Changes in / [db4062d:270fdcf]


Ignore:
File:
1 edited

Legend:

Unmodified
Added
Removed
  • doc/papers/concurrency/Paper.tex

    rdb4062d r270fdcf  
    271271Hence, there are two problems to be solved: concurrency and parallelism.
    272272While these two concepts are often combined, they are distinct, requiring different tools~\cite[\S~2]{Buhr05a}.
    273 Concurrency tools handle mutual exclusion and synchronization, while parallelism tools handle performance, cost, and resource utilization.
     273Concurrency tools handle synchronization and mutual exclusion, while parallelism tools handle performance, cost and resource utilization.
    274274
    275275The proposed concurrency API is implemented in a dialect of C, called \CFA.
     
    282282Extended versions and explanation of the following code examples are available at the \CFA website~\cite{Cforall} or in Moss~\etal~\cite{Moss18}.
    283283
    284 \CFA is a non-object-oriented extension of ISO-C, and hence, supports all C paradigms.
     284\CFA is an extension of ISO-C, and hence, supports all C paradigms.
    285285%It is a non-object-oriented system-language, meaning most of the major abstractions have either no runtime overhead or can be opted out easily.
    286 Like C, the building blocks of \CFA are structures and routines.
     286Like C, the basics of \CFA revolve around structures and routines.
    287287Virtually all of the code generated by the \CFA translator respects C memory layouts and calling conventions.
    288288While \CFA is not an object-oriented language, lacking the concept of a receiver (\eg @this@) and nominal inheritance-relationships, C does have a notion of objects: ``region of data storage in the execution environment, the contents of which can represent values''~\cite[3.15]{C11}.
     
    296296int x = 1, y = 2, z = 3;
    297297int * p1 = &x, ** p2 = &p1,  *** p3 = &p2,      $\C{// pointers to x}$
    298     `&` r1 = x,   `&&` r2 = r1,   `&&&` r3 = r2;        $\C{// references to x}$
     298        `&` r1 = x,  `&&` r2 = r1,  `&&&` r3 = r2;      $\C{// references to x}$
    299299int * p4 = &z, `&` r4 = z;
    300300
     
    411411\end{cquote}
    412412Overloading is important for \CFA concurrency since the runtime system relies on creating different types to represent concurrency objects.
    413 Therefore, overloading eliminates long prefixes and other naming conventions to prevent name clashes.
     413Therefore, overloading is necessary to prevent the need for long prefixes and other naming conventions to prevent name clashes.
    414414As seen in Section~\ref{basics}, routine @main@ is heavily overloaded.
    415 For example, variable overloading is useful in the parallel semantics of the @with@ statement for fields with the same name:
     415
     416Variable overloading is useful in the parallel semantics of the @with@ statement for fields with the same name:
    416417\begin{cfa}
    417418struct S { int `i`; int j; double m; } s;
     
    427428}
    428429\end{cfa}
    429 For parallel semantics, both @s.i@ and @t.i@ are visible with the same type, so only @i@ is ambiguous without qualification.
     430For parallel semantics, both @s.i@ and @t.i@ are visible the same type, so only @i@ is ambiguous without qualification.
    430431
    431432
     
