Changeset 22f94a4 for doc/papers/concurrency/Paper.tex
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doc/papers/concurrency/Paper.tex
r07d867b r22f94a4 99 99 \newcommand{\CRT}{\global\columnposn=\gcolumnposn} 100 100 101 % Denote newterms in particular font and index them without particular font and in lowercase, e.g.,\newterm{abc}.102 % The option parameter provides an index term different from the new term, e.g.,\newterm[\texttt{abc}]{abc}101 % Denote newterms in particular font and index them without particular font and in lowercase, \eg \newterm{abc}. 102 % The option parameter provides an index term different from the new term, \eg \newterm[\texttt{abc}]{abc} 103 103 % The star version does not lowercase the index information, e.g., \newterm*{IBM}. 104 104 \newcommand{\newtermFontInline}{\emph} … … 235 235 {\lstset{language=python,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`},#1}\lstset{#1}} 236 236 {} 237 \lstnewenvironment{java}[1][] 238 {\lstset{language=java,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`},#1}\lstset{#1}} 239 {} 237 240 238 241 % inline code @...@ … … 266 269 267 270 \abstract[Summary]{ 268 \CFA is a polymorphic, non-object-oriented, concurrent, backwards -compatible extension of the C programming language.271 \CFA is a polymorphic, non-object-oriented, concurrent, backwards compatible extension of the C programming language. 269 272 This paper discusses the design philosophy and implementation of its advanced control-flow and concurrent/parallel features, along with the supporting runtime written in \CFA. 270 273 These features are created from scratch as ISO C has only low-level and/or unimplemented concurrency, so C programmers continue to rely on library approaches like pthreads. … … 272 275 % Library extension for executors, futures, and actors are built on these basic mechanisms. 273 276 The runtime provides significant programmer simplification and safety by eliminating spurious wakeup and monitor barging. 274 The runtime also ensures multiple monitors can be safely acquired \emph{simultaneously} (deadlock free), and this feature is fully integrated with all monitor synchronization mechanisms.277 The runtime also ensures multiple monitors can be safely acquired in a deadlock-free way, and this feature is fully integrated with all monitor synchronization mechanisms. 275 278 All control-flow features integrate with the \CFA polymorphic type-system and exception handling, while respecting the expectations and style of C programmers. 276 279 Experimental results show comparable performance of the new features with similar mechanisms in other concurrent programming languages. … … 289 292 290 293 \CFA~\cite{Moss18,Cforall} is a modern, polymorphic, non-object-oriented\footnote{ 291 \CFA has object-oriented features, such as constructors, destructors, virtualsand simple trait/interface inheritance.294 \CFA has object-oriented features, such as constructors, destructors, and simple trait/interface inheritance. 292 295 % Go interfaces, Rust traits, Swift Protocols, Haskell Type Classes and Java Interfaces. 293 296 % "Trait inheritance" works for me. "Interface inheritance" might also be a good choice, and distinguish clearly from implementation inheritance. 294 % You'll want to be a little bit careful with terms like "structural" and "nominal" inheritance as well. CFA has structural inheritance (I think Go as well) -- it's inferred based on the structure of the code. Java, Rust, and Haskell (not sure about Swift) have nominal inheritance, where there needs to be a specific statement that "this type inherits from this type". 295 However, functions \emph{cannot} be nested in structures, so there is no lexical binding between a structure and set of functions (member/method) implemented by an implicit \lstinline@this@ (receiver) parameter.}, 297 % You'll want to be a little bit careful with terms like "structural" and "nominal" inheritance as well. CFA has structural inheritance (I think Go as well) -- it's inferred based on the structure of the code. 298 % Java, Rust, and Haskell (not sure about Swift) have nominal inheritance, where there needs to be a specific statement that "this type inherits from this type". 299 However, functions \emph{cannot} be nested in structures and there is no mechanism to designate a function parameter as a receiver, \lstinline@this@, parameter.}, 296 300 backwards-compatible extension of the C programming language. 297 In many ways, \CFA is to C as Scala~\cite{Scala} is to Java, providing a \emph{research vehicle}for new typing and control-flow capabilities on top of a highly popular programming language\footnote{298 The TIOBE index~\cite{TIOBE} for December 2019 ranks the top five \emph{popular} programming languages as Java 17\%, C 16\%, Python 10\%, and \CC 6\%, \Csharp 5\% = 54\%, and over the past 30 years, C has always ranked either first or second in popularity.}301 In many ways, \CFA is to C as Scala~\cite{Scala} is to Java, providing a vehicle for new typing and control-flow capabilities on top of a highly popular programming language\footnote{ 302 The TIOBE index~\cite{TIOBE} for May 2020 ranks the top five \emph{popular} programming languages as C 17\%, Java 16\%, Python 9\%, \CC 6\%, and \Csharp 4\% = 52\%, and over the past 30 years, C has always ranked either first or second in popularity.} 299 303 allowing immediate dissemination. 300 This paper discusses the design philosophy and implementation of advanced language-level control-flow and concurrent/parallel features in \CFA and its runtime, which is written entirely in \CFA. 301 The \CFA control-flow framework extends ISO \Celeven~\cite{C11} with new call/return and concurrent/parallel control-flow. 304 This paper discusses the design philosophy and implementation of \CFA's advanced control-flow and concurrent/parallel features, along with the supporting runtime written in \CFA. 302 305 303 306 % The call/return extensions retain state between callee and caller versus losing the callee's state on return; 304 307 % the concurrency extensions allow high-level management of threads. 305 308 306 Call/return control-flow with argument/parameter passing appeared in the first programming languages. 307 Over the past 50 years, call/return has been augmented with features like static/dynamic call, exceptions (multi-level return) and generators/coroutines (retain state between calls). 308 While \CFA has mechanisms for dynamic call (algebraic effects) and exceptions\footnote{ 309 The \CFA control-flow framework extends ISO \Celeven~\cite{C11} with new call/return and concurrent/parallel control-flow. 310 Call/return control-flow with argument and parameter passing appeared in the first programming languages. 311 Over the past 50 years, call/return has been augmented with features like static and dynamic call, exceptions (multi-level return) and generators/coroutines (see Section~\ref{s:StatefulFunction}). 312 While \CFA has mechanisms for dynamic call (algebraic effects~\cite{Zhang19}) and exceptions\footnote{ 309 313 \CFA exception handling will be presented in a separate paper. 310 The key feature that dovetails with this paper is nonlocal exceptions allowing exceptions to be raised across stacks, with synchronous exceptions raised among coroutines and asynchronous exceptions raised among threads, similar to that in \uC~\cite[\S~5]{uC++}}, this work only discusses retaining state between calls via generators /coroutines.314 The key feature that dovetails with this paper is nonlocal exceptions allowing exceptions to be raised across stacks, with synchronous exceptions raised among coroutines and asynchronous exceptions raised among threads, similar to that in \uC~\cite[\S~5]{uC++}}, this work only discusses retaining state between calls via generators and coroutines. 311 315 \newterm{Coroutining} was introduced by Conway~\cite{Conway63} (1963), discussed by Knuth~\cite[\S~1.4.2]{Knuth73V1}, implemented in Simula67~\cite{Simula67}, formalized by Marlin~\cite{Marlin80}, and is now popular and appears in old and new programming languages: CLU~\cite{CLU}, \Csharp~\cite{Csharp}, Ruby~\cite{Ruby}, Python~\cite{Python}, JavaScript~\cite{JavaScript}, Lua~\cite{Lua}, \CCtwenty~\cite{C++20Coroutine19}. 312 316 Coroutining is sequential execution requiring direct handoff among coroutines, \ie only the programmer is controlling execution order. 313 If coroutines transfer to an internal event-engine for scheduling the next coroutines , the program transitions into the realm of concurrency~\cite[\S~3]{Buhr05a}.317 If coroutines transfer to an internal event-engine for scheduling the next coroutines (as in async-await), the program transitions into the realm of concurrency~\cite[\S~3]{Buhr05a}. 314 318 Coroutines are only a stepping stone towards concurrency where the commonality is that coroutines and threads retain state between calls. 315 319 316 \Celeven /\CCeleven define concurrency~\cite[\S~7.26]{C11}, but it is largely wrappers for a subset of the pthreads library~\cite{Pthreads}.\footnote{Pthreads concurrency is based on simple thread fork/join in a function and mutex/condition locks, which is low-level and error-prone}317 Interestingly, almost a decade after the \Celeven standard, neither gcc-9, clang-9 nor msvc-19 (most recent versions)support the \Celeven include @threads.h@, indicating no interest in the C11 concurrency approach (possibly because of the recent effort to add concurrency to \CC).320 \Celeven and \CCeleven define concurrency~\cite[\S~7.26]{C11}, but it is largely wrappers for a subset of the pthreads library~\cite{Pthreads}.\footnote{Pthreads concurrency is based on simple thread fork and join in a function and mutex or condition locks, which is low-level and error-prone} 321 Interestingly, almost a decade after the \Celeven standard, the most recent versions of gcc, clang, and msvc do not support the \Celeven include @threads.h@, indicating no interest in the C11 concurrency approach (possibly because of the recent effort to add concurrency to \CC). 318 322 While the \Celeven standard does not state a threading model, the historical association with pthreads suggests implementations would adopt kernel-level threading (1:1)~\cite{ThreadModel}, as for \CC. 319 323 In contrast, there has been a renewed interest during the past decade in user-level (M:N, green) threading in old and new programming languages. … … 321 325 Kernel threading was chosen, largely because of its simplicity and fit with the simpler operating systems and hardware architectures at the time, which gave it a performance advantage~\cite{Drepper03}. 322 326 Libraries like pthreads were developed for C, and the Solaris operating-system switched from user (JDK 1.1~\cite{JDK1.1}) to kernel threads. 323 As a result, many current languages implementations adopt the 1:1 kernel-threading model, like Java (Scala), Objective-C~\cite{obj-c-book}, \CCeleven~\cite{C11}, C\#~\cite{Csharp} and Rust~\cite{Rust}, with a variety of presentation mechanisms.327 As a result, many languages adopt the 1:1 kernel-threading model, like Java (Scala), Objective-C~\cite{obj-c-book}, \CCeleven~\cite{C11}, C\#~\cite{Csharp} and Rust~\cite{Rust}, with a variety of presentation mechanisms. 324 328 From 2000 onwards, several language implementations have championed the M:N user-threading model, like Go~\cite{Go}, Erlang~\cite{Erlang}, Haskell~\cite{Haskell}, D~\cite{D}, and \uC~\cite{uC++,uC++book}, including putting green threads back into Java~\cite{Quasar}, and many user-threading libraries have appeared~\cite{Qthreads,MPC,Marcel}. 325 The main argument for user-level threading is that it is lighter weight than kernel threading (locking and context switching do not cross the kernel boundary), so there is less restriction on programming styles that encourages large numbers of threads performing medium-sized work to facilitate load balancing by the runtime~\cite{Verch12}.329 The main argument for user-level threading is that it is lighter weight than kernel threading because locking and context switching do not cross the kernel boundary, so there is less restriction on programming styles that encourages large numbers of threads performing medium-sized work to facilitate load balancing by the runtime~\cite{Verch12}. 326 330 As well, user-threading facilitates a simpler concurrency approach using thread objects that leverage sequential patterns versus events with call-backs~\cite{Adya02,vonBehren03}. 327 Finally, performant user-threading implementations (both time and space)meet or exceed direct kernel-threading implementations, while achieving the programming advantages of high concurrency levels and safety.331 Finally, performant user-threading implementations, both in time and space, meet or exceed direct kernel-threading implementations, while achieving the programming advantages of high concurrency levels and safety. 328 332 329 333 A further effort over the past two decades is the development of language memory models to deal with the conflict between language features and compiler/hardware optimizations, \eg some language features are unsafe in the presence of aggressive sequential optimizations~\cite{Buhr95a,Boehm05}. 330 The consequence is that a language must provide sufficient tools to program around safety issues, as inline and library code is all sequential to the compiler.331 One solution is low-level qualifiers and functions (\eg @volatile@ and atomics) allowing \emph{programmers} to explicitly write safe (race-free~\cite{Boehm12})programs.332 A safer solution is high-level language constructs so the \emph{compiler} knows the concurrency boundaries (where mutual exclusion and synchronization are acquired/released)and provide implicit safety at and across these boundaries.334 The consequence is that a language must provide sufficient tools to program around safety issues, as inline and library code is compiled as sequential without any explicit concurrent directive. 335 One solution is low-level qualifiers and functions, \eg @volatile@ and atomics, allowing \emph{programmers} to explicitly write safe, race-free~\cite{Boehm12} programs. 336 A safer solution is high-level language constructs so the \emph{compiler} knows the concurrency boundaries, \ie where mutual exclusion and synchronization are acquired and released, and provide implicit safety at and across these boundaries. 333 337 While the optimization problem is best known with respect to concurrency, it applies to other complex control-flow, like exceptions and coroutines. 334 338 As well, language solutions allow matching the language paradigm with the approach, \eg matching the functional paradigm with data-flow programming or the imperative paradigm with thread programming. 335 339 336 Finally, it is important for a language to provide safety over performance \emph{as the default}, allowing careful reduction of safety (unsafe code)for performance when necessary.337 Two concurrency violations of this philosophy are \emph{spurious wakeup} (random wakeup~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a})and \emph{barging}\footnote{340 Finally, it is important for a language to provide safety over performance \emph{as the default}, allowing careful reduction of safety for performance when necessary. 341 Two concurrency violations of this philosophy are \emph{spurious} or \emph{random wakeup}~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}, and \emph{barging}\footnote{ 338 342 Barging is competitive succession instead of direct handoff, \ie after a lock is released both arriving and preexisting waiter threads compete to acquire the lock. 339 343 Hence, an arriving thread can temporally \emph{barge} ahead of threads already waiting for an event, which can repeat indefinitely leading to starvation of waiter threads. 340 } (signals-as-hints~\cite[\S~8]{Buhr05a}), where one is a consequence of the other, \ie once there is spurious wakeup, signals-as-hints follow.344 } or signals-as-hints~\cite[\S~8]{Buhr05a}, where one is a consequence of the other, \ie once there is spurious wakeup, barging follows. 341 345 (Author experience teaching concurrency is that students are confused by these semantics.) 342 346 However, spurious wakeup is \emph{not} a foundational concurrency property~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}; … … 356 360 357 361 \item 358 monitor synchronization without barging, and the ability to safely acquiring multiple monitors \emph{simultaneously} (deadlock free), while seamlessly integrating these capabilities with all monitor synchronization mechanisms,362 monitor synchronization without barging, and the ability to safely acquiring multiple monitors in a deadlock-free way, while seamlessly integrating these capabilities with all monitor synchronization mechanisms, 359 363 360 364 \item … … 368 372 369 373 \item 370 a dynamic partitioning mechanism to segregate groups of executing user and kernel threads performing specialized work (\eg web-server or compute engine) or requiring different scheduling (\eg NUMA or real-time).374 a dynamic partitioning mechanism to segregate groups of executing user and kernel threads performing specialized work, \eg web-server or compute engine, or requiring different scheduling, \eg NUMA or real-time. 371 375 372 376 % \item … … 380 384 Section~\ref{s:StatefulFunction} begins advanced control by introducing sequential functions that retain data and execution state between calls producing constructs @generator@ and @coroutine@. 381 385 Section~\ref{s:Concurrency} begins concurrency, or how to create (fork) and destroy (join) a thread producing the @thread@ construct. 382 Section~\ref{s:MutualExclusionSynchronization} discusses the two mechanisms to restricted nondeterminism when controlling shared access to resources (mutual exclusion) and timing relationships among threads (synchronization).386 Section~\ref{s:MutualExclusionSynchronization} discusses the two mechanisms to restricted nondeterminism when controlling shared access to resources, called mutual exclusion, and timing relationships among threads, called synchronization. 383 387 Section~\ref{s:Monitor} shows how both mutual exclusion and synchronization are safely embedded in the @monitor@ and @thread@ constructs. 