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authorSverker Eriksson <[email protected]>2012-01-31 11:23:09 +0100
committerSverker Eriksson <[email protected]>2012-02-21 12:23:05 +0100
commit6b97a90f2314b66f4f41b14a986a9c1f1ebebf13 (patch)
treef7877311e68eee8d4f14ab9701ae8d572e04d571 /erts/emulator/beam
parent0248726417f6c0c709a85c0db930220de5541b9d (diff)
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erts: Document code_ix interface
Diffstat (limited to 'erts/emulator/beam')
-rw-r--r--erts/emulator/beam/code_ix.h83
1 files changed, 65 insertions, 18 deletions
diff --git a/erts/emulator/beam/code_ix.h b/erts/emulator/beam/code_ix.h
index 1f9c47f33c..f6926acab5 100644
--- a/erts/emulator/beam/code_ix.h
+++ b/erts/emulator/beam/code_ix.h
@@ -16,6 +16,36 @@
*
* %CopyrightEnd%
*/
+
+/* Description:
+ * This is the interface that facilitate changing the beam code
+ * (load,upgrade,delete) while allowing executing Erlang processes to
+ * access the code without any locks or other expensive memory barriers.
+ *
+ * The basic idea is to maintain several "logical copies" of the code. These
+ * copies are identified by a global 'code index', an integer of 0, 1 or 2.
+ * The code index is used as argument to code access structures like
+ * export, module, beam_catches, beam_ranges.
+ *
+ * The current 'active' code index is used to access the current running
+ * code. The 'staging' code index is used by the process that performs
+ * a code change operation. When a code change operation completes
+ * succesfully, the staging code index becomes the new active code index.
+ *
+ * The third code index is not explicitly used. It can be thought of as
+ * the "previous active" or the "next staging" index. It is needed to make
+ * sure that we do not reuse a code index for staging until we are sure
+ * that no executing BIFs are still referring it.
+ * We could get by with only two (0 and 1), but that would require that we
+ * must wait for all schedulers to re-schedule before each code change
+ * operation can start staging.
+ *
+ * Note that the 'code index' is very loosely coupled to the concept of
+ * 'current' and 'old' module versions. You can almost say that they are
+ * orthogonal to each other. Code index is an emulator global concept while
+ * 'current' and 'old' is specific for each module.
+ */
+
#ifndef __CODE_IX_H__
#define __CODE_IX_H__
@@ -23,34 +53,51 @@
#define ERTS_NUM_CODE_IX 3
typedef unsigned ErtsCodeIndex;
+/* Called once at emulator initialization.
+ */
void erts_code_ix_init(void);
+
+/* Return active code index.
+ * Is guaranteed to be valid until the calling BIF returns.
+ * To get a consistent view of the code only one call to erts_active_code_ix()
+ * should be made within the same BIF call.
+ */
ErtsCodeIndex erts_active_code_ix(void);
+
+/* Return staging code ix.
+ * Only used by a process performing code loading/upgrading/deleting/purging.
+ * code_ix must be locked.
+ */
ErtsCodeIndex erts_staging_code_ix(void);
-/* Lock code_ix (enqueue and suspend until we get it)
-*/
+/* Lock code_ix.
+ * Gives (exclusive) access to the staging area and write access to active code index.
+ * ToDo: Waiting process should be queued and return to be suspended.
+ */
void erts_lock_code_ix(void);
-/*SVERK
- erts_lock_code_ix();
- wait for thread progress
- (we don't want any retarded threads with pointers to inactive Module)
- Copy active -> loader
- rlock old_code while copying Modules
- Update loader
- wait for thread progress
- (we need a membarrier for everybody to "see" the new code)
- Set loader as new active
- erts_unlock_code_ix();
-}*/
-
-
-/* Unlock code_ix (resume first waiter)
-*/
+/* Unlock code_ix
+ * ToDo: Dequeue and resume waiting processes.
+ */
void erts_unlock_code_ix(void);
+/* Make the "staging area" a complete copy of the active code.
+ * code_ix must be locked.
+ * Must be followed by a call to either "commit" or "abort" before code_ix lock
+ * is released.
+ */
void erts_start_staging_code_ix(void);
+
+/* Commit the staging area and update the active code index.
+ * code_ix must be locked and erts_start_staging_code_ix() called.
+ * ToDo: Updating active code index should be done according to Rickard's recipe.
+ * This function might need to be split into two.
+ */
void erts_commit_staging_code_ix(void);
+
+/* Abort the staging.
+ * code_ix must be locked and erts_start_staging_code_ix() called.
+ */
void erts_abort_staging_code_ix(void);
void erts_rwlock_old_code(ErtsCodeIndex);