    467468\end{cquote}
    468469While concurrency does not use operator overloading directly, it provides an introduction for the syntax of constructors.
     470
     471
     472\subsection{Parametric Polymorphism}
     473\label{s:ParametricPolymorphism}
     474
     475The signature feature of \CFA is parametric-polymorphic routines~\cite{} with routines generalized using a @forall@ clause (giving the language its name), which allow separately compiled routines to support generic usage over multiple types.
     476For example, the following sum routine works for any type that supports construction from 0 and addition:
     477\begin{cfa}
     478forall( otype T | { void `?{}`( T *, zero_t ); T `?+?`( T, T ); } ) // constraint type, 0 and +
     479T sum( T a[$\,$], size_t size ) {
     480        `T` total = { `0` };                                    $\C{// initialize by 0 constructor}$
     481        for ( size_t i = 0; i < size; i += 1 )
     482                total = total `+` a[i];                         $\C{// select appropriate +}$
     483        return total;
     484}
     485S sa[5];
     486int i = sum( sa, 5 );                                           $\C{// use S's 0 construction and +}$
     487\end{cfa}
     488
     489\CFA provides \newterm{traits} to name a group of type assertions, where the trait name allows specifying the same set of assertions in multiple locations, preventing repetition mistakes at each routine declaration:
     490\begin{cfa}
     491trait `sumable`( otype T ) {
     492        void `?{}`( T &, zero_t );                              $\C{// 0 literal constructor}$
     493        T `?+?`( T, T );                                                $\C{// assortment of additions}$
     494        T ?+=?( T &, T );
     495        T ++?( T & );
     496        T ?++( T & );
     497};
     498forall( otype T `| sumable( T )` )                      $\C{// use trait}$
     499T sum( T a[$\,$], size_t size );
     500\end{cfa}
     501
     502Assertions can be @otype@ or @dtype@.
     503@otype@ refers to a ``complete'' object, \ie an object has a size, default constructor, copy constructor, destructor and an assignment operator.
     504@dtype@ only guarantees an object has a size and alignment.
     505
     506Using the return type for discrimination, it is possible to write a type-safe @alloc@ based on the C @malloc@:
     507\begin{cfa}
     508forall( dtype T | sized(T) ) T * alloc( void ) { return (T *)malloc( sizeof(T) ); }
     509int * ip = alloc();                                                     $\C{// select type and size from left-hand side}$
     510double * dp = alloc();
     511struct S {...} * sp = alloc();
     512\end{cfa}
     513where the return type supplies the type/size of the allocation, which is impossible in most type systems.
    469514
    470515
     
    495540\CFA also provides @new@ and @delete@, which behave like @malloc@ and @free@, in addition to constructing and destructing objects:
    496541\begin{cfa}
    497 {
    498         ... struct S s = {10}; ...                              $\C{// allocation, call constructor}$
     542{       struct S s = {10};                                              $\C{// allocation, call constructor}$
     543        ...
    499544}                                                                                       $\C{// deallocation, call destructor}$
    500545struct S * s = new();                                           $\C{// allocation, call constructor}$
     
    502547delete( s );                                                            $\C{// deallocation, call destructor}$
    503548\end{cfa}
    504 \CFA concurrency uses object lifetime as a means of mutual exclusion and/or synchronization.
    505 
    506 
    507 \subsection{Parametric Polymorphism}
    508 \label{s:ParametricPolymorphism}
    509 
    510 The signature feature of \CFA is parametric-polymorphic routines~\cite{} with routines generalized using a @forall@ clause (giving the language its name), which allow separately compiled routines to support generic usage over multiple types.
    511 For example, the following sum routine works for any type that supports construction from 0 and addition:
    512 \begin{cfa}
    513 forall( otype T | { void `?{}`( T *, zero_t ); T `?+?`( T, T ); } ) // constraint type, 0 and +
    514 T sum( T a[$\,$], size_t size ) {
    515         `T` total = { `0` };                                    $\C{// initialize by 0 constructor}$
    516         for ( size_t i = 0; i < size; i += 1 )
    517                 total = total `+` a[i];                         $\C{// select appropriate +}$
    518         return total;
    519 }
    520 S sa[5];
    521 int i = sum( sa, 5 );                                           $\C{// use S's 0 construction and +}$
    522 \end{cfa}
    523 The builtin type @zero_t@ (and @one_t@) overload constant 0 (and 1) for a new types, where both 0 and 1 have special meaning in C.
    524 
    525 \CFA provides \newterm{traits} to name a group of type assertions, where the trait name allows specifying the same set of assertions in multiple locations, preventing repetition mistakes at each routine declaration:
    526 \begin{cfa}
    527 trait `sumable`( otype T ) {
    528         void `?{}`( T &, zero_t );                              $\C{// 0 literal constructor}$
    529         T `?+?`( T, T );                                                $\C{// assortment of additions}$
    530         T ?+=?( T &, T );
    531         T ++?( T & );
    532         T ?++( T & );
    533 };
    534 forall( otype T `| sumable( T )` )                      $\C{// use trait}$
    535 T sum( T a[$\,$], size_t size );
    536 \end{cfa}
    537 
    538 Assertions can be @otype@ or @dtype@.
    539 @otype@ refers to a ``complete'' object, \ie an object has a size, default constructor, copy constructor, destructor and an assignment operator.
    540 @dtype@ only guarantees an object has a size and alignment.
    541 
    542 Using the return type for discrimination, it is possible to write a type-safe @alloc@ based on the C @malloc@:
    543 \begin{cfa}
    544 forall( dtype T | sized(T) ) T * alloc( void ) { return (T *)malloc( sizeof(T) ); }
    545 int * ip = alloc();                                                     $\C{// select type and size from left-hand side}$
    546 double * dp = alloc();
    547 struct S {...} * sp = alloc();
    548 \end{cfa}
    549 where the return type supplies the type/size of the allocation, which is impossible in most type systems.
     549\CFA concurrency uses object lifetime as a means of synchronization and/or mutual exclusion.
    550550
    551551
     
