7:13.012 kernel: unable to read partition table 15:27:13.014 kernel: BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0000000000000010 15:27:13.014 kernel: IP: [] disk_part_iter_next+0x74/0xfd 15:27:13.014 kernel: PGD 82ad0b067 PUD 82cd7e067 PMD 0 15:27:13.014 kernel: Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP 15:27:13.014 kernel: last sysfs file: /sys/devices/platform/host9/session4/iscsi_session/session4/ifacename 15:27:13.014 kernel: CPU 5 15:27:13.014 kernel: Modules linked in: 15:27:13.014 kernel: Pid: 13999, comm: async/0 Not tainted 2.6.30.4-elastic-lon-p #2 X7DBN 15:27:13.014 kernel: RIP: 0010:[] [] disk_part_iter_next+0x74/0xfd 15:27:13.014 kernel: RSP: 0018:ffff88066afa3dd0 EFLAGS: 00010246 15:27:13.014 kernel: RAX: ffff88082b58a000 RBX: ffff88066afa3e00 RCX: 0000000000000000 15:27:13.014 kernel: RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffff88082b58a000 RDI: 0000000000000000 15:27:13.014 kernel: RBP: ffff88066afa3df0 R08: ffff88066afa2000 R09: ffff8806a204f000 15:27:13.014 kernel: R10: 000000fb12c7d274 R11: ffff8806c2bf0628 R12: ffff88066afa3e00 15:27:13.014 kernel: R13: ffff88082c829a00 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffff8806bc50c920 15:27:13.014 kernel: FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88002818a000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 15:27:13.014 kernel: CS: 0010 DS: 0018 ES: 0018 CR0: 000000008005003b 15:27:13.014 kernel: CR2: 0000000000000010 CR3: 000000082ade3000 CR4: 00000000000426e0 15:27:13.014 kernel: DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 15:27:13.014 kernel: DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000ffff0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 15:27:13.014 kernel: Process async/0 (pid: 13999, threadinfo ffff88066afa2000, task ffff8806c2bf05e0) 15:27:13.014 kernel: Stack: 15:27:13.014 kernel: 0000000000000000 ffff88066afa3e00 ffff88066afa3e00 ffff88082c829a00 15:27:13.014 kernel: ffff88066afa3e40 ffffffff80306feb ffff88082b58a000 0000000000000000 15:27:13.014 kernel: 0000000000000001 ffff8806bc50c920 ffff88066afa3e40 ffff88082b58a000 15:27:13.014 kernel: Call Trace: 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] register_disk+0x122/0x13a 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] add_disk+0xaa/0x106 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] sd_probe_async+0x198/0x25b 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] async_thread+0x10c/0x20d 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] ? default_wake_function+0x0/0xf 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] ? async_thread+0x0/0x20d 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] kthread+0x55/0x80 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] child_rip+0xa/0x20 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] ? kthread+0x0/0x80 15:27:13.014 kernel: [] ? child_rip+0x0/0x20 15:27:13.014 kernel: Code: c8 ff 80 e1 0c b9 00 00 00 00 0f 44 c1 41 83 cd ff 48 8d 7a 20 48 be ff ff ff ff 08 00 00 00 48 b9 00 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 eb 50 <8b> 42 10 41 bd 01 00 00 00 eb db 4c 63 c2 4e 8d 04 c7 4d 8b 20 15:27:13.015 kernel: RIP [] disk_part_iter_next+0x74/0xfd 15:27:13.015 kernel: RSP 15:27:13.015 kernel: CR2: 0000000000000010 15:27:13.015 kernel: ---[ end trace 6104b56ef5590e25 ]--- The problem is caused because the async scanning split in sd.c doesn't hold any reference to the device when it kicks off the async piece. What's happening is that an iSCSI disconnect is destorying the device again *before* the async sd scanning thread even starts. Fix this by taking a reference before starting the thread and dropping it again when the thread completes. Reported-by: Chris Webb Cc: Stable Tree Signed-off-by: James Bottomley eGBx