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== Basic design ==
 
== Basic design ==
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=== Checkpoint ===
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The checkpoint procedure relies heavily on '''/proc''' file system (it's a general place where crtools takes all the information it needs).
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Which includes
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* Files descriptors information (via '''/proc/$pid/fd''' and '''/proc/$pid/fdinfo''').
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* Pipes parameters.
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* Memory maps (via '''/proc/$pid/maps''').
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The process dumper (lets call it simply the dumper further) does the following steps during checkpoint stage
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# A '''$pid''' of a process group leader is obtained from the command line.
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# By using this '''$pid''' the dumper walks though '''/proc/$pid/status''' and gathers children '''$pids''' recursively. At the end we will have a process tree.
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# Then it takes every '''$pid''' from a process tree, sends ''SIGSTOP'' to every process found, and performs the following steps on each '''$pid'''.
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#* Collects VMA areas by parsing '''/proc/$pid/maps'''.
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#* Seizes a task via relatively new ptrace interface. Seizing a task means to put it into a special state when the task have no idea if it's being operated by ptrace.
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#* Core parameters of a task (such as registers and friends) are being dumped via ptrace interface and parsing '''/proc/$pid/stat''' entry.
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#* The dumper injects a parasite code into a task via ptrace interface. This allows us to dump pages of a task right from within the task's address space.
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#** An injection procedure is pretty simple - the dumper scans executable VMA areas of a task (which were collected previously) and tests if there a place for <code>syscall</code> call, then (by ptrace as well) it substitutes an original code with <code>syscall</code> instructions and creates a new VMA area inside process address space.
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#** Finally parasite code get copied into the new VMA and the former code which was modified during parasite bootstrap procedure get restored.
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#* Then (by using a parasite code) the dumper flushes contents of a task's pages to the file. And pulls out parasite code block completely, since we don't need it anymore.
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#* Once parasite removed a task get unseized via ptrace call but it remains stopped still.
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#* The dumper writes out files and pipes parameter and data.
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# The procedure continues for every '''$pid'''.
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=== Restore ===
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The restore procedure (aka restorer) proceed in the following steps
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# A process tree has been read from a file.
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# Every process started with saved (i.e. original) '''$pid''' via <code>clone()</code> call with new <code>CLONE_CHILD_USEPID</code> flag.
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# Files and pipes are restored (by restored it's meant - they are opened and positioned).
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# A new file generated. The file has an Elf format but with modified executable and program header types (telling the kernel that this particular file is not a regular Elf'oid but rather the kernel is to handle it in a slightly different way).
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# Finally execve with new Elf file as an argument is executed, which initiate the kernel's stage of restore procedure.
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=== Kernel requirements ===
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Since checkpoint and restore processes require some help from the Linux kernel, the following kernel patches are needed
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* procfs-report-eisdir-when-reading-sysctl-dirs-in-proc.patch
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* proc-fix-races-against-execve-of-proc-pid-fd.patch
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* proc-fix-races-against-execve-of-proc-pid-fd-fix.patch
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* proc-force-dcache-drop-on-unauthorized-access.patch
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* cr-statfs-callback-for-pipefs
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These patches are already in -mm tree and rather a preparation patches for the next series.
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* fs-proc-switch-to-dentry
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* cr-proc-map-files-21
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These patches introduce '''/proc/$pid/msp_files'''.
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* cr-clone-with-pid-support
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This one introduce ability to clone process with specified pid.
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* cr-proc-add-children
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This one introduce "Children" line to '''/proc/$pid/status'''.
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* fs-add-do-close
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* fs-proc-add-tls
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* fs-proc-add-mm-task-stat
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These ones provides missing pieces of process' information which is needed for checkpoint/restore.
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* binfmt-elf-for-cr-5
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This one provides new Elf file format.
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=== Where to get '''crtools''' itself ===
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The '''crtools''' utility itself is hosted at [https://github.com/cyrillos/crtools github]. Clone this repo to test new functionality out. Note the kernel patches are placed at kernel/ directory inside source code tree and includes [http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/quilt quilt] series file.
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'''crtools''' has been tested on Linux 3.1-rc3.