    727727
    728728Using a coroutine, it is possible to express the Fibonacci formula directly without any of the C problems.
    729 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 routines, \eg @next@.
     729Figure~\ref{f:Coroutine3States} creates a @coroutine@ type:
     730\begin{cfa}
     731`coroutine` Fib { int fn; };
     732\end{cfa}
     733which provides communication, @fn@, for the \newterm{coroutine main}, @main@, which runs on the coroutine stack, and possibly multiple interface routines @next@.
    730734Like 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.
    731 The coroutine main's stack holds the state for the next generation, @f1@ and @f2@, and the code has the three suspend points, representing the three states in the Fibonacci formula, to context switch back to the caller's @resume@.
     735The coroutine main's stack holds the state for the next generation, @f1@ and @f2@, and the code has the three suspend points, representing the three states in the Fibonacci formula, to context switch back to the caller's resume.
    732736The interface routine @next@, takes a Fibonacci instance and context switches to it using @resume@;
    733737on restart, the Fibonacci field, @fn@, contains the next value in the sequence, which is returned.
     
    839843\end{figure}
    840844
    841 The previous examples are \newterm{asymmetric (semi) coroutine}s because one coroutine always calls a resuming routine for another coroutine, and the resumed coroutine always suspends back to its last resumer, similar to call/return for normal routines.
    842 However,@resume@/@suspend@ context switch to existing stack-frames rather than create new ones so there is no stack growth.
     845The previous examples are \newterm{asymmetric (semi) coroutine}s because one coroutine always calls a resuming routine for another coroutine, and the resumed coroutine always suspends back to its last resumer, similar to call/return for normal routines
     846However, there is no stack growth because @resume@/@suspend@ context switch to existing stack-frames rather than create new ones.
    843847\newterm{Symmetric (full) coroutine}s have a coroutine call a resuming routine for another coroutine, which eventually forms a resuming-call cycle.
    844848(The trivial cycle is a coroutine resuming itself.)
     
    929933The producer call to @delivery@ transfers values into the consumer's communication variables, resumes the consumer, and returns the consumer status.
    930934For the first resume, @cons@'s stack is initialized, creating local variables retained between subsequent activations of the coroutine.
    931 The consumer iterates until the @done@ flag is set, prints the values delivered by the producer, increments status, and calls back to the producer via @payment@, and on return from @payment@, prints the receipt from the producer and increments @money@ (inflation).
     935The consumer iterates until the @done@ flag is set, prints, increments status, and calls back to the producer via @payment@, and on return from @payment@, prints the receipt from the producer and increments @money@ (inflation).
    932936The call from the consumer to the @payment@ introduces the cycle between producer and consumer.
    933937When @payment@ is called, the consumer copies values into the producer's communication variable and a resume is executed.
     
