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r1f9a4d0 r5453237 61 61 \newcommand{\CCseventeen}{\textrm{C}\kern-.1em\hbox{+\kern-.25em+}17\xspace} % C++17 symbolic name 62 62 \newcommand{\CCtwenty}{\textrm{C}\kern-.1em\hbox{+\kern-.25em+}20\xspace} % C++20 symbolic name 63 \newcommand{\Csharp}{C\raisebox{-0.7ex}{\ large$^\sharp$}\xspace} % C# symbolic name63 \newcommand{\Csharp}{C\raisebox{-0.7ex}{\Large$^\sharp$}\xspace} % C# symbolic name 64 64 65 65 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% … … 99 99 \newcommand{\CRT}{\global\columnposn=\gcolumnposn} 100 100 101 % 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}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} 103 103 % The star 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209 morecomment=[s]{/*}{*/}, 210 morestring=[b]', 211 morestring=[b]", 212 morestring=[s]{`}{`}, 201 213 } 202 214 … … 226 238 {} 227 239 \lstnewenvironment{C++}[1][] % use C++ style 228 {\lstset{language=C++,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`} }\lstset{#1}}240 {\lstset{language=C++,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`},#1}\lstset{#1}} 229 241 {} 230 242 \lstnewenvironment{uC++}[1][] 231 {\lstset{ language=uC++,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`}}\lstset{#1}}243 {\lstset{#1}} 232 244 {} 233 245 \lstnewenvironment{Go}[1][] 234 {\lstset{language=Golang,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`} }\lstset{#1}}246 {\lstset{language=Golang,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`},#1}\lstset{#1}} 235 247 {} 236 248 \lstnewenvironment{python}[1][] 237 {\lstset{language=python,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`}}\lstset{#1}} 238 {} 239 \lstnewenvironment{java}[1][] 240 {\lstset{language=java,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`}}\lstset{#1}} 249 {\lstset{language=python,moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`},#1}\lstset{#1}} 241 250 {} 242 251 243 252 % inline code @...@ 244 253 \lstMakeShortInline@% 245 246 \newcommand{\commenttd}[1]{{\color{red}{Thierry : #1}}}247 254 248 255 \let\OLDthebibliography\thebibliography … … 253 260 } 254 261 255 \new savebox{\myboxA}256 \new savebox{\myboxB}257 \new savebox{\myboxC}258 \new savebox{\myboxD}262 \newbox\myboxA 263 \newbox\myboxB 264 \newbox\myboxC 265 \newbox\myboxD 259 266 260 267 \title{\texorpdfstring{Advanced Control-flow and Concurrency in \protect\CFA}{Advanced Control-flow in Cforall}} … … 266 273 \address[1]{\orgdiv{Cheriton School of Computer Science}, \orgname{University of Waterloo}, \orgaddress{\state{Waterloo, ON}, \country{Canada}}} 267 274 268 \corres{*Peter A. Buhr, Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. \email{pabuhr{\char`\@}uwaterloo.ca}}275 \corres{*Peter A. Buhr, Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada. \email{pabuhr{\char`\@}uwaterloo.ca}} 269 276 270 277 % \fundingInfo{Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada} 271 278 272 279 \abstract[Summary]{ 273 \CFA is a polymorphic, non object-oriented, concurrent, backwardscompatible extension of the C programming language.280 \CFA is a polymorphic, non-object-oriented, concurrent, backwards-compatible extension of the C programming language. 274 281 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. 275 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.282 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 features like pthreads. 276 283 \CFA introduces modern language-level control-flow mechanisms, like generators, coroutines, user-level threading, and monitors for mutual exclusion and synchronization. 277 284 % Library extension for executors, futures, and actors are built on these basic mechanisms. 278 285 The runtime provides significant programmer simplification and safety by eliminating spurious wakeup and monitor barging. 279 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.286 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. 280 287 All control-flow features integrate with the \CFA polymorphic type-system and exception handling, while respecting the expectations and style of C programmers. 281 288 Experimental results show comparable performance of the new features with similar mechanisms in other concurrent programming languages. 282 289 }% 283 290 284 \keywords{ C \CFA (Cforall) coroutine concurrency generator monitor parallelism runtime thread}291 \keywords{generator, coroutine, concurrency, parallelism, thread, monitor, runtime, C, \CFA (Cforall)} 285 292 286 293 287 294 \begin{document} 288 %\linenumbers% comment out to turn off line numbering295 \linenumbers % comment out to turn off line numbering 289 296 290 297 \maketitle … … 293 300 \section{Introduction} 294 301 295 \CFA~\cite{Moss18,Cforall} is a modern, polymorphic, nonobject-oriented\footnote{ 296 \CFA has object-oriented features, such as constructors, destructors, and simple trait/interface inheritance. 297 % Go interfaces, Rust traits, Swift Protocols, Haskell Type Classes and Java Interfaces. 298 % "Trait inheritance" works for me. "Interface inheritance" might also be a good choice, and distinguish clearly from implementation inheritance. 299 % 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. 300 % 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". 301 However, functions \emph{cannot} be nested in structures and there is no mechanism to designate a function parameter as a receiver, \lstinline@this@, parameter.}, 302 , backward-compatible extension of the C programming language. 303 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{ 304 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.} 305 allowing immediate dissemination. 306 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. 307 308 % The call/return extensions retain state between callee and caller versus losing the callee's state on return; 309 % the concurrency extensions allow high-level management of threads. 310 311 The \CFA control-flow framework extends ISO \Celeven~\cite{C11} with new call/return and concurrent/parallel control-flow. 312 Call/return control-flow with argument and parameter passing appeared in the first programming languages. 313 Over the past 50 years, call/return has been augmented with features like static and dynamic call, exceptions (multilevel return) and generators/coroutines (see Section~\ref{s:StatefulFunction}). 314 While \CFA has mechanisms for dynamic call (algebraic effects~\cite{Zhang19}) and exceptions\footnote{ 315 \CFA exception handling will be presented in a separate paper. 316 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++}} 317 , this work only discusses retaining state between calls via generators and coroutines. 318 \newterm{Coroutining} was introduced by Conway~\cite{Conway63}, 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}. 319 Coroutining is sequential execution requiring direct handoff among coroutines, \ie only the programmer is controlling execution order. 320 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}. 321 Coroutines are only a stepping stone toward concurrency where the commonality is that coroutines and threads retain state between calls. 322 323 \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} 324 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). 325 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. 302 This paper discusses the design philosophy and implementation of advanced language-level control-flow and concurrent/parallel features in \CFA~\cite{Moss18,Cforall} and its runtime, which is written entirely in \CFA. 303 \CFA is a modern, polymorphic, non-object-oriented\footnote{ 304 \CFA has features often associated with object-oriented programming languages, such as constructors, destructors, virtuals and simple inheritance. 305 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.}, 306 backwards-compatible extension of the C programming language. 307 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 allowing immediate dissemination. 308 Within the \CFA framework, new control-flow features are created from scratch because ISO \Celeven defines only a subset of the \CFA extensions, where the overlapping features are concurrency~\cite[\S~7.26]{C11}. 309 However, \Celeven concurrency is largely wrappers for a subset of the pthreads library~\cite{Butenhof97,Pthreads}, and \Celeven and pthreads concurrency is simple, based on thread fork/join in a function and mutex/condition locks, which is low-level and error-prone; 310 no high-level language concurrency features are defined. 311 Interestingly, almost a decade after publication of the \Celeven standard, neither gcc-8, clang-9 nor msvc-19 (most recent versions) support the \Celeven include @threads.h@, indicating little interest in the C11 concurrency approach (possibly because the effort to add concurrency to \CC). 312 Finally, 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}. 313 326 314 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. 327 As multi core hardware became available in the 1980/1990s, both user and kernel threading were examined.315 As multi-core hardware became available in the 1980/90s, both user and kernel threading were examined. 328 316 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}. 329 317 Libraries like pthreads were developed for C, and the Solaris operating-system switched from user (JDK 1.1~\cite{JDK1.1}) to kernel threads. 330 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.331 From 2000 onward , 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}.332 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 workto facilitate load balancing by the runtime~\cite{Verch12}.318 As a result, languages like Java, Scala, Objective-C~\cite{obj-c-book}, \CCeleven~\cite{C11}, and C\#~\cite{Csharp} adopt the 1:1 kernel-threading model, with a variety of presentation mechanisms. 319 From 2000 onwards, languages like Go~\cite{Go}, Erlang~\cite{Erlang}, Haskell~\cite{Haskell}, D~\cite{D}, and \uC~\cite{uC++,uC++book} have championed the M:N user-threading model, and many user-threading libraries have appeared~\cite{Qthreads,MPC,Marcel}, including putting green threads back into Java~\cite{Quasar}. 320 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 encourage large numbers of threads performing medium work units to facilitate load balancing by the runtime~\cite{Verch12}. 333 321 As well, user-threading facilitates a simpler concurrency approach using thread objects that leverage sequential patterns versus events with call-backs~\cite{Adya02,vonBehren03}. 334 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. 335 336 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}. 337 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. 338 One solution is low-level qualifiers and functions, \eg @volatile@ and atomics, allowing \emph{programmers} to explicitly write safe, race-free~\cite{Boehm12} programs. 339 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. 340 While the optimization problem is best known with respect to concurrency, it applies to other complex control-flows like exceptions and coroutines. 341 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. 322 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. 323 324 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, \ie some language features are unsafe in the presence of aggressive sequential optimizations~\cite{Buhr95a,Boehm05}. 325 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. 326 One solution is low-level qualifiers and functions (\eg @volatile@ and atomics) allowing \emph{programmers} to explicitly write safe (race-free~\cite{Boehm12}) programs. 327 A safer solution is high-level language constructs so the \emph{compiler} knows the optimization boundaries, and hence, provides implicit safety. 328 This problem is best known with respect to concurrency, but applies to other complex control-flow, like exceptions\footnote{ 329 \CFA exception handling will be presented in a separate paper. 330 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++} 331 } and coroutines. 332 Finally, language solutions allow matching constructs with language paradigm, \ie imperative and functional languages often have different presentations of the same concept to fit their programming model. 342 333 343 334 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. 344 Two concurrency violations of this philosophy are \emph{spurious} or \emph{random wakeup}~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}, and \emph{barging}\footnote{ 345 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. 346 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. 347 } or signals-as-hints~\cite[\S~8]{Buhr05a}, where one is a consequence of the other, \ie once there is spurious wakeup, barging follows. 348 (Author experience teaching concurrency is that students are confused by these semantics.) 349 However, spurious wakeup is \emph{not} a foundational concurrency property~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}; 350 it is a performance design choice. 351 We argue removing spurious wakeup and signals-as-hints make concurrent programming simpler and safer as there is less local nondeterminism to manage. 352 If barging acquisition is allowed, its specialized performance advantage should be available as an option not the default. 353 354 \CFA embraces language extensions for advanced control-flow, user-level threading, and safety as the default. 355 We present comparative examples to support our argument that the \CFA control-flow extensions are as expressive and safe as those in other concurrent imperative programming languages, and perform experiments to show the \CFA runtime is competitive with other similar mechanisms. 335 Two concurrency violations of this philosophy are \emph{spurious wakeup} (random wakeup~\cite[\S~8]{Buhr05a}) and \emph{barging}\footnote{ 336 The notion of competitive succession instead of direct handoff, \ie a lock owner releases the lock and an arriving thread acquires it ahead of preexisting waiter threads. 337 } (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. 338 However, spurious wakeup is \emph{not} a foundational concurrency property~\cite[\S~8]{Buhr05a}, it is a performance design choice. 339 Similarly, signals-as-hints are often a performance decision. 340 We argue removing spurious wakeup and signals-as-hints make concurrent programming significantly safer because it removes local non-determinism and matches with programmer expectation. 341 (Author experience teaching concurrency is that students are highly confused by these semantics.) 342 Clawing back performance, when local non-determinism is unimportant, should be an option not the default. 343 344 \begin{comment} 345 Most augmented traditional (Fortran 18~\cite{Fortran18}, Cobol 14~\cite{Cobol14}, Ada 12~\cite{Ada12}, Java 11~\cite{Java11}) and new languages (Go~\cite{Go}, Rust~\cite{Rust}, and D~\cite{D}), except \CC, diverge from C with different syntax and semantics, only interoperate indirectly with C, and are not systems languages, for those with managed memory. 346 As a result, there is a significant learning curve to move to these languages, and C legacy-code must be rewritten. 347 While \CC, like \CFA, takes an evolutionary approach to extend C, \CC's constantly growing complex and interdependent features-set (\eg objects, inheritance, templates, etc.) mean idiomatic \CC code is difficult to use from C, and C programmers must expend significant effort learning \CC. 348 Hence, rewriting and retraining costs for these languages, even \CC, are prohibitive for companies with a large C software-base. 349 \CFA with its orthogonal feature-set, its high-performance runtime, and direct access to all existing C libraries circumvents these problems. 350 \end{comment} 351 352 \CFA embraces user-level threading, language extensions for advanced control-flow, and safety as the default. 353 We present comparative examples so the reader can judge if the \CFA control-flow extensions are better and safer than those in other concurrent, imperative programming languages, and perform experiments to show the \CFA runtime is competitive with other similar mechanisms. 356 354 The main contributions of this work are: 357 \begin{itemize}[topsep=3pt,itemsep= 0pt]355 \begin{itemize}[topsep=3pt,itemsep=1pt] 358 356 \item 359 a set of fundamental execution properties that dictate which language-level control-flow features need to be supported, 360 357 language-level generators, coroutines and user-level threading, which respect the expectations of C programmers. 361 358 \item 362 integration of these language-level control-flow features, while respecting the style and expectations of C programmers, 363 359 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. 364 360 \item 365 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, 366 367 \item 368 providing statically type-safe interfaces that integrate with the \CFA polymorphic type-system and other language features, 369 361 providing statically type-safe interfaces that integrate with the \CFA polymorphic type-system and other language features. 370 362 % \item 371 363 % library extensions for executors, futures, and actors built on the basic mechanisms. 372 373 364 \item 374 a runtime system without spurious wake-up and no performance loss, 375 365 a runtime system with no spurious wakeup. 376 366 \item 377 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. 378 367 a dynamic partitioning mechanism to segregate the execution environment for specialized requirements. 379 368 % \item 380 % a nonblocking I/O library 381 369 % a non-blocking I/O library 382 370 \item 383 experimental results showing comparable performance of the \CFA features with similar mechanisms in otherlanguages.371 experimental results showing comparable performance of the new features with similar mechanisms in other programming languages. 384 372 \end{itemize} 385 373 386 Section~\ref{s:FundamentalExecutionProperties} presents the compositional hierarchy of execution properties directing the design of control-flow features in \CFA. 387 Section~\ref{s:StatefulFunction} begins advanced control by introducing sequential functions that retain data and execution state between calls producing constructs @generator@ and @coroutine@. 