384 Section~\ref{s:CFARuntimeStructure} describes the large-scale mechanism to structure (cluster)threads and virtual processors (kernel threads).385 Section~\ref{s:Performance} uses a series of microbenchmarks to compare \CFA threading with pthreads, Java 11.0.6, Go 1.12.6, Rust 1.37.0, Python 3.7.6, Node.js 12.14.1, and \uC 7.0.0.388 Section~\ref{s:CFARuntimeStructure} describes the large-scale mechanism to structure threads and virtual processors (kernel threads). 389 Section~\ref{s:Performance} uses microbenchmarks to compare \CFA threading with pthreads, Java 11.0.6, Go 1.12.6, Rust 1.37.0, Python 3.7.6, Node.js v12.18.0, and \uC 7.0.0. 386 390 387 391 … … 389 393 \label{s:FundamentalExecutionProperties} 390 394 391 The features in a programming language should be composed froma set of fundamental properties rather than an ad hoc collection chosen by the designers.395 The features in a programming language should be composed of a set of fundamental properties rather than an ad hoc collection chosen by the designers. 392 396 To this end, the control-flow features created for \CFA are based on the fundamental properties of any language with function-stack control-flow (see also \uC~\cite[pp.~140-142]{uC++}). 393 The fundamental properties are execution state, thread, and mutual-exclusion/synchronization (MES).394 These independent properties can be used alone, in pairs, or in triplets to compose different language features, forming a compositional hierarchy where the most advanced feature has all the properties (state/thread/MES).395 While it is possible for a language to only support the most advanced feature~\cite{Hermes90}, this unnecessarily complicates and makes inefficient solutions to certain classes of problems.396 As is shown, each of the (non-rejected) composedfeatures solves a particular set of problems, and hence, has a defensible position in a programming language.397 If a compositional feature is missing, a programmer has too few /many fundamental properties resulting in a complex and/or isinefficient solution.397 The fundamental properties are execution state, thread, and mutual-exclusion/synchronization. 398 These independent properties can be used to compose different language features, forming a compositional hierarchy, where the combination of all three is the most advanced feature, called a thread. 399 While it is possible for a language to only provide threads for composing programs~\cite{Hermes90}, this unnecessarily complicates and makes inefficient solutions to certain classes of problems. 400 As is shown, each of the non-rejected composed language features solves a particular set of problems, and hence, has a defensible position in a programming language. 401 If a compositional feature is missing, a programmer has too few fundamental properties resulting in a complex and/or inefficient solution. 398 402 399 403 In detail, the fundamental properties are: 400 404 \begin{description}[leftmargin=\parindent,topsep=3pt,parsep=0pt] 401 405 \item[\newterm{execution state}:] 402 is the state information needed by a control-flow feature to initialize, manage compute data and execution location(s), and de-initialize. 403 State is retained in fixed-sized aggregate structures and dynamic-sized stack(s), often allocated in the heap(s) managed by the runtime system. 404 The lifetime of the state varies with the control-flow feature, where longer life-time and dynamic size provide greater power but also increase usage complexity and cost. 405 Control-flow transfers among execution states occurs in multiple ways, such as function call, context switch, asynchronous await, etc. 406 is the state information needed by a control-flow feature to initialize and manage both compute data and execution location(s), and de-initialize. 407 For example, calling a function initializes a stack frame including contained objects with constructors, manages local data in blocks and return locations during calls, and de-initializes the frame by running any object destructors and management operations. 408 State is retained in fixed-sized aggregate structures (objects) and dynamic-sized stack(s), often allocated in the heap(s) managed by the runtime system. 409 The lifetime of state varies with the control-flow feature, where longer life-time and dynamic size provide greater power but also increase usage complexity and cost. 410 Control-flow transfers among execution states in multiple ways, such as function call, context switch, asynchronous await, etc. 406 411 Because the programming language determines what constitutes an execution state, implicitly manages this state, and defines movement mechanisms among states, execution state is an elementary property of the semantics of a programming language. 407 412 % An execution-state is related to the notion of a process continuation \cite{Hieb90}. 408 413 409 414 \item[\newterm{threading}:] 410 is execution of code that occurs independently of other execution, \ie the execution resulting from a threadis sequential.415 is execution of code that occurs independently of other execution, where an individual thread's execution is sequential. 411 416 Multiple threads provide \emph{concurrent execution}; 412 concurrent execution becomes parallel when run on multiple processing units (hyper-threading, cores, sockets).413 There must be language mechanisms to create, block/unblock, and join with a thread.414 415 \item[\newterm{ MES}:]416 is the concurrency mechanism sto perform an action without interruption and establish timing relationships among multiple threads.417 These two properties are independent, \ie mutual exclusion cannot provide synchronization and vice versa without introducing additional threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}.418 Limiting MES , \eg no access to shared data,results in contrived solutions and inefficiency on multi-core von Neumann computers where shared memory is a foundational aspect of its design.417 concurrent execution becomes parallel when run on multiple processing units, \eg hyper-threading, cores, or sockets. 418 A programmer needs mechanisms to create, block and unblock, and join with a thread, even if these basic mechanisms are supplied indirectly through high-level features. 419 420 \item[\newterm{mutual-exclusion / synchronization (MES)}:] 421 is the concurrency mechanism to perform an action without interruption and establish timing relationships among multiple threads. 422 We contented these two properties are independent, \ie mutual exclusion cannot provide synchronization and vice versa without introducing additional threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}. 423 Limiting MES functionality results in contrived solutions and inefficiency on multi-core von Neumann computers where shared memory is a foundational aspect of its design. 419 424 \end{description} 420 These properties are fundamental because they cannot be built from existing language features, \eg a basic programming language like C99~\cite{C99} cannot create new control-flow features, concurrency, or provide MES using atomic hardware mechanisms. 421 422 423 \subsection{Execution Properties} 424 425 Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} shows how the three fundamental execution properties: state, thread, and mutual exclusion compose a hierarchy of control-flow features needed in a programming language. 426 (When doing case analysis, not all combinations are meaningful.) 427 Note, basic von Neumann execution requires at least one thread and an execution state providing some form of call stack. 425 These properties are fundamental as they cannot be built from existing language features, \eg a basic programming language like C99~\cite{C99} cannot create new control-flow features, concurrency, or provide MES without (atomic) hardware mechanisms. 426 427 428 \subsection{Structuring Execution Properties} 429 430 Programming languages seldom present the fundamental execution properties directly to programmers. 431 Instead, the properties are packaged into higher-level constructs that encapsulate details and provide safety to these low-level mechanisms. 432 Interestingly, language designers often pick and choose among these execution properties proving a varying subset of constructs. 433 434 Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} shows all combinations of the three fundamental execution properties available to language designers. 435 (When doing combination case-analysis, not all combinations are meaningful.) 436 The combinations of state, thread, and MES compose a hierarchy of control-flow features all of which have appeared in prior programming languages, where each of these languages have found the feature useful. 437 To understand the table, it is important to review the basic von Neumann execution requirement of at least one thread and execution state providing some form of call stack. 428 438 For table entries missing these minimal components, the property is borrowed from the invoker (caller). 429 430 Case 1 is a function that borrows storage for its state (stack frame/activation) and a thread from its invoker and retains this state across \emph{callees}, \ie function local-variables are retained on the stack across calls. 431 Case 2 is case 1 with access to shared state so callers are restricted during update (mutual exclusion) and scheduling for other threads (synchronization). 432 Case 3 is a stateful function supporting resume/suspend along with call/return to retain state across \emph{callers}, but has some restrictions because the function's state is stackless. 433 Note, stackless functions still borrow the caller's stack and thread, where the stack is used to preserve state across its callees. 434 Case 4 is cases 2 and 3 with protection to shared state for stackless functions. 435 Cases 5 and 6 are the same as 3 and 4 but only the thread is borrowed as the function state is stackful, so resume/suspend is a context switch from the caller's to the function's stack. 436 Cases 7 and 8 are rejected because a function that is given a new thread must have its own stack where the thread begins and stack frames are stored for calls, \ie there is no stack to borrow. 437 Cases 9 and 10 are rejected because a thread with a fixed state (no stack) cannot accept calls, make calls, block, or be preempted, all of which require an unknown amount of additional dynamic state. 438 Hence, once started, this kind of thread must execute to completion, \ie computation only, which severely restricts runtime management. 439 Cases 11 and 12 have a stackful thread with and without safe access to shared state. 440 Execution properties increase the cost of creation and execution along with complexity of usage. 439 Each entry in the table, numbered \textbf{1}--\textbf{12}, is discussed with respect to how the execution properties combine to generate a high-level language construct. 441 440 442 441 \begin{table} … … 446 445 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.25} 447 446 %\setlength{\tabcolsep}{5pt} 447 \vspace*{-5pt} 448 448 \begin{tabular}{c|c||l|l} 449 449 \multicolumn{2}{c||}{execution properties} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{mutual exclusion / synchronization} \\ … … 452 452 \hline 453 453 \hline 454 No & No & \textbf{1}\ \ \ function & \textbf{2}\ \ \ @monitor@ function\\454 No & No & \textbf{1}\ \ \ @struct@ & \textbf{2}\ \ \ @mutex@ @struct@ \\ 455 455 \hline 456 Yes (stackless) & No & \textbf{3}\ \ \ @generator@ & \textbf{4}\ \ \ @m onitor@ @generator@ \\456 Yes (stackless) & No & \textbf{3}\ \ \ @generator@ & \textbf{4}\ \ \ @mutex@ @generator@ \\ 457 457 \hline 458 Yes (stackful) & No & \textbf{5}\ \ \ @coroutine@ & \textbf{6}\ \ \ @m onitor@ @coroutine@ \\458 Yes (stackful) & No & \textbf{5}\ \ \ @coroutine@ & \textbf{6}\ \ \ @mutex@ @coroutine@ \\ 459 459 \hline 460 460 No & Yes & \textbf{7}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} & \textbf{8}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} \\ … … 462 462 Yes (stackless) & Yes & \textbf{9}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} & \textbf{10}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} \\ 463 463 \hline 464 Yes (stackful) & Yes & \textbf{11}\ \ \ @thread@ & \textbf{12}\ \ @m onitor@ @thread@ \\464 Yes (stackful) & Yes & \textbf{11}\ \ \ @thread@ & \textbf{12}\ \ @mutex@ @thread@ \\ 465 465 \end{tabular} 466 \vspace*{-8pt} 466 467 \end{table} 467 468 468 Given the execution-properties taxonomy, programmers can now answer three basic questions: is state necessary across calls and how much, is a separate thread necessary, is access to shared state necessary. 469 The answers define the optimal language feature need for implementing a programming problem. 470 The next sections discusses how \CFA fills in the table with language features, while other programming languages may only provide a subset of the table. 469 Case 1 is a structure where access functions borrow local state (stack frame/activation) and thread from the invoker and retain this state across \emph{callees}, \ie function local-variables are retained on the borrowed stack during calls. 470 Structures are a foundational mechanism for data organization, and access functions provide interface abstraction and code sharing in all programming languages. 471 Case 2 is case 1 with thread safety to a structure's state where access functions provide serialization (mutual exclusion) and scheduling among calling threads (synchronization). 472 A @mutex@ structure, often called a \newterm{monitor}, provides a high-level interface for race-free access of shared data in concurrent programming-languages. 473 Case 3 is case 1 where the structure can implicitly retain execution state and access functions use this execution state to resume/suspend across \emph{callers}, but resume/suspend does not retain a function's local state. 474 A stackless structure, often called a \newterm{generator} or \emph{iterator}, is \newterm{stackless} because it still borrows the caller's stack and thread, but the stack is used only to preserve state across its callees not callers. 475 Generators provide the first step toward directly solving problems like finite-state machines that retain data and execution state between calls, whereas normal functions restart on each call. 476 Case 4 is cases 2 and 3 with thread safety during execution of the generator's access functions. 477 A @mutex@ generator extends generators into the concurrent domain. 478 Cases 5 and 6 are like cases 3 and 4 where the structure is extended with an implicit separate stack, so only the thread is borrowed by access functions. 479 A stackful generator, often called a \newterm{coroutine}, is \newterm{stackful} because resume/suspend now context switch to/from the caller's and coroutine's stack. 480 A coroutine extends the state retained between calls beyond the generator's structure to arbitrary call depth in the access functions. 481 Cases 7, 8, 9 and 10 are rejected because a new thread must have its own stack, where the thread begins and stack frames are stored for calls, \ie it is unrealistic for a thread to borrow a stack. 482 For cases 9 and 10, the stackless frame is not growable, precluding accepting nested calls, making calls, blocking as it requires calls, or preemption as it requires pushing an interrupt frame, all of which compound to require an unknown amount of execution state. 483 Hence, if this kind of uninterruptable thread exists, it must execute to completion, \ie computation only, which severely restricts runtime management. 484 Cases 11 and 12 are a stackful thread with and without safe access to shared state. 485 A thread is the language mechanism to start another thread of control in a program with growable execution state for call/return execution. 486 In general, language constructs with more execution properties increase the cost of creation and execution along with complexity of usage. 487 488 Given the execution-properties taxonomy, programmers now ask three basic questions: is state necessary across callers and how much, is a separate thread necessary, is thread safety necessary. 489 Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} then suggests the optimal language feature needed for implementing a programming problem. 490 The following sections describe how \CFA fills in \emph{all} the non-rejected table entries with language features, while other programming languages may only provide a subset of the table. 471 491 472 492 … … 481 501 \item 482 502 Direct interaction among language features must be possible allowing any feature to be selected without restricting comm\-unication. 483 For example, many concurrent languages do not provide direct communication (calls)among threads, \ie threads only communicate indirectly through monitors, channels, messages, and/or futures.484 Indirect communication increases the number of objects, consuming more resources, and require additional synchronization and possibly data transfer.503 For example, many concurrent languages do not provide direct communication calls among threads, \ie threads only communicate indirectly through monitors, channels, messages, and/or futures. 504 Indirect communication increases the number of objects, consuming more resources, and requires additional synchronization and possibly data transfer. 485 505 486 506 \item … … 493 513 494 514 \item 495 MES must be available implicitly in language constructs as well as explicitly for specialized requirements, because requiring programmers to build MES using low-level locks often leads to incorrect programs.515 MES must be available implicitly in language constructs, \eg Java built-in monitors, as well as explicitly for specialized requirements, \eg @java.util.concurrent@, because requiring programmers to build MES using low-level locks often leads to incorrect programs. 496 516 Furthermore, reducing synchronization scope by encapsulating it within language constructs further reduces errors in concurrent programs. 497 517 … … 502 522 \item 503 523 Synchronization must be able to control the service order of requests including prioritizing selection from different kinds of outstanding requests, and postponing a request for an unspecified time while continuing to accept new requests. 