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diff --git a/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt b/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..dab6da338 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt @@ -0,0 +1,634 @@ + Semantics and Behavior of Atomic and + Bitmask Operations + + David S. Miller + + This document is intended to serve as a guide to Linux port +maintainers on how to implement atomic counter, bitops, and spinlock +interfaces properly. + + The atomic_t type should be defined as a signed integer and +the atomic_long_t type as a signed long integer. Also, they should +be made opaque such that any kind of cast to a normal C integer type +will fail. Something like the following should suffice: + + typedef struct { int counter; } atomic_t; + typedef struct { long counter; } atomic_long_t; + +Historically, counter has been declared volatile. This is now discouraged. +See Documentation/volatile-considered-harmful.txt for the complete rationale. + +local_t is very similar to atomic_t. If the counter is per CPU and only +updated by one CPU, local_t is probably more appropriate. Please see +Documentation/local_ops.txt for the semantics of local_t. + +The first operations to implement for atomic_t's are the initializers and +plain reads. + + #define ATOMIC_INIT(i) { (i) } + #define atomic_set(v, i) ((v)->counter = (i)) + +The first macro is used in definitions, such as: + +static atomic_t my_counter = ATOMIC_INIT(1); + +The initializer is atomic in that the return values of the atomic operations +are guaranteed to be correct reflecting the initialized value if the +initializer is used before runtime. If the initializer is used at runtime, a +proper implicit or explicit read memory barrier is needed before reading the +value with atomic_read from another thread. + +As with all of the atomic_ interfaces, replace the leading "atomic_" +with "atomic_long_" to operate on atomic_long_t. + +The second interface can be used at runtime, as in: + + struct foo { atomic_t counter; }; + ... + + struct foo *k; + + k = kmalloc(sizeof(*k), GFP_KERNEL); + if (!k) + return -ENOMEM; + atomic_set(&k->counter, 0); + +The setting is atomic in that the return values of the atomic operations by +all threads are guaranteed to be correct reflecting either the value that has +been set with this operation or set with another operation. A proper implicit +or explicit memory barrier is needed before the value set with the operation +is guaranteed to be readable with atomic_read from another thread. + +Next, we have: + + #define atomic_read(v) ((v)->counter) + +which simply reads the counter value currently visible to the calling thread. +The read is atomic in that the return value is guaranteed to be one of the +values initialized or modified with the interface operations if a proper +implicit or explicit memory barrier is used after possible runtime +initialization by any other thread and the value is modified only with the +interface operations. atomic_read does not guarantee that the runtime +initialization by any other thread is visible yet, so the user of the +interface must take care of that with a proper implicit or explicit memory +barrier. + +*** WARNING: atomic_read() and atomic_set() DO NOT IMPLY BARRIERS! *** + +Some architectures may choose to use the volatile keyword, barriers, or inline +assembly to guarantee some degree of immediacy for atomic_read() and +atomic_set(). This is not uniformly guaranteed, and may change in the future, +so all users of atomic_t should treat atomic_read() and atomic_set() as simple +C statements that may be reordered or optimized away entirely by the compiler +or processor, and explicitly invoke the appropriate compiler and/or memory +barrier for each use case. Failure to do so will result in code that may +suddenly break when used with different architectures or compiler +optimizations, or even changes in unrelated code which changes how the +compiler optimizes the section accessing atomic_t variables. + +*** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! *** + +Properly aligned pointers, longs, ints, and chars (and unsigned +equivalents) may be atomically loaded from and stored to in the same +sense as described for atomic_read() and atomic_set(). The ACCESS_ONCE() +macro should be used to prevent the compiler from using optimizations +that might otherwise optimize accesses out of existence on the one hand, +or that might create unsolicited accesses on the other. + +For example consider the following code: + + while (a > 0) + do_something(); + +If the