388 Section~\ref{s:Concurrency} begins concurrency, or how to create (fork) and destroy (join) a thread producing the @thread@ construct. 389 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. 374 Section~\ref{s:StatefulFunction} begins advanced control by introducing sequential functions that retain data and execution state between calls, which produces constructs @generator@ and @coroutine@. 375 Section~\ref{s:Concurrency} begins concurrency, or how to create (fork) and destroy (join) a thread, which produces the @thread@ construct. 376 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). 390 377 Section~\ref{s:Monitor} shows how both mutual exclusion and synchronization are safely embedded in the @monitor@ and @thread@ constructs. 391 Section~\ref{s:CFARuntimeStructure} describes the large-scale mechanism to structure threads and virtual processors (kernel threads). 392 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. 393 394 395 \section{Fundamental Execution Properties} 396 \label{s:FundamentalExecutionProperties} 397 398 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. 399 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++}). 400 The fundamental properties are execution state, thread, and mutual-exclusion/synchronization. 401 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. 402 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. 403 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. 404 If a compositional feature is missing, a programmer has too few fundamental properties resulting in a complex and/or inefficient solution. 405 406 In detail, the fundamental properties are: 407 \begin{description}[leftmargin=\parindent,topsep=3pt,parsep=0pt] 408 \item[\newterm{execution state}:] 409 It is the state information needed by a control-flow feature to initialize and manage both compute data and execution location(s), and de-initialize. 410 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. 411 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. 412 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. 413 Control-flow transfers among execution states in multiple ways, such as function call, context switch, asynchronous await, etc. 414 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. 415 % An execution-state is related to the notion of a process continuation \cite{Hieb90}. 416 417 \item[\newterm{threading}:] 418 It is execution of code that occurs independently of other execution, where an individual thread's execution is sequential. 419 Multiple threads provide \emph{concurrent execution}; 420 concurrent execution becomes parallel when run on multiple processing units, \eg hyper-threading, cores, or sockets. 421 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. 422 423 \item[\newterm{mutual-exclusion / synchronization (MES)}:] 424 It is the concurrency mechanism to perform an action without interruption and establish timing relationships among multiple threads. 425 We contented these two properties are independent, \ie mutual exclusion cannot provide synchronization and vice versa without introducing additional threads~\cite[\S~4]{Buhr05a}. 426 Limiting MES functionality results in contrived solutions and inefficiency on multicore von Neumann computers where shared memory is a foundational aspect of its design. 427 \end{description} 428 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. 429 430 431 \subsection{Structuring execution properties} 432 433 Programming languages seldom present the fundamental execution properties directly to programmers. 434 Instead, the properties are packaged into higher-level constructs that encapsulate details and provide safety to these low-level mechanisms. 435 Interestingly, language designers often pick and choose among these execution properties proving a varying subset of constructs. 436 437 Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} shows all combinations of the three fundamental execution properties available to language designers. 438 (When doing combination case-analysis, not all combinations are meaningful.) 439 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. 440 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. 441 For table entries missing these minimal components, the property is borrowed from the invoker (caller). 442 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. 443 444 \begin{table} 445 \caption{Execution property composition} 446 \centering 447 \label{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} 448 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.25} 449 %\setlength{\tabcolsep}{5pt} 450 \vspace*{-5pt} 451 \begin{tabular}{c|c||l|l} 452 \multicolumn{2}{c||}{Execution properties} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Mutual exclusion / synchronization} \\ 453 \hline 454 stateful & thread & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{No} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Yes} \\ 455 \hline 456 \hline 457 No & No & \textbf{1}\ \ \ @struct@ & \textbf{2}\ \ \ @mutex@ @struct@ \\ 458 \hline 459 Yes (stackless) & No & \textbf{3}\ \ \ @generator@ & \textbf{4}\ \ \ @mutex@ @generator@ \\ 460 \hline 461 Yes (stackful) & No & \textbf{5}\ \ \ @coroutine@ & \textbf{6}\ \ \ @mutex@ @coroutine@ \\ 462 \hline 463 No & Yes & \textbf{7}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} & \textbf{8}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} \\ 464 \hline 465 Yes (stackless) & Yes & \textbf{9}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} & \textbf{10}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} \\ 466 \hline 467 Yes (stackful) & Yes & \textbf{11}\ \ \ @thread@ & \textbf{12}\ \ @mutex@ @thread@ \\ 468 \end{tabular} 469 \vspace*{-8pt} 470 \end{table} 471 472 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. 473 Structures are a foundational mechanism for data organization, and access functions provide interface abstraction and code sharing in all programming languages. 474 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). 475 A @mutex@ structure, often called a \newterm{monitor}, provides a high-level interface for race-free access of shared data in concurrent programming languages. 476 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. 477 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. 478 Generators provide the first step toward directly solving problems like finite-state machines (FSMs) that retain data and execution state between calls, whereas normal functions restart on each call. 479 Case 4 is cases 2 and 3 with thread safety during execution of the generator's access functions. 480 A @mutex@ generator extends generators into the concurrent domain. 481 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. 482 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. 483 A coroutine extends the state retained between calls beyond the generator's structure to arbitrary call depth in the access functions. 484 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. 485 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. 486 Hence, if this kind of uninterruptable thread exists, it must execute to completion, \ie computation only, which severely restricts runtime management. 487 Cases 11 and 12 are a stackful thread with and without safe access to shared state. 488 A thread is the language mechanism to start another thread of control in a program with growable execution state for call/return execution. 489 In general, language constructs with more execution properties increase the cost of creation and execution along with complexity of usage. 490 491 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. 492 Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} then suggests the optimal language feature needed for implementing a programming problem. 493 The following sections describe how \CFA fills in \emph{all} the nonrejected table entries with language features, while other programming languages may only provide a subset of the table. 494 495 496 \subsection{Design requirements} 497 498 The following design requirements largely stem from building \CFA on top of C. 499 \begin{itemize}[topsep=3pt,parsep=0pt] 500 \item 501 All communication must be statically type checkable for early detection of errors and efficient code generation. 502 This requirement is consistent with the fact that C is a statically typed programming language. 503 504 \item 505 Direct interaction among language features must be possible allowing any feature to be selected without restricting comm\-unication. 506 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. 507 Indirect communication increases the number of objects, consuming more resources, and requires additional synchronization and possibly data transfer. 508 509 \item 510 All communication is performed using function calls, \ie data are transmitted from argument to parameter and results are returned from function calls. 511 Alternative forms of communication, such as call-backs, message passing, channels, or communication ports, step outside of C's normal form of communication. 512 513 \item 514 All stateful features must follow the same declaration scopes and lifetimes as other language data. 515 For C that means at program startup, during block and function activation, and on demand using dynamic allocation. 516 517 \item 518 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. 519 Furthermore, reducing synchronization scope by encapsulating it within language constructs further reduces errors in concurrent programs. 520 521 \item 522 Both synchronous and asynchronous communication are needed. 523 However, we believe the best way to provide asynchrony, such as call-buffering/chaining and/or returning futures~\cite{multilisp}, is building it from expressive synchronous features. 524 525 \item 526 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. 527 Otherwise, certain concurrency problems are difficult, \eg web server, disk scheduling, and the amount of concurrency is inhibited~\cite{Gentleman81}. 528 \end{itemize} 529 We have satisfied these requirements in \CFA while maintaining backwards compatibility with the huge body of legacy C programs. 530 % In contrast, other new programming languages must still access C programs (\eg operating-system service routines), but do so through fragile C interfaces. 531 532 533 \subsection{Asynchronous await / call} 534 535 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). 536 The caller detects the action's completion through a \newterm{future} or \newterm{promise}. 537 The benefit is asynchronous caller execution with respect to the callee until future resolution. 538 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. 539 When the caller needs the promise to be fulfilled, it executes @await@. 540 A promise-completion call-back can be part of the callee action or the caller is rescheduled; 541 in either case, the call back is executed after the promise is fulfilled. 542 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. 543 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. 544 Note, @async-await@ is just syntactic-sugar over the event engine so it does not solve these deficiencies. 545 For multithreaded 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. 546 The problem is when concurrent work-units need to interact and/or block as this effects the executor by stopping threads. 547 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. 378 Section~\ref{s:CFARuntimeStructure} describes the large-scale mechanism to structure (cluster) threads and virtual processors (kernel threads). 379 Section~\ref{s:Performance} uses a series of microbenchmarks to compare \CFA threading with pthreads, Java OpenJDK-9, Go 1.12.6 and \uC 7.0.0. 548 380 549 381 … … 551 383 \label{s:StatefulFunction} 552 384 553 A \emph{stateful function} has the ability to remember state between calls, where state can be either data or execution, \eg plugin, device driver, FSM. 554 A simple technique to retain data state between calls is @static@ declarations within a function, which is often implemented by hoisting the declarations to the global scope but hiding the names within the function using name mangling. 555 However, each call starts the function at the top making it difficult to determine the last point of execution in an algorithm, and requiring multiple flag variables and testing to reestablish the continuation point. 556 Hence, the next step of generalizing function state is implicitly remembering the return point between calls and reentering the function at this point rather than the top, called \emph{generators}\,/\,\emph{iterators} or \emph{stackless coroutines}. 557 For example, a Fibonacci generator retains data and execution state allowing it to remember prior values needed to generate the next value and the location in the algorithm to compute that value. 558 The next step of generalization is instantiating the function to allow multiple named instances, \eg multiple Fibonacci generators, where each instance has its own state, and hence, can generate an independent sequence of values. 559 Note, a subset of generator state is a function \emph{closure}, \ie the technique of capturing lexical references when returning a nested function. 560 A further generalization is adding a stack to a generator's state, called a \emph{coroutine}, so it can suspend outside of itself, \eg call helper functions to arbitrary depth before suspending back to its resumer without unwinding these calls. 561 For example, a coroutine iterator for a binary tree can stop the traversal at the visit point (pre, infix, post traversal), return the node value to the caller, and then continue the recursive traversal from the current node on the next call. 562 563 There are two styles of activating a stateful function, \emph{asymmetric} or \emph{symmetric}, identified by resume/suspend (no cycles) and resume/resume (cycles). 564 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. 565 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. 566 Additionally, storage management for the closure/stack must be factored into design and performance, especially in unmanaged languages without garbage collection. 567 Note, creation cost (closure/stack) is amortized across usage, so activation cost (resume/suspend) is usually the dominant factor. 568 569 % The stateful function is an old idea~\cite{Conway63,Marlin80} that is new again~\cite{C++20Coroutine19}, where execution is temporarily suspended and later resumed, \eg plugin, device driver, finite-state machine. 570 % Hence, a stateful function may not end when it returns to its caller, allowing it to be restarted with the data and execution location present at the point of suspension. 571 % If the closure is fixed size, we call it a \emph{generator} (or \emph{stackless}), and its control flow is restricted, \eg suspending outside the generator is prohibited. 572 % If the closure is variable size, we call it a \emph{coroutine} (or \emph{stackful}), and as the names implies, often implemented with a separate stack with no programming restrictions. 573 % Hence, refactoring a stackless coroutine may require changing it to stackful. 574 % A foundational property of all \emph{stateful functions} is that resume/suspend \emph{do not} cause incremental stack growth, \ie resume/suspend operations are remembered through the closure not the stack. 575 % As well, activating a stateful function is \emph{asymmetric} or \emph{symmetric}, identified by resume/suspend (no cycles) and resume/resume (cycles). 576 % A fixed closure activated by modified call/return is faster than a variable closure activated by context switching. 577 % Additionally, any storage management for the closure (especially in unmanaged languages, \ie no garbage collection) must also be factored into design and performance. 578 % Therefore, selecting between stackless and stackful semantics is a tradeoff between programming requirements and performance, where stackless is faster and stackful is more general. 579 % nppNote, creation cost is amortized across usage, so activation cost is usually the dominant factor. 580 581 For example, Python presents asymmetric generators as a function object, \uC presents symmetric coroutines as a \lstinline[language=C++]|class|-like object, and many languages present threading using function pointers, @pthreads@~\cite{Butenhof97}, \Csharp~\cite{Csharp}, Go~\cite{Go}, and Scala~\cite{Scala}. 582 \begin{center} 583 \begin{tabular}{@{}l|l|l@{}} 584 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c|}{Python asymmetric generator} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\uC symmetric coroutine} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Pthreads thread} \\ 585 \hline 586 \begin{python} 587 `def Gen():` $\LstCommentStyle{\color{red}// function}$ 588 ... yield val ... 589 gen = Gen() 590 for i in range( 10 ): 591 print( next( gen ) ) 592 \end{python} 593 & 594 \begin{uC++} 595 `_Coroutine Cycle {` $\LstCommentStyle{\color{red}// class}$ 596 Cycle * p; 597 void main() { p->cycle(); } 598 void cycle() { resume(); } `};` 599 Cycle c1, c2; c1.p=&c2; c2.p=&c1; c1.cycle(); 600 \end{uC++} 601 & 602 \begin{cfa} 603 void * `rtn`( void * arg ) { ... } 604 int i = 3, rc; 605 pthread_t t; $\C{// thread id}$ 606 $\LstCommentStyle{\color{red}// function pointer}$ 607 rc=pthread_create(&t, `rtn`, (void *)i); 608 \end{cfa} 609 \end{tabular} 610 \end{center} 611 \CFA's preferred presentation model for generators/coroutines/threads is a hybrid of functions and classes, giving an object-oriented flavor. 612 Essentially, the generator/coroutine/thread function is semantically coupled with a generator/coroutine/thread custom type via the type's name. 613 The custom type solves several issues, while accessing the underlying mechanisms used by the custom types is still allowed for flexibility reasons. 614 Each custom type is discussed in detail in the following sections. 615 616 617 \subsection{Generator} 618 619 Stackless generators (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 3) have the potential to be very small and fast, \ie as small and fast as function call/return for both creation and execution. 