    959963\end{cfa}
    960964and the programming language (and possibly its tool set, \eg debugger) may need to understand @baseCoroutine@ because of the stack.
    961 Furthermore, the execution of constructs/destructors is in the wrong order for certain operations.
    962 For example, for threads if the thread is implicitly started, it must start \emph{after} all constructors, because the thread relies on a completely initialized object, but the inherited constructor runs \emph{before} the derived.
     965Furthermore, the execution of constructs/destructors is in the wrong order for certain operations, \eg for threads;
     966\eg, if the thread is implicitly started, it must start \emph{after} all constructors, because the thread relies on a completely initialized object, but the inherited constructor runs \emph{before} the derived.
    963967
    964968An alternatively is composition:
     
    980984symmetric_coroutine<>::yield_type
    981985\end{cfa}
    982 Similarly, the canonical threading paradigm is often based on routine pointers, \eg @pthreads@~\cite{pthreads}, \Csharp~\cite{Csharp}, Go~\cite{Go}, and Scala~\cite{Scala}.
     986Similarly, the canonical threading paradigm is often based on routine pointers, \eg @pthread@~\cite{pthreads}, \Csharp~\cite{Csharp}, Go~\cite{Go}, and Scala~\cite{Scala}.
    983987However, the generic thread-handle (identifier) is limited (few operations), unless it is wrapped in a custom type.
    984988\begin{cfa}
     
    9971001Note, the type @coroutine_t@ must be an abstract handle to the coroutine, because the coroutine descriptor and its stack are non-copyable.
    9981002Copying the coroutine descriptor results in copies being out of date with the current state of the stack.
    999 Correspondingly, copying the stack results is copies being out of date with the coroutine descriptor, and pointers in the stack being out of date to data on the stack.
     1003Correspondingly, copying the stack results is copies being out of date with coroutine descriptor, and pointers in the stack being out of date to data on the stack.
    10001004(There is no mechanism in C to find all stack-specific pointers and update them as part of a copy.)
    10011005
     
    10111015Furthermore, implementing coroutines without language supports also displays the power of a programming language.
    10121016While this is ultimately the option used for idiomatic \CFA code, coroutines and threads can still be constructed without using the language support.
    1013 The reserved keyword simply eases use for the common cases.
     1017The reserved keyword eases use for the common cases.
    10141018
    10151019Part of the mechanism to generalize coroutines is using a \CFA trait, which defines a coroutine as anything satisfying the trait @is_coroutine@, and this trait is used to restrict coroutine-manipulation routines:
     
    10261030The @main@ routine has no return value or additional parameters because the coroutine type allows an arbitrary number of interface routines with corresponding arbitrary typed input/output values versus fixed ones.
    10271031The generic routines @suspend@ and @resume@ can be redefined, but any object passed to them is a coroutine since it must satisfy the @is_coroutine@ trait to compile.
    1028 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@ routine, and possibly redefining @suspend@ and @resume@.
     1032The advantage of this approach is that users can easily create different types of coroutines, for example, changing the memory layout of a coroutine is trivial when implementing the @get_coroutine@ routine, and possibly redefining @suspend@ and @resume@.
    10291033The \CFA keyword @coroutine@ implicitly implements the getter and forward declarations required for implementing the coroutine main:
    10301034\begin{cquote}
     
    10941098The difference is that a coroutine borrows a thread from its caller, so the first thread resuming a coroutine creates an instance of @main@;
    10951099whereas, a user thread receives its own thread from the runtime system, which starts in @main@ as some point after the thread constructor is run.\footnote{
    1096 The \lstinline@main@ routine is already a special routine in C, \ie where the program's initial thread begins, so it is a natural extension of this semantics to use overloading to declare \lstinline@main@s for user coroutines and threads.}
     1100The \lstinline@main@ routine is already a special routine in C (where the program begins), so it is a natural extension of the semantics to use overloading to declare mains for different coroutines/threads (the normal main being the main of the initial thread).}
    10971101No return value or additional parameters are necessary for this routine because the task type allows an arbitrary number of interface routines with corresponding arbitrary typed input/output values.
    10981102
     
