (*drop_object)(struct fscache_object *object)
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/netfs-api.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/netfs-api.txt
index 7cc6bf2871eb..97e6c0ecc5ef 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/netfs-api.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/netfs-api.txt
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ This document contains the following sections:
         (12) Index and data file update
         (13) Miscellaneous cookie operations
         (14) Cookie unregistration
-        (15) Index and data file invalidation
-        (16) FS-Cache specific page flags.
+        (15) Index invalidation
+        (16) Data file invalidation
+        (17) FS-Cache specific page flags.
 
 
 =============================
@@ -767,13 +768,42 @@ the cookies for "child" indices, objects and pages have been relinquished
 first.
 
 
-================================
-INDEX AND DATA FILE INVALIDATION
-================================
+==================
+INDEX INVALIDATION
+==================
+
+There is no direct way to invalidate an index subtree.  To do this, the caller
+should relinquish and retire the cookie they have, and then acquire a new one.
+
+
+======================
+DATA FILE INVALIDATION
+======================
+
+Sometimes it will be necessary to invalidate an object that contains data.
+Typically this will be necessary when the server tells the netfs of a foreign
+change - at which point the netfs has to throw away all the state it had for an
+inode and reload from the server.
+
+To indicate that a cache object should be invalidated, the following function
+can be called:
+
+        void fscache_invalidate(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
+
+This can be called with spinlocks held as it defers the work to a thread pool.
+All extant storage, retrieval and attribute change ops at this point are
+cancelled and discarded.  Some future operations will be rejected until the
+cache has had a chance to insert a barrier in the operations queue.  After
+that, operations will be queued again behind the invalidation operation.
+
+The invalidation operation will perform an attribute change operation and an
+auxiliary data update operation as it is very likely these will have changed.
+
+Using the following function, the netfs can wait for the invalidation operation
+to have reached a point at which it can start submitting ordinary operations
+once again:
 
-There is no direct way to invalidate an index subtree or a data file.  To do
-this, the caller should relinquish and retire the cookie they have, and then
-acquire a new one.
+        void fscache_wait_on_invalidate(struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
 
 
 ===========================
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/object.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/object.txt
index 58313348da87..100ff41127e4 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/caching/object.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/caching/object.txt
@@ -216,7 +216,14 @@ servicing netfs requests:
      The normal running state.  In this state, requests the netfs makes will be
      passed on to the cache.
 
- (6) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_UPDATING.
+ (6) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_INVALIDATING.
+
+     The object is undergoing invalidation.  When the state comes here, it
+     discards all pending read, write and attribute change operations as it is
+     going to clear out the cache entirely and reinitialise it.  It will then
+     continue to the FSCACHE_OBJECT_UPDATING state.
+
+ (7) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_UPDATING.
 
      The state machine comes here to update the object in the cache from the
      netfs's records.  This involves updating the auxiliary data that is used
@@ -225,13 +232,13 @@ servicing netfs requests:
 And there are terminal states in which an object cleans itself up, deallocates
 memory and potentially deletes stuff from disk:
 
- (7) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_LC_DYING.
+ (8) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_LC_DYING.
 
      The object comes here if it is dying because of a lookup or creation
      error.  This would be due to a disk error or system error of some sort.
      Temporary data is cleaned up, and the parent is released.
 
- (8) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_DYING.
+ (9) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_DYING.
 
      The object comes here if it is dying due to an error, because its parent
      cookie has been relinquished by the netfs or because the cache is being
@@ -241,27 +248,27 @@ memory and potentially deletes stuff from disk:
      can destroy themselves.  This object waits for all its children to go away
      before advancing to the next state.
 
- (9) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_ABORT_INIT.
+(10) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_ABORT_INIT.
 
      The object comes to this state if it was waiting on its parent in
      FSCACHE_OBJECT_INIT, but its parent died.  The object will destroy itself
      so that the parent may proceed from the FSCACHE_OBJECT_DYING state.
 
-(10) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_RELEASING.
-(11) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_RECYCLING.
+(11) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_RELEASING.
+(12) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_RECYCLING.
 
      The object comes to one of these two states when dying once it is rid of
      all its children, if it is dying because the netfs relinquished its
      cookie.  In the first state, the cached data is expected to persist, and
      in the second it will be deleted.
 
-(12) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_WITHDRAWING.
+(13) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_WITHDRAWING.
 
      The object transits to this state if the cache decides it wants to
      withdraw the object from service, perhaps to make space, but also due to
      error or just because the whole cache is being withdrawn.
 
-(13) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_DEAD.
+(14) State FSCACHE_OBJECT_DEAD.
 
      The object transits to this state when the in-memory object record is
      ready to be deleted.  The object processor shouldn't ever see an object in