diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/atomic_ops.txt | 31 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/memory-barriers.txt | 42 |
2 files changed, 23 insertions, 50 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt b/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt index d9ca5be9b47..68542fe13b8 100644 --- a/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt +++ b/Documentation/atomic_ops.txt @@ -285,15 +285,13 @@ If a caller requires memory barrier semantics around an atomic_t operation which does not return a value, a set of interfaces are defined which accomplish this: - void smp_mb__before_atomic_dec(void); - void smp_mb__after_atomic_dec(void); - void smp_mb__before_atomic_inc(void); - void smp_mb__after_atomic_inc(void); + void smp_mb__before_atomic(void); + void smp_mb__after_atomic(void); -For example, smp_mb__before_atomic_dec() can be used like so: +For example, smp_mb__before_atomic() can be used like so: obj->dead = 1; - smp_mb__before_atomic_dec(); + smp_mb__before_atomic(); atomic_dec(&obj->ref_count); It makes sure that all memory operations preceding the atomic_dec() @@ -302,15 +300,10 @@ operation. In the above example, it guarantees that the assignment of "1" to obj->dead will be globally visible to other cpus before the atomic counter decrement. -Without the explicit smp_mb__before_atomic_dec() call, the +Without the explicit smp_mb__before_atomic() call, the implementation could legally allow the atomic counter update visible to other cpus before the "obj->dead = 1;" assignment. -The other three interfaces listed are used to provide explicit -ordering with respect to memory operations after an atomic_dec() call -(smp_mb__after_atomic_dec()) and around atomic_inc() calls -(smp_mb__{before,after}_atomic_inc()). - A missing memory barrier in the cases where they are required by the atomic_t implementation above can have disastrous results. Here is an example, which follows a pattern occurring frequently in the Linux @@ -487,12 +480,12 @@ Finally there is the basic operation: Which returns a boolean indicating if bit "nr" is set in the bitmask pointed to by "addr". -If explicit memory barriers are required around clear_bit() (which -does not return a value, and thus does not need to provide memory -barrier semantics), two interfaces are provided: +If explicit memory barriers are required around {set,clear}_bit() (which do +not return a value, and thus does not need to provide memory barrier +semantics), two interfaces are provided: - void smp_mb__before_clear_bit(void); - void smp_mb__after_clear_bit(void); + void smp_mb__before_atomic(void); + void smp_mb__after_atomic(void); They are used as follows, and are akin to their atomic_t operation brothers: @@ -500,13 +493,13 @@ brothers: /* All memory operations before this call will * be globally visible before the clear_bit(). */ - smp_mb__before_clear_bit(); + smp_mb__before_atomic(); clear_bit( ... ); /* The clear_bit() will be visible before all * subsequent memory operations. */ - smp_mb__after_clear_bit(); + smp_mb__after_atomic(); There are two special bitops with lock barrier semantics (acquire/release, same as spinlocks). These operate in the same way as their non-_lock/unlock diff --git a/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt b/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt index 556f951f862..46412bded10 100644 --- a/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt +++ b/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt @@ -1583,20 +1583,21 @@ There are some more advanced barrier functions: insert anything more than a compiler barrier in a UP compilation. - (*) smp_mb__before_atomic_dec(); - (*) smp_mb__after_atomic_dec(); - (*) smp_mb__before_atomic_inc(); - (*) smp_mb__after_atomic_inc(); + (*) smp_mb__before_atomic(); + (*) smp_mb__after_atomic(); - These are for use with atomic add, subtract, increment and decrement - functions that don't return a value, especially when used for reference - counting. These functions do not imply memory barriers. + These are for use with atomic (such as add, subtract, increment and + decrement) functions that don't return a value, especially when used for + reference counting. These functions do not imply memory barriers. + + These are also used for atomic bitop functions that do not return a + value (such as set_bit and clear_bit). As an example, consider a piece of code that marks an object as being dead and then decrements the object's reference count: obj->dead = 1; - smp_mb__before_atomic_dec(); + smp_mb__before_atomic(); atomic_dec(&obj->ref_count); This makes sure that the death mark on the object is perceived to be set @@ -1606,27 +1607,6 @@ There are some more advanced barrier functions: operations" subsection for information on where to use these. - (*) smp_mb__before_clear_bit(void); - (*) smp_mb__after_clear_bit(void); - - These are for use similar to the atomic inc/dec barriers. These are - typically used for bitwise unlocking operations, so care must be taken as - there are no implicit memory barriers here either. - - Consider implementing an unlock operation of some nature by clearing a - locking bit. The clear_bit() would then need to be barriered like this: - - smp_mb__before_clear_bit(); - clear_bit( ... ); - - This prevents memory operations before the clear leaking to after it. See - the subsection on "Locking Functions" with reference to RELEASE operation - implications. - - See Documentation/atomic_ops.txt for more information. See the "Atomic - operations" subsection for information on where to use these. - - MMIO WRITE BARRIER ------------------ @@ -2283,11 +2263,11 @@ operations: change_bit(); With these the appropriate explicit memory barrier should be used if necessary -(smp_mb__before_clear_bit() for instance). +(smp_mb__before_atomic() for instance). The following also do _not_ imply memory barriers, and so may require explicit -memory barriers under some circumstances (smp_mb__before_atomic_dec() for +memory barriers under some circumstances (smp_mb__before_atomic() for instance): atomic_add(); |