620 The \CFA goal is to achieve this performance target, possibly at the cost of some semantic complexity. 621 A series of different kinds of generators and their implementation demonstrate how this goal is accomplished.\footnote{ 622 The \CFA operator syntax uses \lstinline|?| to denote operands, which allows precise definitions for pre, post, and infix operators, \eg \lstinline|?++|, \lstinline|++?|, and \lstinline|?+?|, in addition \lstinline|?\{\}| denotes a constructor, as in \lstinline|foo `f` = `\{`...`\}`|, \lstinline|^?\{\}| denotes a destructor, and \lstinline|?()| is \CC function call \lstinline|operator()|. 623 Operator \lstinline+|+ is overloaded for printing, like bit-shift \lstinline|<<| in \CC. 624 The \CFA \lstinline|with| clause opens an aggregate scope making its fields directly accessible, like Pascal \lstinline|with|, but using parallel semantics; 625 multiple aggregates may be opened. 626 \CFA has rebindable references \lstinline|int i, & ip = i, j; `&ip = &j;`| and nonrebindable references \lstinline|int i, & `const` ip = i, j; `&ip = &j;` // disallowed|. 627 }% 385 The stateful function is an old idea~\cite{Conway63,Marlin80} that is new again~\cite{C++20Coroutine19}, where execution is temporarily suspended and later resumed, \eg plugin, device driver, finite-state machine. 386 Hence, a stateful function may not end when it returns to its caller, allowing it to be restarted with the data and execution location present at the point of suspension. 387 This capability is accomplished by retaining a data/execution \emph{closure} between invocations. 388 If the closure is fixed size, we call it a \emph{generator} (or \emph{stackless}), and its control flow is restricted, \eg suspending outside the generator is prohibited. 389 If the closure is variable size, we call it a \emph{coroutine} (or \emph{stackful}), and as the names implies, often implemented with a separate stack with no programming restrictions. 390 Hence, refactoring a stackless coroutine may require changing it to stackful. 391 A foundational property of all \emph{stateful functions} is that resume/suspend \emph{do not} cause incremental stack growth, \ie resume/suspend operations are remembered through the closure not the stack. 392 As well, activating a stateful function is \emph{asymmetric} or \emph{symmetric}, identified by resume/suspend (no cycles) and resume/resume (cycles). 393 A fixed closure activated by modified call/return is faster than a variable closure activated by context switching. 394 Additionally, any storage management for the closure (especially in unmanaged languages, \ie no garbage collection) must also be factored into design and performance. 395 Therefore, selecting between stackless and stackful semantics is a tradeoff between programming requirements and performance, where stackless is faster and stackful is more general. 396 Note, creation cost is amortized across usage, so activation cost is usually the dominant factor. 628 397 629 398 \begin{figure} … … 639 408 640 409 641 642 643 410 int fn = f->fn; f->fn = f->fn1; 644 411 f->fn1 = f->fn + fn; 645 412 return fn; 413 646 414 } 647 415 int main() { … … 662 430 void `main(Fib & fib)` with(fib) { 663 431 664 665 432 [fn1, fn] = [1, 0]; 666 433 for () { … … 682 449 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 683 450 typedef struct { 684 int `restart`, fn1, fn;451 int fn1, fn; void * `next`; 685 452 } Fib; 686 #define FibCtor { `0`, 1, 0}453 #define FibCtor { 1, 0, NULL } 687 454 Fib * comain( Fib * f ) { 688 `static void * states[] = {&&s0, &&s1};` 689 `goto *states[f->restart];` 690 s0: f->`restart` = 1; 455 if ( f->next ) goto *f->next; 456 f->next = &&s1; 691 457 for ( ;; ) { 692 458 return f; 693 459 s1:; int fn = f->fn + f->fn1; 694 f->fn1 = f->fn; f->fn = fn;460 f->fn1 = f->fn; f->fn = fn; 695 461 } 696 462 } … … 704 470 \end{lrbox} 705 471 706 \subfloat[C ]{\label{f:CFibonacci}\usebox\myboxA}472 \subfloat[C asymmetric generator]{\label{f:CFibonacci}\usebox\myboxA} 707 473 \hspace{3pt} 708 474 \vrule 709 475 \hspace{3pt} 710 \subfloat[\CFA ]{\label{f:CFAFibonacciGen}\usebox\myboxB}476 \subfloat[\CFA asymmetric generator]{\label{f:CFAFibonacciGen}\usebox\myboxB} 711 477 \hspace{3pt} 712 478 \vrule 713 479 \hspace{3pt} 714 \subfloat[C generat ed code for \CFA version]{\label{f:CFibonacciSim}\usebox\myboxC}715 \caption{Fibonacci outputasymmetric generator}480 \subfloat[C generator implementation]{\label{f:CFibonacciSim}\usebox\myboxC} 481 \caption{Fibonacci (output) asymmetric generator} 716 482 \label{f:FibonacciAsymmetricGenerator} 717 483 … … 725 491 }; 726 492 void ?{}( Fmt & fmt ) { `resume(fmt);` } // constructor 727 void ^?{}( Fmt & f ) with(f) { $\C[ 2.25in]{// destructor}$493 void ^?{}( Fmt & f ) with(f) { $\C[1.75in]{// destructor}$ 728 494 if ( g != 0 || b != 0 ) sout | nl; } 729 495 void `main( Fmt & f )` with(f) { … … 731 497 for ( ; g < 5; g += 1 ) { $\C{// groups}$ 732 498 for ( ; b < 4; b += 1 ) { $\C{// blocks}$ 733 do {`suspend;` $\C{// wait for character}$734 while ( ch == '\n' ) ; // ignore newline735 sout | ch; $\C{// print character}$736 } sout | " "; $\C{// block separator}$737 } sout | nl; $\C{// group separator}$499 `suspend;` $\C{// wait for character}$ 500 while ( ch == '\n' ) `suspend;` // ignore 501 sout | ch; // newline 502 } sout | " "; // block spacer 503 } sout | nl; // group newline 738 504 } 739 505 } … … 753 519 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 754 520 typedef struct { 755 int `restart`, g, b;521 void * next; 756 522 char ch; 523 int g, b; 757 524 } Fmt; 758 525 void comain( Fmt * f ) { 759 `static void * states[] = {&&s0, &&s1};` 760 `goto *states[f->restart];` 761 s0: f->`restart` = 1; 526 if ( f->next ) goto *f->next; 527 f->next = &&s1; 762 528 for ( ;; ) { 763 529 for ( f->g = 0; f->g < 5; f->g += 1 ) { 764 530 for ( f->b = 0; f->b < 4; f->b += 1 ) { 765 do { return; s1:;766 } while ( f->ch == '\n' );531 return; 532 s1:; while ( f->ch == '\n' ) return; 767 533 printf( "%c", f->ch ); 768 534 } printf( " " ); … … 771 537 } 772 538 int main() { 773 Fmt fmt = { `0`}; comain( &fmt ); // prime539 Fmt fmt = { NULL }; comain( &fmt ); // prime 774 540 for ( ;; ) { 775 541 scanf( "%c", &fmt.ch ); … … 782 548 \end{lrbox} 783 549 784 \subfloat[\CFA ]{\label{f:CFAFormatGen}\usebox\myboxA}785 \hspace{3 5pt}550 \subfloat[\CFA asymmetric generator]{\label{f:CFAFormatGen}\usebox\myboxA} 551 \hspace{3pt} 786 552 \vrule 787 553 \hspace{3pt} 788 \subfloat[C generat ed code for \CFA version]{\label{f:CFormatGenImpl}\usebox\myboxB}554 \subfloat[C generator simulation]{\label{f:CFormatSim}\usebox\myboxB} 789 555 \hspace{3pt} 790 \caption{Formatter inputasymmetric generator}556 \caption{Formatter (input) asymmetric generator} 791 557 \label{f:FormatterAsymmetricGenerator} 792 558 \end{figure} 793 559 794 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. 560 Stateful functions appear as generators, coroutines, and threads, where presentations are based on function objects or pointers~\cite{Butenhof97, C++14, MS:VisualC++, BoostCoroutines15}. 561 For example, Python presents generators as a function object: 562 \begin{python} 563 def Gen(): 564 ... `yield val` ... 565 gen = Gen() 566 for i in range( 10 ): 567 print( next( gen ) ) 568 \end{python} 569 Boost presents coroutines in terms of four functor object-types: 570 \begin{cfa} 571 asymmetric_coroutine<>::pull_type 572 asymmetric_coroutine<>::push_type 573 symmetric_coroutine<>::call_type 574 symmetric_coroutine<>::yield_type 575 \end{cfa} 576 and many languages present threading using function pointers, @pthreads@~\cite{Butenhof97}, \Csharp~\cite{Csharp}, Go~\cite{Go}, and Scala~\cite{Scala}, \eg pthreads: 577 \begin{cfa} 578 void * rtn( void * arg ) { ... } 579 int i = 3, rc; 580 pthread_t t; $\C{// thread id}$ 581 `rc = pthread_create( &t, rtn, (void *)i );` $\C{// create and initialized task, type-unsafe input parameter}$ 582 \end{cfa} 583 % void mycor( pthread_t cid, void * arg ) { 584 % int * value = (int *)arg; $\C{// type unsafe, pointer-size only}$ 585 % // thread body 586 % } 587 % int main() { 588 % int input = 0, output; 589 % coroutine_t cid = coroutine_create( &mycor, (void *)&input ); $\C{// type unsafe, pointer-size only}$ 590 % coroutine_resume( cid, (void *)input, (void **)&output ); $\C{// type unsafe, pointer-size only}$ 591 % } 592 \CFA's preferred presentation model for generators/coroutines/threads is a hybrid of objects and functions, with an object-oriented flavour. 593 Essentially, the generator/coroutine/thread function is semantically coupled with a generator/coroutine/thread custom type. 594 The custom type solves several issues, while accessing the underlying mechanisms used by the custom types is still allowed. 595 596 597 \subsection{Generator} 598 599 Stackless generators have the potential to be very small and fast, \ie as small and fast as function call/return for both creation and execution. 600 The \CFA goal is to achieve this performance target, possibly at the cost of some semantic complexity. 601 A series of different kinds of generators and their implementation demonstrate how this goal is accomplished. 602 603 Figure~\ref{f:FibonacciAsymmetricGenerator} shows an unbounded asymmetric generator for an infinite sequence of Fibonacci numbers written in C and \CFA, with a simple C implementation for the \CFA version. 795 604 This generator is an \emph{output generator}, producing a new result on each resumption. 796 605 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. 797 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;606 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; 798 607 hence, state is retained in a closure between calls. 799 608 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. 800 609 The C version only has the middle execution state because the top execution state is declaration initialization. 801 610 Figure~\ref{f:CFAFibonacciGen} shows the \CFA approach, which also has a manual closure, but replaces the structure with a custom \CFA @generator@ type. 802 Each generator type must have a function named \lstinline|main|, 803 % \footnote{ 804 % The name \lstinline|main| has special meaning in C, specifically the function where a program starts execution. 805 % Leveraging starting semantics to this name for generator/coroutine/thread is a logical extension.} 806 called a \emph{generator main} (leveraging the starting semantics for program @main@ in C), which is connected to the generator type via its single reference parameter. 611 This generator type is then connected to a function that \emph{must be named \lstinline|main|},\footnote{ 612 The name \lstinline|main| has special meaning in C, specifically the function where a program starts execution. 613 Hence, overloading this name for other starting points (generator/coroutine/thread) is a logical extension.} 614 called a \emph{generator main},which takes as its only parameter a reference to the generator type. 807 615 The generator main contains @suspend@ statements that suspend execution without ending the generator versus @return@. 808 For the Fibonacci generator-main, the top initialization state appears at the start and the middle execution state is denoted by statement @suspend@. 616 For the Fibonacci generator-main,\footnote{ 617 The \CFA \lstinline|with| opens an aggregate scope making its fields directly accessible, like Pascal \lstinline|with|, but using parallel semantics. 618 Multiple aggregates may be opened.} 619 the top initialization state appears at the start and the middle execution state is denoted by statement @suspend@. 809 620 Any local variables in @main@ \emph{are not retained} between calls; 810 621 hence local variables are only for temporary computations \emph{between} suspends. … … 814 625 Resuming an ended (returned) generator is undefined. 815 626 Function @resume@ returns its argument generator so it can be cascaded in an expression, in this case to print the next Fibonacci value @fn@ computed in the generator instance. 816 Figure~\ref{f:CFibonacciSim} shows the C implementation of the \CFA asymmetric generator. 817 Only one execution-state field, @restart@, is needed to subscript the suspension points in the generator. 818 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}. 819 Next, the computed @goto@ selects the last suspend point and branches to it. 820 The cost of setting @restart@ and branching via the computed @goto@ adds very little cost to the suspend and resume calls. 821 822 An advantage of the \CFA explicit generator type is the ability to allow multiple type-safe interface functions taking and returning arbitrary types. 627 Figure~\ref{f:CFibonacciSim} shows the C implementation of the \CFA generator only needs one additional field, @next@, to handle retention of execution state. 628 The computed @goto@ at the start of the generator main, which branches after the previous suspend, adds very little cost to the resume call. 629 Finally, an explicit generator type provides both design and performance benefits, such as multiple type-safe interface functions taking and returning arbitrary types.\footnote{ 630 The \CFA operator syntax uses \lstinline|?| to denote operands, which allows precise definitions for pre, post, and infix operators, \eg \lstinline|++?|, \lstinline|?++|, and \lstinline|?+?|, in addition \lstinline|?\{\}| denotes a constructor, as in \lstinline|foo `f` = `\{`...`\}`|, \lstinline|^?\{\}| denotes a destructor, and \lstinline|?()| is \CC function call \lstinline|operator()|. 631 }% 823 632 \begin{cfa} 824 633 int ?()( Fib & fib ) { return `resume( fib )`.fn; } $\C[3.9in]{// function-call interface}$ 825 int ?()( Fib & fib, int N ) { for ( N - 1 ) `fib()`; return `fib()`; } $\C{// add parameter to skip N values}$ 826 double ?()( Fib & fib ) { return (int)`fib()` / 3.14159; } $\C{// different return type, cast prevents recursive call}$ 827 Fib f; int i; double d; 828 i = f(); i = f( 2 ); d = f(); $\C{// alternative interfaces}\CRT$ 634 int ?()( Fib & fib, int N ) { for ( N - 1 ) `fib()`; return `fib()`; } $\C{// use function-call interface to skip N values}$ 635 double ?()( Fib & fib ) { return (int)`fib()` / 3.14159; } $\C{// different return type, cast prevents recursive call}\CRT$ 636 sout | (int)f1() | (double)f1() | f2( 2 ); // alternative interface, cast selects call based on return type, step 2 values 829 637 \end{cfa} 830 638 Now, the generator can be a separately compiled opaque-type only accessed through its interface functions. 831 639 For contrast, Figure~\ref{f:PythonFibonacci} shows the equivalent Python Fibonacci generator, which does not use a generator type, and hence only has a single interface, but an implicit closure. 832 640 833 \begin{figure} 834 %\centering 835 \newbox\myboxA 836 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA} 837 \begin{python}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 838 def Fib(): 839 fn1, fn = 0, 1 840 while True: 841 `yield fn1` 842 fn1, fn = fn, fn1 + fn 843 f1 = Fib() 844 f2 = Fib() 845 for i in range( 10 ): 846 print( next( f1 ), next( f2 ) ) 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 \end{python} 858 \end{lrbox} 859 860 \newbox\myboxB 861 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 862 \begin{python}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 863 def Fmt(): 864 try: 865 while True: $\C[2.5in]{\# until destructor call}$ 866 for g in range( 5 ): $\C{\# groups}$ 867 for b in range( 4 ): $\C{\# blocks}$ 868 while True: 869 ch = (yield) $\C{\# receive from send}$ 870 if '\n' not in ch: $\C{\# ignore newline}$ 871 break 872 print( ch, end='' ) $\C{\# print character}$ 873 print( ' ', end='' ) $\C{\# block separator}$ 874 print() $\C{\# group separator}$ 875 except GeneratorExit: $\C{\# destructor}$ 876 if g != 0 | b != 0: $\C{\# special case}$ 877 print() 878 fmt = Fmt() 879 `next( fmt )` $\C{\# prime, next prewritten}$ 880 for i in range( 41 ): 881 `fmt.send( 'a' );` $\C{\# send to yield}$ 882 \end{python} 883 \end{lrbox} 884 885 \hspace{30pt} 886 \subfloat[Fibonacci]{\label{f:PythonFibonacci}\usebox\myboxA} 887 \hspace{3pt} 888 \vrule 889 \hspace{3pt} 890 \subfloat[Formatter]{\label{f:PythonFormatter}\usebox\myboxB} 891 \caption{Python generator} 892 \label{f:PythonGenerator} 893 \end{figure} 894 895 Having to manually create the generator closure by moving local-state variables into the generator type is an additional programmer burden (removed by the coroutine in Section~\ref{s:Coroutine}). 896 This manual requirement follows from the generality of allowing variable-size local-state, \eg local state with a variable-length array requires dynamic allocation as the array size is unknown at compile time. 641 Having to manually create the generator closure by moving local-state variables into the generator type is an additional programmer burden. 642 (This restriction is removed by the coroutine in Section~\ref{s:Coroutine}.) 643 This requirement follows from the generality of variable-size local-state, \eg local state with a variable-length array requires dynamic allocation because the array size is unknown at compile time. 897 644 However, dynamic allocation significantly increases the cost of generator creation/destruction and is a showstopper for embedded real-time programming. 898 645 But more importantly, the size of the generator type is tied to the local state in the generator main, which precludes separate compilation of the generator main, \ie a generator must be inlined or local state must be dynamically allocated. 899 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.900 Our experience using generators is that theproblems have simple data state, including local state, but complex execution state, so the burden of creating the generator type is small.901 As well, C programmers are not afraid of this kind of semantic programming requirement, if it results in very small andfast generators.646 With respect to safety, we believe static analysis can discriminate local state from temporary variables in a generator, \ie variable usage spanning @suspend@, and generate a compile-time error. 647 Finally, our current experience is that most generator problems have simple data state, including local state, but complex execution state, so the burden of creating the generator type is small. 