Commit 17eb88e0 authored by Paul E. McKenney's avatar Paul E. McKenney Committed by Ingo Molnar

Documentation/memory-barriers.txt: Downgrade UNLOCK+BLOCK

Historically, an UNLOCK+LOCK pair executed by one CPU, by one
task, or on a given lock variable has implied a full memory
barrier.  In a recent LKML thread, the wisdom of this historical
approach was called into question:
http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-mm/msg65653.html, in part due
to the memory-order complexities of low-handoff-overhead queued
locks on x86 systems.

This patch therefore removes this guarantee from the
documentation, and further documents how to restore it via a new
smp_mb__after_unlock_lock() primitive.
Signed-off-by: default avatarPaul E. McKenney <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Reviewed-by: default avatarPeter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@chello.nl>
Cc: <linux-arch@vger.kernel.org>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/1386799151-2219-6-git-send-email-paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.comSigned-off-by: default avatarIngo Molnar <mingo@kernel.org>
parent 01352fb8
...@@ -402,12 +402,18 @@ And a couple of implicit varieties: ...@@ -402,12 +402,18 @@ And a couple of implicit varieties:
Memory operations that occur after an UNLOCK operation may appear to Memory operations that occur after an UNLOCK operation may appear to
happen before it completes. happen before it completes.
LOCK and UNLOCK operations are guaranteed to appear with respect to each
other strictly in the order specified.
The use of LOCK and UNLOCK operations generally precludes the need for The use of LOCK and UNLOCK operations generally precludes the need for
other sorts of memory barrier (but note the exceptions mentioned in the other sorts of memory barrier (but note the exceptions mentioned in the
subsection "MMIO write barrier"). subsection "MMIO write barrier"). In addition, an UNLOCK+LOCK pair
is -not- guaranteed to act as a full memory barrier. However,
after a LOCK on a given lock variable, all memory accesses preceding any
prior UNLOCK on that same variable are guaranteed to be visible.
In other words, within a given lock variable's critical section,
all accesses of all previous critical sections for that lock variable
are guaranteed to have completed.
This means that LOCK acts as a minimal "acquire" operation and
UNLOCK acts as a minimal "release" operation.
Memory barriers are only required where there's a possibility of interaction Memory barriers are only required where there's a possibility of interaction
...@@ -1633,8 +1639,12 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers: ...@@ -1633,8 +1639,12 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers:
Memory operations issued after the LOCK will be completed after the LOCK Memory operations issued after the LOCK will be completed after the LOCK
operation has completed. operation has completed.
Memory operations issued before the LOCK may be completed after the LOCK Memory operations issued before the LOCK may be completed after the
operation has completed. LOCK operation has completed. An smp_mb__before_spinlock(), combined
with a following LOCK, orders prior loads against subsequent stores
and stores and prior stores against subsequent stores. Note that
this is weaker than smp_mb()! The smp_mb__before_spinlock()
primitive is free on many architectures.
(2) UNLOCK operation implication: (2) UNLOCK operation implication:
...@@ -1654,9 +1664,6 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers: ...@@ -1654,9 +1664,6 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers:
All LOCK operations issued before an UNLOCK operation will be completed All LOCK operations issued before an UNLOCK operation will be completed
before the UNLOCK operation. before the UNLOCK operation.
All UNLOCK operations issued before a LOCK operation will be completed
before the LOCK operation.
(5) Failed conditional LOCK implication: (5) Failed conditional LOCK implication:
Certain variants of the LOCK operation may fail, either due to being Certain variants of the LOCK operation may fail, either due to being
