|
@@ -594,7 +594,24 @@ between the address load and the data load:
|
|
|
This enforces the occurrence of one of the two implications, and prevents the
|
|
|
third possibility from arising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
-A data-dependency barrier must also order against dependent writes:
|
|
|
+
|
|
|
+[!] Note that this extremely counterintuitive situation arises most easily on
|
|
|
+machines with split caches, so that, for example, one cache bank processes
|
|
|
+even-numbered cache lines and the other bank processes odd-numbered cache
|
|
|
+lines. The pointer P might be stored in an odd-numbered cache line, and the
|
|
|
+variable B might be stored in an even-numbered cache line. Then, if the
|
|
|
+even-numbered bank of the reading CPU's cache is extremely busy while the
|
|
|
+odd-numbered bank is idle, one can see the new value of the pointer P (&B),
|
|
|
+but the old value of the variable B (2).
|
|
|
+
|
|
|
+
|
|
|
+A data-dependency barrier is not required to order dependent writes
|
|
|
+because the CPUs that the Linux kernel supports don't do writes
|
|
|
+until they are certain (1) that the write will actually happen, (2)
|
|
|
+of the location of the write, and (3) of the value to be written.
|
|
|
+But please carefully read the "CONTROL DEPENDENCIES" section and the
|
|
|
+Documentation/RCU/rcu_dereference.txt file: The compiler can and does
|
|
|
+break dependencies in a great many highly creative ways.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CPU 1 CPU 2
|
|
|
=============== ===============
|
|
@@ -603,29 +620,19 @@ A data-dependency barrier must also order against dependent writes:
|
|
|
<write barrier>
|
|
|
WRITE_ONCE(P, &B);
|
|
|
Q = READ_ONCE(P);
|
|
|
- <data dependency barrier>
|
|
|
- *Q = 5;
|
|
|
+ WRITE_ONCE(*Q, 5);
|
|
|
|
|
|
-The data-dependency barrier must order the read into Q with the store
|
|
|
-into *Q. This prohibits this outcome:
|
|
|
+Therefore, no data-dependency barrier is required to order the read into
|
|
|
+Q with the store into *Q. In other words, this outcome is prohibited,
|
|
|
+even without a data-dependency barrier:
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Q == &B) && (B == 4)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please note that this pattern should be rare. After all, the whole point
|
|
|
of dependency ordering is to -prevent- writes to the data structure, along
|
|
|
with the expensive cache misses associated with those writes. This pattern
|
|
|
-can be used to record rare error conditions and the like, and the ordering
|
|
|
-prevents such records from being lost.
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-[!] Note that this extremely counterintuitive situation arises most easily on
|
|
|
-machines with split caches, so that, for example, one cache bank processes
|
|
|
-even-numbered cache lines and the other bank processes odd-numbered cache
|
|
|
-lines. The pointer P might be stored in an odd-numbered cache line, and the
|
|
|
-variable B might be stored in an even-numbered cache line. Then, if the
|
|
|
-even-numbered bank of the reading CPU's cache is extremely busy while the
|
|
|
-odd-numbered bank is idle, one can see the new value of the pointer P (&B),
|
|
|
-but the old value of the variable B (2).
|
|
|
+can be used to record rare error conditions and the like, and the CPUs'
|
|
|
+naturally occurring ordering prevents such records from being lost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The data dependency barrier is very important to the RCU system,
|