648 As well, C programmers are not afraid of this kind of semantic programming requirement, if it results in very small, fast generators. 902 649 903 650 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. … … 920 667 The example takes advantage of resuming a generator in the constructor to prime the loops so the first character sent for formatting appears inside the nested loops. 921 668 The destructor provides a newline, if formatted text ends with a full line. 922 Figure~\ref{f:CFormatGenImpl} shows the C implementation of the \CFA input generator with one additional field and the computed @goto@. 923 For contrast, Figure~\ref{f:PythonFormatter} shows the equivalent Python format generator with the same properties as the \CFA format generator. 924 925 % https://dl-acm-org.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/ 926 927 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} 928 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; 929 however, the calls do not retain execution state, and hence always start from the top. 930 The alternative approach for implementing device drivers is using stack-ripping. 931 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. 932 933 Figure~\ref{f:DeviceDriverGen} shows the generator advantages in implementing a simple network device-driver with the following protocol: 669 Figure~\ref{f:CFormatSim} shows the C implementation of the \CFA input generator with one additional field and the computed @goto@. 670 For contrast, Figure~\ref{f:PythonFormatter} shows the equivalent Python format generator with the same properties as the Fibonacci generator. 671 672 Figure~\ref{f:DeviceDriverGen} shows a \emph{killer} asymmetric generator, a device-driver, because device drivers caused 70\%-85\% of failures in Windows/Linux~\cite{Swift05}. 673 Device drives follow the pattern of simple data state but complex execution state, \ie finite state-machine (FSM) parsing a protocol. 674 For example, the following protocol: 934 675 \begin{center} 935 676 \ldots\, STX \ldots\, message \ldots\, ESC ETX \ldots\, message \ldots\, ETX 2-byte crc \ldots 936 677 \end{center} 937 where the network message begins with the control character STX, ends with an ETX, and is followed by a two-byte cyclic-redundancy check.678 is a network message beginning with the control character STX, ending with an ETX, and followed by a 2-byte cyclic-redundancy check. 938 679 Control characters may appear in a message if preceded by an ESC. 939 680 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. 940 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. 941 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. 942 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. 943 % The conclusion is that FSMs are complex and occur in important domains, so direct generator support is important in a system programming language. 681 The device driver returns a status code of its current state, and when a complete message is obtained, the operating system knows the message is in the message buffer. 682 Hence, the device driver is an input/output generator. 683 684 Note, the cost of creating and resuming the device-driver generator, @Driver@, is virtually identical to call/return, so performance in an operating-system kernel is excellent. 685 As well, the data state is small, where variables @byte@ and @msg@ are communication variables for passing in message bytes and returning the message, and variables @lnth@, @crc@, and @sum@ are local variable that must be retained between calls and are manually hoisted into the generator type. 686 % Manually, detecting and hoisting local-state variables is easy when the number is small. 687 In contrast, the execution state is large, with one @resume@ and seven @suspend@s. 688 Hence, the key benefits of the generator are correctness, safety, and maintenance because the execution states are transcribed directly into the programming language rather than using a table-driven approach. 689 Because FSMs can be complex and frequently occur in important domains, direct generator support is important in a system programming language. 944 690 945 691 \begin{figure} 946 692 \centering 693 \newbox\myboxA 694 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA} 695 \begin{python}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 696 def Fib(): 697 fn1, fn = 0, 1 698 while True: 699 `yield fn1` 700 fn1, fn = fn, fn1 + fn 701 f1 = Fib() 702 f2 = Fib() 703 for i in range( 10 ): 704 print( next( f1 ), next( f2 ) ) 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 \end{python} 712 \end{lrbox} 713 714 \newbox\myboxB 715 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 716 \begin{python}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 717 def Fmt(): 718 try: 719 while True: 720 for g in range( 5 ): 721 for b in range( 4 ): 722 print( `(yield)`, end='' ) 723 print( ' ', end='' ) 724 print() 725 except GeneratorExit: 726 if g != 0 | b != 0: 727 print() 728 fmt = Fmt() 729 `next( fmt )` # prime, next prewritten 730 for i in range( 41 ): 731 `fmt.send( 'a' );` # send to yield 732 \end{python} 733 \end{lrbox} 734 \subfloat[Fibonacci]{\label{f:PythonFibonacci}\usebox\myboxA} 735 \hspace{3pt} 736 \vrule 737 \hspace{3pt} 738 \subfloat[Formatter]{\label{f:PythonFormatter}\usebox\myboxB} 739 \caption{Python generator} 740 \label{f:PythonGenerator} 741 742 \bigskip 743 947 744 \begin{tabular}{@{}l|l@{}} 948 745 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] … … 951 748 `generator` Driver { 952 749 Status status; 953 char byte, * msg; // communication954 int lnth, sum; // local state955 short int crc;750 unsigned char byte, * msg; // communication 751 unsigned int lnth, sum; // local state 752 unsigned short int crc; 956 753 }; 957 754 void ?{}( Driver & d, char * m ) { d.msg = m; } … … 998 795 \end{figure} 999 796 1000 Generators can also have symmetric activation using resume/resume to create control-flow cycles among generators.797 Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen} shows a symmetric generator, where the generator resumes another generator, forming a resume/resume cycle. 1001 798 (The trivial cycle is a generator resuming itself.) 1002 799 This control flow is similar to recursion for functions but without stack growth. 1003 Figure~\ref{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} shows the steps for symmetric control-flow using for the ping/pong program in Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen}. 1004 The program starts by creating the generators, @ping@ and @pong@, and then assigns the partners that form the cycle. 800 The steps for symmetric control-flow are creating, executing, and terminating the cycle. 1005 801 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. 1006 802 (This issue occurs for any cyclic data structure.) 1007 % (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.) 1008 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). 803 % The example creates all the generators and then assigns the partners that form the cycle. 804 % 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. 805 Once the cycle is formed, the program main resumes one of the generators, and the generators can then traverse an arbitrary cycle using @resume@ to activate partner generator(s). 1009 806 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). 1010 Note, the creator and starter may be different, \eg if the creator calls another function that starts the cycle.1011 807 The starting stack-frame is below the last active generator because the resume/resume cycle does not grow the stack. 1012 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. 1013 Destructor cost occurs when the generator instance is deallocated by the creator. 1014 1015 \begin{figure} 1016 \centering 1017 \input{FullCoroutinePhases.pstex_t} 1018 \vspace*{-10pt} 1019 \caption{Symmetric coroutine steps: Ping / Pong} 1020 \label{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} 1021 \end{figure} 808 Also, since local variables are not retained in the generator function, it does not contain any objects with destructors that must be called, so the cost is the same as a function return. 809 Destructor cost occurs when the generator instance is deallocated, which is easily controlled by the programmer. 810 811 Figure~\ref{f:CPingPongSim} shows the implementation of the symmetric generator, where the complexity is the @resume@, which needs an extension to the calling convention to perform a forward rather than backward jump. 812 This jump-starts at the top of the next generator main to re-execute the normal calling convention to make space on the stack for its local variables. 813 However, before the jump, the caller must reset its stack (and any registers) equivalent to a @return@, but subsequently jump forward. 814 This semantics is basically a tail-call optimization, which compilers already perform. 815 The example shows the assembly code to undo the generator's entry code before the direct jump. 816 This assembly code depends on what entry code is generated, specifically if there are local variables and the level of optimization. 817 To provide this new calling convention requires a mechanism built into the compiler, which is beyond the scope of \CFA at this time. 818 Nevertheless, it is possible to hand generate any symmetric generators for proof of concept and performance testing. 819 A compiler could also eliminate other artifacts in the generator simulation to further increase performance, \eg LLVM has various coroutine support~\cite{CoroutineTS}, and \CFA can leverage this support should it fork @clang@. 1022 820 1023 821 \begin{figure} … … 1026 824 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1027 825 `generator PingPong` { 1028 int N, i; // local state1029 826 const char * name; 827 int N; 828 int i; // local state 1030 829 PingPong & partner; // rebindable reference 1031 830 }; 1032 831 1033 832 void `main( PingPong & pp )` with(pp) { 1034 1035 1036 833 for ( ; i < N; i += 1 ) { 1037 834 sout | name | i; … … 1051 848 \begin{cfa}[escapechar={},aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1052 849 typedef struct PingPong { 1053 int restart, N, i;1054 850 const char * name; 851 int N, i; 1055 852 struct PingPong * partner; 853 void * next; 1056 854 } PingPong; 1057 #define PPCtor(name, N) { 0, N, 0, name,NULL}855 #define PPCtor(name, N) {name,N,0,NULL,NULL} 1058 856 void comain( PingPong * pp ) { 1059 static void * states[] = {&&s0, &&s1}; 1060 goto *states[pp->restart]; 1061 s0: pp->restart = 1; 857 if ( pp->next ) goto *pp->next; 858 pp->next = &&cycle; 1062 859 for ( ; pp->i < pp->N; pp->i += 1 ) { 1063 860 printf( "%s %d\n", pp->name, pp->i ); 1064 861 asm( "mov %0,%%rdi" : "=m" (pp->partner) ); 1065 862 asm( "mov %rdi,%rax" ); 1066 asm( "add $16, %rsp" ); 1067 asm( "popq %rbp" ); 863 asm( "popq %rbx" ); 1068 864 asm( "jmp comain" ); 1069 s1: ;865 cycle: ; 1070 866 } 1071 867 } … … 1083 879 \end{figure} 1084 880 1085 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. 1086 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. 1087 The @jmp comain@ restarts the function but with a different parameter, so the new call's behavior depends on the state of the coroutine type, \ie branch to restart location with different data state. 1088 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 (\ie the parameter to the function never changes during the forward calls). 1089 However, this assembler code depends on what entry code is generated, specifically if there are local variables and the level of optimization. 1090 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@. 1091 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. 1092 1093 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. 881 Finally, part of this generator work was inspired by the recent \CCtwenty generator proposal~\cite{C++20Coroutine19} (which they call coroutines). 1094 882 Our work provides the same high-performance asymmetric generators as \CCtwenty, and extends their work with symmetric generators. 1095 883 An additional \CCtwenty generator feature allows @suspend@ and @resume@ to be followed by a restricted compound statement that is executed after the current generator has reset its stack but before calling the next generator, specified with \CFA syntax: … … 1106 894 \label{s:Coroutine} 1107 895 1108 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. 1109 Note, simulating coroutines with stacks of generators, \eg Python with @yield from@ cannot handle symmetric control-flow. 1110 Furthermore, all stack components must be of generators, so it is impossible to call a library function passing a generator that yields. 1111 Creating a generator copy of the library function maybe impossible because the library function is opaque. 1112 1113 A \CFA coroutine is specified by replacing @generator@ with @coroutine@ for the type. 1114 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. 896 Stackful coroutines extend generator semantics, \ie there is an implicit closure and @suspend@ may appear in a helper function called from the coroutine main. 897 A coroutine is specified by replacing @generator@ with @coroutine@ for the type. 898 Coroutine generality results in higher cost for creation, due to dynamic stack allocation, execution, due to context switching among stacks, and terminating, due to possible stack unwinding and dynamic stack deallocation. 1115 899 A series of different kinds of coroutines and their implementations demonstrate how coroutines extend generators. 1116 900 1117 901 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. 1118 Now the coroutine type only contains communication variables between interface functions and the coroutine main. 1119 \begin{center} 1120 \begin{tabular}{@{}l|l|l|l@{}} 1121 \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Fibonacci} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Formatter} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Device Driver} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{PingPong} \\ 1122 \hline 902 \begin{description} 903 \item[Fibonacci] 904 Move the declaration of @fn1@ to the start of coroutine main. 1123 905 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 1124 void main( Fib & fib ) ...906 void main( Fib & fib ) with(fib) { 1125 907 `int fn1;` 1126 1127 1128 \end{cfa} 1129 & 908 \end{cfa} 909 \item[Formatter] 910 Move the declaration of @g@ and @b@ to the for loops in the coroutine main. 1130 911 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 1131 912 for ( `g`; 5 ) { 1132 913 for ( `b`; 4 ) { 1133 1134 1135 \end{cfa} 1136 & 914 \end{cfa} 915 \item[Device Driver] 916 Move the declaration of @lnth@ and @sum@ to their points of initialization. 1137 917 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 1138 status = CONT; 1139 `int lnth = 0, sum = 0;` 1140 ... 1141 `short int crc = byte << 8;` 1142 \end{cfa} 1143 & 918 status = CONT; 919 `unsigned int lnth = 0, sum = 0;` 920 ... 921 `unsigned short int crc = byte << 8;` 922 \end{cfa} 923 \item[PingPong] 924 Move the declaration of @i@ to the for loop in the coroutine main. 1144 925 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 1145 void main( PingPong & pp ) ...926 void main( PingPong & pp ) with(pp) { 1146 927 for ( `i`; N ) { 1147 1148 1149 \end{cfa} 1150 \end{tabular} 1151 \end{center} 928 \end{cfa} 929 \end{description} 1152 930 It is also possible to refactor code containing local-state and @suspend@ statements into a helper function, like the computation of the CRC for the device driver. 1153 931 \begin{cfa} 1154 int Crc() { 1155 `suspend;` short int crc = byte << 8; 1156 `suspend;` status = (crc | byte) == sum ? MSG : ECRC; 932 unsigned int Crc() { 933 `suspend;` 934 unsigned short int crc = byte << 8; 935 `suspend;` 936 status = (crc | byte) == sum ? MSG : ECRC; 1157 937 return crc; 1158 938 } 1159 939 \end{cfa} 1160 A call to this function is placed at the end of the d evice driver's coroutine-main.1161 For complex FSMs, refactoring is part of normal program abstraction, especially when code is used in multiple places.940 A call to this function is placed at the end of the driver's coroutine-main. 941 For complex finite-state machines, refactoring is part of normal program abstraction, especially when code is used in multiple places. 1162 942 Again, this complexity is usually associated with execution state rather than data state. 1163 943 1164 944 \begin{comment} 1165 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@.1166 Like the structure in Figure~\ref{f:ExternalState}, the coroutine type allows multiple instances, where instances of this type are passed to the overloadedcoroutine main.945 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 @next@. 946 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. 1167 947 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@. 1168 The interface function @ restart@, takes a Fibonacci instance and context switches to it using @resume@;948 The interface function @next@, takes a Fibonacci instance and context switches to it using @resume@; 1169 949 on restart, the Fibonacci field, @fn@, contains the next value in the sequence, which is returned. 1170 950 The first @resume@ is special because it allocates the coroutine stack and cocalls its coroutine main on that stack; … … 1190 970 % } 1191 971 % int main() { 1192 % 972 % 1193 973 % for ( int i = 0; i < 10; i += 1 ) { 1194 974 % printf( "%d\n", fib() ); … … 1332 1112 \begin{figure} 1333 1113 \centering 1114 \lstset{language=CFA,escapechar={},moredelim=**[is][\protect\color{red}]{`}{`}}% allow $ 1334 1115 \begin{tabular}{@{}l@{\hspace{2\parindentlnth}}l@{}} 1335 1116 \begin{cfa} 1336 1117 `coroutine` Prod { 1337 Cons & c; $\C[1.5in]{// communication}$1118 Cons & c; // communication 1338 1119 int N, money, receipt; 1339 1120 }; 1340 1121 void main( Prod & prod ) with( prod ) { 1341 for ( i; N ) { $\C{// 1st resume}\CRT$ 1122 // 1st resume starts here 1123 for ( i; N ) { 1342 1124 int p1 = random( 100 ), p2 = random( 100 ); 1125 sout | p1 | " " | p2; 1343 1126 int status = delivery( c, p1, p2 ); 1127 sout | " $" | money | nl | status; 1344 1128 receipt += 1; 1345 1129 } 1346 1130 stop( c ); 1131 sout | "prod stops"; 1347 1132 } 1348 1133 int payment( Prod & prod, int money ) { … … 1365 1150 \begin{cfa} 1366 1151 `coroutine` Cons { 1367 Prod & p; $\C[1.5in]{// communication}$1152 Prod & p; // communication 1368 1153 int p1, p2, status; 1369 1154 bool done; 1370 1155 }; 1371 1156 void ?