The synchronize_rcu() definition based on RW-locks in whatisRCU.txt does not meet the "Memory-Barrier Guarantees" in Requirements.html; for example, the following SB-like test: P0: P1: WRITE_ONCE(x, 1); WRITE_ONCE(y, 1); synchronize_rcu(); smp_mb(); r0 = READ_ONCE(y); r1 = READ_ONCE(x); should not be allowed to reach the state "r0 = 0 AND r1 = 0", but the current write_lock()+write_unlock() definition can not ensure this. Remedies this by inserting an smp_mb__after_spinlock(). Suggested-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Andrea Parri <andrea.parri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Josh Triplett <josh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Lai Jiangshan <jiangshanlai@xxxxxxxxx> Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@xxxxxxx> --- Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt | 16 ++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt index a27fbfb0efb82..86a54ff911fc2 100644 --- a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt +++ b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.txt @@ -586,6 +586,7 @@ It is extremely simple: void synchronize_rcu(void) { write_lock(&rcu_gp_mutex); + smp_mb__after_spinlock(); write_unlock(&rcu_gp_mutex); } @@ -607,12 +608,15 @@ don't forget about them when submitting patches making use of RCU!] The rcu_read_lock() and rcu_read_unlock() primitive read-acquire and release a global reader-writer lock. The synchronize_rcu() -primitive write-acquires this same lock, then immediately releases -it. This means that once synchronize_rcu() exits, all RCU read-side -critical sections that were in progress before synchronize_rcu() was -called are guaranteed to have completed -- there is no way that -synchronize_rcu() would have been able to write-acquire the lock -otherwise. +primitive write-acquires this same lock, then releases it. This means +that once synchronize_rcu() exits, all RCU read-side critical sections +that were in progress before synchronize_rcu() was called are guaranteed +to have completed -- there is no way that synchronize_rcu() would have +been able to write-acquire the lock otherwise. The smp_mb__after_spinlock() +promotes synchronize_rcu() to a full memory barrier in compliance with +the "Memory-Barrier Guarantees" listed in: + + Documentation/RCU/Design/Requirements/Requirements.html. It is possible to nest rcu_read_lock(), since reader-writer locks may be recursively acquired. Note also that rcu_read_lock() is immune -- 2.7.4 -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-doc" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html