Bug description:
https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-7147084
http://bugs.sun.com/view_bug.do?bug_id=7147084
Here is the suggested fix:
http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~uta/openjdk-webrevs/JDK-7147084/webrev.00/
Summary:
I would like to describe the bug synopsis, common Java approach to
Windows handle inheritance and introduce the solution. The description
covers the bugs JDK-7147084
<https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-7147084>, JDK-6921885
<https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-6921885>, JDK-6428742
<https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-6428742>. All of them have the
same source.
Inherited Windows handles are limited by IO and synchronization objects
(read more at [1]). The handle itself is an integer key in a system hash
map. The system hash map is unique for a process.
The parent process could share the handles with installed
[HANDLE_FLAG_INHERIT] bit (the inherit-bit for short) with child process
by setting the parameter [bInheritHandles] to [TRUE] in the Win32 API
[CreateProcess] call [2]. Only the [CreateProcess] call is used by Java
for new process creation. The term "share the handle" means that the
same integer key (handle) is valid in both system hash maps: in parent
and child processes.
Java does not provide the API to change the inherit-bit for any handle.
More other, since at least the JDK 6, all Java-created handles have no
installed inherit-bit .
Handles that change the inherit-bit to 1 in the Java call are the
handles of redirected Input, Output, and Error streams (IOE streams for
short) for child process. That is the only way to redirect the streams.
That's why we can not give up the nomination in [TRUE] the parameter
[bInheritHandles] in the [CreateProcess] call. And I want to mention
again that this is the only place in JDK where Java installs the
inherit-bit. Java itself does not use handle inheritance.
Below are the facts that are essential for further discussion, but not
mentioned explicitly in the MS documentation:
- the only way to redirect the IOE streams of child process is to make
they inherited in parent process and nominate in [TRUE] the parameter
[bInheritHandles] in the [CreateProcess] call;
- handles of IOE streams in the child process have the same value and
conserve the inherit-bit in 1;
- nomination of the inherit-bit bit to 0 in parent process does not drop
the the inherit-bit in child process. As a result the grandchild process
inherits the child process IOE handles;
- Java does not provide the API to change the inherit-bit, Java child
process cannot drop the inherit-bit; child process can not suggest,
should it drop the inherit-bit for IOE handles or not;
- each inheritance increase the handle reference counter;
- synchronous read/write operations for pipes cannot finish until
another-end handle will not finally closed in all processes.
As a result of facts below we got two problems:
- if IOE handles made "inherit" in parent process, they conserve the
inherit-bit in 1 at least in time of the [CreateProcess] call (in case
we like to return the bit in previous value, that is not true for
current implementation). That is rather long time. If the parallel
thread will be fast enough, it will have time to make a competitive
challenge to the [ProcessImpl.create] function and the competitive child
process will inherit not belong to him handles. That is the subject of
JDK-6921885 <https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-6921885> bug.
- the fact that in the child process handles of IOE streams have the
same value and conserve the inherit-bit in 1 leads to "greeady
grandchild" problem. That is a subject of JDK-7147084
<https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-7147084>.
The common root of problems described in MS knowlage DB [3].
Suggested fix based on following facts:
- Java does not need the installed inherit-bit, except when starting a
child process and only for the IOE handles
- (consequence of the first) In the child process IOE handles are the
only that could get installed inherit-bit due to Java activity. Java is
not interested in inheritance of IOE handle to grandchild process by
default, but only as explicit IOE handle for grandchild.
- in accordance with MS kb315939 the synchronized [ProcessImpl.create]
call is mandatory for JDK-6921885
<https://jbs.oracle.com/bugs/browse/JDK-6921885> fix.
- any IOE standard handle should have the same value of inherit-bit
before and after the [ProcessImpl.create] call to minimize the fix
impact handle propagation in child processes.
References:
1. Handle Inheritance:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724466%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
2. CreateProcess function:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682425%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
3. kb315939: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315939
Regards,
-uta