{}( Cons & cons, Prod & p ) { 1372 &cons.p = &p; $\C{// reassignable reference}$1157 &cons.p = &p; // reassignable reference 1373 1158 cons.[status, done ] = [0, false]; 1374 1159 } 1375 1160 void main( Cons & cons ) with( cons ) { 1376 int money = 1, receipt; $\C{// 1st resume}\CRT$ 1161 // 1st resume starts here 1162 int money = 1, receipt; 1377 1163 for ( ; ! done; ) { 1164 sout | p1 | " " | p2 | nl | " $" | money; 1378 1165 status += 1; 1379 1166 receipt = payment( p, money ); 1167 sout | " #" | receipt; 1380 1168 money += 1; 1381 1169 } 1170 sout | "cons stops"; 1382 1171 } 1383 1172 int delivery( Cons & cons, int p1, int p2 ) { … … 1398 1187 1399 1188 Figure~\ref{f:ProdCons} shows the ping-pong example in Figure~\ref{f:CFAPingPongGen} extended into a producer/consumer symmetric-coroutine performing bidirectional communication. 1400 This example is illustrative because both producer and consumer have two interface functions with @resume@s that suspend execution in these interfacefunctions.1189 This example is illustrative because both producer/consumer have two interface functions with @resume@s that suspend execution in these interface (helper) functions. 1401 1190 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. 1402 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. 1403 @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. 1404 The producer's call to @delivery@ transfers values into the consumer's communication variables, resumes the consumer, and returns the consumer status. 1405 Similarly on the first resume, @cons@'s stack is created and initialized, holding local-state variables retained between subsequent activations of the coroutine. 1406 The symmetric coroutine cycle forms when the consumer calls the producer's @payment@ function, which resumes the producer in the consumer's delivery function. 1407 When the producer calls @delivery@ again, it resumes the consumer in the @payment@ function. 1408 Both interface functions then return to their corresponding coroutine-main functions for the next cycle. 1191 The first @resume@ of @prod@ creates @prod@'s stack with a frame for @prod@'s coroutine main at the top, and context switches to it. 1192 @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 to deliver the values, and printing the status returned from the consumer. 1193 1194 The producer call to @delivery@ transfers values into the consumer's communication variables, resumes the consumer, and returns the consumer status. 1195 On the first resume, @cons@'s stack is created and initialized, holding local-state variables retained between subsequent activations of the coroutine. 1196 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). 1197 The call from the consumer to @payment@ introduces the cycle between producer and consumer. 1198 When @payment@ is called, the consumer copies values into the producer's communication variable and a resume is executed. 1199 The context switch restarts the producer at the point where it last context switched, so it continues in @delivery@ after the resume. 1200 @delivery@ returns the status value in @prod@'s coroutine main, where the status is printed. 1201 The loop then repeats calling @delivery@, where each call resumes the consumer coroutine. 1202 The context switch to the consumer continues in @payment@. 1203 The consumer increments and returns the receipt to the call in @cons@'s coroutine main. 1204 The loop then repeats calling @payment@, where each call resumes the producer coroutine. 1409 1205 Figure~\ref{f:ProdConsRuntimeStacks} shows the runtime stacks of the program main, and the coroutine mains for @prod@ and @cons@ during the cycling. 1410 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.1411 1206 1412 1207 \begin{figure} … … 1417 1212 \caption{Producer / consumer runtime stacks} 1418 1213 \label{f:ProdConsRuntimeStacks} 1214 1215 \medskip 1216 1217 \begin{center} 1218 \input{FullCoroutinePhases.pstex_t} 1219 \end{center} 1220 \vspace*{-10pt} 1221 \caption{Ping / Pong coroutine steps} 1222 \label{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} 1419 1223 \end{figure} 1420 1224 1421 1225 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. 1422 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. 1423 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. 1424 % (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.) 1425 When the consumer's main ends, its stack is already unwound so any stack allocated objects with destructors are finalized. 1426 The question now is where does control continue? 1427 1428 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. 1226 Furthermore, each deallocated coroutine must guarantee all destructors are run 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. 1227 When a coroutine's main ends, its stack is already unwound so any stack allocated objects with destructors have been finalized. 1228 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. 1429 1229 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. 1430 1230 Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine statically if a coroutine is in a cycle and unrealistic to check dynamically (graph-cycle problem). 1431 1231 Hence, a compromise solution is necessary that works for asymmetric (acyclic) and symmetric (cyclic) coroutines. 1432 Our solution is to retain a coroutine's starter (first resumer), and context switch back to the starter when the coroutine ends. 1433 Hence, the consumer restarts its first resumer, @prod@, in @stop@, and when the producer ends, it restarts its first resumer, program main, in @start@ (see dashed lines from the end of the coroutine mains in Figure~\ref{f:ProdConsRuntimeStacks}).1232 1233 Our solution is to context switch back to the first resumer (starter) once the coroutine ends. 1434 1234 This semantics works well for the most common asymmetric and symmetric coroutine usage patterns. 1435 For asymmetric coroutines, it is common for the first resumer (starter) coroutine to be the only resumer; 1436 for symmetric coroutines, it is common for the cycle creator to persist for the lifetime of the cycle. 1437 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. 1438 1439 Note, the producer/consumer example does not illustrate the full power of the starter semantics because @cons@ always ends first. 1440 Assume generator @PingPong@ in Figure~\ref{f:PingPongSymmetricGenerator} is converted to a coroutine. 1441 Unlike generators, coroutines have a starter structure with multiple levels, where the program main starts @ping@ and @ping@ starts @pong@. 1442 By adjusting $N$ for either @ping@ or @pong@, it is possible to have either finish first. 1443 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; 1444 if @ping@ ends first, it resumes its starter the program main on return. 1445 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. 1446 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. 1447 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. 1448 1449 1450 \subsection{Generator / coroutine implementation} 1451 1452 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. 1453 There are several solutions to this problem, which follow from the object-oriented flavor of adopting custom types. 1235 For asymmetric coroutines, it is common for the first resumer (starter) coroutine to be the only resumer. 1236 All previous generators converted to coroutines have this property. 1237 For symmetric coroutines, it is common for the cycle creator to persist for the lifetime of the cycle. 1238 Hence, the starter coroutine is remembered on the first resume and ending the coroutine resumes the starter. 1239 Figure~\ref{f:ProdConsRuntimeStacks} shows this semantic by the dashed lines from the end of the coroutine mains: @prod@ starts @cons@ so @cons@ resumes @prod@ at the end, and the program main starts @prod@ so @prod@ resumes the program main at the end. 1240 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. 1241 1242 The producer/consumer example does not illustrate the full power of the starter semantics because @cons@ always ends first. 1243 Assume generator @PingPong@ is converted to a coroutine. 1244 Figure~\ref{f:PingPongFullCoroutineSteps} shows the creation, starter, and cyclic execution steps of the coroutine version. 1245 The program main creates (declares) coroutine instances @ping@ and @pong@. 1246 Next, program main resumes @ping@, making it @ping@'s starter, and @ping@'s main resumes @pong@'s main, making it @pong@'s starter. 1247 Execution forms a cycle when @pong@ resumes @ping@, and cycles $N$ times. 1248 By adjusting $N$ for either @ping@/@pong@, it is possible to have either one finish first, instead of @pong@ always ending first. 1249 If @pong@ ends first, it resumes its starter @ping@ in its coroutine main, then @ping@ ends and resumes its starter the program main in function @start@. 1250 If @ping@ ends first, it resumes its starter the program main in function @start@. 1251 Regardless of the cycle complexity, the starter stack always leads back to the program main, but the stack can be entered at an arbitrary point. 1252 Once back at the program main, coroutines @ping@ and @pong@ are deallocated. 1253 For generators, deallocation runs the destructors for all objects in the generator type. 1254 For coroutines, deallocation deals with objects in the coroutine type and must also run the destructors for any objects pending on the coroutine's stack for any unterminated coroutine. 1255 Hence, if a coroutine's destructor detects the coroutine is not ended, it implicitly raises a cancellation exception (uncatchable exception) at the coroutine and resumes it so the cancellation exception can propagate to the root of the coroutine's stack destroying all local variable on the stack. 1256 So the \CFA semantics for the generator and coroutine, ensure both can be safely deallocated at any time, regardless of their current state, like any other aggregate object. 1257 Explicitly raising normal exceptions at another coroutine can replace flag variables, like @stop@, \eg @prod@ raises a @stop@ exception at @cons@ after it finishes generating values and resumes @cons@, which catches the @stop@ exception to terminate its loop. 1258 1259 Finally, there is an interesting effect for @suspend@ with symmetric coroutines. 1260 A coroutine must retain its last resumer to suspend back because the resumer is on a different stack. 1261 These reverse pointers allow @suspend@ to cycle \emph{backwards}, which may be useful in certain cases. 1262 However, there is an anomaly if a coroutine resumes itself, because it overwrites its last resumer with itself, losing the ability to resume the last external resumer. 1263 To prevent losing this information, a self-resume does not overwrite the last resumer. 1264 1265 1266 \subsection{Generator / Coroutine Implementation} 1267 1268 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, \eg stack. 1269 There are several solutions to these problem, which follow from the object-oriented flavour of adopting custom types. 1454 1270 1455 1271 For object-oriented languages, inheritance is used to provide extra fields and code via explicit inheritance: … … 1458 1274 \end{cfa} 1459 1275 % 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. 1460 The problem is that some special properties are not handled by existing language semantics, \eg the execution of constructors anddestructors 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.1276 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. 1461 1277 Alternatives, such as explicitly starting threads as in Java, are repetitive and forgetting to call start is a common source of errors. 1462 1278 An alternative is composition: … … 1476 1292 Users wanting to extend custom types or build their own can only do so in ways offered by the language. 1477 1293 Furthermore, implementing custom types without language support may display the power of a programming language. 1478 \CFA blends the two approaches, providing custom type for idiomatic \CFA code, while extending and building new custom types is still possible, similar to Java concurrency with builtin and library (@java.util.concurrent@) monitors.1294 \CFA blends the two approaches, providing custom type for idiomatic \CFA code, while extending and building new custom types is still possible, similar to Java concurrency with builtin and library. 1479 1295 1480 1296 Part of the mechanism to generalize custom types is the \CFA trait~\cite[\S~2.3]{Moss18}, \eg the definition for custom-type @coroutine@ is anything satisfying the trait @is_coroutine@, and this trait both enforces and restricts the coroutine-interface functions. … … 1486 1302 forall( `dtype` T | is_coroutine(T) ) void $suspend$( T & ), resume( T & ); 1487 1303 \end{cfa} 1488 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. 1489 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. 1490 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. 1491 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. 1304 Note, copying generators/coroutines/threads is not meaningful. 1305 For example, both the resumer and suspender descriptors can have bidirectional pointers; 1306 copying these coroutines does not update the internal pointers so behaviour of both copies would be difficult to understand. 1307 Furthermore, two coroutines cannot logically execute on the same stack. 1308 A deep coroutine copy, which copies the stack, is also meaningless in an unmanaged language (no garbage collection), like C, because the stack may contain pointers to object within it that require updating for the copy. 1309 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). 1310 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. 1311 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. 1492 1312 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@. 1493 1313 … … 1530 1350 The combination of custom types and fundamental @trait@ description of these types allows a concise specification for programmers and tools, while more advanced programmers can have tighter control over memory layout and initialization. 1531 1351 1532 Figure~\ref{f:CoroutineMemoryLayout} shows different memory-layout options for a coroutine (where a t hreadis similar).1533 The coroutine handle is the @coroutine@ instance containing programmer specified type global andcommunication variables across interface functions.1352 Figure~\ref{f:CoroutineMemoryLayout} shows different memory-layout options for a coroutine (where a task is similar). 1353 The coroutine handle is the @coroutine@ instance containing programmer specified type global/communication variables across interface functions. 1534 1354 The coroutine descriptor contains all implicit declarations needed by the runtime, \eg @suspend@/@resume@, and can be part of the coroutine handle or separate. 1535 1355 The coroutine stack can appear in a number of locations and be fixed or variable sized. 1536 Hence, the coroutine's stack could be a variable-length structure (VLS) 1537 % \footnote{ 1538 % We are examining VLSs, where fields can be variable-sized structures or arrays. 1539 % Once allocated, a VLS is fixed sized.} 1356 Hence, the coroutine's stack could be a VLS\footnote{ 1357 We are examining variable-sized structures (VLS), where fields can be variable-sized structures or arrays. 1358 Once allocated, a VLS is fixed sized.} 1540 1359 on the allocating stack, provided the allocating stack is large enough. 1541 For a VLS stack allocation and deallocation is an inexpensive adjustment of the stack pointer, modulo any stack constructor costs to initial frame setup.1542 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.1543 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.1544 Currently, \CFA supports stack andheap allocated descriptors but only fixed-sized heap allocated stacks.1360 For a VLS stack allocation/deallocation is an inexpensive adjustment of the stack pointer, modulo any stack constructor costs (\eg initial frame setup). 1361 For heap stack allocation, allocation/deallocation is an expensive heap allocation (where the heap can be a shared resource), modulo any stack constructor costs. 1362 With heap stack allocation, it is also possible to use a split (segmented) stack calling convention, available with gcc and clang, so the stack is variable sized. 1363 Currently, \CFA supports stack/heap allocated descriptors but only fixed-sized heap allocated stacks. 1545 1364 In \CFA debug-mode, the fixed-sized stack is terminated with a write-only page, which catches most stack overflows. 1546 1365 Experience teaching concurrency with \uC~\cite{CS343} shows fixed-sized stacks are rarely an issue for students. 1547 Split-stack allocation is under development but requires recompilation of legacy code, which is not alwayspossible.1366 Split-stack allocation is under development but requires recompilation of legacy code, which may be impossible. 1548 1367 1549 1368 \begin{figure} … … 1559 1378 1560 1379 Concurrency is nondeterministic scheduling of independent sequential execution paths (threads), where each thread has its own stack. 1561 A single thread with multiple stacks, \ie coroutining, does \emph{not} imply concurrency~\cite[\S~3]{Buhr05a}.1562 Coroutiningself-schedule the thread across stacks so execution is deterministic.1380 A single thread with multiple call stacks, \newterm{coroutining}~\cite{Conway63,Marlin80}, does \emph{not} imply concurrency~\cite[\S~2]{Buhr05a}. 1381 In coroutining, coroutines self-schedule the thread across stacks so execution is deterministic. 1563 1382 (It is \emph{impossible} to generate a concurrency error when coroutining.) 1564 1565 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}. 1383 However, coroutines are a stepping stone towards concurrency. 1384 1385 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}. 1566 1386 Therefore, a minimal concurrency system requires coroutines \emph{in conjunction with a nondeterministic scheduler}. 