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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/RCU/rcuref.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/RCU/rcuref.txt | 74 |
1 files changed, 74 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/rcuref.txt b/Documentation/RCU/rcuref.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..a23fee66064d --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/RCU/rcuref.txt @@ -0,0 +1,74 @@ +Refcounter framework for elements of lists/arrays protected by +RCU. + +Refcounting on elements of lists which are protected by traditional +reader/writer spinlocks or semaphores are straight forward as in: + +1. 2. +add() search_and_reference() +{ { + alloc_object read_lock(&list_lock); + ... search_for_element + atomic_set(&el->rc, 1); atomic_inc(&el->rc); + write_lock(&list_lock); ... + add_element read_unlock(&list_lock); + ... ... + write_unlock(&list_lock); } +} + +3. 4. +release_referenced() delete() +{ { + ... write_lock(&list_lock); + atomic_dec(&el->rc, relfunc) ... + ... delete_element +} write_unlock(&list_lock); + ... + if (atomic_dec_and_test(&el->rc)) + kfree(el); + ... + } + +If this list/array is made lock free using rcu as in changing the +write_lock in add() and delete() to spin_lock and changing read_lock +in search_and_reference to rcu_read_lock(), the rcuref_get in +search_and_reference could potentially hold reference to an element which +has already been deleted from the list/array. rcuref_lf_get_rcu takes +care of this scenario. search_and_reference should look as; + +1. 2. +add() search_and_reference() +{ { + alloc_object rcu_read_lock(); + ... search_for_element + atomic_set(&el->rc, 1); if (rcuref_inc_lf(&el->rc)) { + write_lock(&list_lock); rcu_read_unlock(); + return FAIL; + add_element } + ... ... + write_unlock(&list_lock); rcu_read_unlock(); +} } +3. 4. +release_referenced() delete() +{ { + ... write_lock(&list_lock); + rcuref_dec(&el->rc, relfunc) ... + ... delete_element +} write_unlock(&list_lock); + ... + if (rcuref_dec_and_test(&el->rc)) + call_rcu(&el->head, el_free); + ... + } + +Sometimes, reference to the element need to be obtained in the +update (write) stream. In such cases, rcuref_inc_lf might be an overkill +since the spinlock serialising list updates are held. rcuref_inc +is to be used in such cases. +For arches which do not have cmpxchg rcuref_inc_lf +api uses a hashed spinlock implementation and the same hashed spinlock +is acquired in all rcuref_xxx primitives to preserve atomicity. +Note: Use rcuref_inc api only if you need to use rcuref_inc_lf on the +refcounter atleast at one place. Mixing rcuref_inc and atomic_xxx api +might lead to races. rcuref_inc_lf() must be used in lockfree +RCU critical sections only. |