...@@ -1664,9 +1671,6 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers: ...@@ -1664,9 +1671,6 @@ for each construct. These operations all imply certain barriers:
signal whilst asleep waiting for the lock to become available. Failed signal whilst asleep waiting for the lock to become available. Failed
locks do not imply any sort of barrier. locks do not imply any sort of barrier.
Therefore, from (1), (2) and (4) an UNLOCK followed by an unconditional LOCK is
equivalent to a full barrier, but a LOCK followed by an UNLOCK is not.
[!] Note: one of the consequences of LOCKs and UNLOCKs being only one-way [!] Note: one of the consequences of LOCKs and UNLOCKs being only one-way
barriers is that the effects of instructions outside of a critical section barriers is that the effects of instructions outside of a critical section
may seep into the inside of the critical section. may seep into the inside of the critical section.
...@@ -1677,13 +1681,57 @@ LOCK, and an access following the UNLOCK to happen before the UNLOCK, and the ...@@ -1677,13 +1681,57 @@ LOCK, and an access following the UNLOCK to happen before the UNLOCK, and the
two accesses can themselves then cross: two accesses can themselves then cross:
*A = a; *A = a;
LOCK LOCK M
UNLOCK UNLOCK M
*B = b; *B = b;
may occur as: may occur as:
LOCK, STORE *B, STORE *A, UNLOCK LOCK M, STORE *B, STORE *A, UNLOCK M
This same reordering can of course occur if the LOCK and UNLOCK are
to the same lock variable, but only from the perspective of another
CPU not holding that lock.
In short, an UNLOCK followed by a LOCK may -not- be assumed to be a full
memory barrier because it is possible for a preceding UNLOCK to pass a
later LOCK from the viewpoint of the CPU, but not from the viewpoint
of the compiler. Note that deadlocks cannot be introduced by this
interchange because if such a deadlock threatened, the UNLOCK would
simply complete.
If it is necessary for an UNLOCK-LOCK pair to produce a full barrier,
the LOCK can be followed by an smp_mb__after_unlock_lock() invocation.
This will produce a full barrier if either (a) the UNLOCK and the LOCK
are executed by the same CPU or task, or (b) the UNLOCK and LOCK act
on the same lock variable. The smp_mb__after_unlock_lock() primitive
is free on many architectures. Without smp_mb__after_unlock_lock(),
the critical sections corresponding to the UNLOCK and the LOCK can cross:
*A = a;
UNLOCK M
LOCK N
*B = b;
could occur as:
LOCK N, STORE *B, STORE *A, UNLOCK M
With smp_mb__after_unlock_lock(), they cannot, so that:
*A = a;
UNLOCK M
LOCK N
smp_mb__after_unlock_lock();
*B = b;
will always occur as either of the following:
STORE *A, UNLOCK, LOCK, STORE *B
STORE *A, LOCK, UNLOCK, STORE *B
If the UNLOCK and LOCK were instead both operating on the same lock
variable, only the first of these two alternatives can occur.
Locks and semaphores may not provide any guarantee of ordering on UP compiled Locks and semaphores may not provide any guarantee of ordering on UP compiled
systems, and so cannot be counted on in such a situation to actually achieve systems, and so cannot be counted on in such a situation to actually achieve
...@@ -1911,6 +1959,7 @@ However, if the following occurs: ...@@ -1911,6 +1959,7 @@ However, if the following occurs:
UNLOCK M [1] UNLOCK M [1]
ACCESS_ONCE(*D) = d; ACCESS_ONCE(*E) = e; ACCESS_ONCE(*D) = d; ACCESS_ONCE(*E) = e;
LOCK M [2] LOCK M [2]
smp_mb__after_unlock_lock();
ACCESS_ONCE(*F) = f; ACCESS_ONCE(*F) = f;
ACCESS_ONCE(*G) = g; ACCESS_ONCE(*G) = g;
UNLOCK M [2] UNLOCK M [2]
...@@ -1928,6 +1977,11 @@ But assuming CPU 1 gets the lock first, CPU 3 won't see any of: ...@@ -1928,6 +1977,11 @@ But assuming CPU 1 gets the lock first, CPU 3 won't see any of:
*F, *G or *H preceding LOCK M [2] *F, *G or *H preceding LOCK M [2]
*A, *B, *C, *E, *F or *G following UNLOCK M [2] *A, *B, *C, *E, *F or *G following UNLOCK M [2]
Note that the smp_mb__after_unlock_lock() is critically important
here: Without it CPU 3 might see some of the above orderings.
Without smp_mb__after_unlock_lock(), the accesses are not guaranteed
to be seen in order unless CPU 3 holds lock M.
LOCKS VS I/O ACCESSES LOCKS VS I/O ACCESSES
--------------------- ---------------------
......
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