1567 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. 1568 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. 1387 The resulting execution system now follows a cooperative threading model~\cite{Adya02,libdill}, called \newterm{non-preemptive scheduling}. 1388 Adding \newterm{preemption} introduces non-cooperative scheduling, where context switching occurs randomly between any two instructions often based on a timer interrupt, called \newterm{preemptive scheduling}. 1389 While a scheduler introduces uncertain execution among explicit context switches, preemption introduces uncertainty by introducing implicit context switches. 1569 1390 Uncertainty gives the illusion of parallelism on a single processor and provides a mechanism to access and increase performance on multiple processors. 1570 The reason is that the scheduler andruntime have complete knowledge about resources and how to best utilized them.1571 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;1391 The reason is that the scheduler/runtime have complete knowledge about resources and how to best utilized them. 1392 However, the introduction of unrestricted nondeterminism results in the need for \newterm{mutual exclusion} and \newterm{synchronization}, which restrict nondeterminism for correctness; 1572 1393 otherwise, it is impossible to write meaningful concurrent programs. 1573 1394 Optimal concurrent performance is often obtained by having as much nondeterminism as mutual exclusion and synchronization correctness allow. 1574 1395 1575 A scheduler can also bestackless or stackful.1396 A scheduler can either be a stackless or stackful. 1576 1397 For stackless, the scheduler performs scheduling on the stack of the current coroutine and switches directly to the next coroutine, so there is one context switch. 1577 1398 For stackful, the current coroutine switches to the scheduler, which performs scheduling, and it then switches to the next coroutine, so there are two context switches. … … 1582 1403 \label{s:threads} 1583 1404 1584 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@. 1585 \vspace{4pt} 1586 \par\noindent 1587 \begin{tabular}{@{}l|l|l@{}} 1588 \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\textbf{Java}} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\textbf{\Celeven}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{pthreads}} \\ 1589 \hline 1590 \begin{cfa} 1591 class MyThread extends Thread {...} 1592 mythread t = new MyThread(...); 1405 Threading needs the ability to start a thread and wait for its completion. 1406 A common API for this ability is @fork@ and @join@. 1407 \begin{cquote} 1408 \begin{tabular}{@{}lll@{}} 1409 \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{Java}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{\Celeven}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{pthreads}} \\ 1410 \begin{cfa} 1411 class MyTask extends Thread {...} 1412 mytask t = new MyTask(...); 1593 1413 `t.start();` // start 1594 1414 // concurrency … … 1597 1417 & 1598 1418 \begin{cfa} 1599 class MyT hread{ ... } // functor1600 MyT hread mythread;1601 `thread t( myt hread, ... );` // start1419 class MyTask { ... } // functor 1420 MyTask mytask; 1421 `thread t( mytask, ... );` // start 1602 1422 // concurrency 1603 1423 `t.join();` // wait … … 1612 1432 \end{cfa} 1613 1433 \end{tabular} 1614 \vspace{1pt} 1615 \par\noindent 1616 \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. 1617 \begin{cfa} 1618 thread MyThread {}; 1619 void main( MyThread & this ) { ... } 1434 \end{cquote} 1435 \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. 1436 \begin{cfa} 1437 thread MyTask {}; 1438 void main( MyTask & this ) { ... } 1620 1439 int main() { 1621 MyT hreadteam`[10]`; $\C[2.5in]{// allocate stack-based threads, implicit start after construction}$1440 MyTask team`[10]`; $\C[2.5in]{// allocate stack-based threads, implicit start after construction}$ 1622 1441 // concurrency 1623 1442 } $\C{// deallocate stack-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}$ 1624 1443 \end{cfa} 1625 This semantic ensures a thread is started and stopped exactly once, eliminating some programming error, and scales to multiple threads for basic terminationsynchronization.1626 For block allocation to arbitrary depth, including recursion, threads are created anddestroyed in a lattice structure (tree with top and bottom).1444 This semantic ensures a thread is started and stopped exactly once, eliminating some programming error, and scales to multiple threads for basic (termination) synchronization. 1445 For block allocation to arbitrary depth, including recursion, threads are created/destroyed in a lattice structure (tree with top and bottom). 1627 1446 Arbitrary topologies are possible using dynamic allocation, allowing threads to outlive their declaration scope, identical to normal dynamic allocation. 1628 1447 \begin{cfa} 1629 MyT hread* factory( int N ) { ... return `anew( N )`; } $\C{// allocate heap-based threads, implicit start after construction}$1448 MyTask * factory( int N ) { ... return `anew( N )`; } $\C{// allocate heap-based threads, implicit start after construction}$ 1630 1449 int main() { 1631 MyT hread* team = factory( 10 );1450 MyTask * team = factory( 10 ); 1632 1451 // concurrency 1633 ` adelete( team );` $\C{// deallocate heap-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}\CRT$1452 `delete( team );` $\C{// deallocate heap-based threads, implicit joins before destruction}\CRT$ 1634 1453 } 1635 1454 \end{cfa} … … 1672 1491 1673 1492 1674 \subsection{Thread implementation}1493 \subsection{Thread Implementation} 1675 1494 1676 1495 Threads in \CFA are user level run by runtime kernel threads (see Section~\ref{s:CFARuntimeStructure}), where user threads provide concurrency and kernel threads provide parallelism. 1677 Like coroutines, and for the same design reasons, \CFA provides a custom @thread@ type and a @trait@ to enforce and restrict the t hread-interface functions.1496 Like coroutines, and for the same design reasons, \CFA provides a custom @thread@ type and a @trait@ to enforce and restrict the task-interface functions. 1678 1497 \begin{cquote} 1679 1498 \begin{tabular}{@{}c@{\hspace{3\parindentlnth}}c@{}} … … 1695 1514 \end{tabular} 1696 1515 \end{cquote} 1697 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.1698 Similarly, the function definitions ensure there is a statically typed @main@ function that is the thread starting point (first stack frame), a mechanism to readthe thread descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation while the thread is executing.1516 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). 1517 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. 1699 1518 (The qualifier @mutex@ for the destructor parameter is discussed in Section~\ref{s:Monitor}.) 1700 1519 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; 1701 1520 whereas, a thread is scheduling for execution in @main@ immediately after its constructor is run. 1702 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 andoutput values.1521 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. 1703 1522 1704 1523 … … 1706 1525 \label{s:MutualExclusionSynchronization} 1707 1526 1708 Unrestricted nondeterminism is meaningless as there is no way to know when a result is completed and safe to access.1527 Unrestricted nondeterminism is meaningless as there is no way to know when the result is completed without synchronization. 1709 1528 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}. 1710 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. 1711 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. 1712 Preventing or detecting barging is a challenge with low-level locks, but made easier through higher-level constructs. 1713 This challenge is often split into two different approaches: barging \emph{avoidance} and \emph{prevention}. 1714 Approaches that unconditionally releasing a lock for competing threads to acquire must use barging avoidance with flag/counter variable(s) to force barging threads to wait; 1715 approaches that conditionally hold locks during synchronization, \eg baton-passing~\cite{Andrews89}, prevent barging completely. 1716 1717 At the lowest level, concurrent control is provided by atomic operations, upon which different kinds of locking mechanisms are constructed, \eg spin locks, semaphores~\cite{Dijkstra68b}, barriers, and path expressions~\cite{Campbell74}. 1529 Some concurrent systems eliminate mutable shared-state by switching to stateless 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). 1530 However, these approaches introduce a new communication mechanism for concurrency different from the standard communication using function call/return. 1531 Hence, a programmer must learn and manipulate two sets of design/programming patterns. 1532 While this distinction can be hidden away in library code, effective use of the library still has to take both paradigms into account. 1533 In contrast, approaches based on stateful models more closely resemble the standard call/return programming model, resulting in a single programming paradigm. 1534 1535 At the lowest level, concurrent control is implemented by atomic operations, upon which different kinds of locking mechanisms are constructed, \eg semaphores~\cite{Dijkstra68b}, barriers, and path expressions~\cite{Campbell74}. 1718 1536 However, for productivity it is always desirable to use the highest-level construct that provides the necessary efficiency~\cite{Hochstein05}. 1719 A significant challenge with locks is composability because it takes careful organization for multiple locks to be used while preventing deadlock. 1537 A newer approach for restricting non-determinism is transactional memory~\cite{Herlihy93}. 1538 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 to be the main concurrency paradigm for system languages, which is why it is rejected as the core paradigm for concurrency in \CFA. 1539 1540 One of the most natural, elegant, and efficient mechanisms for mutual exclusion and synchronization for shared-memory systems is the \emph{monitor}. 1541 First proposed by Brinch Hansen~\cite{Hansen73} and later described and extended by C.A.R.~Hoare~\cite{Hoare74}, many concurrent programming languages provide monitors as an explicit language construct: \eg Concurrent Pascal~\cite{ConcurrentPascal}, Mesa~\cite{Mesa}, Modula~\cite{Modula-2}, Turing~\cite{Turing:old}, Modula-3~\cite{Modula-3}, NeWS~\cite{NeWS}, Emerald~\cite{Emerald}, \uC~\cite{Buhr92a} and Java~\cite{Java}. 1542 In addition, operating-system kernels and device drivers have a monitor-like structure, although they often use lower-level primitives such as mutex locks or semaphores to simulate monitors. 1543 For these reasons, \CFA selected monitors as the core high-level concurrency construct, upon which higher-level approaches can be easily constructed. 1544 1545 1546 \subsection{Mutual Exclusion} 1547 1548 A group of instructions manipulating a specific instance of shared data that must be performed atomically is called a \newterm{critical section}~\cite{Dijkstra65}, which is enforced by \newterm{simple mutual-exclusion}. 1549 The generalization is called a \newterm{group critical-section}~\cite{Joung00}, where multiple tasks with the same session use the resource simultaneously and different sessions are segregated, which is enforced by \newterm{complex mutual-exclusion} providing the correct kind and number of threads using a group critical-section. 1550 The readers/writer problem~\cite{Courtois71} is an instance of a group critical-section, where readers share a session but writers have a unique session. 1551 1552 However, many solutions exist for mutual exclusion, which vary in terms of performance, flexibility and ease of use. 1553 Methods 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. 1554 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. 1555 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. 1556 However, a significant challenge with locks is composability because it takes careful organization for multiple locks to be used while preventing deadlock. 1720 1557 Easing composability is another feature higher-level mutual-exclusion mechanisms can offer. 1721 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). 1722 However, these approaches introduce a new communication mechanism for concurrency different from the standard communication using function call/return. 1723 Hence, a programmer must learn and manipulate two sets of design and programming patterns. 1724 While this distinction can be hidden away in library code, effective use of the library still has to take both paradigms into account. 1725 In contrast, approaches based on shared-state models more closely resemble the standard call and return programming model, resulting in a single programming paradigm. 1726 Finally, a newer approach for restricting non-determinism is transactional memory~\cite{Herlihy93}. 1727 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. 1558 1559 1560 \subsection{Synchronization} 1561 1562 Synchronization enforces relative ordering of execution, and synchronization tools provide numerous mechanisms to establish these timing relationships. 1563 Low-level synchronization primitives offer good performance and flexibility at the cost of ease of use; 1564 higher-level mechanisms often simplify usage by adding better coupling between synchronization and data, \eg receive-specific versus receive-any thread in message passing or offering specialized solutions, \eg barrier lock. 1565 Often synchronization is used to order access to a critical section, \eg ensuring a waiting writer thread enters the critical section before a calling reader thread. 1566 If the calling reader is scheduled before the waiting writer, the reader has barged. 1567 Barging can result in staleness/freshness problems, where a reader barges ahead of a writer and reads temporally stale data, or a writer barges ahead of another writer overwriting data with a fresh value preventing the previous value from ever being read (lost computation). 1568 Preventing or detecting barging is an involved challenge with low-level locks, which is made easier through higher-level constructs. 1569 This challenge is often split into two different approaches: barging avoidance and prevention. 1570 Algorithms that unconditionally releasing a lock for competing threads to acquire use barging avoidance during synchronization to force a barging thread to wait; 1571 algorithms that conditionally hold locks during synchronization, \eg baton-passing~\cite{Andrews89}, prevent barging completely. 1728 1572 1729 1573 … … 1731 1575 \label{s:Monitor} 1732 1576 1733 One of the most natural, elegant, efficient, high-level mechanisms for mutual exclusion and synchronization for shared-memory systems is the \emph{monitor} (Table~\ref{t:ExecutionPropertyComposition} case 2). 1734 First proposed by Brinch Hansen~\cite{Hansen73} and later described and extended by C.A.R.~Hoare~\cite{Hoare74}, many concurrent programming languages provide monitors as an explicit language construct: \eg Concurrent Pascal~\cite{ConcurrentPascal}, Mesa~\cite{Mesa}, Modula~\cite{Modula-2}, Turing~\cite{Turing:old}, Modula-3~\cite{Modula-3}, NeWS~\cite{NeWS}, Emerald~\cite{Emerald}, \uC~\cite{Buhr92a} and Java~\cite{Java}. 1735 In addition, operating-system kernels and device drivers have a monitor-like structure, although they often use lower-level primitives such as mutex locks or semaphores to manually implement a monitor. 1736 For these reasons, \CFA selected monitors as the core high-level concurrency construct, upon which higher-level approaches can be easily constructed. 1737 1738 Figure~\ref{f:AtomicCounter} compares a \CFA and Java monitor implementing an atomic counter. 1739 (Like other concurrent programming languages, \CFA and Java have performant specializations for the basic types using atomic instructions.) 1740 A \newterm{monitor} is a set of functions that ensure mutual exclusion when accessing shared state. 1741 (Note, in \CFA, @monitor@ is short-hand for @mutex struct@.) 1742 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). 1743 Restricting acquire and release points eases programming, comprehension, and maintenance, at a slight cost in flexibility and efficiency. 1744 As for other special types, \CFA has a custom @monitor@ type. 1745 1746 \begin{figure} 1747 \centering 1748 1749 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA} 1750 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1751 `monitor` Aint { // atomic integer counter 1752 int cnt; 1753 }; 1754 int ++?( Aint & `mutex` this ) with(this) { return ++cnt; } 1755 int ?=?( Aint & `mutex` lhs, int rhs ) with(lhs) { cnt = rhs; } 1756 int ?=?(int & lhs, Aint & rhs) with(rhs) { lhs = cnt; } 1757 1577 A \textbf{monitor} is a set of functions that ensure mutual exclusion when accessing shared state. 1578 More precisely, a monitor is a programming technique that implicitly binds mutual exclusion to static function scope, as opposed to locks, where mutual-exclusion is defined by acquire/release calls, independent of lexical context (analogous to block and heap storage allocation). 1579 Restricting acquire/release points eases programming, comprehension, and maintenance, at a slight cost in flexibility and efficiency. 1580 \CFA uses a custom @monitor@ type and leverages declaration semantics (deallocation) to protect active or waiting threads in a monitor. 1581 1582 The following is a \CFA monitor implementation of an atomic counter. 1583 \begin{cfa}[morekeywords=nomutex] 1584 `monitor` Aint { int cnt; }; $\C[4.25in]{// atomic integer counter}$ 1585 int ++?( Aint & `mutex`$\(_{opt}\)$ this ) with( this ) { return ++cnt; } $\C{// increment}$ 1586 int ?=?( Aint & `mutex`$\(_{opt}\)$ lhs, int rhs ) with( lhs ) { cnt = rhs; } $\C{// conversions with int}\CRT$ 1587 int ?=?( int & lhs, Aint & `mutex`$\(_{opt}\)$ rhs ) with( rhs ) { lhs = cnt; } 1588 \end{cfa} 1589 % The @Aint@ constructor, @?{}@, uses the \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@ qualifier indicating mutual exclusion is unnecessary during construction because an object is inaccessible (private) until after it is initialized. 