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![Jonathan Corbet](/assets/img/avatar_default.png)
As of 5.3, the automarkup extension will do the right thing with function() notation, so we don't need to clutter the text with :c:func: invocations. So remove them. Looking at the generated output reveals that we lack kerneldoc coverage for much of this API, but that's a separate problem. Acked-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org> Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
168 lines
5.6 KiB
ReStructuredText
168 lines
5.6 KiB
ReStructuredText
===================================
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refcount_t API compared to atomic_t
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===================================
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.. contents:: :local:
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Introduction
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============
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The goal of refcount_t API is to provide a minimal API for implementing
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an object's reference counters. While a generic architecture-independent
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implementation from lib/refcount.c uses atomic operations underneath,
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there are a number of differences between some of the ``refcount_*()`` and
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``atomic_*()`` functions with regards to the memory ordering guarantees.
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This document outlines the differences and provides respective examples
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in order to help maintainers validate their code against the change in
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these memory ordering guarantees.
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The terms used through this document try to follow the formal LKMM defined in
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tools/memory-model/Documentation/explanation.txt.
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memory-barriers.txt and atomic_t.txt provide more background to the
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memory ordering in general and for atomic operations specifically.
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Relevant types of memory ordering
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=================================
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.. note:: The following section only covers some of the memory
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ordering types that are relevant for the atomics and reference
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counters and used through this document. For a much broader picture
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please consult memory-barriers.txt document.
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In the absence of any memory ordering guarantees (i.e. fully unordered)
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atomics & refcounters only provide atomicity and
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program order (po) relation (on the same CPU). It guarantees that
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each ``atomic_*()`` and ``refcount_*()`` operation is atomic and instructions
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are executed in program order on a single CPU.
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This is implemented using READ_ONCE()/WRITE_ONCE() and
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compare-and-swap primitives.
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A strong (full) memory ordering guarantees that all prior loads and
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stores (all po-earlier instructions) on the same CPU are completed
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before any po-later instruction is executed on the same CPU.
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It also guarantees that all po-earlier stores on the same CPU
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and all propagated stores from other CPUs must propagate to all
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other CPUs before any po-later instruction is executed on the original
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CPU (A-cumulative property). This is implemented using smp_mb().
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A RELEASE memory ordering guarantees that all prior loads and
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stores (all po-earlier instructions) on the same CPU are completed
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before the operation. It also guarantees that all po-earlier
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stores on the same CPU and all propagated stores from other CPUs
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must propagate to all other CPUs before the release operation
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(A-cumulative property). This is implemented using
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smp_store_release().
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An ACQUIRE memory ordering guarantees that all post loads and
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stores (all po-later instructions) on the same CPU are
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completed after the acquire operation. It also guarantees that all
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po-later stores on the same CPU must propagate to all other CPUs
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after the acquire operation executes. This is implemented using
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smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep().
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A control dependency (on success) for refcounters guarantees that
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if a reference for an object was successfully obtained (reference
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counter increment or addition happened, function returned true),
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then further stores are ordered against this operation.
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Control dependency on stores are not implemented using any explicit
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barriers, but rely on CPU not to speculate on stores. This is only
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a single CPU relation and provides no guarantees for other CPUs.
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Comparison of functions
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=======================
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case 1) - non-"Read/Modify/Write" (RMW) ops
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-------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_set() --> refcount_set()
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* atomic_read() --> refcount_read()
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Memory ordering guarantee changes:
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* none (both fully unordered)
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case 2) - increment-based ops that return no value
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--------------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_inc() --> refcount_inc()
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* atomic_add() --> refcount_add()
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Memory ordering guarantee changes:
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* none (both fully unordered)
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case 3) - decrement-based RMW ops that return no value
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------------------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_dec() --> refcount_dec()
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Memory ordering guarantee changes:
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* fully unordered --> RELEASE ordering
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case 4) - increment-based RMW ops that return a value
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-----------------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_inc_not_zero() --> refcount_inc_not_zero()
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* no atomic counterpart --> refcount_add_not_zero()
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Memory ordering guarantees changes:
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* fully ordered --> control dependency on success for stores
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.. note:: We really assume here that necessary ordering is provided as a
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result of obtaining pointer to the object!
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case 5) - generic dec/sub decrement-based RMW ops that return a value
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_dec_and_test() --> refcount_dec_and_test()
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* atomic_sub_and_test() --> refcount_sub_and_test()
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Memory ordering guarantees changes:
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* fully ordered --> RELEASE ordering + ACQUIRE ordering on success
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case 6) other decrement-based RMW ops that return a value
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---------------------------------------------------------
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Function changes:
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* no atomic counterpart --> refcount_dec_if_one()
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* ``atomic_add_unless(&var, -1, 1)`` --> ``refcount_dec_not_one(&var)``
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Memory ordering guarantees changes:
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* fully ordered --> RELEASE ordering + control dependency
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.. note:: atomic_add_unless() only provides full order on success.
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case 7) - lock-based RMW
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------------------------
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Function changes:
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* atomic_dec_and_lock() --> refcount_dec_and_lock()
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* atomic_dec_and_mutex_lock() --> refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock()
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Memory ordering guarantees changes:
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* fully ordered --> RELEASE ordering + control dependency + hold
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spin_lock() on success
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