compiler can prove that do_something() does not store to the +variable a, then the compiler is within its rights transforming this to +the following: + + tmp = a; + if (a > 0) + for (;;) + do_something(); + +If you don't want the compiler to do this (and you probably don't), then +you should use something like the following: + + while (ACCESS_ONCE(a) < 0) + do_something(); + +Alternatively, you could place a barrier() call in the loop. + +For another example, consider the following code: + + tmp_a = a; + do_something_with(tmp_a); + do_something_else_with(tmp_a); + +If the compiler can prove that do_something_with() does not store to the +variable a, then the compiler is within its rights to manufacture an +additional load as follows: + + tmp_a = a; + do_something_with(tmp_a); + tmp_a = a; + do_something_else_with(tmp_a); + +This could fatally confuse your code if it expected the same value +to be passed to do_something_with() and do_something_else_with(). + +The compiler would be likely to manufacture this additional load if +do_something_with() was an inline function that made very heavy use +of registers: reloading from variable a could save a flush to the +stack and later reload. To prevent the compiler from attacking your +code in this manner, write the following: + + tmp_a = ACCESS_ONCE(a); + do_something_with(tmp_a); + do_something_else_with(tmp_a); + +For a final example, consider the following code, assuming that the +variable a is set at boot time before the second CPU is brought online +and never changed later, so that memory barriers are not needed: + + if (a) + b = 9; + else + b = 42; + +The compiler is within its rights to manufacture an additional store +by transforming the above code into the following: + + b = 42; + if (a) + b = 9; + +This could come as a fatal surprise to other code running concurrently +that expected b to never have the value 42 if a was zero. To prevent +the compiler from doing this, write something like: + + if (a) + ACCESS_ONCE(b) = 9; + else + ACCESS_ONCE(b) = 42; + +Don't even -think- about doing this without proper use of memory barriers, +locks, or atomic operations if variable a can change at runtime! + +*** WARNING: ACCESS_ONCE() DOES NOT IMPLY A BARRIER! *** + +Now, we move onto the atomic operation interfaces typically implemented with +the help of assembly code. + + void atomic_add(int i, atomic_t *v); + void atomic_sub(int i, atomic_t *v); + void atomic_inc(atomic_t *v); + void atomic_dec(atomic_t *v); + +These four routines add and subtract integral values to/from the given +atomic_t value. The first two routines pass explicit integers by +which to make the adjustment, whereas the latter two use an implicit +adjustment value of "1". + +One very important aspect of these two routines is that they DO NOT +require any explicit memory barriers. They need only perform the +atomic_t counter update in an SMP safe manner. + +Next, we have: + + int atomic_inc_return(atomic_t *v); + int atomic_dec_return(atomic_t *v); + +These routines add 1 and subtract 1, respectively, from the given +atomic_t and return the new counter value after the operation is +performed. + +Unlike the above routines, it is required that these primitives +include explicit memory barriers that are performed before and after +the operation. It must be done such that all memory operations before +and after the atomic operation calls are strongly ordered with respect +to the atomic operation itself. + +For example, it should behave as if a smp_mb() call existed both +before and after the atomic operation. + +If the atomic instructions used in an implementation provide explicit +memory barrier semantics which satisfy the above requirements, that is +fine as well. + +Let's move on: + + int atomic_add_return(int i, atomic_t *v); + int atomic_sub_return(int i, atomic_t *v); + +These behave just like atomic_{inc,dec}_return() except that an +explicit counter adjustment is given instead of the implicit "1". +This means that like atomic_{inc,dec}_return(), the memory barrier +semantics are required. + +Next: + + int atomic_inc_and_test(atomic_t *v); + int atomic_dec_and_test(atomic_t *v); + +These two routines increment and decrement by 1, respectively, the +given atomic counter. They return a boolean indicating whether the +resulting counter value was zero or not. + +Again, these primitives provide explicit memory barrier semantics around +the atomic operation. + + int atomic_sub_and_test(int i, atomic_t *v); + +This is identical to atomic_dec_and_test() except that an explicit +decrement is given instead of the implicit "1". This primitive must +provide explicit memory barrier semantics around the operation. + + int atomic_add_negative(int i, atomic_t *v); + +The given increment is added to the given atomic counter value. A boolean +is return which indicates whether the resulting counter value is negative. +This primitive must provide explicit memory barrier semantics around +the operation. + +Then: + + int atomic_xchg(atomic_t *v, int new); + +This performs an atomic exchange operation on the atomic variable v, setting +the given new value. It returns the old value that the atomic variable v had +just before the operation. + +atomic_xchg must provide explicit memory barriers around the operation. + + int atomic_cmpxchg(atomic_t *v, int old, int new); + +This performs an atomic compare exchange operation on the atomic value v, +with the given old and new values. Like all atomic_xxx operations, +atomic_cmpxchg will only satisfy its atomicity semantics as long as all +other accesses of *v are performed through atomic_xxx operations. + +atomic_cmpxchg must provide explicit memory barriers around the operation. + +The semantics for atomic_cmpxchg are the same as those defined for 'cas' +below. + +Finally: + + int atomic_add_unless(atomic_t *v, int a, int u); + +If the atomic value v is not equal to u, this function adds a to v, and +returns non zero. If v is equal to u then it returns zero. This is done as +an atomic operation. + +atomic_add_unless must provide explicit memory barriers around the +operation unless it fails (returns 0). + +atomic_inc_not_zero, equivalent to atomic_add_unless(v, 1, 0) + + +If a caller requires memory barrier semantics around an atomic_t +operation which does not return a value, a set of interfaces are +defined which accomplish this: + + void smp_mb__before_atomic(void); + void smp_mb__after_atomic(void); + +For example, smp_mb__before_atomic() can be used like so: + + obj->dead = 1; + smp_mb__before_atomic(); + atomic_dec(&obj->ref_count); + +It makes sure that all memory operations preceding the atomic_dec() +call are strongly ordered with respect to the atomic counter +operation. In the above example, it guarantees that the assignment of +"1" to obj->dead will be globally visible to other cpus before the +atomic counter decrement. + +Without the explicit smp_mb__before_atomic() call, the +implementation could legally allow the atomic counter update visible +to other cpus before the "obj->dead = 1;" assignment. + +A missing memory barrier in the cases where they are required by the +atomic_t implementation above can have disastrous results. Here is +an example, which follows a pattern occurring frequently in the Linux +kernel. It is the use of atomic counters to implement reference +counting, and it works such that once the counter falls to zero it can +be guaranteed that no other entity can be accessing the object: + +static void obj_list_add(struct obj *obj, struct list_head *head) +{ + obj->active = 1; + list_add(&obj->list, head); +} + +static void obj_list_del(struct obj *obj) +{ + list_del(&obj->list); + obj->active = 0; +} + +static void obj_destroy(struct obj *obj) +{ + BUG_ON(obj->active); + kfree(obj); +} + +struct obj *obj_list_peek(struct list_head *head) +{ + if (!list_empty(head)) { + struct obj *obj; + + obj = list_entry(head->next, struct obj, list); + atomic_inc(&obj->refcnt); + return obj; + } + return NULL; +} + +void obj_poke(void) +{ + struct obj *obj; + + spin_lock(&global_list_lock); + obj = obj_list_peek(&global_list); + spin_unlock(&global_list_lock); + + if (obj) { + obj->ops->poke(obj); + if (atomic_dec_and_test(&obj->refcnt)) + obj_destroy(obj); + } +} + +void obj_timeout(struct obj *obj) +{ + spin_lock(&global_list_lock); + obj_list_del(obj); + spin_unlock(&global_list_lock); + + if (atomic_dec_and_test(&obj->refcnt)) + obj_destroy(obj); +} + +(This is a simplification of the ARP queue management in the + generic neighbour discover code of the networking. Olaf Kirch + found a bug wrt. memory barriers in kfree_skb() that exposed + the atomic_t memory barrier requirements quite clearly.) + +Given the above scheme, it must be the case that the obj->active +update done by the obj list deletion be visible to other processors +before the atomic counter decrement is performed. + +Otherwise, the counter could fall to zero, yet obj->active would still +be set, thus triggering the assertion in obj_destroy(). The error +sequence looks like this: + + cpu 0 cpu 1 + obj_poke() obj_timeout() + obj = obj_list_peek(); + ... gains ref to obj, refcnt=2 + obj_list_del(obj); + obj->active = 0 ... + ... visibility delayed ... + atomic_dec_and_test() + ... refcnt drops to 1 ... + atomic_dec_and_test() + ... refcount drops to 0 ... + obj_destroy() + BUG() triggers since obj->active + still seen as one + obj->active update visibility occurs + +With the memory barrier semantics required of the atomic_t operations +which return values, the above sequence of memory visibility can never +happen. Specifically, in the above case the atomic_dec_and_test() +counter decrement would not become globally visible until the +obj->active update does. + +As a historical note, 32-bit Sparc used to only allow usage of +24-bits of its atomic_t type. This was because it used 8 bits +as a spinlock for SMP safety. Sparc32 lacked a "compare and swap" +type instruction. However, 32-bit Sparc has since been moved over +to a "hash table of spinlocks" scheme, that allows the full 32-bit +counter to be realized. Essentially, an array of spinlocks are +indexed into based upon the address of the atomic_t being operated +on, and that lock protects the atomic operation. Parisc uses the +same scheme. + +Another note is that the atomic_t operations returning values are +extremely slow on an old 386. + +We will now cover the atomic bitmask operations. You will find that +their SMP and memory barrier semantics are similar in shape and scope +to the atomic_t ops above. + +Native atomic bit operations are defined to operate on objects aligned +to the size of an "unsigned long" C data type, and are least of that +size. The endianness of the bits within each "unsigned long" are the +native endianness of the cpu. + + void set_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + void clear_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + void change_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + +These routines set, clear, and change, respectively, the bit number +indicated by "nr" on the bit mask pointed to by "ADDR". + +They must execute atomically, yet there are no implicit memory barrier +semantics required of these interfaces. + + int test_and_set_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + int test_and_clear_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + int test_and_change_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + +Like the above, except that these routines return a boolean which +indicates whether the changed bit was set _BEFORE_ the atomic bit +operation. + +WARNING! It is incredibly important that the value be a boolean, +ie. "0" or "1". Do not try to be fancy and save a few instructions by +declaring the above to return "long" and just returning something like +"old_val & mask" because that will not work. + +For one thing, this return value gets truncated to int in many code +paths using these interfaces, so on 64-bit if the bit is set in the +upper 32-bits then testers will never see that. + +One great example of where this problem crops up are the thread_info +flag operations. Routines such as test_and_set_ti_thread_flag() chop +the return value into an int. There are other places where things +like this occur as well. + +These routines, like the atomic_t counter operations returning values, +must provide explicit memory barrier semantics around their execution. +All memory operations before the atomic bit operation call must be +made visible globally before the atomic bit operation is made visible. +Likewise, the atomic bit operation must be visible globally before any +subsequent memory operation is made visible. For example: + + obj->dead = 1; + if (test_and_set_bit(0, &obj->flags)) + /* ... */; + obj->killed = 1; + +The implementation of test_and_set_bit() must guarantee that +"obj->dead = 1;" is visible to cpus before the atomic memory operation +done by test_and_set_bit() becomes visible. Likewise, the atomic +memory operation done by test_and_set_bit() must become visible before +"obj->killed = 1;" is visible. + +Finally there is the basic operation: + + int test_bit(unsigned long nr, __const__ volatile unsigned long *addr); + +Which returns a boolean indicating if bit "nr" is set in the bitmask +pointed to by "addr". + +If explicit memory barriers are required around {set,clear}_bit() (which do +not return a value, and thus does not need to provide memory barrier +semantics), two interfaces are provided: + + void smp_mb__before_atomic(void); + void smp_mb__after_atomic(void); + +They are used as follows, and are akin to their atomic_t operation +brothers: + + /* All memory operations before this call will + * be globally visible before the clear_bit(). + */ + smp_mb__before_atomic(); + clear_bit( ... ); + + /* The