    11851189void main( Adder & adder ) with( adder ) {
    11861190    subtotal = 0;
    1187     for ( int c = 0; c < cols; c += 1 ) { subtotal += row[c]; }
     1191    for ( int c = 0; c < cols; c += 1 ) {
     1192                subtotal += row[c];
     1193    }
    11881194}
    11891195int main() {
     
    12101216
    12111217Uncontrolled non-deterministic execution is meaningless.
    1212 To reestablish meaningful execution requires mechanisms to reintroduce determinism, \ie restrict non-determinism, called mutual exclusion and synchronization, where mutual exclusion is an access-control mechanism on data shared by threads, and synchronization is a timing relationship among threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}.
     1218To reestablish meaningful execution requires mechanisms to reintroduce determinism (\ie restrict non-determinism), called mutual exclusion and synchronization, where mutual exclusion is an access-control mechanism on data shared by threads, and synchronization is a timing relationship among threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}.
    12131219Since many deterministic challenges appear with the use of mutable shared state, some languages/libraries disallow it, \eg Erlang~\cite{Erlang}, Haskell~\cite{Haskell}, Akka~\cite{Akka} (Scala).
    1214 In these paradigms, interaction among concurrent objects is performed by stateless message-passing~\cite{Thoth,Harmony,V-Kernel} or other paradigms closely relate to networking concepts, \eg channels~\cite{CSP,Go}.
    1215 However, in call/return-based languages, these approaches force a clear distinction, \ie introduce a new programming paradigm, between regular and concurrent computation, \eg routine call versus message passing.
     1220In these paradigms, interaction among concurrent objects is performed by stateless message-passing~\cite{Thoth,Harmony,V-Kernel} or other paradigms closely relate to networking concepts (\eg channels~\cite{CSP,Go}).
     1221However, in call/return-based languages, these approaches force a clear distinction (\ie introduce a new programming paradigm) between regular and concurrent computation (\ie routine call versus message passing).
    12161222Hence, a programmer must learn and manipulate two sets of design patterns.
    12171223While this distinction can be hidden away in library code, effective use of the library still has to take both paradigms into account.
     
    12381244However, many solutions exist for mutual exclusion, which vary in terms of performance, flexibility and ease of use.
    12391245Methods range from low-level locks, which are fast and flexible but require significant attention for correctness, to higher-level concurrency techniques, which sacrifice some performance to improve ease of use.
    1240 Ease of use comes by either guaranteeing some problems cannot occur, \eg deadlock free, or by offering a more explicit coupling between shared data and critical section.
    1241 For example, the \CC @std::atomic<T>@ offers an easy way to express mutual-exclusion on a restricted set of operations, \eg reading/writing, for numerical types.
     1246Ease of use comes by either guaranteeing some problems cannot occur (\eg deadlock free), or by offering a more explicit coupling between shared data and critical section.
     1247For example, the \CC @std::atomic<T>@ offers an easy way to express mutual-exclusion on a restricted set of operations (\eg reading/writing) for numerical types.
    12421248However, a significant challenge with locks is composability because it takes careful organization for multiple locks to be used while preventing deadlock.
    12431249Easing composability is another feature higher-level mutual-exclusion mechanisms can offer.
     
    12481254Synchronization enforces relative ordering of execution, and synchronization tools provide numerous mechanisms to establish these timing relationships.
    12491255Low-level synchronization primitives offer good performance and flexibility at the cost of ease of use;
    1250 higher-level mechanisms often simplify usage by adding better coupling between synchronization and data, \eg message passing, or offering a simpler solution to otherwise involved challenges, \eg barrier lock.
     1256higher-level mechanisms often simplify usage by adding better coupling between synchronization and data (\eg message passing), or offering a simpler solution to otherwise involved challenges, \eg barrier lock.
    12511257Often synchronization is used to order access to a critical section, \eg ensuring a reader thread is the next kind of thread to enter a critical section.
    12521258If a writer thread is scheduled for next access, but another reader thread acquires the critical section first, that reader has \newterm{barged}.
     
