mempolicy: use MPOL_F_LOCAL to Indicate Preferred Local Policy
[pandora-kernel.git] / Documentation / RCU / rcuref.txt
index a23fee6..451de2a 100644 (file)
@@ -1,74 +1,66 @@
-Refcounter framework for elements of lists/arrays protected by
-RCU.
+Reference-count design 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:
+Reference counting on elements of lists which are protected by traditional
+reader/writer spinlocks or semaphores are straightforward:
 
-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);       }
+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);
-                                       ...
+    ...                                            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
+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 atomic_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;
+has already been deleted from the list/array.  Use atomic_inc_not_zero()
+in this scenario as follows:
 
 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();
+    alloc_object                           rcu_read_lock();
+    ...                                            search_for_element
+    atomic_set(&el->rc, 1);                if (atomic_inc_not_zero(&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);
-                                       ...
+    ...                                            write_lock(&list_lock);
+    if (atomic_dec_and_test(&el->rc))       ...
+        call_rcu(&el->head, el_free);       delete_element
+    ...                                     write_unlock(&list_lock);
+}                                          ...
+                                           if (atomic_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.
+Sometimes, a reference to the element needs to be obtained in the
+update (write) stream.  In such cases, atomic_inc_not_zero() might be
+overkill, since we hold the update-side spinlock.  One might instead
+use atomic_inc() in such cases.