[linux-cifs-client] Re: [PATCH] cifs: remove dnotify thread code

[Jamie Lokier]

Jeff Layton wrote:
> > I think NFSv4 can do it with delegations, although the exact semantics
> > an app could rely on would be different.
> 
> I don't think delegations help here since it's entirely up to the
> server whether to grant one or not. I've only given inotify/dnotify a
> drive-by look, but I'm pretty sure you'd want the client to be able to
> set up events to monitor.

The notify API needs the ability to report, in general, whether you'll
get notify events from a particular filesystem / file / directory /
whatever-condition anyway.  And also whether you get events for all
(remote) changes, or just local changes.

You might as well _try_ to get a delegate, and if you fail, tell the
caller that it won't receive notifications on this file and will have
to poll - just like most other remote filesystems.

-- Jamie