fs: use kmem_cache_zalloc instead
[pv_ops_mirror.git] / Documentation / RCU / rcuref.txt
blob451de2ad8329022e3164f26cfa138f9a05dc1d33
1 Reference-count design for elements of lists/arrays protected by RCU.
3 Reference counting on elements of lists which are protected by traditional
4 reader/writer spinlocks or semaphores are straightforward:
6 1.                              2.
7 add()                           search_and_reference()
8 {                               {
9     alloc_object                    read_lock(&list_lock);
10     ...                             search_for_element
11     atomic_set(&el->rc, 1);         atomic_inc(&el->rc);
12     write_lock(&list_lock);          ...
13     add_element                     read_unlock(&list_lock);
14     ...                             ...
15     write_unlock(&list_lock);   }
18 3.                                      4.
19 release_referenced()                    delete()
20 {                                       {
21     ...                                     write_lock(&list_lock);
22     atomic_dec(&el->rc, relfunc)            ...
23     ...                                     delete_element
24 }                                           write_unlock(&list_lock);
25                                             ...
26                                             if (atomic_dec_and_test(&el->rc))
27                                                 kfree(el);
28                                             ...
29                                         }
31 If this list/array is made lock free using RCU as in changing the
32 write_lock() in add() and delete() to spin_lock and changing read_lock
33 in search_and_reference to rcu_read_lock(), the atomic_get in
34 search_and_reference could potentially hold reference to an element which
35 has already been deleted from the list/array.  Use atomic_inc_not_zero()
36 in this scenario as follows:
38 1.                                      2.
39 add()                                   search_and_reference()
40 {                                       {
41     alloc_object                            rcu_read_lock();
42     ...                                     search_for_element
43     atomic_set(&el->rc, 1);                 if (atomic_inc_not_zero(&el->rc)) {
44     write_lock(&list_lock);                     rcu_read_unlock();
45                                                 return FAIL;
46     add_element                             }
47     ...                                     ...
48     write_unlock(&list_lock);               rcu_read_unlock();
49 }                                       }
50 3.                                      4.
51 release_referenced()                    delete()
52 {                                       {
53     ...                                     write_lock(&list_lock);
54     if (atomic_dec_and_test(&el->rc))       ...
55         call_rcu(&el->head, el_free);       delete_element
56     ...                                     write_unlock(&list_lock);
57 }                                           ...
58                                             if (atomic_dec_and_test(&el->rc))
59                                                 call_rcu(&el->head, el_free);
60                                             ...
61                                         }
63 Sometimes, a reference to the element needs to be obtained in the
64 update (write) stream.  In such cases, atomic_inc_not_zero() might be
65 overkill, since we hold the update-side spinlock.  One might instead
66 use atomic_inc() in such cases.