504 Otherwise, certain concurrency problems are difficult, e.g.\web server, disk scheduling, and the amount of concurrency is inhibited~\cite{Gentleman81}.524 Otherwise, certain concurrency problems are difficult, \eg web server, disk scheduling, and the amount of concurrency is inhibited~\cite{Gentleman81}. 505 525 \end{itemize} 506 526 We have satisfied these requirements in \CFA while maintaining backwards compatibility with the huge body of legacy C programs. … … 511 531 512 532 Asynchronous await/call is a caller mechanism for structuring programs and/or increasing concurrency, where the caller (client) postpones an action into the future, which is subsequently executed by a callee (server). 513 The caller detects the action's completion through a \newterm{future} /\newterm{promise}.533 The caller detects the action's completion through a \newterm{future} or \newterm{promise}. 514 534 The benefit is asynchronous caller execution with respect to the callee until future resolution. 515 535 For single-threaded languages like JavaScript, an asynchronous call passes a callee action, which is queued in the event-engine, and continues execution with a promise. … … 517 537 A promise-completion call-back can be part of the callee action or the caller is rescheduled; 518 538 in either case, the call back is executed after the promise is fulfilled. 519 While asynchronous calls generate new callee (server) events, we conten t this mechanism is insufficient for advanced control-flow mechanisms like generators or coroutines (which are discussed next).539 While asynchronous calls generate new callee (server) events, we contend this mechanism is insufficient for advanced control-flow mechanisms like generators or coroutines, which are discussed next. 520 540 Specifically, control between caller and callee occurs indirectly through the event-engine precluding direct handoff and cycling among events, and requires complex resolution of a control promise and data. 521 541 Note, @async-await@ is just syntactic-sugar over the event engine so it does not solve these deficiencies. 522 542 For multi-threaded languages like Java, the asynchronous call queues a callee action with an executor (server), which subsequently executes the work by a thread in the executor thread-pool. 523 The problem is when concurrent work-units need to interact and/or block as this effects the executor , \eg stopsthreads.543 The problem is when concurrent work-units need to interact and/or block as this effects the executor by stopping threads. 524 544 While it is possible to extend this approach to support the necessary mechanisms, \eg message passing in Actors, we show monitors and threads provide an equally competitive approach that does not deviate from normal call communication and can be used to build asynchronous call, as is done in Java. 525 545 … … 540 560 There are two styles of activating a stateful function, \emph{asymmetric} or \emph{symmetric}, identified by resume/suspend (no cycles) and resume/resume (cycles). 541 561 These styles \emph{do not} cause incremental stack growth, \eg a million resume/suspend or resume/resume cycles do not remember each cycle just the last resumer for each cycle. 542 Selecting between stackless/stackful semantics and asymmetric/symmetric style is a tradeoff between programming requirements, performance, and design, where stackless is faster and smaller (modified call/return between closures), stackful is more general but slower and larger (context switching between distinct stacks), and asymmetric is simpler control-flow than symmetric.543 Additionally, storage management for the closure/stack (especially in unmanaged languages, \ie no garbage collection) must be factored into design and performance.562 Selecting between stackless/stackful semantics and asymmetric/symmetric style is a tradeoff between programming requirements, performance, and design, where stackless is faster and smaller using modified call/return between closures, stackful is more general but slower and larger using context switching between distinct stacks, and asymmetric is simpler control-flow than symmetric. 563 Additionally, storage management for the closure/stack must be factored into design and performance, especially in unmanaged languages without garbage collection. 544 564 Note, creation cost (closure/stack) is amortized across usage, so activation cost (resume/suspend) is usually the dominant factor. 545 565 … … 578 598 & 579 599 \begin{cfa} 580 void * rtn( void * arg ) { ... }600 void * `rtn`( void * arg ) { ... } 581 601 int i = 3, rc; 582 602 pthread_t t; $\C{// thread id}$ … … 690 710 \hspace{3pt} 691 711 \subfloat[C generated code for \CFA version]{\label{f:CFibonacciSim}\usebox\myboxC} 692 \caption{Fibonacci (output)asymmetric generator}712 \caption{Fibonacci output asymmetric generator} 693 713 \label{f:FibonacciAsymmetricGenerator} 694 714 … … 765 785 \subfloat[C generated code for \CFA version]{\label{f:CFormatGenImpl}\usebox\myboxB} 766 786 \hspace{3pt} 767 \caption{Formatter (input)asymmetric generator}787 \caption{Formatter input asymmetric generator} 768 788 \label{f:FormatterAsymmetricGenerator} 769 789 \end{figure} 770 790 771 Figure~\ref{f:FibonacciAsymmetricGenerator} shows an unbounded asymmetric generator for an infinite sequence of Fibonacci numbers written (left to right)in C, \CFA, and showing the underlying C implementation for the \CFA version.791 Figure~\ref{f:FibonacciAsymmetricGenerator} shows an unbounded asymmetric generator for an infinite sequence of Fibonacci numbers written left to right in C, \CFA, and showing the underlying C implementation for the \CFA version. 772 792 This generator is an \emph{output generator}, producing a new result on each resumption. 773 793 To compute Fibonacci, the previous two values in the sequence are retained to generate the next value, \ie @fn1@ and @fn@, plus the execution location where control restarts when the generator is resumed, \ie top or middle. 774 An additional requirement is the ability to create an arbitrary number of generators (of any kind), \ie retaining one state in global variables is insufficient;794 An additional requirement is the ability to create an arbitrary number of generators of any kind, \ie retaining one state in global variables is insufficient; 775 795 hence, state is retained in a closure between calls. 776 796 Figure~\ref{f:CFibonacci} shows the C approach of manually creating the closure in structure @Fib@, and multiple instances of this closure provide multiple Fibonacci generators. … … 794 814 Figure~\ref{f:CFibonacciSim} shows the C implementation of the \CFA asymmetric generator. 795 815 Only one execution-state field, @restart@, is needed to subscript the suspension points in the generator. 796 At the start of the generator main, the @static@ declaration, @states@, is initialized to the N suspend points in the generator (where operator @&&@ dereferences/references a label~\cite{gccValueLabels}).816 At the start of the generator main, the @static@ declaration, @states@, is initialized to the N suspend points in the generator, where operator @&&@ dereferences or references a label~\cite{gccValueLabels}. 797 817 Next, the computed @goto@ selects the last suspend point and branches to it. 798 The cost of setting @restart@ and branching via the computed @goto@ adds very little cost to the suspend /resume calls.818 The cost of setting @restart@ and branching via the computed @goto@ adds very little cost to the suspend and resume calls. 799 819 800 820 An advantage of the \CFA explicit generator type is the ability to allow multiple type-safe interface functions taking and returning arbitrary types. … … 877 897 With respect to safety, we believe static analysis can discriminate persistent generator state from temporary generator-main state and raise a compile-time error for temporary usage spanning suspend points. 878 898 Our experience using generators is that the problems have simple data state, including local state, but complex execution state, so the burden of creating the generator type is small. 879 As well, C programmers are not afraid of this kind of semantic programming requirement, if it results in very small ,fast generators.899 As well, C programmers are not afraid of this kind of semantic programming requirement, if it results in very small and fast generators. 880 900 881 901 Figure~\ref{f:CFAFormatGen} shows an asymmetric \newterm{input generator}, @Fmt@, for restructuring text into groups of characters of fixed-size blocks, \ie the input on the left is reformatted into the output on the right, where newlines are ignored. … … 899 919 The destructor provides a newline, if formatted text ends with a full line. 900 920 Figure~\ref{f:CFormatGenImpl} shows the C implementation of the \CFA input generator with one additional field and the computed @goto@. 901 For contrast, Figure~\ref{f:PythonFormatter} shows the equivalent Python format generator with the same properties as the format generator.921 For contrast, Figure~\ref{f:PythonFormatter} shows the equivalent Python format generator with the same properties as the \CFA format generator. 902 922 903 923 % https://dl-acm-org.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/ 904 924 905 Figure~\ref{f:DeviceDriverGen} shows an important application for an asymmetric generator,a device-driver, because device drivers are a significant source of operating-system errors: 85\% in Windows XP~\cite[p.~78]{Swift05} and 51.6\% in Linux~\cite[p.~1358,]{Xiao19}. %\cite{Palix11}925 An important application for the asymmetric generator is a device-driver, because device drivers are a significant source of operating-system errors: 85\% in Windows XP~\cite[p.~78]{Swift05} and 51.6\% in Linux~\cite[p.~1358,]{Xiao19}. %\cite{Palix11} 906 926 Swift \etal~\cite[p.~86]{Swift05} restructure device drivers using the Extension Procedure Call (XPC) within the kernel via functions @nooks_driver_call@ and @nooks_kernel_call@, which have coroutine properties context switching to separate stacks with explicit hand-off calls; 907 927 however, the calls do not retain execution state, and hence always start from the top. … … 909 929 However, Adya \etal~\cite{Adya02} argue against stack ripping in Section 3.2 and suggest a hybrid approach in Section 4 using cooperatively scheduled \emph{fibers}, which is coroutining. 910 930 911 As an example,the following protocol:931 Figure~\ref{f:DeviceDriverGen} shows the generator advantages in implementing a simple network device-driver with the following protocol: 912 932 \begin{center} 913 933 \ldots\, STX \ldots\, message \ldots\, ESC ETX \ldots\, message \ldots\, ETX 2-byte crc \ldots 914 934 \end{center} 915 is for a simple network message beginning with the control character STX, ending with an ETX, andfollowed by a 2-byte cyclic-redundancy check.935 where the network message begins with the control character STX, ends with an ETX, and is followed by a 2-byte cyclic-redundancy check. 916 936 Control characters may appear in a message if preceded by an ESC. 917 937 When a message byte arrives, it triggers an interrupt, and the operating system services the interrupt by calling the device driver with the byte read from a hardware register. 918 The device driver returns a status code of its current state, and when a complete message is obtained, the operating system read the message accumulated in the supplied buffer.919 Hence, the device driver is an input/output generator, where the cost of resuming the device-driver generator is the same as call /return, so performance in an operating-system kernel is excellent.938 The device driver returns a status code of its current state, and when a complete message is obtained, the operating system reads the message accumulated in the supplied buffer. 939 Hence, the device driver is an input/output generator, where the cost of resuming the device-driver generator is the same as call and return, so performance in an operating-system kernel is excellent. 920 940 The key benefits of using a generator are correctness, safety, and maintenance because the execution states are transcribed directly into the programming language rather than table lookup or stack ripping. 921 The conclusion is that FSMs are complex and occur in important domains, so direct generator support is important in a system programming language.941 % The conclusion is that FSMs are complex and occur in important domains, so direct generator support is important in a system programming language. 922 942 923 943 \begin{figure} … … 976 996 \end{figure} 977 997 978 Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen} shows a symmetric generator, where the generator resumes another generator, forming a resume/resume cycle.998 Generators can also have symmetric activation using resume/resume to create control-flow cycles among generators. 979 999 (The trivial cycle is a generator resuming itself.) 980 1000 This control flow is similar to recursion for functions but without stack growth. 981 Figure~\ref{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} shows the steps for symmetric control-flow are creating, executing, and terminating the cycle. 1001 Figure~\ref{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} shows the steps for symmetric control-flow using for the ping/pong program in Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen}. 1002 The program starts by creating the generators, @ping@ and @pong@, and then assigns the partners that form the cycle. 982 1003 Constructing the cycle must deal with definition-before-use to close the cycle, \ie, the first generator must know about the last generator, which is not within scope. 983 1004 (This issue occurs for any cyclic data structure.) 984 The example creates the generators, @ping@/@pong@, and then assigns the partners that form the cycle.985 1005 % (Alternatively, the constructor can assign the partners as they are declared, except the first, and the first-generator partner is set after the last generator declaration to close the cycle.) 986 Once the cycle is formed, the program main resumes one of the generators, @ping@, and the generators can then traverse an arbitrary cycleusing @resume@ to activate partner generator(s).1006 Once the cycle is formed, the program main resumes one of the generators, @ping@, and the generators can then traverse an arbitrary number of cycles using @resume@ to activate partner generator(s). 987 1007 Terminating the cycle is accomplished by @suspend@ or @return@, both of which go back to the stack frame that started the cycle (program main in the example). 988 1008 Note, the creator and starter may be different, \eg if the creator calls another function that starts the cycle. … … 990 1010 Also, since local variables are not retained in the generator function, there are no objects with destructors to be called, so the cost is the same as a function return. 991 1011 Destructor cost occurs when the generator instance is deallocated by the creator. 1012 1013 \begin{figure} 1014 \centering 1015 \input{FullCoroutinePhases.pstex_t} 1016 \vspace*{-10pt} 1017 \caption{Symmetric coroutine steps: Ping / Pong} 1018 \label{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} 1019 \end{figure} 992 1020 993 1021 \begin{figure} … … 1053 1081 \end{figure} 1054 1082 1055 \begin{figure}1056 \centering1057 \input{FullCoroutinePhases.pstex_t}1058 \vspace*{-10pt}1059 \caption{Symmetric coroutine steps: Ping / Pong}1060 \label{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps}1061 \end{figure}1062 1063 1083 Figure~\ref{f:CPingPongSim} shows the C implementation of the \CFA symmetric generator, where there is still only one additional field, @restart@, but @resume@ is more complex because it does a forward rather than backward jump. 1064 1084 Before the jump, the parameter for the next call @partner@ is placed into the register used for the first parameter, @rdi@, and the remaining registers are reset for a return. … … 1066 1086 While the semantics of call forward is a tail-call optimization, which compilers perform, the generator state is different on each call rather a common state for a tail-recursive function (i.e., the parameter to the function never changes during the forward calls. 1067 1087 However, this assembler code depends on what entry code is generated, specifically if there are local variables and the level of optimization. 1068 Hence, internal compiler support is necessary for any forward call (or backwards return), \eg LLVM has various coroutine support~\cite{CoroutineTS}, and \CFA can leverage this support should it eventually fork @clang@.1069 For this reason, \CFA does not support general symmetric generators at this time, but, it is possible to hand generate any symmetric generators (as in Figure~\ref{f:CPingPongSim})for proof of concept and performance testing.1088 Hence, internal compiler support is necessary for any forward call or backwards return, \eg LLVM has various coroutine support~\cite{CoroutineTS}, and \CFA can leverage this support should it eventually fork @clang@. 1089 For this reason, \CFA does not support general symmetric generators at this time, but, it is possible to hand generate any symmetric generators, as in Figure~\ref{f:CPingPongSim}, for proof of concept and performance testing. 1070 1090 1071 1091 Finally, part of this generator work was inspired by the recent \CCtwenty coroutine proposal~\cite{C++20Coroutine19}, which uses the general term coroutine to mean generator. … … 1084 1104 \label{s:Coroutine} 1085 1105 1086 Stackful coroutines (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 5) extend generator semantics, \ie there is an implicit closure and @suspend@ may appear in a helper function called from the coroutine main. 1087 A coroutine is specified by replacing @generator@ with @coroutine@ for the type. 1106 Stackful coroutines (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 5) extend generator semantics with an implicit closure and @suspend@ may appear in a helper function called from the coroutine main because of the separate stack. 1107 Note, simulating coroutines with stacks of generators, \eg Python with @yield from@ cannot handle symmetric control-flow. 1108 Furthermore, all stack components must be of generators, so it is impossible to call a library function passing a generator that yields. 