1590 % (While a constructor may publish its address into a global variable, doing so generates a race-condition.) 1591 The prefix increment operation, @++?@, is normally @mutex@, indicating mutual exclusion is necessary during function execution, to protect the incrementing from race conditions, unless there is an atomic increment instruction for the implementation type. 1592 The assignment operators provide bidirectional conversion between an atomic and normal integer without accessing field @cnt@; 1593 these operations only need @mutex@, if reading/writing the implementation type is not atomic. 1594 The atomic counter is used without any explicit mutual-exclusion and provides thread-safe semantics, which is similar to the \CC template @std::atomic@. 1595 \begin{cfa} 1758 1596 int i = 0, j = 0, k = 5; 1759 Aint x = { 0 }, y = { 0 }, z = { 5 }; // no mutex 1760 ++x; ++y; ++z; // mutex 1761 x = 2; y = i; z = k; // mutex 1762 i = x; j = y; k = z; // no mutex 1763 \end{cfa} 1764 \end{lrbox} 1765 1766 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 1767 \begin{java}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1768 class Aint { 1769 private int cnt; 1770 public Aint( int init ) { cnt = init; } 1771 `synchronized` public int inc() { return ++cnt; } 1772 `synchronized` public void set( int rhs ) {cnt=rhs;} 1773 public int get() { return cnt; } 1774 } 1775 int i = 0, j = 0, k = 5; 1776 Aint x=new Aint(0), y=new Aint(0), z=new Aint(5); 1777 x.inc(); y.inc(); z.inc(); 1778 x.set( 2 ); y.set( i ); z.set( k ); 1779 i = x.get(); j = y.get(); k = z.get(); 1780 \end{java} 1781 \end{lrbox} 1782 1783 \subfloat[\CFA]{\label{f:AtomicCounterCFA}\usebox\myboxA} 1784 \hspace{3pt} 1785 \vrule 1786 \hspace{3pt} 1787 \subfloat[Java]{\label{f:AtomicCounterJava}\usebox\myboxB} 1788 \caption{Atomic counter} 1789 \label{f:AtomicCounter} 1790 \end{figure} 1791 1792 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. 1793 % \begin{cfa} 1794 % monitor M { ... } m; 1795 % void foo( M & mutex m ) { ... } $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1796 % void bar( M & mutex m ) { $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1797 % ... `bar( m );` ... `foo( m );` ... $\C{// reacquire mutual exclusion}$ 1798 % } 1799 % \end{cfa} 1800 \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. 1801 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. 1802 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; 1597 Aint x = { 0 }, y = { 0 }, z = { 5 }; $\C{// no mutex required}$ 1598 ++x; ++y; ++z; $\C{// safe increment by multiple threads}$ 1599 x = 2; y = i; z = k; $\C{// conversions}$ 1600 i = x; j = y; k = z; 1601 \end{cfa} 1602 1603 \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. 1604 \begin{cfa} 1605 monitor M { ... } m; 1606 void foo( M & mutex m ) { ... } $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1607 void bar( M & mutex m ) { $\C{// acquire mutual exclusion}$ 1608 ... `bar( m );` ... `foo( m );` ... $\C{// reacquire mutual exclusion}$ 1609 } 1610 \end{cfa} 1611 \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. 1612 Similar safety is offered by \emph{explicit} mechanisms like \CC RAII; 1613 monitor \emph{implicit} safety ensures no programmer usage errors. 1614 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; 1803 1615 RAII is purely a mutual-exclusion mechanism (see Section~\ref{s:Scheduling}). 1804 1616 1805 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. 1806 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. 1807 Monitor objects can be passed through multiple helper functions without acquiring mutual exclusion, until a designated function associated with the object is called. 1808 \CFA designated functions are marked by an explicitly parameter-only pointer/reference qualifier @mutex@ (discussed further in Section\ref{s:MutexAcquisition}). 1809 Whereas, Java designated members are marked with \lstinline[language=java]|synchronized| that applies to the implicit reference parameter @this@. 1810 In the example, the increment and setter operations need mutual exclusion while the read-only getter operation can be nonmutex if reading the implementation is atomic. 1811 1812 1813 \subsection{Monitor implementation} 1617 1618 \subsection{Monitor Implementation} 1814 1619 1815 1620 For the same design reasons, \CFA provides a custom @monitor@ type and a @trait@ to enforce and restrict the monitor-interface functions. … … 1831 1636 \end{tabular} 1832 1637 \end{cquote} 1833 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. 1834 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. 1638 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). 1639 % Copying 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. 1640 % Copying 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. 1641 Similarly, the function definitions ensures there is a mechanism to get (read) the monitor descriptor from its handle, and a special destructor to prevent deallocation if a thread using the shared data. 1835 1642 The custom monitor type also inserts any locks needed to implement the mutual exclusion semantics. 1836 \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. 1837 1838 1839 \subsection{Mutex acquisition} 1643 1644 1645 \subsection{Mutex Acquisition} 1840 1646 \label{s:MutexAcquisition} 1841 1647 1842 For object-oriented programming languages, the mutex property applies to one object, the implicit pointer/reference to the monitor type. 1843 Because \CFA uses a pointer qualifier, other possibilities exist, \eg: 1844 \begin{cfa} 1845 monitor M { ... }; 1648 While the monitor lock provides mutual exclusion for shared data, there are implementation options for when and where the locking/unlocking occurs. 1649 (Much of this discussion also applies to basic locks.) 1650 For example, a monitor may be passed through multiple helper functions before it is necessary to acquire the monitor's mutual exclusion. 1651 1652 The benefit of mandatory monitor qualifiers is self-documentation, but requiring both @mutex@ and \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@ for all monitor parameters is redundant. 1653 Instead, the semantics has one qualifier as the default and the other required. 1654 For example, make the safe @mutex@ qualifier the default because assuming \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@ may cause subtle errors. 1655 Alternatively, make the unsafe \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@ qualifier the default because it is the \emph{normal} parameter semantics while @mutex@ parameters are rare. 1656 Providing a default qualifier implies knowing whether a parameter is a monitor. 1657 Since \CFA relies heavily on traits as an abstraction mechanism, types can coincidentally match the monitor trait but not be a monitor, similar to inheritance where a shape and playing card can both be drawable. 1658 For this reason, \CFA requires programmers to identify the kind of parameter with the @mutex@ keyword and uses no keyword to mean \lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@. 1659 1660 The next semantic decision is establishing which parameter \emph{types} may be qualified with @mutex@. 1661 The following has monitor parameter types that are composed of multiple objects. 1662 \begin{cfa} 1663 monitor M { ... } 1846 1664 int f1( M & mutex m ); $\C{// single parameter object}$ 1847 1665 int f2( M * mutex m ); $\C{// single or multiple parameter object}$ … … 1849 1667 int f4( stack( M * ) & mutex m ); $\C{// multiple parameters object}$ 1850 1668 \end{cfa} 1851 Function @f1@ has a single object parameter, while functions @f2@ to @f4@ can be a single or multi-element parameter with statically unknown size. 1852 Because of the statically unknown size, \CFA only supports a single reference @mutex@ parameter, @f1@. 1853 1854 The \CFA @mutex@ qualifier does allow the ability to support multimonitor functions,\footnote{ 1669 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. 1670 Function @f3@ has a multiple object matrix, and @f4@ a multiple object data structure. 1671 While shown shortly, multiple object acquisition is possible, but the number of objects must be statically known. 1672 Therefore, \CFA only acquires one monitor per parameter with at most one level of indirection, excluding pointers as it is impossible to statically determine the size. 1673 1674 For object-oriented monitors, \eg Java, calling a mutex member \emph{implicitly} acquires mutual exclusion of the receiver object, @`rec`.foo(...)@. 1675 \CFA has no receiver, and hence, the explicit @mutex@ qualifier is used to specify which objects acquire mutual exclusion. 1676 A positive consequence of this design decision is the ability to support multi-monitor functions,\footnote{ 1855 1677 While object-oriented monitors can be extended with a mutex qualifier for multiple-monitor members, no prior example of this feature could be found.} 1856 where the number of acquisitions is statically known,called \newterm{bulk acquire}.1857 \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 acquireis safe from deadlock.1678 called \newterm{bulk acquire}. 1679 \CFA guarantees acquisition order is consistent across calls to @mutex@ functions using the same monitors as arguments, so acquiring multiple monitors is safe from deadlock. 1858 1680 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. 1859 1681 A \CFA programmer only has to manage when to acquire mutual exclusion; … … 1875 1697 void transfer( BankAccount & `mutex` my, 1876 1698 BankAccount & `mutex` your, int me2you ) { 1877 // bulk acquire 1699 1878 1700 deposit( my, -me2you ); // debit 1879 1701 deposit( your, me2you ); // credit … … 1885 1707 if ( random() % 3 ) transfer( b1, b2, 7 ); 1886 1708 } 1887 } 1709 } 1888 1710 int main() { 1889 1711 `Person p1 = { b1, b2 }, p2 = { b2, b1 };` … … 1905 1727 void transfer( BankAccount & my, 1906 1728 BankAccount & your, int me2you ) { 1907 `scoped_lock lock( my.m, your.m );` // bulk acquire1729 `scoped_lock lock( my.m, your.m );` 1908 1730 deposit( my, -me2you ); // debit 1909 1731 deposit( your, me2you ); // credit … … 1915 1737 if ( random() % 3 ) transfer( b1, b2, 7 ); 1916 1738 } 1917 } 1739 } 1918 1740 int main() { 1919 1741 `thread p1(person, ref(b1), ref(b2)), p2(person, ref(b2), ref(b1));` … … 1933 1755 \end{figure} 1934 1756 1935 Users can still force the acquiring order by using or not using @mutex@.1757 Users can still force the acquiring order by using @mutex@/\lstinline[morekeywords=nomutex]@nomutex@. 1936 1758 \begin{cfa} 1937 1759 void foo( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ); $\C{// acquire m1 and m2}$ 1938 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & m2 ) { $\C{// onlyacquire m1}$1760 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & /* nomutex */ m2 ) { $\C{// acquire m1}$ 1939 1761 ... foo( m1, m2 ); ... $\C{// acquire m2}$ 1940 1762 } 1941 void baz( M & m1, M & mutex m2 ) { $\C{// onlyacquire m2}$1763 void baz( M & /* nomutex */ m1, M & mutex m2 ) { $\C{// acquire m2}$ 1942 1764 ... foo( m1, m2 ); ... $\C{// acquire m1}$ 1943 1765 } … … 1982 1804 % 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. 1983 1805 % 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. 1984 This section discusses scheduling for waiting threads eligible for monitor entry~\cite{Buhr95b}, \ie which user thread gets the shared resource next. 1985 (See Section~\ref{s:RuntimeStructureCluster} for scheduling kernel threads on virtual processors.) 1986 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. 1987 Leaving the monitor and retrying (busy waiting) is impractical for high-level programming. 1988 1989 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. 1806 This section discusses monitor scheduling for waiting threads eligible for entry, \ie which thread gets the shared resource next. (See Section~\ref{s:RuntimeStructureCluster} for scheduling threads on virtual processors.) 1807 While monitor mutual-exclusion provides safe access to shared data, the monitor data may indicate that a thread accessing it cannot proceed, \eg a bounded buffer may be full/empty so produce/consumer threads must block. 1808 Leaving the monitor and trying again (busy waiting) is impractical for high-level programming. 1809 Monitors eliminate busy waiting by providing synchronization to schedule threads needing access to the shared data, where threads block versus spinning. 1990 1810 Synchronization is generally achieved with internal~\cite{Hoare74} or external~\cite[\S~2.9.2]{uC++} scheduling. 1991 \newterm{Internal} largely schedules threads located \emph{inside} the monitor and is accomplished using condition variables with signal and wait. 1992 \newterm{External} largely schedules threads located \emph{outside} the monitor and is accomplished with the @waitfor@ statement. 1993 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. 1994 For complex scheduling, the approaches can be combined, so there are threads waiting inside and outside. 1995 1996 \CFA monitors do not allow calling threads to barge ahead of signaled threads via barging prevention, which simplifies synchronization among threads in the monitor and increases correctness. 1997 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. 1998 Preventing barging comes directly from Hoare's semantics in the seminal paper on monitors~\cite[p.~550]{Hoare74}. 1811 \newterm{Internal scheduling} is characterized by each thread entering the monitor and making an individual decision about proceeding or blocking, while \newterm{external scheduling} is characterized by an entering thread making a decision about proceeding for itself and on behalf of other threads attempting entry. 1812 Finally, \CFA monitors do not allow calling threads to barge ahead of signalled threads, which simplifies synchronization among threads in the monitor and increases correctness. 1813 If barging is allowed, synchronization between a signaller and signallee is difficult, often requiring additional flags and multiple unblock/block cycles. 1814 In fact, signals-as-hints is completely opposite from that proposed by Hoare in the seminal paper on monitors~\cite[p.~550]{Hoare74}. 1999 1815 % \begin{cquote} 2000 1816 % However, we decree that a signal operation be followed immediately by resumption of a waiting program, without possibility of an intervening procedure call from yet a third program. 2001 % It is only in this way that a waiting program has an absolute guarantee that it can acquire the resource just released by the signal ing program without any danger that a third program will interpose a monitor entry and seize the resource instead.~\cite[p.~550]{Hoare74}1817 % It is only in this way that a waiting program has an absolute guarantee that it can acquire the resource just released by the signalling program without any danger that a third program will interpose a monitor entry and seize the resource instead.~\cite[p.~550]{Hoare74} 2002 1818 % \end{cquote} 2003 Furthermore, \CFA concurrency has no spurious wakeup~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}, which eliminates an implicit self barging. 2004 2005 Monitor mutual-exclusion means signaling cannot have the signaller and signaled 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}. 2006 Figure~\ref{f:MonitorScheduling} shows internal and external scheduling for the bounded-buffer examples in Figure~\ref{f:GenericBoundedBuffer}. 2007 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). 2008 Multiple signals move multiple signallees to urgent until the condition queue is empty. 2009 When the signaller exits or waits, a thread is implicitly unblocked from urgent, if available, before unblocking a calling thread to prevent barging. 2010 (Java conceptually moves the signaled thread to the calling queue, and hence, allows barging.) 2011 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 signaled thread, which can immediately take advantage of the state change. 2012 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. 2013 Signalling is unconditional because signaling an empty condition queue does nothing. 2014 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. 2015 In \CFA, a condition queue can be created and stored independently. 1819 Furthermore, \CFA concurrency has no spurious wakeup~\cite[\S~9]{Buhr05a}, which eliminates an implicit form of self barging. 1820 Hence, a \CFA @wait@ statement is not enclosed in a @while@ loop retesting a blocking predicate, which can cause thread starvation due to barging. 1821 1822 Figure~\ref{f:MonitorScheduling} shows general internal/external scheduling (for the bounded-buffer example in Figure~\ref{f:InternalExternalScheduling}). 1823 External calling threads block on the calling queue, if the monitor is occupied, otherwise they enter in FIFO order. 1824 Internal threads block on condition queues via @wait@ and reenter from the condition in FIFO order. 1825 Alternatively, internal threads block on urgent from the @signal_block@ or @waitfor@, and reenter implicitly when the monitor becomes empty, \ie, the thread in the monitor exits or waits. 1826 1827 There are three signalling mechanisms to unblock waiting threads to enter the monitor. 1828 Note, signalling cannot have the signaller and signalled thread in the monitor simultaneously because of the mutual exclusion, so either the signaller or signallee can proceed. 1829 For internal scheduling, threads are unblocked from condition queues using @signal@, where the signallee is moved to urgent and the signaller continues (solid line). 1830 Multiple signals move multiple signallees to urgent until the condition is empty. 1831 When the signaller exits or waits, a thread blocked on urgent is processed before calling threads to prevent barging. 1832 (Java conceptually moves the signalled thread to the calling queue, and hence, allows barging.) 1833 The alternative unblock is in the opposite order using @signal_block@, where the signaller is moved to urgent and the signallee continues (dashed line), and is implicitly unblocked from urgent when the signallee exits or waits. 