QRCU with lockless fastpath
This is an updated version of Oleg Nesterov's QRCU that avoids the
earlier lock acquisition on the synchronize_qrcu() fastpath. This passes
rcutorture on x86 and the weakly ordered POWER. A promela model of the
code passes as noted before for 2 readers and 3 updaters and for 3 readers
and 2 updaters. 3 readers and 3 updaters runs every machine that I have
access to out of memory -- nothing like a little combinatorial explosion!
However, after some thought, the proof ended up being simple enough:
1. If synchronize_qrcu() exits too soon, then by definition
there has been a reader present during synchronize_srcu()'s
full execution.
2. The counter corresponding to this reader will be at least
1 at all times.
3. The synchronize_qrcu() code forces at least one of the counters
to be at least one at all times -- if there is a reader, the
sum will be at least two. (Unfortunately, we cannot fetch
the pair of counters atomically.)
4. Therefore, the only way that synchronize_qrcu()s fastpath can
see a sum of 1 is if it races with another synchronize_qrcu() --
the first synchronize_qrcu() must read one of the counters before
the second synchronize_qrcu() increments it, and must read the
other counter after the second synchronize_qrcu() decrements it.
There can be at most one reader present through this entire
operation -- otherwise, the first synchronize_qrcu() will see
a sum of 2 or greater.
5. But the second synchronize_qrcu() will not release the mutex
until after the reader is done. During this time, the first
synchronize_qrcu() will always see a sum of at least 2, and
therefore cannot take the remainder of the fastpath until the
reader is done.
6. Because the second synchronize_qrcu() holds the mutex, no other
synchronize_qrcu() can manipulate the counters until the reader
is done. A repeat of the race called out in #4 above therefore
cannot happen until after the reader is done, in which case it
is safe for the first synchronize_qrcu() to proceed.
Therefore, two summations of the counter separated by a memory barrier
suffices and the implementation shown below also suffices.
(And, yes, the fastpath -could- check for a sum of zero and exit
immediately, but this would help only in case of a three-way race
between two synchronize_qrcu()s and a qrcu_read_unlock(), would add
another compare, so is not worth it.)
Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Signed-off-by: Oleg Nesterov <oleg@tv-sign.ru>
Signed-off-by: Jens Axboe <jens.axboe@oracle.com>