1109 Creating a generator copy of the library function maybe impossible because the library function is opaque. 1110 1111 A \CFA coroutine is specified by replacing @generator@ with @coroutine@ for the type. 1088 1112 Coroutine generality results in higher cost for creation, due to dynamic stack allocation, for execution, due to context switching among stacks, and for terminating, due to possible stack unwinding and dynamic stack deallocation. 1089 1113 A series of different kinds of coroutines and their implementations demonstrate how coroutines extend generators. 1090 1114 1091 1115 First, the previous generator examples are converted to their coroutine counterparts, allowing local-state variables to be moved from the generator type into the coroutine main. 1116 Now the coroutine type only contains communication variables between interface functions and the coroutine main. 1092 1117 \begin{center} 1093 1118 \begin{tabular}{@{}l|l|l|l@{}} … … 1126 1151 \begin{cfa} 1127 1152 int Crc() { 1128 `suspend;` 1129 short int crc = byte << 8; 1130 `suspend;` 1131 status = (crc | byte) == sum ? MSG : ECRC; 1153 `suspend;` short int crc = byte << 8; 1154 `suspend;` status = (crc | byte) == sum ? MSG : ECRC; 1132 1155 return crc; 1133 1156 } 1134 1157 \end{cfa} 1135 A call to this function is placed at the end of the d river's coroutine-main.1158 A call to this function is placed at the end of the device driver's coroutine-main. 1136 1159 For complex finite-state machines, refactoring is part of normal program abstraction, especially when code is used in multiple places. 1137 1160 Again, this complexity is usually associated with execution state rather than data state. … … 1139 1162 \begin{comment} 1140 1163 Figure~\ref{f:Coroutine3States} creates a @coroutine@ type, @`coroutine` Fib { int fn; }@, which provides communication, @fn@, for the \newterm{coroutine main}, @main@, which runs on the coroutine stack, and possibly multiple interface functions, \eg @restart@. 1141 Like the structure in Figure~\ref{f:ExternalState}, the coroutine type allows multiple instances, where instances of this type are passed to the (overloaded)coroutine main.1164 Like the structure in Figure~\ref{f:ExternalState}, the coroutine type allows multiple instances, where instances of this type are passed to the overloaded coroutine main. 1142 1165 The coroutine main's stack holds the state for the next generation, @f1@ and @f2@, and the code represents the three states in the Fibonacci formula via the three suspend points, to context switch back to the caller's @resume@. 1143 1166 The interface function @restart@, takes a Fibonacci instance and context switches to it using @resume@; … … 1373 1396 1374 1397 Figure~\ref{f:ProdCons} shows the ping-pong example in Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen} extended into a producer/consumer symmetric-coroutine performing bidirectional communication. 1375 This example is illustrative because both producer /consumer have two interface functions with @resume@s that suspend execution in these interface (helper)functions.1398 This example is illustrative because both producer and consumer have two interface functions with @resume@s that suspend execution in these interface functions. 1376 1399 The program main creates the producer coroutine, passes it to the consumer coroutine in its initialization, and closes the cycle at the call to @start@ along with the number of items to be produced. 1377 1400 The call to @start@ is the first @resume@ of @prod@, which remembers the program main as the starter and creates @prod@'s stack with a frame for @prod@'s coroutine main at the top, and context switches to it. 1378 1401 @prod@'s coroutine main starts, creates local-state variables that are retained between coroutine activations, and executes $N$ iterations, each generating two random values, calling the consumer's @deliver@ function to transfer the values, and printing the status returned from the consumer. 1379 The producer call to @delivery@ transfers values into the consumer's communication variables, resumes the consumer, and returns the consumer status.1402 The producer's call to @delivery@ transfers values into the consumer's communication variables, resumes the consumer, and returns the consumer status. 1380 1403 Similarly on the first resume, @cons@'s stack is created and initialized, holding local-state variables retained between subsequent activations of the coroutine. 1381 1404 The symmetric coroutine cycle forms when the consumer calls the producer's @payment@ function, which resumes the producer in the consumer's delivery function. 1382 1405 When the producer calls @delivery@ again, it resumes the consumer in the @payment@ function. 1383 Both interface function than return to thetheir corresponding coroutine-main functions for the next cycle.1406 Both interface functions then return to their corresponding coroutine-main functions for the next cycle. 1384 1407 Figure~\ref{f:ProdConsRuntimeStacks} shows the runtime stacks of the program main, and the coroutine mains for @prod@ and @cons@ during the cycling. 1385 1408 As a consequence of a coroutine retaining its last resumer for suspending back, these reverse pointers allow @suspend@ to cycle \emph{backwards} around a symmetric coroutine cycle. … … 1395 1418 1396 1419 Terminating a coroutine cycle is more complex than a generator cycle, because it requires context switching to the program main's \emph{stack} to shutdown the program, whereas generators started by the program main run on its stack. 1397 Furthermore, each deallocated coroutine must execute all destructors for object allocated in the coroutine type \emph{and} allocated on the coroutine's stack at the point of suspension, which can be arbitrarily deep.1420 Furthermore, each deallocated coroutine must execute all destructors for objects allocated in the coroutine type \emph{and} allocated on the coroutine's stack at the point of suspension, which can be arbitrarily deep. 1398 1421 In the example, termination begins with the producer's loop stopping after N iterations and calling the consumer's @stop@ function, which sets the @done@ flag, resumes the consumer in function @payment@, terminating the call, and the consumer's loop in its coroutine main. 1399 1422 % (Not shown is having @prod@ raise a nonlocal @stop@ exception at @cons@ after it finishes generating values and suspend back to @cons@, which catches the @stop@ exception to terminate its loop.) … … 1401 1424 The question now is where does control continue? 1402 1425 1403 The na\"{i}ve semantics for coroutine-cycle termination is to context switch to the last resumer, like executing a @suspend@ /@return@ in a generator.1426 The na\"{i}ve semantics for coroutine-cycle termination is to context switch to the last resumer, like executing a @suspend@ or @return@ in a generator. 1404 1427 However, for coroutines, the last resumer is \emph{not} implicitly below the current stack frame, as for generators, because each coroutine's stack is independent. 1405 1428 Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine statically if a coroutine is in a cycle and unrealistic to check dynamically (graph-cycle problem). … … 1410 1433 For asymmetric coroutines, it is common for the first resumer (starter) coroutine to be the only resumer; 1411 1434 for symmetric coroutines, it is common for the cycle creator to persist for the lifetime of the cycle. 1412 For other scenarios, it is always possible to devise a solution with additional programming effort, such as forcing the cycle forward (backward)to a safe point before starting termination.1435 For other scenarios, it is always possible to devise a solution with additional programming effort, such as forcing the cycle forward or backward to a safe point before starting termination. 1413 1436 1414 1437 Note, the producer/consumer example does not illustrate the full power of the starter semantics because @cons@ always ends first. 1415 1438 Assume generator @PingPong@ in Figure~\ref{f:PingPongSymmetricGenerator} is converted to a coroutine. 1416 1439 Unlike generators, coroutines have a starter structure with multiple levels, where the program main starts @ping@ and @ping@ starts @pong@. 1417 By adjusting $N$ for either @ping@ /@pong@, it is possible to have either finish first.1440 By adjusting $N$ for either @ping@ or @pong@, it is possible to have either finish first. 1418 1441 If @pong@ ends first, it resumes its starter @ping@ in its coroutine main, then @ping@ ends and resumes its starter the program main on return; 1419 1442 if @ping@ ends first, it resumes its starter the program main on return. 1420 1443 Regardless of the cycle complexity, the starter structure always leads back to the program main, but the path can be entered at an arbitrary point. 1421 Once back at the program main (creator), coroutines @ping@ and @pong@ are deallocated, runn ning any destructors for objects within the coroutine and possibly deallocating any coroutine stacks for non-terminated coroutines, where stack deallocation implies stack unwinding to find destructors for allocated objects on the stack.1422 Hence, the \CFA termination semantics for the generator and coroutine ensure correct deallocation sem natics, regardless of the coroutine's state (terminated or active), like any other aggregate object.1444 Once back at the program main (creator), coroutines @ping@ and @pong@ are deallocated, running any destructors for objects within the coroutine and possibly deallocating any coroutine stacks for non-terminated coroutines, where stack deallocation implies stack unwinding to find destructors for allocated objects on the stack. 1445 Hence, the \CFA termination semantics for the generator and coroutine ensure correct deallocation semantics, regardless of the coroutine's state (terminated or active), like any other aggregate object. 1423 1446 1424 1447 1425 1448 \subsection{Generator / Coroutine Implementation} 1426 1449 1427 A significant implementation challenge for generators /coroutines (and threads in Section~\ref{s:threads}) is adding extra fields to the custom types and related functions, \eg inserting code after/before the coroutine constructor/destructor and @main@ to create/initialize/de-initialize/destroy any extra fields, \egstack.1428 There are several solutions to th eseproblem, which follow from the object-oriented flavour of adopting custom types.1450 A significant implementation challenge for generators and coroutines (and threads in Section~\ref{s:threads}) is adding extra fields to the custom types and related functions, \eg inserting code after/before the coroutine constructor/destructor and @main@ to create/initialize/de-initialize/destroy any extra fields, \eg the coroutine stack. 1451 There are several solutions to this problem, which follow from the object-oriented flavour of adopting custom types. 1429 1452 1430 1453 For object-oriented languages, inheritance is used to provide extra fields and code via explicit inheritance: … … 1433 1456 \end{cfa} 1434 1457 % The problem is that the programming language and its tool chain, \eg debugger, @valgrind@, need to understand @baseCoroutine@ because it infers special property, so type @baseCoroutine@ becomes a de facto keyword and all types inheriting from it are implicitly custom types. 1435 The problem is that some special properties are not handled by existing language semantics, \eg the execution of constructors /destructors is in the wrong order to implicitly start threads because the thread must start \emph{after} all constructors as it relies on a completely initialized object, but the inherited constructor runs \emph{before} the derived.1458 The problem is that some special properties are not handled by existing language semantics, \eg the execution of constructors and destructors is in the wrong order to implicitly start threads because the thread must start \emph{after} all constructors as it relies on a completely initialized object, but the inherited constructor runs \emph{before} the derived. 1436 1459 Alternatives, such as explicitly starting threads as in Java, are repetitive and forgetting to call start is a common source of errors. 1437 1460 An alternative is composition: … … 1461 1484 forall( `dtype` T | is_coroutine(T) ) void $suspend$( T & ), resume( T & ); 1462 1485 \end{cfa} 1463 Note, copying generators /coroutines/threads is undefined because muliple objects cannot execute on a shared stack and stack copying does not work in unmanaged languages (no garbage collection), like C, because the stack may contain pointers to objects within it that require updating for the copy.1464 The \CFA @dtype@ property provides no \emph{implicit} copying operations and the @is_coroutine@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copying operations, so all coroutines must be passed by reference (pointer).1465 The function definitions ensure there is a statically typed @main@ function that is the starting point (first stack frame) of a coroutine, and a mechanism to get (read)the coroutine descriptor from its handle.1466 The @main@ function has no return value or additional parameters because the coroutine type allows an arbitrary number of interface functions with corresponding arbitrary typed input/output values versus fixed ones.1486 Note, copying generators, coroutines, and threads is undefined because multiple objects cannot execute on a shared stack and stack copying does not work in unmanaged languages (no garbage collection), like C, because the stack may contain pointers to objects within it that require updating for the copy. 1487 The \CFA @dtype@ property provides no \emph{implicit} copying operations and the @is_coroutine@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copying operations, so all coroutines must be passed by reference or pointer. 1488 The function definitions ensure there is a statically typed @main@ function that is the starting point (first stack frame) of a coroutine, and a mechanism to read the coroutine descriptor from its handle. 1489 The @main@ function has no return value or additional parameters because the coroutine type allows an arbitrary number of interface functions with arbitrary typed input and output values versus fixed ones. 1467 1490 The advantage of this approach is that users can easily create different types of coroutines, \eg changing the memory layout of a coroutine is trivial when implementing the @get_coroutine@ function, and possibly redefining \textsf{suspend} and @resume@. 1468 1491 … … 1506 1529 1507 1530 Figure~\ref{f:CoroutineMemoryLayout} shows different memory-layout options for a coroutine (where a thread is similar). 1508 The coroutine handle is the @coroutine@ instance containing programmer specified type global /communication variables across interface functions.1531 The coroutine handle is the @coroutine@ instance containing programmer specified type global and communication variables across interface functions. 1509 1532 The coroutine descriptor contains all implicit declarations needed by the runtime, \eg @suspend@/@resume@, and can be part of the coroutine handle or separate. 1510 1533 The coroutine stack can appear in a number of locations and be fixed or variable sized. 1511 Hence, the coroutine's stack could be a variable-length structure (VLS)\footnote{ 1512 We are examining VLSs, where fields can be variable-sized structures or arrays. 1513 Once allocated, a VLS is fixed sized.} 1534 Hence, the coroutine's stack could be a variable-length structure (VLS) 1535 % \footnote{ 1536 % We are examining VLSs, where fields can be variable-sized structures or arrays. 1537 % Once allocated, a VLS is fixed sized.} 1514 1538 on the allocating stack, provided the allocating stack is large enough. 1515 For a VLS stack allocation /deallocation is an inexpensive adjustment of the stack pointer, modulo any stack constructor costs (\eg initial frame setup).1516 For stack allocation in the heap, allocation /deallocation is an expensive allocation, where the heap can be a shared resource, modulo any stack constructor costs.1517 It is also possible to use a split (segmented)stack calling convention, available with gcc and clang, allowing a variable-sized stack via a set of connected blocks in the heap.1518 Currently, \CFA supports stack /heap allocated descriptors but only fixed-sized heap allocated stacks.1539 For a VLS stack allocation and deallocation is an inexpensive adjustment of the stack pointer, modulo any stack constructor costs to initial frame setup. 1540 For stack allocation in the heap, allocation and deallocation is an expensive allocation, where the heap can be a shared resource, modulo any stack constructor costs. 1541 It is also possible to use a split or segmented stack calling convention, available with gcc and clang, allowing a variable-sized stack via a set of connected blocks in the heap. 1542 Currently, \CFA supports stack and heap allocated descriptors but only fixed-sized heap allocated stacks. 1519 1543 In \CFA debug-mode, the fixed-sized stack is terminated with a write-only page, which catches most stack overflows. 1520 1544 Experience teaching concurrency with \uC~\cite{CS343} shows fixed-sized stacks are rarely an issue for students. … … 1539 1563 The transition to concurrency, even for a single thread with multiple stacks, occurs when coroutines context switch to a \newterm{scheduling coroutine}, introducing non-determinism from the coroutine perspective~\cite[\S~3]{Buhr05a}. 1540 1564 Therefore, a minimal concurrency system requires coroutines \emph{in conjunction with a nondeterministic scheduler}. 1541 The resulting execution system now follows a cooperative threading-model~\cite{Adya02,libdill} because context-switching points to the scheduler (blocking)are known, but the next unblocking point is unknown due to the scheduler.1565 The resulting execution system now follows a cooperative threading-model~\cite{Adya02,libdill} because context-switching points to the scheduler are known, but the next unblocking point is unknown due to the scheduler. 