fix(linstor): prevent orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry #1823

kvaps · 2026-01-07T12:28:20Z

Summary

Fix bug in toggle-disk retry logic that left orphaned DRBD devices in kernel.

Problem

When toggle-disk retry was triggered (e.g., user retries after a failed operation), the code called removeLayerData() to clean up and recreate the layer stack. However, removeLayerData() only removes data from the controller's database — it does NOT call drbdadm down on the satellite.

This caused DRBD devices to remain in the kernel (visible in drbdsetup but not managed by LINSTOR), occupying ports and blocking subsequent operations.

Solution

Changed retry logic to simply repeat the operation with existing layer data intact. The satellite handles this idempotently without creating orphaned resources.

Upstream

fix(toggle-disk): allow retry and cancellation of failed operations LINBIT/linstor-server#475 (updated)

[linstor] Fix orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry

Summary by CodeRabbit

New Features
- Added cancel and retry capabilities for disk addition operations
- Added cancel and retry capabilities for disk removal operations
- Improved cleanup handling for diskless resources with orphaned storage layers

_{✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.}

The previous retry logic in toggle-disk removed layer data from controller DB and recreated it. However, removeLayerData() only deletes from the database without calling drbdadm down on the satellite, leaving orphaned DRBD devices in the kernel that occupy ports and block new operations. This fix changes retry to simply repeat the operation with existing layer data, allowing the satellite to handle it idempotently. Upstream: LINBIT/linstor-server#475 Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: Andrei Kvapil <kvapss@gmail.com>

coderabbitai · 2026-01-07T12:28:26Z

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

A patch adds retry and cancel flow support to disk toggle operations in CtrlRscToggleDiskApiCallHandler. Previously, DISK_ADD_REQUESTED and DISK_REMOVE_REQUESTED states threw errors; now they support cancel, retry, and cleanup flows with new helper methods for state management and storage layer inspection.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Disk Toggle Handler Enhancement `packages/system/linstor/images/piraeus-server/patches/allow-toggle-disk-retry.diff`	Added retry and cancel flow support for disk toggle operations. Introduced three private helper methods: `unmarkDiskAddRequested()`, `unmarkDiskRemoveRequested()`, and `hasNonDisklessStorageLayer()` for state management and storage layer inspection. New imports for `VlmProviderObject` and `DeviceProviderKind` to enable storage layer validation. Enhanced error handling paths to support cancellation and retry instead of immediate failure.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~20 minutes

Poem

🐰 With disk states tangled in a knot,
Our patch brings retry to the lot,
Cancel flows smooth, and cleanup so neat,
Storage layers dance—oh what a treat!
A toggle that's wise, no longer we fret,
The finest disk flow you've ever met! ✨

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3

✅ Passed checks (3 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and specifically describes the main bugfix: preventing orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry operations in LINSTOR.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

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📜 Recent review details

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 0fb02e6 and 8151e1e.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

packages/system/linstor/images/piraeus-server/patches/allow-toggle-disk-retry.diff

🧰 Additional context used

📓 Path-based instructions (1)

packages/system/**

📄 CodeRabbit inference engine (AGENTS.md)

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Files:

packages/system/linstor/images/piraeus-server/patches/allow-toggle-disk-retry.diff

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GitHub Check: Build

🔇 Additional comments (6)

packages/system/linstor/images/piraeus-server/patches/allow-toggle-disk-retry.diff (6)

5-14: LGTM!

The new imports for VlmProviderObject and DeviceProviderKind are correctly added to support the new storage layer inspection logic.

22-75: Core fix looks correct and well-documented.

The retry flow correctly reuses existing layer data instead of calling removeLayerData(), which addresses the root cause of orphaned DRBD devices. The cancel flow properly leverages the existing disk removal mechanism for cleanup.

The inline comments at lines 64-66 clearly document why the previous approach was problematic, which is valuable for future maintainers.

76-107: LGTM!

The asymmetric handling between cancel flows is correct: cancelling a disk-add requires cleanup of potentially provisioned storage, while cancelling a disk-remove simply clears the flag since storage remains intact.

117-150: Good defensive addition for orphaned storage layer cleanup.

This handles edge cases where a resource is marked diskless but retains orphaned storage layers (e.g., from a previous failed operation). Reusing the existing disk removal flow for cleanup ensures consistent satellite-side behavior.