    12661272The strong association with the call/return paradigm eases programmability, readability and maintainability, at a slight cost in flexibility and efficiency.
    12671273
    1268 Note, like coroutines/threads, both locks and monitors require an abstract handle to reference them, because at their core, both mechanisms are manipulating non-copyable shared-state.
     1274Note, like coroutines/threads, both locks and monitors require an abstract handle to reference them, because at their core, both mechanisms are manipulating non-copyable shared state.
    12691275Copying a lock is insecure because it is possible to copy an open lock and then use the open copy when the original lock is closed to simultaneously access the shared data.
    12701276Copying a monitor is secure because both the lock and shared data are copies, but copying the shared data is meaningless because it no longer represents a unique entity.
     
    13691375\end{cfa}
    13701376(While object-oriented monitors can be extended with a mutex qualifier for multiple-monitor members, no prior example of this feature could be found.)
    1371 In practice, writing multi-locking routines that do not deadlock is tricky.
     1377In practice, writing multi-locking routines that do not deadlocks is tricky.
    13721378Having language support for such a feature is therefore a significant asset for \CFA.
    13731379
    13741380The capability to acquire multiple locks before entering a critical section is called \newterm{bulk acquire}.
    1375 In the previous example, \CFA guarantees the order of acquisition is consistent across calls to different routines using the same monitors as arguments.
     1381In previous example, \CFA guarantees the order of acquisition is consistent across calls to different routines using the same monitors as arguments.
    13761382This consistent ordering means acquiring multiple monitors is safe from deadlock.
    13771383However, users can force the acquiring order.
     
    13891395In the calls to @bar@ and @baz@, the monitors are acquired in opposite order.
    13901396
    1391 However, such use leads to lock acquiring order problems resulting in deadlock~\cite{Lister77}, where detecting it requires dynamically tracking of monitor calls, and dealing with it requires rollback semantics~\cite{Dice10}.
     1397However, such use leads to lock acquiring order problems resulting in deadlock~\cite{Lister77}, where detecting it requires dynamically tracking of monitor calls, and dealing with it requires implement rollback semantics~\cite{Dice10}.
    13921398In \CFA, safety is guaranteed by using bulk acquire of all monitors to shared objects, whereas other monitor systems provide no aid.
    13931399While \CFA provides only a partial solution, the \CFA partial solution handles many useful cases.
     
    14341440
    14351441
    1436 \section{Scheduling}
    1437 \label{s:Scheduling}
     1442\section{Internal Scheduling}
     1443\label{s:InternalScheduling}
    14381444
    14391445While monitor mutual-exclusion provides safe access to shared data, the monitor data may indicate that a thread accessing it cannot proceed.
     
    14481454The appropriate condition lock is signalled to unblock an opposite kind of thread after an element is inserted/removed from the buffer.
    14491455Signalling is unconditional, because signalling an empty condition lock does nothing.
    1450 
    14511456Signalling semantics cannot have the signaller and signalled thread in the monitor simultaneously, which means:
    14521457\begin{enumerate}
     
    14581463The signalling thread blocks but is marked for urgrent unblocking at the next scheduling point and the signalled thread continues.
    14591464\end{enumerate}
    1460 The first approach is too restrictive, as it precludes solving a reasonable class of problems, \eg dating service.
     1465The first approach is too restrictive, as it precludes solving a reasonable class of problems (\eg dating service).
    14611466\CFA supports the next two semantics as both are useful.
    14621467Finally, while it is common to store a @condition@ as a field of the monitor, in \CFA, a @condition@ variable can be created/stored independently.
     