1542 1566 Adding \newterm{preemption} introduces \newterm{non-cooperative} or \newterm{preemptive} scheduling, where context switching points to the scheduler are unknown as they can occur randomly between any two instructions often based on a timer interrupt. 1543 1567 Uncertainty gives the illusion of parallelism on a single processor and provides a mechanism to access and increase performance on multiple processors. 1544 The reason is that the scheduler /runtime have complete knowledge about resources and how to best utilized them.1568 The reason is that the scheduler and runtime have complete knowledge about resources and how to best utilized them. 1545 1569 However, the introduction of unrestricted nondeterminism results in the need for \newterm{mutual exclusion} and \newterm{synchronization}~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}, which restrict nondeterminism for correctness; 1546 1570 otherwise, it is impossible to write meaningful concurrent programs. … … 1556 1580 \label{s:threads} 1557 1581 1558 Threading (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 11) needs the ability to start a thread and wait for its completion. 1559 A common API for this ability is @fork@ and @join@. 1582 Threading (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 11) needs the ability to start a thread and wait for its completion, where a common API is @fork@ and @join@. 1560 1583 \vspace{4pt} 1561 1584 \par\noindent … … 1589 1612 \vspace{1pt} 1590 1613 \par\noindent 1591 \CFA has a simpler approach using a custom @thread@ type and leveraging declaration semantics (allocation/deallocation), where threads implicitly @fork@ after construction and @join@ before destruction.1614 \CFA has a simpler approach using a custom @thread@ type and leveraging declaration semantics, allocation and deallocation, where threads implicitly @fork@ after construction and @join@ before destruction. 1592 1615 \begin{cfa} 1593 1616 thread MyThread {}; … … 1598 1621 } $\C{// deallocate stack-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}$ 1599 1622 \end{cfa} 1600 This semantic ensures a thread is started and stopped exactly once, eliminating some programming error, and scales to multiple threads for basic (termination)synchronization.1601 For block allocation to arbitrary depth, including recursion, threads are created /destroyed in a lattice structure (tree with top and bottom).1623 This semantic ensures a thread is started and stopped exactly once, eliminating some programming error, and scales to multiple threads for basic termination synchronization. 1624 For block allocation to arbitrary depth, including recursion, threads are created and destroyed in a lattice structure (tree with top and bottom). 1602 1625 Arbitrary topologies are possible using dynamic allocation, allowing threads to outlive their declaration scope, identical to normal dynamic allocation. 1603 1626 \begin{cfa} … … 1606 1629 MyThread * team = factory( 10 ); 1607 1630 // concurrency 1608 ` delete( team );` $\C{// deallocate heap-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}\CRT$1631 `adelete( team );` $\C{// deallocate heap-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}\CRT$ 1609 1632 } 1610 1633 \end{cfa} … … 1670 1693 \end{tabular} 1671 1694 \end{cquote} 1672 Like coroutines, the @dtype@ property prevents \emph{implicit} copy operations and the @is_thread@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copy operations, so threads must be passed by reference (pointer).1673 Similarly, the function definitions ensure there is a statically typed @main@ function that is the thread starting point (first stack frame), a mechanism to get (read)the thread descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation while the thread is executing.1695 Like coroutines, the @dtype@ property prevents \emph{implicit} copy operations and the @is_thread@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copy operations, so threads must be passed by reference or pointer. 1696 Similarly, the function definitions ensure there is a statically typed @main@ function that is the thread starting point (first stack frame), a mechanism to read the thread descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation while the thread is executing. 1674 1697 (The qualifier @mutex@ for the destructor parameter is discussed in Section~\ref{s:Monitor}.) 1675 1698 The difference between the coroutine and thread is that a coroutine borrows a thread from its caller, so the first thread resuming a coroutine creates the coroutine's stack and starts running the coroutine main on the stack; 1676 1699 whereas, a thread is scheduling for execution in @main@ immediately after its constructor is run. 1677 No return value or additional parameters are necessary for this function because the @thread@ type allows an arbitrary number of interface functions with corresponding arbitrary typed input /output values.1700 No return value or additional parameters are necessary for this function because the @thread@ type allows an arbitrary number of interface functions with corresponding arbitrary typed input and output values. 1678 1701 1679 1702 … … 1683 1706 Unrestricted nondeterminism is meaningless as there is no way to know when a result is completed and safe to access. 1684 1707 To produce meaningful execution requires clawing back some determinism using mutual exclusion and synchronization, where mutual exclusion provides access control for threads using shared data, and synchronization is a timing relationship among threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}. 1685 The shared data protected by mutual ex lusion is called a \newterm{critical section}~\cite{Dijkstra65}, and the protection can be simple (only 1 thread) or complex (only N kinds of threads, \eg group~\cite{Joung00} or readers/writer~\cite{Courtois71}).1686 Without synchronization control in a critical section, an arriving thread can barge ahead of preexisting waiter threads resulting in short/long-term starvation, staleness /freshness problems, and/orincorrect transfer of data.1708 The shared data protected by mutual exclusion is called a \newterm{critical section}~\cite{Dijkstra65}, and the protection can be simple, only 1 thread, or complex, only N kinds of threads, \eg group~\cite{Joung00} or readers/writer~\cite{Courtois71} problems. 1709 Without synchronization control in a critical section, an arriving thread can barge ahead of preexisting waiter threads resulting in short/long-term starvation, staleness and freshness problems, and incorrect transfer of data. 1687 1710 Preventing or detecting barging is a challenge with low-level locks, but made easier through higher-level constructs. 1688 1711 This challenge is often split into two different approaches: barging \emph{avoidance} and \emph{prevention}. … … 1696 1719 Some concurrent systems eliminate mutable shared-state by switching to non-shared communication like message passing~\cite{Thoth,Harmony,V-Kernel,MPI} (Erlang, MPI), channels~\cite{CSP} (CSP,Go), actors~\cite{Akka} (Akka, Scala), or functional techniques (Haskell). 1697 1720 However, these approaches introduce a new communication mechanism for concurrency different from the standard communication using function call/return. 1698 Hence, a programmer must learn and manipulate two sets of design /programming patterns.1721 Hence, a programmer must learn and manipulate two sets of design and programming patterns. 1699 1722 While this distinction can be hidden away in library code, effective use of the library still has to take both paradigms into account. 1700 In contrast, approaches based on shared-state models more closely resemble the standard call /return programming model, resulting in a single programming paradigm.1723 In contrast, approaches based on shared-state models more closely resemble the standard call and return programming model, resulting in a single programming paradigm. 1701 1724 Finally, a newer approach for restricting non-determinism is transactional memory~\cite{Herlihy93}. 1702 1725 While this approach is pursued in hardware~\cite{Nakaike15} and system languages, like \CC~\cite{Cpp-Transactions}, the performance and feature set is still too restrictive~\cite{Cascaval08,Boehm09} to be the main concurrency paradigm for system languages. … … 1711 1734 For these reasons, \CFA selected monitors as the core high-level concurrency construct, upon which higher-level approaches can be easily constructed. 1712 1735 1713 Specifically, a \textbf{monitor} is a set of functions that ensure mutual exclusion when accessing shared state. 1714 More precisely, a monitor is a programming technique that implicitly binds mutual exclusion to static function scope by call/return, as opposed to locks, where mutual-exclusion is defined by acquire/release calls, independent of lexical context (analogous to block and heap storage allocation). 1715 Restricting acquire/release points eases programming, comprehension, and maintenance, at a slight cost in flexibility and efficiency. 1716 \CFA uses a custom @monitor@ type and leverages declaration semantics (deallocation) to protect active or waiting threads in a monitor. 1717 1718 The following is a \CFA monitor implementation of an atomic counter. 1719 \begin{cfa} 1720 `monitor` Aint { int cnt; }; $\C[4.25in]{// atomic integer counter}$ 1721 int ++?( Aint & `mutex` this ) with( this ) { return ++cnt; } $\C{// increment}$ 1722 int ?=?( Aint & `mutex` lhs, int rhs ) with( lhs ) { cnt = rhs; } $\C{// conversions with int, mutex optional}\CRT$ 1723 int ?=?( int & lhs, Aint & `mutex` rhs ) with( rhs ) { lhs = cnt; } 1724 \end{cfa} 1725 The operators use the parameter-only declaration type-qualifier @mutex@ to mark which parameters require locking during function execution to protect from race conditions. 1726 The assignment operators provide bidirectional conversion between an atomic and normal integer without accessing field @cnt@. 1727 (These operations only need @mutex@, if reading/writing the implementation type is not atomic.) 1728 The atomic counter is used without any explicit mutual-exclusion and provides thread-safe semantics. 1729 \begin{cfa} 1736 Figure~\ref{f:AtomicCounter} compares a \CFA and Java monitor implementing an atomic counter. 1737 (Like other concurrent programming languages, \CFA and Java have performant specializations for the basic types using atomic instructions.) 1738 A \newterm{monitor} is a set of functions that ensure mutual exclusion when accessing shared state. 1739 (Note, in \CFA, @monitor@ is short-hand for @mutex struct@.) 1740 More precisely, a monitor is a programming technique that implicitly binds mutual exclusion to static function scope by call and return, as opposed to locks, where mutual exclusion is defined by acquire/release calls, independent of lexical context (analogous to block and heap storage allocation). 1741 Restricting acquire and release points eases programming, comprehension, and maintenance, at a slight cost in flexibility and efficiency. 1742 As for other special types, \CFA has a custom @monitor@ type. 1743 1744 \begin{figure} 1745 \centering 1746 1747 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA} 1748 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1749 `monitor` Aint { // atomic integer counter 1750 int cnt; 1751 }; 1752 int ++?( Aint & `mutex` this ) with(this) { return ++cnt; } 1753 int ?=?( Aint & `mutex` lhs, int rhs ) with(lhs) { cnt = rhs; } 1754 int ?=?(int & lhs, Aint & rhs) with(rhs) { lhs = cnt; } 1755 1730 1756 int i = 0, j = 0, k = 5; 1731 Aint x = { 0 }, y = { 0 }, z = { 5 }; $\C{// no mutex required}$ 1732 ++x; ++y; ++z; $\C{// safe increment by multiple threads}$ 1733 x = 2; y = i; z = k; $\C{// conversions}$ 1734 i = x; j = y; k = z; 1735 \end{cfa} 1736 Note, like other concurrent programming languages, \CFA has specializations for the basic types using atomic instructions for performance and a general trait similar to the \CC template @std::atomic@. 1737 1738 \CFA monitors have \newterm{multi-acquire} semantics so the thread in the monitor may acquire it multiple times without deadlock, allowing recursion and calling other interface functions. 1739 \newpage 1740 \begin{cfa} 1741 monitor M { ... } m; 1742 void foo( M & mutex m ) { ... } $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1743 void bar( M & mutex m ) { $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1744 ... `bar( m );` ... `foo( m );` ... $\C{// reacquire mutual exclusion}$ 1745 } 1746 \end{cfa} 1747 \CFA monitors also ensure the monitor lock is released regardless of how an acquiring function ends (normal or exceptional), and returning a shared variable is safe via copying before the lock is released. 1757 Aint x = { 0 }, y = { 0 }, z = { 5 }; // no mutex 1758 ++x; ++y; ++z; // mutex 1759 x = 2; y = i; z = k; // mutex 1760 i = x; j = y; k = z; // no mutex 1761 \end{cfa} 1762 \end{lrbox} 1763 1764 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 1765 \begin{java}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1766 class Aint { 1767 private int cnt; 1768 public Aint( int init ) { cnt = init; } 1769 `synchronized` public int inc() { return ++cnt; } 1770 `synchronized` public void set( int rhs ) {cnt=rhs;} 1771 public int get() { return cnt; } 1772 } 1773 int i = 0, j = 0, k = 5; 1774 Aint x=new Aint(0), y=new Aint(0), z=new Aint(5); 1775 x.inc(); y.inc(); z.inc(); 1776 x.set( 2 ); y.set( i ); z.set( k ); 1777 i = x.get(); j = y.get(); k = z.get(); 1778 \end{java} 1779 \end{lrbox} 1780 1781 \subfloat[\CFA]{\label{f:AtomicCounterCFA}\usebox\myboxA} 1782 \hspace{3pt} 1783 \vrule 1784 \hspace{3pt} 1785 \subfloat[Java]{\label{f:AtomicCounterJava}\usebox\myboxB} 1786 \caption{Atomic counter} 1787 \label{f:AtomicCounter} 1788 \end{figure} 1789 1790 Like Java, \CFA monitors have \newterm{multi-acquire} semantics so the thread in the monitor may acquire it multiple times without deadlock, allowing recursion and calling other interface functions. 1791 % \begin{cfa} 1792 % monitor M { ... } m; 1793 % void foo( M & mutex m ) { ... } $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1794 % void bar( M & mutex m ) { $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1795 % ... `bar( m );` ... `foo( m );` ... $\C{// reacquire mutual exclusion}$ 1796 % } 1797 % \end{cfa} 1798 \CFA monitors also ensure the monitor lock is released regardless of how an acquiring function ends, normal or exceptional, and returning a shared variable is safe via copying before the lock is released. 1748 1799 Similar safety is offered by \emph{explicit} opt-in disciplines like \CC RAII versus the monitor \emph{implicit} language-enforced safety guarantee ensuring no programmer usage errors. 1749 Furthermore, RAII mechanisms cannot handle complex synchronization within a monitor, where the monitor lock may not be released on function exit because it is passed to an unblocking thread;1800 However, RAII mechanisms cannot handle complex synchronization within a monitor, where the monitor lock may not be released on function exit because it is passed to an unblocking thread; 1750 1801 RAII is purely a mutual-exclusion mechanism (see Section~\ref{s:Scheduling}). 1802 1803 Both Java and \CFA use a keyword @mutex@/\lstinline[language=java]|synchronized| to designate functions that implicitly acquire/release the monitor lock on call/return providing mutual exclusion to the stared data. 1804 Non-designated functions provide no mutual exclusion for read-only access or as an interface to a multi-step protocol requiring several steps of acquiring and releasing the monitor. 1805 Monitor objects can be passed through multiple helper functions without acquiring mutual exclusion, until a designated function associated with the object is called. 1806 \CFA designated functions are marked by an explicitly parameter-only pointer/reference qualifier @mutex@ (discussed further in Section\ref{s:MutexAcquisition}). 1807 Whereas, Java designated members are marked with \lstinline[language=java]|synchronized| that applies to the implicit reference parameter @this@. 1808 In the example, the increment and setter operations need mutual exclusion while the read-only getter operation can be non-mutex if reading the implementation is atomic. 1751 1809 1752 1810 … … 1771 1829 \end{tabular} 1772 1830 \end{cquote} 1773 The @dtype@ property prevents \emph{implicit} copy operations and the @is_monitor@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copy operations, so monitors must be passed by reference (pointer).1774 Similarly, the function definitions ensure s there is a mechanism to get (read) the monitor descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation if a threadusing the shared data.1831 The @dtype@ property prevents \emph{implicit} copy operations and the @is_monitor@ trait provides no \emph{explicit} copy operations, so monitors must be passed by reference or pointer. 1832 Similarly, the function definitions ensure there is a mechanism to read the monitor descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation if a thread is using the shared data. 1775 1833 The custom monitor type also inserts any locks needed to implement the mutual exclusion semantics. 1834 \CFA relies heavily on traits as an abstraction mechanism, so the @mutex@ qualifier prevents coincidentally matching of a monitor trait with a type that is not a monitor, similar to coincidental inheritance where a shape and playing card can both be drawable. 1776 1835 1777 1836 … … 1779 1838 \label{s:MutexAcquisition} 1780 1839 1781 While the monitor lock provides mutual exclusion for shared data, there are implementation options for when and where the locking/unlocking occurs. 1782 (Much of this discussion also applies to basic locks.) 1783 For example, a monitor may be passed through multiple helper functions before it is necessary to acquire the monitor's mutual exclusion. 1784 1785 \CFA requires programmers to identify the kind of parameter with the @mutex@ keyword and uses no keyword to mean \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@, because @mutex@ parameters are rare and no keyword is the \emph{normal} parameter semantics. 1786 Hence, @mutex@ parameters are documentation, at the function and its prototype, to both programmer and compiler, without other redundant keywords. 