SMR_CALL(9)

NAME
smr_read_enter, smr_read_leave, smr_init, smr_call, smr_barrier, smr_flush, SMR_ASSERT_CRITICAL, SMR_ASSERT_NONCRITICAL - safe memory reclamation

SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/smr.h>
void
smr_read_enter();
void
smr_read_leave();
void
smr_init(struct smr_entry *smr);
void
smr_call(struct smr_entry *smr, void (*fn)(void *), void *arg);
void
smr_barrier();
void
smr_flush();
void
SMR_ASSERT_CRITICAL();
void
SMR_ASSERT_NONCRITICAL();

DESCRIPTION
The safe memory reclamation API provides a mechanism for reclaiming shared objects that readers can access without locking. Objects that are reclaimed through SMR are called SMR-protected. The mechanism guarantees that SMR-protected objects are not destroyed while readers are using them. However, it does not control how these objects are modified.

Readers access SMR-protected objects inside an SMR read-side critical section using SMR_PTR_GET(9). The section is entered with smr_read_enter(), and exited with smr_read_leave(). These routines never block. Sleeping is not allowed within SMR read-side critical section.

smr_init() initializes the entry smr for use with smr_call().

smr_call() schedules a callback to be invoked after the entry smr cannot be referenced by a reader in SMR read-side critical section. On invocation, the system calls function fn with argument arg in process context without any locks held. The implementation may delay the call in order to reduce overall system overhead by amortization.

smr_barrier() sleeps until any SMR read-side critical sections that are active on other CPUs at the time of invocation have ended. Like with smr_call(), the processing of the request may be delayed.

smr_flush() is like smr_barrier() but the system is forced to process the request as soon as possible. The use of this function is discouraged because of the heavy impact on system performance.

To avoid deadlocks, the caller of smr_barrier() or smr_flush() must not hold locks that can block the processing of SMR callbacks.

The SMR implementation does not limit the number of deferred calls. It is important to prevent arbitrary call rate of smr_call(). Otherwise, it might be possible to exhaust system resources if the system is not able to invoke callbacks quickly enough.

SMR_ASSERT_CRITICAL() and SMR_ASSERT_NONCRITICAL() can be used to assert that the current CPU is or is not in SMR read-side critical section.

CONTEXT
smr_read_enter(), smr_read_leave(), smr_call() and smr_init() can be called during autoconf, from process context, or from interrupt context.

smr_barrier() and smr_flush() can be called from process context.

SEE ALSO
mutex(9), rwlock(9), SMR_LIST_INIT(9), SMR_PTR_GET(9)

HISTORY
The SMR API first appeared in OpenBSD 6.5.