    15341539If the buffer is full, only calls to @remove@ can acquire the buffer, and if the buffer is empty, only calls to @insert@ can acquire the buffer.
    15351540Threads making calls to routines that are currently excluded block outside (external) of the monitor on a calling queue, versus blocking on condition queues inside (internal) of the monitor.
    1536 % External scheduling is more constrained and explicit, which helps programmers reduce the non-deterministic nature of concurrency.
    1537 External scheduling allows users to wait for events from other threads without concern of unrelated events occurring.
    1538 The mechnaism can be done in terms of control flow, \eg Ada @accept@ or \uC @_Accept@, or in terms of data, \eg Go channels.
    1539 Of course, both of these paradigms have their own strengths and weaknesses, but for this project, control-flow semantics was chosen to stay consistent with the rest of the languages semantics.
    1540 Two challenges specific to \CFA arise when trying to add external scheduling with loose object definitions and multiple-monitor routines.
    1541 The previous example shows a simple use @_Accept@ versus @wait@/@signal@ and its advantages.
    1542 Note that while other languages often use @accept@/@select@ as the core external scheduling keyword, \CFA uses @waitfor@ to prevent name collisions with existing socket \textbf{api}s.
    15431541
    15441542For internal scheduling, non-blocking signalling (as in the producer/consumer example) is used when the signaller is providing the cooperation for a waiting thread;
    15451543the signaller enters the monitor and changes state, detects a waiting threads that can use the state, performs a non-blocking signal on the condition queue for the waiting thread, and exits the monitor to run concurrently.
    1546 The waiter unblocks next, uses/takes the state, and exits the monitor.
     1544The waiter unblocks next, takes the state, and exits the monitor.
    15471545Blocking signalling is the reverse, where the waiter is providing the cooperation for the signalling thread;
    15481546the signaller enters the monitor, detects a waiting thread providing the necessary state, performs a blocking signal to place it on the urgent queue and unblock the waiter.
    1549 The waiter changes state and exits the monitor, and the signaller unblocks next from the urgent queue to use/take the state.
     1547The waiter changes state and exits the monitor, and the signaller unblocks next from the urgent queue to take the state.
    15501548
    15511549Figure~\ref{f:DatingService} shows a dating service demonstrating the two forms of signalling: non-blocking and blocking.
    15521550The dating service matches girl and boy threads with matching compatibility codes so they can exchange phone numbers.
    15531551A thread blocks until an appropriate partner arrives.
    1554 The complexity is exchanging phone number in the monitor because the monitor mutual-exclusion property prevents exchanging numbers.
    1555 For internal scheduling, the @exchange@ condition is necessary to block the thread finding the match, while the matcher unblocks to take the oppose number, post its phone number, and unblock the partner.
    1556 For external scheduling, the implicit urgent-condition replaces the explict @exchange@-condition and @signal_block@ puts the finding thread on the urgent condition and unblocks the matcher..
    1557 
    1558 The dating service is an example of a monitor that cannot be written using external scheduling because it requires knowledge of calling parameters to make scheduling decisions, and parameters of waiting threads are unavailable;
    1559 as well, an arriving thread may not find a partner and must wait, which requires a condition variable, and condition variables imply internal scheduling.
     1552The complexity is exchanging phone number in the monitor,
     1553While the non-barging monitor prevents a caller from stealing a phone number, the monitor mutual-exclusion property
     1554
     1555The dating service is an example of a monitor that cannot be written using external scheduling because:
     1556
     1557The example in table \ref{tbl:datingservice} highlights the difference in behaviour.
     1558As mentioned, @signal@ only transfers ownership once the current critical section exits; this behaviour requires additional synchronization when a two-way handshake is needed.
     1559To avoid this explicit synchronization, the @condition@ type offers the @signal_block@ routine, which handles the two-way handshake as shown in the example.
     1560This feature removes the need for a second condition variables and simplifies programming.
     1561Like every other monitor semantic, @signal_block@ uses barging prevention, which means mutual-exclusion is baton-passed both on the front end and the back end of the call to @signal_block@, meaning no other thread can acquire the monitor either before or after the call.
    15601562
    15611563\begin{figure}
     
    16531655}
    16541656\end{cfa}
    1655 must have acquired monitor locks that are greater than or equal to the number of locks for the waiting thread signalled from the condition queue.
    1656 {\color{red}In general, the signaller does not know the order of waiting threads, so in general, it must acquire the maximum number of mutex locks for the worst-case waiting thread.}
     1657must have acquired monitor locks that are greater than or equal to the number of locks for the waiting thread signalled from the front of the condition queue.
     1658In general, the signaller does not know the order of waiting threads, so in general, it must acquire the maximum number of mutex locks for the worst-case waiting thread.
    16571659
    16581660Similarly, for @waitfor( rtn )@, the default semantics is to atomically block the acceptor and release all acquired mutex types in the parameter list, \ie @waitfor( rtn, m1, m2 )@.
     