1787 Furthermore, \CFA relies heavily on traits as an abstraction mechanism, so the @mutex@ qualifier prevents coincidentally matching of a monitor trait with a type that is not a monitor, similar to coincidental inheritance where a shape and playing card can both be drawable. 1788 1789 The next semantic decision is establishing which parameter \emph{types} may be qualified with @mutex@. 1790 The following has monitor parameter types that are composed of multiple objects. 1791 \begin{cfa} 1792 monitor M { ... } 1840 For object-oriented programming languages, the mutex property applies to one object, the implicit pointer/reference to the monitor type. 1841 Because \CFA uses a pointer qualifier, other possibilities exist, \eg: 1842 \begin{cfa} 1843 monitor M { ... }; 1793 1844 int f1( M & mutex m ); $\C{// single parameter object}$ 1794 1845 int f2( M * mutex m ); $\C{// single or multiple parameter object}$ … … 1796 1847 int f4( stack( M * ) & mutex m ); $\C{// multiple parameters object}$ 1797 1848 \end{cfa} 1798 Function @f1@ has a single parameter object, while @f2@'s indirection could be a single or multi-element array, where static array size is often unknown in C. 1799 Function @f3@ has a multiple object matrix, and @f4@ a multiple object data structure. 1800 While shown shortly, multiple object acquisition is possible, but the number of objects must be statically known. 1801 Therefore, \CFA only acquires one monitor per parameter with exactly one level of indirection, and exclude pointer types to unknown sized arrays. 1802 1803 For object-oriented monitors, \eg Java, calling a mutex member \emph{implicitly} acquires mutual exclusion of the receiver object, @`rec`.foo(...)@. 1804 \CFA has no receiver, and hence, the explicit @mutex@ qualifier is used to specify which objects acquire mutual exclusion. 1805 A positive consequence of this design decision is the ability to support multi-monitor functions,\footnote{ 1849 Function @f1@ has a single object parameter, while functions @f2@ to @f4@ can be a single or multi-element parameter with statically unknown size. 1850 Because of the statically unknown size, \CFA only supports a single reference @mutex@ parameter, @f1@. 1851 1852 The \CFA @mutex@ qualifier does allow the ability to support multi-monitor functions,\footnote{ 1806 1853 While object-oriented monitors can be extended with a mutex qualifier for multiple-monitor members, no prior example of this feature could be found.} 1807 called \newterm{bulk acquire}.1854 where the number of acquisitions is statically known, called \newterm{bulk acquire}. 1808 1855 \CFA guarantees bulk acquisition order is consistent across calls to @mutex@ functions using the same monitors as arguments, so acquiring multiple monitors in a bulk acquire is safe from deadlock. 1809 1856 Figure~\ref{f:BankTransfer} shows a trivial solution to the bank transfer problem~\cite{BankTransfer}, where two resources must be locked simultaneously, using \CFA monitors with implicit locking and \CC with explicit locking. … … 1933 1980 % There are many aspects of scheduling in a concurrency system, all related to resource utilization by waiting threads, \ie which thread gets the resource next. 1934 1981 % Different forms of scheduling include access to processors by threads (see Section~\ref{s:RuntimeStructureCluster}), another is access to a shared resource by a lock or monitor. 1935 This section discusses scheduling for waiting threads eligible for monitor entry , \ie which user thread gets the shared resource next. (See Section~\ref{s:RuntimeStructureCluster} for scheduling kernel threads on virtual processors.)1982 This section discusses scheduling for waiting threads eligible for monitor entry~\cite{Buhr95b}, \ie which user thread gets the shared resource next. (See Section~\ref{s:RuntimeStructureCluster} for scheduling kernel threads on virtual processors.) 1936 1983 While monitor mutual-exclusion provides safe access to its shared data, the data may indicate a thread cannot proceed, \eg a bounded buffer may be full/\-empty so produce/consumer threads must block. 1937 1984 Leaving the monitor and retrying (busy waiting) is impractical for high-level programming. … … 1939 1986 Monitors eliminate busy waiting by providing synchronization within the monitor critical-section to schedule threads needing access to the shared data, where threads block versus spin. 1940 1987 Synchronization is generally achieved with internal~\cite{Hoare74} or external~\cite[\S~2.9.2]{uC++} scheduling. 1941 \newterm{Internal} (largely)schedules threads located \emph{inside} the monitor and is accomplished using condition variables with signal and wait.1942 \newterm{External} (largely)schedules threads located \emph{outside} the monitor and is accomplished with the @waitfor@ statement.1943 Note, internal scheduling has a small amount of external scheduling and vice vers us, so the naming denotes where the majority of the block threads reside (inside or outside) for scheduling.1944 For complex scheduling, the approaches can be combined, so there can be an equal number ofthreads waiting inside and outside.1945 1946 \CFA monitors do not allow calling threads to barge ahead of signalled threads (via barging prevention), which simplifies synchronization among threads in the monitor and increases correctness.1988 \newterm{Internal} largely schedules threads located \emph{inside} the monitor and is accomplished using condition variables with signal and wait. 1989 \newterm{External} largely schedules threads located \emph{outside} the monitor and is accomplished with the @waitfor@ statement. 1990 Note, internal scheduling has a small amount of external scheduling and vice versa, so the naming denotes where the majority of the block threads reside (inside or outside) for scheduling. 1991 For complex scheduling, the approaches can be combined, so there are threads waiting inside and outside. 1992 1993 \CFA monitors do not allow calling threads to barge ahead of signalled threads via barging prevention, which simplifies synchronization among threads in the monitor and increases correctness. 1947 1994 A direct consequence of this semantics is that unblocked waiting threads are not required to recheck the waiting condition, \ie waits are not in a starvation-prone busy-loop as required by the signals-as-hints style with barging. 1948 1995 Preventing barging comes directly from Hoare's semantics in the seminal paper on monitors~\cite[p.~550]{Hoare74}. … … 1953 2000 Furthermore, \CFA concurrency has no spurious wakeup~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}, which eliminates an implicit self barging. 1954 2001 1955 Monitor mutual-exclusion means signalling cannot have the signaller and signalled thread in the monitor simultaneously, so only the signaller or signallee can proceed .1956 Figure~\ref{f:MonitorScheduling} shows internal /external scheduling for the bounded-buffer examples in Figure~\ref{f:GenericBoundedBuffer}.1957 For internal scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:BBInt}, the @signal@ moves the signallee (front thread of the specified condition queue) to urgentand the signaller continues (solid line).2002 Monitor mutual-exclusion means signalling cannot have the signaller and signalled thread in the monitor simultaneously, so only the signaller or signallee can proceed and the other waits on an implicit urgent list~\cite[p.~551]{Hoare74}. 2003 Figure~\ref{f:MonitorScheduling} shows internal and external scheduling for the bounded-buffer examples in Figure~\ref{f:GenericBoundedBuffer}. 2004 For internal scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:BBInt}, the @signal@ moves the signallee, front thread of the specified condition queue, to the urgent list (see Figure~\ref{f:MonitorScheduling}) and the signaller continues (solid line). 1958 2005 Multiple signals move multiple signallees to urgent until the condition queue is empty. 1959 When the signaller exits or waits, a thread is implicitly unblocked from urgent (if available)before unblocking a calling thread to prevent barging.2006 When the signaller exits or waits, a thread is implicitly unblocked from urgent, if available, before unblocking a calling thread to prevent barging. 1960 2007 (Java conceptually moves the signalled thread to the calling queue, and hence, allows barging.) 1961 Signal is used when the signaller is providing the cooperation needed by the signallee (\eg creating an empty slot in a buffer for a producer) and the signaller immediately exits the monitor to run concurrently (consume the buffer element)and passes control of the monitor to the signalled thread, which can immediately take advantage of the state change.2008 Signal is used when the signaller is providing the cooperation needed by the signallee, \eg creating an empty slot in a buffer for a producer, and the signaller immediately exits the monitor to run concurrently consuming the buffer element, and passes control of the monitor to the signalled thread, which can immediately take advantage of the state change. 1962 2009 Specifically, the @wait@ function atomically blocks the calling thread and implicitly releases the monitor lock(s) for all monitors in the function's parameter list. 1963 2010 Signalling is unconditional because signalling an empty condition queue does nothing. 1964 2011 It is common to declare condition queues as monitor fields to prevent shared access, hence no locking is required for access as the queues are protected by the monitor lock. 1965 In \CFA, a condition queue can be created /stored independently.2012 In \CFA, a condition queue can be created and stored independently. 1966 2013 1967 2014 \begin{figure} … … 2049 2096 \end{figure} 2050 2097 2051 The @signal_block@ provides the opposite unblocking order, where the signaller is moved to urgent and the signallee continues and a thread is implicitly unblocked from urgent when the signallee exits or waits (dashed line) .2052 Signal block is used when the signallee is providing the cooperation needed by the signaller (\eg if the buffer is removed and a producer hands off an item to a consumer, as in Figure~\ref{f:DatingSignalBlock})so the signaller must wait until the signallee unblocks, provides the cooperation, exits the monitor to run concurrently, and passes control of the monitor to the signaller, which can immediately take advantage of the state change.2098 The @signal_block@ provides the opposite unblocking order, where the signaller is moved to urgent and the signallee continues and a thread is implicitly unblocked from urgent when the signallee exits or waits (dashed line)~\cite[p.~551]{Hoare74}. 2099 Signal block is used when the signallee is providing the cooperation needed by the signaller, \eg if the buffer is removed and a producer hands off an item to a consumer as in Figure~\ref{f:DatingSignalBlock}, so the signaller must wait until the signallee unblocks, provides the cooperation, exits the monitor to run concurrently, and passes control of the monitor to the signaller, which can immediately take advantage of the state change. 2053 2100 Using @signal@ or @signal_block@ can be a dynamic decision based on whether the thread providing the cooperation arrives before or after the thread needing the cooperation. 2054 2101 2055 External scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:BBExt} simplifies internal scheduling byeliminating condition queues and @signal@/@wait@ (cases where it cannot are discussed shortly), and has existed in the programming language Ada for almost 40 years with variants in other languages~\cite{SR,ConcurrentC++,uC++}.2102 For external scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:BBExt}, the internal scheduling is replaced, eliminating condition queues and @signal@/@wait@ (cases where it cannot are discussed shortly), and has existed in the programming language Ada for almost 40 years with variants in other languages~\cite{SR,ConcurrentC++,uC++}. 2056 2103 While prior languages use external scheduling solely for thread interaction, \CFA generalizes it to both monitors and threads. 2057 2104 External scheduling allows waiting for events from other threads while restricting unrelated events, that would otherwise have to wait on condition queues in the monitor. … … 2062 2109 Now when a producer/consumer detects a full/empty buffer, the necessary cooperation for continuation is specified by indicating the next function call that can occur. 2063 2110 For example, a producer detecting a full buffer must have cooperation from a consumer to remove an item so function @remove@ is accepted, which prevents producers from entering the monitor, and after a consumer calls @remove@, the producer waiting on urgent is \emph{implicitly} unblocked because it can now continue its insert operation. 2064 Hence, this mechanism is done in terms of control flow, next call, versus in terms of data, channels, as in Go /Rust @select@.2111 Hence, this mechanism is done in terms of control flow, next call, versus in terms of data, channels, as in Go and Rust @select@. 2065 2112 While both mechanisms have strengths and weaknesses, \CFA uses the control-flow mechanism to be consistent with other language features. 2066 2113 2067 Figure~\ref{f:ReadersWriterLock} shows internal /external scheduling for a readers/writer lock with no barging and threads are serviced in FIFO order to eliminate staleness/freshness among the reader/writer threads.2114 Figure~\ref{f:ReadersWriterLock} shows internal and external scheduling for a readers/writer lock with no barging and threads are serviced in FIFO order to eliminate staleness and freshness among the reader/writer threads. 2068 2115 For internal scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:RWInt}, the readers and writers wait on the same condition queue in FIFO order, making it impossible to tell if a waiting thread is a reader or writer. 2069 2116 To clawback the kind of thread, a \CFA condition can store user data in the node for a blocking thread at the @wait@, \ie whether the thread is a @READER@ or @WRITER@. … … 2229 2276 For signal scheduling, the @exchange@ condition is necessary to block the thread finding the match, while the matcher unblocks to take the opposite number, post its phone number, and unblock the partner. 2230 2277 For signal-block scheduling, the implicit urgent-queue replaces the explicit @exchange@-condition and @signal_block@ puts the finding thread on the urgent stack and unblocks the matcher. 2231 2232 The dating service is an important example of a monitor that cannot be written using external scheduling. 2233 First, because scheduling requires knowledge of calling parameters to make matching decisions, and parameters of calling threads are unavailable within the monitor. 2234 For example, a girl thread within the monitor cannot examine the @ccode@ of boy threads waiting on the calling queue to determine if there is a matching partner. 2235 Second, because a scheduling decision may be delayed when there is no immediate match, which requires a condition queue for waiting, and condition queues imply internal scheduling. 2236 For example, if a girl thread could determine there is no calling boy with the same @ccode@, it must wait until a matching boy arrives. 2237 Finally, barging corrupts the dating service during an exchange because a barger may also match and change the phone numbers, invalidating the previous exchange phone number. 2278 Note, barging corrupts the dating service during an exchange because a barger may also match and change the phone numbers, invalidating the previous exchange phone number. 2238 2279 This situation shows rechecking the waiting condition and waiting again (signals-as-hints) fails, requiring significant restructured to account for barging. 2239 2280 2240 Both internal and external scheduling extend to multiple monitors in a natural way. 2281 Given external and internal scheduling, what guidelines can a programmer use to select between them? 2282 In general, external scheduling is easier to understand and code because only the next logical action (mutex function(s)) is stated, and the monitor implicitly handles all the details. 2283 Therefore, there are no condition variables, and hence, no wait and signal, which reduces coding complexity and synchronization errors. 2284 If external scheduling is simpler than internal, why not use it all the time? 2285 Unfortunately, external scheduling cannot be used if: scheduling depends on parameter value(s) or scheduling must block across an unknown series of calls on a condition variable, \ie internal scheduling. 2286 For example, the dating service cannot be written using external scheduling. 2287 First, scheduling requires knowledge of calling parameters to make matching decisions and parameters of calling threads are unavailable within the monitor. 2288 Specifically, a thread within the monitor cannot examine the @ccode@ of threads waiting on the calling queue to determine if there is a matching partner. 2289 (Similarly, if the bounded buffer or readers/writer are restructured with a single interface function with a parameter denoting producer/consumer or reader/write, they cannot be solved with external scheduling.) 2290 Second, a scheduling decision may be delayed across an unknown number of calls when there is no immediate match so the thread in the monitor must block on a condition. 2291 Specifically, if a thread determines there is no opposite calling thread with the same @ccode@, it must wait an unknown period until a matching thread arrives. 2292 For complex synchronization, both external and internal scheduling can be used to take advantage of best of properties of each. 2293 2294 Finally, both internal and external scheduling extend to multiple monitors in a natural way. 2241 2295 \begin{cquote} 2242 2296 \begin{tabular}{@{}l@{\hspace{2\parindentlnth}}l@{}} … … 2274 2328 Similarly, for @waitfor( rtn )@, the default semantics is to atomically block the acceptor and release all acquired mutex parameters, \ie @waitfor( rtn : m1, m2 )@. 2275 2329 To override the implicit multi-monitor wait, specific mutex parameter(s) can be specified, \eg @waitfor( rtn : m1 )@. 