161-184: LGTM!

The new helper methods follow the established pattern of existing mark* methods in this class, with consistent error handling.

192-225: LGTM!

The recursive layer tree traversal is correct. The method properly checks the current layer for non-diskless storage volumes before recursing into children, with early-exit optimization.

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gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-07T12:28:35Z

Summary of Changes

Hello @kvaps, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request resolves a critical bug in LINSTOR's toggle-disk retry mechanism that could lead to orphaned DRBD devices remaining active in the kernel. The fix streamlines the retry process by eliminating an erroneous cleanup step that inadvertently caused these unmanaged devices, ensuring that toggle-disk operations are robust and do not leave system-level residue, thereby improving resource management and preventing operational blocks.

Highlights

DRBD Device Management: Modified the toggle-disk retry logic to prevent the creation of orphaned DRBD devices in the kernel, which previously occurred when removeLayerData() was called without properly deactivating the DRBD device on the satellite.
Retry Mechanism Improvement: The problematic removeLayerData() and subsequent ensureStackDataExists() calls have been removed from the toggle-disk retry path, as they only cleaned the controller's database and not the actual DRBD devices on the satellite.
Idempotent Operations: The retry mechanism now simply re-attempts the toggle-disk operation with existing layer data, relying on the satellite's inherent idempotent handling to ensure a clean and correct state without leaving behind orphaned resources.

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Code Review

This pull request effectively resolves a critical bug that led to orphaned DRBD devices during a toggle-disk retry. The change in logic to rely on the satellite's idempotency instead of attempting a partial cleanup on the controller is a solid fix. Additionally, the new functionality to cancel pending operations and to clean up orphaned layers on diskless resources significantly improves the robustness of the toggle-disk operation. The code is well-commented and the changes are logical. I have a couple of suggestions for refactoring that could enhance code maintainability and readability.

github-actions · 2026-01-07T14:00:25Z

Successfully created backport PR for release-0.39:

[Backport release-0.39] fix(linstor): prevent orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry #1825

…uring toggle-disk retry (#1825) # Description Backport of #1823 to `release-0.39`.

…1823) ## Summary Fix bug in toggle-disk retry logic that left orphaned DRBD devices in kernel. ## Problem When toggle-disk retry was triggered (e.g., user retries after a failed operation), the code called `removeLayerData()` to clean up and recreate the layer stack. However, `removeLayerData()` only removes data from the controller's database — it does NOT call `drbdadm down` on the satellite. This caused DRBD devices to remain in the kernel (visible in `drbdsetup` but not managed by LINSTOR), occupying ports and blocking subsequent operations. ## Solution Changed retry logic to simply repeat the operation with existing layer data intact. The satellite handles this idempotently without creating orphaned resources. ## Upstream - LINBIT/linstor-server#475 (updated) ```release-note [linstor] Fix orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry ```  ## Summary by CodeRabbit * **New Features** * Added cancel and retry capabilities for disk addition operations * Added cancel and retry capabilities for disk removal operations * Improved cleanup handling for diskless resources with orphaned storage layers <sub>✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.</sub>

kvaps added the backport Should change be backported on previus release label Jan 7, 2026

kvaps marked this pull request as ready for review January 7, 2026 12:30

kvaps requested review from lllamnyp and nbykov0 as code owners January 7, 2026 12:30

dosubot bot added the size:S This PR changes 10-29 lines, ignoring generated files. label Jan 7, 2026

gemini-code-assist bot reviewed Jan 7, 2026

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dosubot bot added the bug Something isn't working label Jan 7, 2026

lllamnyp approved these changes Jan 7, 2026

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dosubot bot added the lgtm This PR has been approved by a maintainer label Jan 7, 2026

kvaps merged commit b8b330e into main Jan 7, 2026
30 checks passed

kvaps deleted the fix/linstor-toggle-disk-retry branch January 7, 2026 14:00

github-actions bot mentioned this pull request Jan 7, 2026

[Backport release-0.39] fix(linstor): prevent orphaned DRBD devices during toggle-disk retry #1825

Merged

kvaps added a commit that referenced this pull request Jan 7, 2026

[Backport release-0.39] fix(linstor): prevent orphaned DRBD devices d…

9405e05

…uring toggle-disk retry (#1825) # Description Backport of #1823 to `release-0.39`.

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