    16651667void foo( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) {
    16661668        ... wait( `e, m1` ); ...                                $\C{// release m1, keeping m2 acquired )}$
    1667 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) {        $\C{// must acquire m1 and m2 )}$
     1669void baz( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) {        $\C{// must acquire m1 and m2 )}$
    16681670        ... signal( `e` ); ...
    16691671\end{cfa}
    1670 The @wait@ only releases @m1@ so the signalling thread cannot acquire both @m1@ and @m2@ to  enter @bar@ to get to the @signal@.
     1672The @wait@ only releases @m1@ so the signalling thread cannot acquire both @m1@ and @m2@ to  enter @baz@ to get to the @signal@.
    16711673While deadlock issues can occur with multiple/nesting acquisition, this issue results from the fact that locks, and by extension monitors, are not perfectly composable.
    16721674
     
    17531755However, Figure~\ref{f:OtherWaitingThread} shows this solution is complex depending on other waiters, resulting is choices when the signaller finishes the inner mutex-statement.
    17541756The singaller can retain @m2@ until completion of the outer mutex statement and pass the locks to waiter W1, or it can pass @m2@ to waiter W2 after completing the inner mutex-statement, while continuing to hold @m1@.
    1755 In the latter case, waiter W2 must eventually pass @m2@ to waiter W1, which is complex because W1 may have waited before W2, so W2 is unaware of it.
     1757In the latter case, waiter W2 must eventually pass @m2@ to waiter W1, which is complex because W2 may have waited before W1 so it is unaware of W1.
    17561758Furthermore, there is an execution sequence where the signaller always finds waiter W2, and hence, waiter W1 starves.
    17571759
     
    18591861
    18601862
     1863\section{External scheduling} \label{extsched}
     1864
     1865An alternative to internal scheduling is external scheduling (see Table~\ref{tbl:sched}).
     1866
    18611867\begin{comment}
    1862 \section{External scheduling} \label{extsched}
    1863 
    18641868\begin{table}
    18651869\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
     
    19251929\label{tbl:sched}
    19261930\end{table}
     1931\end{comment}
     1932
     1933This method is more constrained and explicit, which helps users reduce the non-deterministic nature of concurrency.
     1934Indeed, as the following examples demonstrate, external scheduling allows users to wait for events from other threads without the concern of unrelated events occurring.
     1935External scheduling can generally be done either in terms of control flow (\eg Ada with @accept@, \uC with @_Accept@) or in terms of data (\eg Go with channels).
     1936Of course, both of these paradigms have their own strengths and weaknesses, but for this project, control-flow semantics was chosen to stay consistent with the rest of the languages semantics.
     1937Two challenges specific to \CFA arise when trying to add external scheduling with loose object definitions and multiple-monitor routines.
     1938The previous example shows a simple use @_Accept@ versus @wait@/@signal@ and its advantages.
     1939Note that while other languages often use @accept@/@select@ as the core external scheduling keyword, \CFA uses @waitfor@ to prevent name collisions with existing socket \textbf{api}s.
    19271940
    19281941For the @P@ member above using internal scheduling, the call to @wait@ only guarantees that @V@ is the last routine to access the monitor, allowing a third routine, say @isInUse()@, acquire mutual exclusion several times while routine @P@ is waiting.
    19291942On the other hand, external scheduling guarantees that while routine @P@ is waiting, no other routine than @V@ can acquire the monitor.
    1930 \end{comment}
    1931 
    1932 
     1943
     1944% ======================================================================
     1945% ======================================================================
    19331946\subsection{Loose Object Definitions}
    1934 
     1947% ======================================================================
     1948% ======================================================================
    19351949In \uC, a monitor class declaration includes an exhaustive list of monitor operations.
    19361950Since \CFA is not object oriented, monitors become both more difficult to implement and less clear for a user:
Note: See TracChangeset for help on using the changeset viewer.