2276 @waitfor@ does statically verify the monitor types passed are the same as the acquired mutex-parameters of the given function or function pointer, hence the function (pointer)prototype must be accessible.2330 @waitfor@ does statically verify the monitor types passed are the same as the acquired mutex-parameters of the given function or function pointer, hence the prototype must be accessible. 2277 2331 % When an overloaded function appears in an @waitfor@ statement, calls to any function with that name are accepted. 2278 % The rationale is that members with the same name should perform a similar function, and therefore, all should be eligible to accept a call.2332 % The rationale is that functions with the same name should perform a similar actions, and therefore, all should be eligible to accept a call. 2279 2333 Overloaded functions can be disambiguated using a cast 2280 2334 \begin{cfa} … … 2285 2339 2286 2340 The ability to release a subset of acquired monitors can result in a \newterm{nested monitor}~\cite{Lister77} deadlock (see Section~\ref{s:MutexAcquisition}). 2287 \newpage2288 2341 \begin{cfa} 2289 2342 void foo( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { … … 2300 2353 2301 2354 Figure~\ref{f:ExtendedWaitfor} shows the extended form of the @waitfor@ statement to conditionally accept one of a group of mutex functions, with an optional statement to be performed \emph{after} the mutex function finishes. 2302 For a @waitfor@ clause to be executed, its @when@ must be true and an outstanding call to its corresponding member(s) must exist.2355 For a @waitfor@ clause to be executed, its @when@ must be true and an outstanding call to its corresponding function(s) must exist. 2303 2356 The \emph{conditional-expression} of a @when@ may call a function, but the function must not block or context switch. 2304 If there are multiple acceptable mutex calls, selection occurs top-to-bottom (prioritized)among the @waitfor@ clauses, whereas some programming languages with similar mechanisms accept nondeterministically for this case, \eg Go \lstinline[morekeywords=select]@select@.2305 If some accept guards are true and there are no outstanding calls to these members, the acceptor is blocked until a call to one of these members is made.2357 If there are multiple acceptable mutex calls, selection is prioritized top-to-bottom among the @waitfor@ clauses, whereas some programming languages with similar mechanisms accept nondeterministically for this case, \eg Go \lstinline[morekeywords=select]@select@. 2358 If some accept guards are true and there are no outstanding calls to these functions, the acceptor is blocked until a call to one of these functions is made. 2306 2359 If there is a @timeout@ clause, it provides an upper bound on waiting. 2307 2360 If all the accept guards are false, the statement does nothing, unless there is a terminating @else@ clause with a true guard, which is executed instead. 2308 2361 Hence, the terminating @else@ clause allows a conditional attempt to accept a call without blocking. 2309 2362 If both @timeout@ and @else@ clause are present, the @else@ must be conditional, or the @timeout@ is never triggered. 2310 There is also a traditional future wait queue (not shown) (\eg Microsoft @WaitForMultipleObjects@), to wait for a specified number of future elements in the queue.2363 % There is also a traditional future wait queue (not shown) (\eg Microsoft @WaitForMultipleObjects@), to wait for a specified number of future elements in the queue. 2311 2364 Finally, there is a shorthand for specifying multiple functions using the same set of monitors: @waitfor( f, g, h : m1, m2, m3 )@. 2312 2365 … … 2315 2368 \begin{cfa} 2316 2369 `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// optional guard}$ 2317 waitfor( $\emph{mutex- member-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ $\C{// action after call}$2370 waitfor( $\emph{mutex-function-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ $\C{// action after call}$ 2318 2371 `or` `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// any number of functions}$ 2319 waitfor( $\emph{mutex- member-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$2372 waitfor( $\emph{mutex-function-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ 2320 2373 `or` ... 2321 2374 `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// optional guard}$ … … 2335 2388 The left example only accepts @mem1@ if @C1@ is true or only @mem2@ if @C2@ is true. 2336 2389 The right example accepts either @mem1@ or @mem2@ if @C1@ and @C2@ are true. 2390 Hence, the @waitfor@ has parallel semantics, accepting any true @when@ clause. 2337 2391 2338 2392 An interesting use of @waitfor@ is accepting the @mutex@ destructor to know when an object is deallocated, \eg assume the bounded buffer is restructured from a monitor to a thread with the following @main@. … … 2429 2483 2430 2484 One scheduling solution is for the signaller S to keep ownership of all locks until the last lock is ready to be transferred, because this semantics fits most closely to the behaviour of single-monitor scheduling. 2431 However, this solution is inefficient if W2 waited first and can beimmediate passed @m2@ when released, while S retains @m1@ until completion of the outer mutex statement.2485 However, this solution is inefficient if W2 waited first and immediate passed @m2@ when released, while S retains @m1@ until completion of the outer mutex statement. 2432 2486 If W1 waited first, the signaller must retain @m1@ amd @m2@ until completion of the outer mutex statement and then pass both to W1. 2433 2487 % Furthermore, there is an execution sequence where the signaller always finds waiter W2, and hence, waiter W1 starves. 2434 To support th is efficient semantics (and prevent barging), the implementation maintains a list of monitors acquired for each blocked thread.2435 When a signaller exits or waits in a m onitor function/statement, the front waiter on urgent is unblocked if all its monitors are released.2436 Implementing a fast subset check for the necessar y released monitors is important and discussed in the following sections.2488 To support these efficient semantics and prevent barging, the implementation maintains a list of monitors acquired for each blocked thread. 2489 When a signaller exits or waits in a mutex function or statement, the front waiter on urgent is unblocked if all its monitors are released. 2490 Implementing a fast subset check for the necessarily released monitors is important and discussed in the following sections. 2437 2491 % The benefit is encapsulating complexity into only two actions: passing monitors to the next owner when they should be released and conditionally waking threads if all conditions are met. 2438 2492 … … 2442 2496 2443 2497 In a statically-typed object-oriented programming language, a class has an exhaustive list of members, even when members are added via static inheritance (see Figure~\ref{f:uCinheritance}). 2444 Knowing all members at compilation (even separate compilation) allows uniquely numbered them so the accept-statement implementation can use a fast/compact bit mask with $O(1)$ compare.2498 Knowing all members at compilation, even separate compilation, allows uniquely numbered them so the accept-statement implementation can use a fast and compact bit mask with $O(1)$ compare. 2445 2499 2446 2500 \begin{figure} … … 2493 2547 Hence, function pointers are used to identify the functions listed in the @waitfor@ statement, stored in a variable-sized array. 2494 2548 Then, the same implementation approach used for the urgent stack (see Section~\ref{s:Scheduling}) is used for the calling queue. 2495 Each caller has a list of monitors acquired, and the @waitfor@ statement performs a (short) linear search matching functions in the @waitfor@ list with called functions, and then verifying the associated mutex locks can be transfers.2549 Each caller has a list of monitors acquired, and the @waitfor@ statement performs a short linear search matching functions in the @waitfor@ list with called functions, and then verifying the associated mutex locks can be transferred. 2496 2550 2497 2551 … … 2571 2625 2572 2626 struct Msg { int i, j; }; 2573 m onitorthread GoRtn { int i; float f; Msg m; };2627 mutex thread GoRtn { int i; float f; Msg m; }; 2574 2628 void mem1( GoRtn & mutex gortn, int i ) { gortn.i = i; } 2575 2629 void mem2( GoRtn & mutex gortn, float f ) { gortn.f = f; } … … 2577 2631 void ^?{}( GoRtn & mutex ) {} 2578 2632 2579 void main( GoRtn & gortn ) with( gortn ) {// thread starts2633 void main( GoRtn & mutex gortn ) with(gortn) { // thread starts 2580 2634 2581 2635 for () { … … 2644 2698 2645 2699 \begin{cfa} 2646 m onitorthread DatingService {2700 mutex thread DatingService { 2647 2701 condition Girls[CompCodes], Boys[CompCodes]; 2648 2702 int girlPhoneNo, boyPhoneNo, ccode; … … 2708 2762 % \label{f:pingpong} 2709 2763 % \end{figure} 2710 Note, the ping/pong threads are globally declared, @pi@/@po@, and hence, start (and possibly complete)before the program main starts.2764 Note, the ping/pong threads are globally declared, @pi@/@po@, and hence, start and possibly complete before the program main starts. 2711 2765 \end{comment} 2712 2766 2713 2767 2714 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{\protect\lstinline@m onitor@ Generators / Coroutines / Threads}{monitor Generators / Coroutines / Threads}}2715 2716 \CFA generators, coroutines, and threads can also be monitors(Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} cases 4, 6, 12) allowing safe \emph{direct communication} with threads, \ie the custom types can have mutex functions that are called by other threads.2768 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{\protect\lstinline@mutex@ Generators / Coroutines / Threads}{monitor Generators / Coroutines / Threads}} 2769 2770 \CFA generators, coroutines, and threads can also be @mutex@ (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} cases 4, 6, 12) allowing safe \emph{direct communication} with threads, \ie the custom types can have mutex functions that are called by other threads. 2717 2771 All monitor features are available within these mutex functions. 2718 For example, if the formatter generator (or coroutine equivalent)in Figure~\ref{f:CFAFormatGen} is extended with the monitor property and this interface function is used to communicate with the formatter:2772 For example, if the formatter generator or coroutine equivalent in Figure~\ref{f:CFAFormatGen} is extended with the monitor property and this interface function is used to communicate with the formatter: 2719 2773 \begin{cfa} 2720 2774 void fmt( Fmt & mutex fmt, char ch ) { fmt.ch = ch; resume( fmt ) } … … 2724 2778 Figure~\ref{f:DirectCommunicationComparison} shows a comparison of direct call-communication in \CFA versus indirect channel-communication in Go. 2725 2779 (Ada has a similar mechanism to \CFA direct communication.) 2726 The program thread in \CFA @main@ uses the call/return paradigm to directly communicate with the @GoRtn main@, whereas Go switches to the channel paradigm to indirectly communicate with the goroutine. 2780 % The thread main function is by default @mutex@, so the @mutex@ qualifier for the thread parameter is optional. 2781 % The reason is that the thread logically starts instantaneously in the thread main acquiring its mutual exclusion, so it starts before any calls to prepare for synchronizing these calls. 2782 The \CFA program @main@ uses the call/return paradigm to directly communicate with the @GoRtn main@, whereas Go switches to the unbuffered channel paradigm to indirectly communicate with the goroutine. 2727 2783 Communication by multiple threads is safe for the @gortn@ thread via mutex calls in \CFA or channel assignment in Go. 2784 The difference between call and channel send occurs for buffered channels making the send asynchronous. 2785 In \CFA, asynchronous call and multiple buffers are provided using an administrator and worker threads~\cite{Gentleman81} and/or futures (not discussed). 2728 2786 2729 2787 Figure~\ref{f:DirectCommunicationDatingService} shows the dating-service problem in Figure~\ref{f:DatingServiceMonitor} extended from indirect monitor communication to direct thread communication. 2730 When converting a monitor to a thread (server), the coding pattern is to move as much code as possible from the accepted members into the thread main so it does anmuch work as possible.2788 When converting a monitor to a thread (server), the coding pattern is to move as much code as possible from the accepted functions into the thread main so it does as much work as possible. 2731 2789 Notice, the dating server is postponing requests for an unspecified time while continuing to accept new requests. 2732 For complex servers (web-servers), there can be hundreds of lines of code in the thread main and safe interaction with clients can be complex.2790 For complex servers, \eg web-servers, there can be hundreds of lines of code in the thread main and safe interaction with clients can be complex. 2733 2791 2734 2792 … … 2736 2794 2737 2795 For completeness and efficiency, \CFA provides a standard set of low-level locks: recursive mutex, condition, semaphore, barrier, \etc, and atomic instructions: @fetchAssign@, @fetchAdd@, @testSet@, @compareSet@, \etc. 2738 Some of these low-level mechanism are used to build the \CFA runtime, but we always advocate using high-level mechanisms whenever possible.2796 Some of these low-level mechanisms are used to build the \CFA runtime, but we always advocate using high-level mechanisms whenever possible. 2739 2797 2740 2798 … … 2768 2826 2769 2827 In contrast to direct threading is indirect \newterm{thread pools}, \eg Java @executor@, where small jobs (work units) are inserted into a work pool for execution. 2770 If the jobs are dependent, \ie interact, there is an implicit /explicitdependency graph that ties them together.2828 If the jobs are dependent, \ie interact, there is an implicit dependency graph that ties them together. 2771 2829 While removing direct concurrency, and hence the amount of context switching, thread pools significantly limit the interaction that can occur among jobs. 2772 2830 Indeed, jobs should not block because that also blocks the underlying thread, which effectively means the CPU utilization, and therefore throughput, suffers. … … 2857 2915 \label{s:RuntimeStructureProcessor} 2858 2916 2859 A virtual processor is implemented by a kernel thread (\eg UNIX process), which are scheduled for execution on a hardware processor by the underlying operating system.2917 A virtual processor is implemented by a kernel thread, \eg UNIX process, which are scheduled for execution on a hardware processor by the underlying operating system. 2860 2918 Programs may use more virtual processors than hardware processors. 2861 2919 On a multiprocessor, kernel threads are distributed across the hardware processors resulting in virtual processors executing in parallel. … … 2872 2930 \label{s:Implementation} 2873 2931 2874 A primary implementation challenge is avoiding contention from dynamically allocating memory because of bulk acquire, \eg the internal-scheduling design is (almost)free of allocations.2932 A primary implementation challenge is avoiding contention from dynamically allocating memory because of bulk acquire, \eg the internal-scheduling design is almost free of allocations. 2875 2933 All blocking operations are made by parking threads onto queues, therefore all queues are designed with intrusive nodes, where each node has preallocated link fields for chaining. 2876 2934 Furthermore, several bulk-acquire operations need a variable amount of memory. … … 2918 2976 2919 2977 There are two versions of the \CFA runtime kernel: debug and non-debug. 2920 The debugging version has many runtime checks and internal assertions, \eg stack (non-writable)guard page, and checks for stack overflow whenever context switches occur among coroutines and threads, which catches most stack overflows.2978 The debugging version has many runtime checks and internal assertions, \eg stack non-writable guard page, and checks for stack overflow whenever context switches occur among coroutines and threads, which catches most stack overflows. 2921 2979 After a program is debugged, the non-debugging version can be used to significantly decrease space and increase performance. 2922 2980 … … 2926 2984 2927 2985 To test the performance of the \CFA runtime, a series of microbenchmarks are used to compare \CFA with pthreads, Java 11.0.6, Go 1.12.6, Rust 1.37.0, Python 3.7.6, Node.js 12.14.1, and \uC 7.0.0. 2928 For comparison, the package must be multi-processor (M:N), which excludes libdil l/libmil~\cite{libdill} (M:1)), and use a shared-memory programming model, \eg not message passing.2986 For comparison, the package must be multi-processor (M:N), which excludes libdil and libmil~\cite{libdill} (M:1)), and use a shared-memory programming model, \eg not message passing. 2929 2987 The benchmark computer is an AMD Opteron\texttrademark\ 6380 NUMA 64-core, 8 socket, 2.5 GHz processor, running Ubuntu 16.04.6 LTS, and pthreads/\CFA/\uC are compiled with gcc 9.2.1. 2930 2988 … … 2937 2995 The total time is divided by @N@ to obtain the average time for a benchmark. 2938 2996 Each benchmark experiment is run 13 times and the average appears in the table. 2939 All omitted tests for other languages are functionally identical to the \CFA tests and available online~\cite{Cforall BenchMarks}.2997 All omitted tests for other languages are functionally identical to the \CFA tests and available online~\cite{CforallConcurrentBenchmarks}. 2940 2998 % tar --exclude-ignore=exclude -cvhf benchmark.tar benchmark 2941 2942 \paragraph{Context Switching} 2943 2944 In procedural programming, the cost of a function call is important as modularization (refactoring) increases. 2945 (In many cases, a compiler inlines function calls to increase the size and number of basic blocks for optimizing.) 2946 Similarly, when modularization extends to coroutines/threads, the time for a context switch becomes a relevant factor. 2947 The coroutine test is from resumer to suspender and from suspender to resumer, which is two context switches. 