clear_bit() will be visible before all + * subsequent memory operations. + */ + smp_mb__after_atomic(); + +There are two special bitops with lock barrier semantics (acquire/release, +same as spinlocks). These operate in the same way as their non-_lock/unlock +postfixed variants, except that they are to provide acquire/release semantics, +respectively. This means they can be used for bit_spin_trylock and +bit_spin_unlock type operations without specifying any more barriers. + + int test_and_set_bit_lock(unsigned long nr, unsigned long *addr); + void clear_bit_unlock(unsigned long nr, unsigned long *addr); + void __clear_bit_unlock(unsigned long nr, unsigned long *addr); + +The __clear_bit_unlock version is non-atomic, however it still implements +unlock barrier semantics. This can be useful if the lock itself is protecting +the other bits in the word. + +Finally, there are non-atomic versions of the bitmask operations +provided. They are used in contexts where some other higher-level SMP +locking scheme is being used to protect the bitmask, and thus less +expensive non-atomic operations may be used in the implementation. +They have names similar to the above bitmask operation interfaces, +except that two underscores are prefixed to the interface name. + + void __set_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + void __clear_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + void __change_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + int __test_and_set_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + int __test_and_clear_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + int __test_and_change_bit(unsigned long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr); + +These non-atomic variants also do not require any special memory +barrier semantics. + +The routines xchg() and cmpxchg() must provide the same exact +memory-barrier semantics as the atomic and bit operations returning +values. + +Spinlocks and rwlocks have memory barrier expectations as well. +The rule to follow is simple: + +1) When acquiring a lock, the implementation must make it globally + visible before any subsequent memory operation. + +2) When releasing a lock, the implementation must make it such that + all previous memory operations are globally visible before the + lock release. + +Which finally brings us to _atomic_dec_and_lock(). There is an +architecture-neutral version implemented in lib/dec_and_lock.c, +but most platforms will wish to optimize this in assembler. + + int _atomic_dec_and_lock(atomic_t *atomic, spinlock_t *lock); + +Atomically decrement the given counter, and if will drop to zero +atomically acquire the given spinlock and perform the decrement +of the counter to zero. If it does not drop to zero, do nothing +with the spinlock. + +It is actually pretty simple to get the memory barrier correct. +Simply satisfy the spinlock grab requirements, which is make +sure the spinlock operation is globally visible before any +subsequent memory operation. + +We can demonstrate this operation more clearly if we define +an abstract atomic operation: + + long cas(long *mem, long old, long new); + +"cas" stands for "compare and swap". It atomically: + +1) Compares "old" with the value currently at "mem". +2) If they are equal, "new" is written to "mem". +3) Regardless, the current value at "mem" is returned. + +As an example usage, here is what an atomic counter update +might look like: + +void example_atomic_inc(long *counter) +{ + long old, new, ret; + + while (1) { + old = *counter; + new = old + 1; + + ret = cas(counter, old, new); + if (ret == old) + break; + } +} + +Let's use cas() in order to build a pseudo-C atomic_dec_and_lock(): + +int _atomic_dec_and_lock(atomic_t *atomic, spinlock_t *lock) +{ + long old, new, ret; + int went_to_zero; + + went_to_zero = 0; + while (1) { + old = atomic_read(atomic); + new = old - 1; + if (new == 0) { + went_to_zero = 1; + spin_lock(lock); + } + ret = cas(atomic, old, new); + if (ret == old) + break; + if (went_to_zero) { + spin_unlock(lock); + went_to_zero = 0; + } + } + + return went_to_zero; +} + +Now, as far as memory barriers go, as long as spin_lock() +strictly orders all subsequent memory operations (including +the cas()) with respect to itself, things will be fine. + +Said another way, _atomic_dec_and_lock() must guarantee that +a counter dropping to zero is never made visible before the +spinlock being acquired. + +Note that this also means that for the case where the counter +is not dropping to zero, there are no memory ordering +requirements. |