2948 %For async-await systems, the test is scheduling and fulfilling @N@ empty promises, where all promises are allocated before versus interleaved with fulfillment to avoid garbage collection. 2949 For async-await systems, the test measures the cost of the @await@ expression entering the event engine by awaiting @N@ promises, where each created promise is resolved by an immediate event in the engine (using Node.js @setImmediate@). 2950 The thread test is using yield to enter and return from the runtime kernel, which is two context switches. 2951 The difference in performance between coroutine and thread context-switch is the cost of scheduling for threads, whereas coroutines are self-scheduling. 2952 Figure~\ref{f:ctx-switch} shows the \CFA code for a coroutine/thread with results in Table~\ref{t:ctx-switch}. 2953 2954 % From: Gregor Richards <gregor.richards@uwaterloo.ca> 2955 % To: "Peter A. Buhr" <pabuhr@plg2.cs.uwaterloo.ca> 2956 % Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:49:18 -0500 2957 % 2958 % I can also verify that the previous version, which just tied a bunch of promises together, *does not* go back to the 2959 % event loop at all in the current version of Node. Presumably they're taking advantage of the fact that the ordering of 2960 % events is intentionally undefined to just jump right to the next 'then' in the chain, bypassing event queueing 2961 % entirely. That's perfectly correct behavior insofar as its difference from the specified behavior isn't observable, but 2962 % it isn't typical or representative of much anything useful, because most programs wouldn't have whole chains of eager 2963 % promises. Also, it's not representative of *anything* you can do with async/await, as there's no way to encode such an 2964 % eager chain that way. 2999 % cp -p benchmark.tar /u/cforall/public_html/doc/concurrent_benchmark.tar 3000 3001 \paragraph{Creation} 3002 3003 Creation is measured by creating and deleting a specific kind of control-flow object. 3004 Figure~\ref{f:creation} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:creation}. 3005 Note, the call stacks of \CFA coroutines are lazily created on the first resume, therefore the cost of creation with and without a stack are presented. 2965 3006 2966 3007 \begin{multicols}{2} 2967 3008 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2968 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2969 @coroutine@ C {}; 2970 void main( C & ) { for () { @suspend;@ } } 2971 int main() { // coroutine test 2972 C c; 2973 BENCH( for ( N ) { @resume( c );@ } ) 3009 \begin{cfa} 3010 @coroutine@ MyCoroutine {}; 3011 void ?{}( MyCoroutine & this ) { 3012 #ifdef EAGER 3013 resume( this ); 3014 #endif 3015 } 3016 void main( MyCoroutine & ) {} 3017 int main() { 3018 BENCH( for ( N ) { @MyCoroutine c;@ } ) 2974 3019 sout | result; 2975 3020 } 2976 int main() { // thread test 2977 BENCH( for ( N ) { @yield();@ } ) 2978 sout | result; 2979 } 2980 \end{cfa} 2981 \captionof{figure}{\CFA context-switch benchmark} 2982 \label{f:ctx-switch} 3021 \end{cfa} 3022 \captionof{figure}{\CFA creation benchmark} 3023 \label{f:creation} 2983 3024 2984 3025 \columnbreak 2985 3026 2986 3027 \vspace*{-16pt} 2987 \captionof{table}{Context switch comparison (nanoseconds)} 2988 \label{t:ctx-switch} 2989 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 2990 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2991 C function & 1.8 & 1.8 & 0.0 \\ 2992 \CFA generator & 1.8 & 2.0 & 0.3 \\ 2993 \CFA coroutine & 32.5 & 32.9 & 0.8 \\ 2994 \CFA thread & 93.8 & 93.6 & 2.2 \\ 2995 \uC coroutine & 50.3 & 50.3 & 0.2 \\ 2996 \uC thread & 97.3 & 97.4 & 1.0 \\ 2997 Python generator & 40.9 & 41.3 & 1.5 \\ 2998 Node.js generator & 32.6 & 32.2 & 1.0 \\ 2999 Node.js await & 1852.2 & 1854.7 & 16.4 \\ 3000 Goroutine thread & 143.0 & 143.3 & 1.1 \\ 3001 Rust thread & 332.0 & 331.4 & 2.4 \\ 3002 Java thread & 405.0 & 415.0 & 17.6 \\ 3003 Pthreads thread & 334.3 & 335.2 & 3.9 3028 \captionof{table}{Creation comparison (nanoseconds)} 3029 \label{t:creation} 3030 3031 \begin{tabular}[t]{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{5.2}}@{}} 3032 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3033 \CFA generator & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.0 \\ 3034 \CFA coroutine lazy & 13.4 & 13.1 & 0.5 \\ 3035 \CFA coroutine eager & 144.7 & 143.9 & 1.5 \\ 3036 \CFA thread & 466.4 & 468.0 & 11.3 \\ 3037 \uC coroutine & 155.6 & 155.7 & 1.7 \\ 3038 \uC thread & 523.4 & 523.9 & 7.7 \\ 3039 Python generator & 123.2 & 124.3 & 4.1 \\ 3040 Node.js generator & 33.4 & 33.5 & 0.3 \\ 3041 Goroutine thread & 751.0 & 750.5 & 3.1 \\ 3042 Rust tokio thread & 1860.0 & 1881.1 & 37.6 \\ 3043 Rust thread & 53801.0 & 53896.8 & 274.9 \\ 3044 Java thread & 120274.0 & 120722.9 & 2356.7 \\ 3045 Pthreads thread & 31465.5 & 31419.5 & 140.4 3004 3046 \end{tabular} 3005 3047 \end{multicols} 3006 3048 3049 \vspace*{-10pt} 3007 3050 \paragraph{Internal Scheduling} 3008 3051 … … 3010 3053 Figure~\ref{f:schedint} shows the code for \CFA, with results in Table~\ref{t:schedint}. 3011 3054 Note, the incremental cost of bulk acquire for \CFA, which is largely a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 3012 Java scheduling is significantly greater because the benchmark explicitly creates multiple thread in order to prevent the JIT from making the program sequential, \ie removing all locking.3055 Java scheduling is significantly greater because the benchmark explicitly creates multiple threads in order to prevent the JIT from making the program sequential, \ie removing all locking. 3013 3056 3014 3057 \begin{multicols}{2} … … 3036 3079 } 3037 3080 \end{cfa} 3081 \vspace*{-8pt} 3038 3082 \captionof{figure}{\CFA Internal-scheduling benchmark} 3039 3083 \label{f:schedint} … … 3104 3148 \paragraph{Mutual-Exclusion} 3105 3149 3106 Uncontented mutual exclusion, which frequently occurs, is measured by entering /leaving a critical section.3107 For monitors, entering and leaving a m onitorfunction is measured, otherwise the language-appropriate mutex-lock is measured.3150 Uncontented mutual exclusion, which frequently occurs, is measured by entering and leaving a critical section. 3151 For monitors, entering and leaving a mutex function is measured, otherwise the language-appropriate mutex-lock is measured. 3108 3152 For comparison, a spinning (versus blocking) test-and-test-set lock is presented. 3109 3153 Figure~\ref{f:mutex} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:mutex}. … … 3142 3186 \end{multicols} 3143 3187 3144 \paragraph{Creation} 3145 3146 Creation is measured by creating/deleting a specific kind of control-flow object. 3147 Figure~\ref{f:creation} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:creation}. 3148 Note, the call stacks of \CFA coroutines are lazily created on the first resume, therefore the cost of creation with and without a stack are presented. 3188 \paragraph{Context Switching} 3189 3190 In procedural programming, the cost of a function call is important as modularization (refactoring) increases. 3191 (In many cases, a compiler inlines function calls to increase the size and number of basic blocks for optimizing.) 3192 Similarly, when modularization extends to coroutines and threads, the time for a context switch becomes a relevant factor. 3193 The coroutine test is from resumer to suspender and from suspender to resumer, which is two context switches. 3194 %For async-await systems, the test is scheduling and fulfilling @N@ empty promises, where all promises are allocated before versus interleaved with fulfillment to avoid garbage collection. 3195 For async-await systems, the test measures the cost of the @await@ expression entering the event engine by awaiting @N@ promises, where each created promise is resolved by an immediate event in the engine (using Node.js @setImmediate@). 3196 The thread test is using yield to enter and return from the runtime kernel, which is two context switches. 3197 The difference in performance between coroutine and thread context-switch is the cost of scheduling for threads, whereas coroutines are self-scheduling. 3198 Figure~\ref{f:ctx-switch} shows the \CFA code for a coroutine and thread with results in Table~\ref{t:ctx-switch}. 3199 3200 % From: Gregor Richards <gregor.richards@uwaterloo.ca> 3201 % To: "Peter A. Buhr" <pabuhr@plg2.cs.uwaterloo.ca> 3202 % Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:49:18 -0500 3203 % 3204 % I can also verify that the previous version, which just tied a bunch of promises together, *does not* go back to the 3205 % event loop at all in the current version of Node. Presumably they're taking advantage of the fact that the ordering of 3206 % events is intentionally undefined to just jump right to the next 'then' in the chain, bypassing event queueing 3207 % entirely. That's perfectly correct behavior insofar as its difference from the specified behavior isn't observable, but 3208 % it isn't typical or representative of much anything useful, because most programs wouldn't have whole chains of eager 3209 % promises. Also, it's not representative of *anything* you can do with async/await, as there's no way to encode such an 3210 % eager chain that way. 3149 3211 3150 3212 \begin{multicols}{2} 3151 3213 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 3152 \begin{cfa} 3153 @coroutine@ MyCoroutine {}; 3154 void ?{}( MyCoroutine & this ) { 3155 #ifdef EAGER 3156 resume( this ); 3157 #endif 3158 } 3159 void main( MyCoroutine & ) {} 3160 int main() { 3161 BENCH( for ( N ) { @MyCoroutine c;@ } ) 3214 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 3215 @coroutine@ C {}; 3216 void main( C & ) { for () { @suspend;@ } } 3217 int main() { // coroutine test 3218 C c; 3219 BENCH( for ( N ) { @resume( c );@ } ) 3162 3220 sout | result; 3163 3221 } 3164 \end{cfa} 3165 \captionof{figure}{\CFA creation benchmark} 3166 \label{f:creation} 3222 int main() { // thread test 3223 BENCH( for ( N ) { @yield();@ } ) 3224 sout | result; 3225 } 3226 \end{cfa} 3227 \captionof{figure}{\CFA context-switch benchmark} 3228 \label{f:ctx-switch} 3167 3229 3168 3230 \columnbreak 3169 3231 3170 3232 \vspace*{-16pt} 3171 \captionof{table}{Creation comparison (nanoseconds)} 3172 \label{t:creation} 3173 3174 \begin{tabular}[t]{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{5.2}}@{}} 3175 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3176 \CFA generator & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.0 \\ 3177 \CFA coroutine lazy & 13.4 & 13.1 & 0.5 \\ 3178 \CFA coroutine eager & 144.7 & 143.9 & 1.5 \\ 3179 \CFA thread & 466.4 & 468.0 & 11.3 \\ 3180 \uC coroutine & 155.6 & 155.7 & 1.7 \\ 3181 \uC thread & 523.4 & 523.9 & 7.7 \\ 3182 Python generator & 123.2 & 124.3 & 4.1 \\ 3183 Node.js generator & 32.3 & 32.2 & 0.3 \\ 3184 Goroutine thread & 751.0 & 750.5 & 3.1 \\ 3185 Rust thread & 53801.0 & 53896.8 & 274.9 \\ 3186 Java thread & 120274.0 & 120722.9 & 2356.7 \\ 3187 Pthreads thread & 31465.5 & 31419.5 & 140.4 3233 \captionof{table}{Context switch comparison (nanoseconds)} 3234 \label{t:ctx-switch} 3235 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 3236 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3237 C function & 1.8 & 1.8 & 0.0 \\ 3238 \CFA generator & 1.8 & 2.0 & 0.3 \\ 3239 \CFA coroutine & 32.5 & 32.9 & 0.8 \\ 3240 \CFA thread & 93.8 & 93.6 & 2.2 \\ 3241 \uC coroutine & 50.3 & 50.3 & 0.2 \\ 3242 \uC thread & 97.3 & 97.4 & 1.0 \\ 3243 Python generator & 40.9 & 41.3 & 1.5 \\ 3244 Node.js await & 1852.2 & 1854.7 & 16.4 \\ 3245 Node.js generator & 33.3 & 33.4 & 0.3 \\ 3246 Goroutine thread & 143.0 & 143.3 & 1.1 \\ 3247 Rust async await & 32.0 & 32.0 & 0.0 \\ 3248 Rust tokio thread & 143.0 & 143.0 & 1.7 \\ 3249 Rust thread & 332.0 & 331.4 & 2.4 \\ 3250 Java thread & 405.0 & 415.0 & 17.6 \\ 3251 Pthreads thread & 334.3 & 335.2 & 3.9 3188 3252 \end{tabular} 3189 3253 \end{multicols} … … 3192 3256 \subsection{Discussion} 3193 3257 3194 Languages using 1:1 threading based on pthreads can at best meet or exceed (due to language overhead)the pthread results.3258 Languages using 1:1 threading based on pthreads can at best meet or exceed, due to language overhead, the pthread results. 3195 3259 Note, pthreads has a fast zero-contention mutex lock checked in user space. 3196 3260 Languages with M:N threading have better performance than 1:1 because there is no operating-system interactions. … … 3200 3264 3201 3265 3202 \section{Conclusion }3266 \section{Conclusions and Future Work} 3203 3267 3204 3268 Advanced control-flow will always be difficult, especially when there is temporal ordering and nondeterminism. … … 3207 3271 Combining these properties creates a number of high-level, efficient, and maintainable control-flow types: generator, coroutine, thread, each of which can be a monitor. 3208 3272 Eliminated from \CFA are barging and spurious wakeup, which are nonintuitive and lead to errors, and having to work with a bewildering set of low-level locks and acquisition techniques. 3209 \CFA high-level race-free monitors and threads provide the core mechanisms for mutual exclusion and synchronization, without having to resort to magic qualifiers like @volatile@/@atomic@.3273 \CFA high-level race-free monitors and threads, when used with mutex access function, provide the core mechanisms for mutual exclusion and synchronization, without having to resort to magic qualifiers like @volatile@ or @atomic@. 3210 3274 Extending these mechanisms to handle high-level deadlock-free bulk acquire across both mutual exclusion and synchronization is a unique contribution. 3211 3275 The \CFA runtime provides concurrency based on a preemptive M:N user-level threading-system, executing in clusters, which encapsulate scheduling of work on multiple kernel threads providing parallelism. 3212 3276 The M:N model is judged to be efficient and provide greater flexibility than a 1:1 threading model. 3213 3277 These concepts and the \CFA runtime-system are written in the \CFA language, extensively leveraging the \CFA type-system, which demonstrates the expressiveness of the \CFA language. 3214 Performance comparisons with other concurrent systems /languages show the \CFA approach is competitive across all basic operations, which translates directly into good performance in well-written applications with advanced control-flow.3278 Performance comparisons with other concurrent systems and languages show the \CFA approach is competitive across all basic operations, which translates directly into good performance in well-written applications with advanced control-flow. 3215 3279 C programmers should feel comfortable using these mechanisms for developing complex control-flow in applications, with the ability to obtain maximum available performance by selecting mechanisms at the appropriate level of need using only calling communication. 3216 3280 3217 3218 \section{Future Work}3219 3220 3281 While control flow in \CFA has a strong start, development is still underway to complete a number of missing features. 3221 3282 3222 \paragraph{Flexible Scheduling} 3223 \label{futur:sched} 3224 3283 \medskip 3284 \textbf{Flexible Scheduling:} 3225 3285 An important part of concurrency is scheduling. 3226 Different scheduling algorithms can affect performance (both in terms of average and variation).3286 Different scheduling algorithms can affect performance, both in terms of average and variation. 3227 3287 However, no single scheduler is optimal for all workloads and therefore there is value in being able to change the scheduler for given programs. 3228 3288 One solution is to offer various tuning options, allowing the scheduler to be adjusted to the requirements of the workload. … … 3230 3290 Currently, the \CFA pluggable scheduler is too simple to handle complex scheduling, \eg quality of service and real-time, where the scheduler must interact with mutex objects to deal with issues like priority inversion~\cite{Buhr00b}. 3231 3291 3232 \paragraph{Non-Blocking I/O} 3233 \label{futur:nbio} 3234 3292 \smallskip 3293 \textbf{Non-Blocking I/O:} 3235 3294 Many modern workloads are not bound by computation but IO operations, common cases being web servers and XaaS~\cite{XaaS} (anything as a service). 3236 3295 These types of workloads require significant engineering to amortizing costs of blocking IO-operations. … … 3241 3300 A non-blocking I/O library is currently under development for \CFA. 3242 3301 3243 \paragraph{Other Concurrency Tools} 3244 \label{futur:tools} 3245 3302 \smallskip 3303 \textbf{Other Concurrency Tools:} 3246 3304 While monitors offer flexible and powerful concurrency for \CFA, other concurrency tools are also necessary for a complete multi-paradigm concurrency package. 3247 3305 Examples of such tools can include futures and promises~\cite{promises}, executors and actors. … … 3249 3307 As well, new \CFA extensions should make it possible to create a uniform interface for virtually all mutual exclusion, including monitors and low-level locks. 3250 3308 3251 \paragraph{Implicit Threading} 3252 \label{futur:implcit} 3253 3254 Basic concurrent (embarrassingly parallel) applications can benefit greatly from implicit concurrency, where sequential programs are converted to concurrent, possibly with some help from pragmas to guide the conversion. 3309 \smallskip 3310 \textbf{Implicit Threading:} 3311 Basic \emph{embarrassingly parallel} applications can benefit greatly from implicit concurrency, where sequential programs are converted to concurrent, with some help from pragmas to guide the conversion. 3255 3312 This type of concurrency can be achieved both at the language level and at the library level. 3256 3313 The canonical example of implicit concurrency is concurrent nested @for@ loops, which are amenable to divide and conquer algorithms~\cite{uC++book}. 3257 The \CFA language features should make it possible to develop a reasonable number of implicit concurrency mechanism to solve basic HPC data-concurrency problems.3314 The \CFA language features should make it possible to develop a reasonable number of implicit concurrency mechanisms to solve basic HPC data-concurrency problems. 3258 3315 However, implicit concurrency is a restrictive solution with significant limitations, so it can never replace explicit concurrent programming. 3259 3316
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