1834 1835 For external scheduling, the condition queues are not used; 1836 instead threads are unblocked directly from the calling queue using @waitfor@ based on function names requesting mutual exclusion. 1837 (The linear search through the calling queue to locate a particular call can be reduced to $O(1)$.) 1838 The @waitfor@ has the same semantics as @signal_block@, where the signalled thread executes before the signallee, which waits on urgent. 1839 Executing multiple @waitfor@s from different signalled functions causes the calling threads to move to urgent. 1840 External scheduling requires urgent to be a stack, because the signaller expects to execute immediately after the specified monitor call has exited or waited. 1841 Internal scheduling behaves the same for an urgent stack or queue, except for multiple signalling, where the threads unblock from urgent in reverse order from signalling. 1842 If the restart order is important, multiple signalling by a signal thread can be transformed into daisy-chain signalling among threads, where each thread signals the next thread. 1843 We tried both a stack for @waitfor@ and queue for signalling, but that resulted in complex semantics about which thread enters next. 1844 Hence, \CFA uses a single urgent stack to correctly handle @waitfor@ and adequately support both forms of signalling. 2016 1845 2017 1846 \begin{figure} … … 2031 1860 \end{figure} 2032 1861 1862 Figure~\ref{f:BBInt} shows a \CFA generic bounded-buffer with internal scheduling, where producers/consumers enter the monitor, detect the buffer is full/empty, and block on an appropriate condition variable, @full@/@empty@. 1863 The @wait@ function atomically blocks the calling thread and implicitly releases the monitor lock(s) for all monitors in the function's parameter list. 1864 The appropriate condition variable is signalled to unblock an opposite kind of thread after an element is inserted/removed from the buffer. 1865 Signalling is unconditional, because signalling an empty condition variable does nothing. 1866 It is common to declare condition variables as monitor fields to prevent shared access, hence no locking is required for access as the conditions are protected by the monitor lock. 1867 In \CFA, a condition variable can be created/stored independently. 1868 % To still prevent expensive locking on access, a condition variable is tied to a \emph{group} of monitors on first use, called \newterm{branding}, resulting in a low-cost boolean test to detect sharing from other monitors. 1869 1870 % Signalling semantics cannot have the signaller and signalled thread in the monitor simultaneously, which means: 1871 % \begin{enumerate} 1872 % \item 1873 % The signalling thread returns immediately and the signalled thread continues. 1874 % \item 1875 % The signalling thread continues and the signalled thread is marked for urgent unblocking at the next scheduling point (exit/wait). 1876 % \item 1877 % The signalling thread blocks but is marked for urgent unblocking at the next scheduling point and the signalled thread continues. 1878 % \end{enumerate} 1879 % The first approach is too restrictive, as it precludes solving a reasonable class of problems, \eg dating service (see Figure~\ref{f:DatingService}). 1880 % \CFA supports the next two semantics as both are useful. 1881 2033 1882 \begin{figure} 2034 1883 \centering … … 2042 1891 T elements[10]; 2043 1892 }; 2044 void ?{}( Buffer(T) & buf ) with(buf) {1893 void ?{}( Buffer(T) & buffer ) with(buffer) { 2045 1894 front = back = count = 0; 2046 1895 } 2047 2048 void insert(Buffer(T) & mutex buf, T elm) with(buf){2049 if ( count == 10 ) `wait( empty )`; // full ?2050 // insert el m into buf1896 void insert( Buffer(T) & mutex buffer, T elem ) 1897 with(buffer) { 1898 if ( count == 10 ) `wait( empty )`; 1899 // insert elem into buffer 2051 1900 `signal( full )`; 2052 1901 } 2053 T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buf ) with(buf) {2054 if ( count == 0 ) `wait( full )`; // empty ?2055 // remove el m from buf1902 T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buffer ) with(buffer) { 1903 if ( count == 0 ) `wait( full )`; 1904 // remove elem from buffer 2056 1905 `signal( empty )`; 2057 return el m;1906 return elem; 2058 1907 } 2059 1908 } 2060 1909 \end{cfa} 2061 1910 \end{lrbox} 1911 1912 % \newbox\myboxB 1913 % \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 1914 % \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 1915 % forall( otype T ) { // distribute forall 1916 % monitor Buffer { 1917 % 1918 % int front, back, count; 1919 % T elements[10]; 1920 % }; 1921 % void ?{}( Buffer(T) & buffer ) with(buffer) { 1922 % [front, back, count] = 0; 1923 % } 1924 % T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buffer ); // forward 1925 % void insert( Buffer(T) & mutex buffer, T elem ) 1926 % with(buffer) { 1927 % if ( count == 10 ) `waitfor( remove, buffer )`; 1928 % // insert elem into buffer 1929 % 1930 % } 1931 % T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buffer ) with(buffer) { 1932 % if ( count == 0 ) `waitfor( insert, buffer )`; 1933 % // remove elem from buffer 1934 % 1935 % return elem; 1936 % } 1937 % } 1938 % \end{cfa} 1939 % \end{lrbox} 2062 1940 2063 1941 \newbox\myboxB 2064 1942 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 2065 1943 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2066 forall( otype T ) { // distribute forall2067 monitor Buffer {2068 2069 int front, back, count;2070 T elements[10];2071 };2072 void ?{}( Buffer(T) & buf ) with(buf) {2073 front = back = count = 0;2074 }2075 T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buf ); // forward2076 void insert(Buffer(T) & mutex buf, T elm) with(buf){2077 if ( count == 10 ) `waitfor( remove : buf )`;2078 // insert elm into buf2079 2080 }2081 T remove( Buffer(T) & mutex buf ) with(buf) {2082 if ( count == 0 ) `waitfor( insert : buf )`;2083 // remove elm from buf2084 2085 return elm;2086 }2087 }2088 \end{cfa}2089 \end{lrbox}2090 2091 \subfloat[Internal scheduling]{\label{f:BBInt}\usebox\myboxA}2092 \hspace{1pt}2093 \vrule2094 \hspace{3pt}2095 \subfloat[External scheduling]{\label{f:BBExt}\usebox\myboxB}2096 2097 \caption{Generic bounded buffer}2098 \label{f:GenericBoundedBuffer}2099 \end{figure}2100 2101 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}.2102 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.2103 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.2104 2105 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++}.2106 While prior languages use external scheduling solely for thread interaction, \CFA generalizes it to both monitors and threads.2107 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.2108 Scheduling is controlled by the @waitfor@ statement, which atomically blocks the calling thread, releases the monitor lock, and restricts the function calls that can next acquire mutual exclusion.2109 Specifically, a thread calling the monitor is unblocked directly from the calling queue based on function names that can fulfill the cooperation required by the signaller.2110 (The linear search through the calling queue to locate a particular call can be reduced to $O(1)$.)2111 Hence, the @waitfor@ has the same semantics as @signal_block@, where the signallee thread from the calling queue executes before the signaller, which waits on urgent.2112 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.2113 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.2114 Hence, this mechanism is done in terms of control flow, next call, versus in terms of data, channels, as in Go and Rust @select@.2115 While both mechanisms have strengths and weaknesses, \CFA uses the control-flow mechanism to be consistent with other language features.2116 2117 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.2118 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.2119 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@.2120 An unblocked reader thread checks if the thread at the front of the queue is a reader and unblock it, \ie the readers daisy-chain signal the next group of readers demarcated by the next writer or end of the queue.2121 For external scheduling in Figure~\ref{f:RWExt}, a waiting reader checks if a writer is using the resource, and if so, restricts further calls until the writer exits by calling @EndWrite@.2122 The writer does a similar action for each reader or writer using the resource.2123 Note, no new calls to @StartRead@/@StartWrite@ may occur when waiting for the call to @EndRead@/@EndWrite@.2124 2125 \begin{figure}2126 \centering2127 \newbox\myboxA2128 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA}2129 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt]2130 enum RW { READER, WRITER };2131 1944 monitor ReadersWriter { 2132 int rcnt, wcnt; // readers/writer using resource 2133 `condition RWers;` 1945 int rcnt, wcnt; // readers/writer using resource 2134 1946 }; 2135 1947 void ?{}( ReadersWriter & rw ) with(rw) { … … 2138 1950 void EndRead( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2139 1951 rcnt -= 1; 2140 if ( rcnt == 0 ) `signal( RWers )`;2141 1952 } 2142 1953 void EndWrite( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2143 1954 wcnt = 0; 2144 `signal( RWers );`2145 1955 } 2146 1956 void StartRead( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2147 if ( wcnt !=0 || ! empty( RWers ) ) 2148 `wait( RWers, READER )`; 1957 if ( wcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndWrite, rw );` 2149 1958 rcnt += 1; 2150 if ( ! empty(RWers) && `front(RWers) == READER` )2151 `signal( RWers )`; // daisy-chain signaling2152 1959 } 2153 1960 void StartWrite( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2154 if ( wcnt != 0 || rcnt != 0 ) `wait( RWers, WRITER )`;2155 1961 if ( wcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndWrite, rw );` 1962 else while ( rcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndRead, rw );` 2156 1963 wcnt = 1; 2157 1964 } 1965 2158 1966 \end{cfa} 2159 1967 \end{lrbox} 2160 1968 2161 \newbox\myboxB 2162 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 2163 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2164 2165 monitor ReadersWriter { 2166 int rcnt, wcnt; // readers/writer using resource 2167 2168 }; 2169 void ?{}( ReadersWriter & rw ) with(rw) { 2170 rcnt = wcnt = 0; 2171 } 2172 void EndRead( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2173 rcnt -= 1; 2174 2175 } 2176 void EndWrite( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2177 wcnt = 0; 2178 2179 } 2180 void StartRead( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2181 if ( wcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndWrite : rw );` 2182 2183 rcnt += 1; 2184 2185 2186 } 2187 void StartWrite( ReadersWriter & mutex rw ) with(rw) { 2188 if ( wcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndWrite : rw );` 2189 else while ( rcnt > 0 ) `waitfor( EndRead : rw );` 2190 wcnt = 1; 2191 } 2192 \end{cfa} 2193 \end{lrbox} 2194 2195 \subfloat[Internal scheduling]{\label{f:RWInt}\usebox\myboxA} 2196 \hspace{1pt} 1969 \subfloat[Generic bounded buffer, internal scheduling]{\label{f:BBInt}\usebox\myboxA} 1970 \hspace{3pt} 2197 1971 \vrule 2198 1972 \hspace{3pt} 2199 \subfloat[ External scheduling]{\label{f:RWExt}\usebox\myboxB}2200 2201 \caption{ Readers / writer lock}2202 \label{f: ReadersWriterLock}1973 \subfloat[Readers / writer lock, external scheduling]{\label{f:RWExt}\usebox\myboxB} 1974 1975 \caption{Internal / external scheduling} 1976 \label{f:InternalExternalScheduling} 2203 1977 \end{figure} 2204 1978 2205 Finally, external scheduling requires urgent to be a stack, because the signaller expects to execute immediately after the specified monitor call has exited or waited. 2206 Internal scheduling performing multiple signaling results in unblocking from urgent in the reverse order from signaling. 2207 It is rare for the unblocking order to be important as an unblocked thread can be time-sliced immediately after leaving the monitor. 2208 If the unblocking order is important, multiple signaling can be restructured into daisy-chain signaling, where each thread signals the next thread. 2209 Hence, \CFA uses a single urgent stack to correctly handle @waitfor@ and adequately support both forms of signaling. 2210 (Advanced @waitfor@ features are discussed in Section~\ref{s:ExtendedWaitfor}.) 1979 Figure~\ref{f:BBInt} can be transformed into external scheduling by removing the condition variables and signals/waits, and adding the following lines at the locations of the current @wait@s in @insert@/@remove@, respectively. 1980 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=2pt,belowskip=1pt] 1981 if ( count == 10 ) `waitfor( remove, buffer )`; | if ( count == 0 ) `waitfor( insert, buffer )`; 1982 \end{cfa} 1983 Here, the producers/consumers detects a full/\-empty buffer and prevents more producers/consumers from entering the monitor until there is a free/empty slot in the buffer. 1984 External scheduling is controlled by the @waitfor@ statement, which atomically blocks the calling thread, releases the monitor lock, and restricts the function calls that can next acquire mutual exclusion. 1985 If 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. 1986 Threads calling excluded functions block outside of (external to) the monitor on the calling queue, versus blocking on condition queues inside of (internal to) the monitor. 1987 Figure~\ref{f:RWExt} shows a readers/writer lock written using external scheduling, where a waiting reader detects a writer using the resource and restricts further calls until the writer exits by calling @EndWrite@. 1988 The writer does a similar action for each reader or writer using the resource. 1989 Note, no new calls to @StarRead@/@StartWrite@ may occur when waiting for the call to @EndRead@/@EndWrite@. 1990 External scheduling allows waiting for events from other threads while restricting unrelated events, that would otherwise have to wait on conditions in the monitor. 1991 The mechnaism can be done in terms of control flow, \eg Ada @accept@ or \uC @_Accept@, or in terms of data, \eg Go @select@ on channels. 1992 While both mechanisms have strengths and weaknesses, this project uses the control-flow mechanism to be consistent with other language features. 1993 % Two challenges specific to \CFA for external scheduling are loose object-definitions (see Section~\ref{s:LooseObjectDefinitions}) and multiple-monitor functions (see Section~\ref{s:Multi-MonitorScheduling}). 1994 1995 Figure~\ref{f:DatingService} shows a dating service demonstrating non-blocking and blocking signalling. 1996 The dating service matches girl and boy threads with matching compatibility codes so they can exchange phone numbers. 1997 A thread blocks until an appropriate partner arrives. 1998 The complexity is exchanging phone numbers in the monitor because of the mutual-exclusion property. 1999 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. 2000 For signal-block scheduling, the implicit urgent-queue replaces the explict @exchange@-condition and @signal_block@ puts the finding thread on the urgent condition and unblocks the matcher. 2001 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; 2002 as well, an arriving thread may not find a partner and must wait, which requires a condition variable, and condition variables imply internal scheduling. 2003 Furthermore, 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. 2004 Putting loops around the @wait@s does not correct the problem; 2005 the simple solution must be restructured to account for barging. 2211 2006 2212 2007 \begin{figure} … … 2222 2017 }; 2223 2018 int girl( DS & mutex ds, int phNo, int ccode ) { 2224 if ( empty( Boys[ccode] ) ) {2019 if ( is_empty( Boys[ccode] ) ) { 2225 2020 wait( Girls[ccode] ); 2226 2021 GirlPhNo = phNo; … … 2249 2044 }; 2250 2045 int girl( DS & mutex ds, int phNo, int ccode ) { 2251 if ( empty( Boys[ccode] ) ) { // no compatible2046 if ( is_empty( Boys[ccode] ) ) { // no compatible 2252 2047 wait( Girls[ccode] ); // wait for boy 2253 2048 GirlPhNo = phNo; // make phone number available … … 2269 2064 \qquad 2270 2065 \subfloat[\lstinline@signal_block@]{\label{f:DatingSignalBlock}\usebox\myboxB} 2271 \caption{Dating service Monitor}2272 \label{f:DatingService Monitor}2066 \caption{Dating service} 2067 \label{f:DatingService} 2273 2068 \end{figure} 2274 2069 2275 Figure~\ref{f:DatingServiceMonitor} shows a dating service demonstrating nonblocking and blocking signaling. 2276 The dating service matches girl and boy threads with matching compatibility codes so they can exchange phone numbers. 2277 A thread blocks until an appropriate partner arrives. 2278 The complexity is exchanging phone numbers in the monitor because of the mutual-exclusion property. 2279 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. 2280 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. 2281 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. 2282 This situation shows rechecking the waiting condition and waiting again (signals-as-hints) fails, requiring significant restructured to account for barging. 2283 2284 Given external and internal scheduling, what guidelines can a programmer use to select between them? 2285 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. 2286 Therefore, there are no condition variables, and hence, no wait and signal, which reduces coding complexity and synchronization errors. 2287 If external scheduling is simpler than internal, why not use it all the time? 2288 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. 2289 For example, the dating service cannot be written using external scheduling. 2290 First, scheduling requires knowledge of calling parameters to make matching decisions and parameters of calling threads are unavailable within the monitor. 2291 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. 2292 (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.) 2293 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. 2294 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. 2295 For complex synchronization, both external and internal scheduling can be used to take advantage of best of properties of each. 2296 2297 Finally, both internal and external scheduling extend to multiple monitors in a natural way. 2070 In summation, for internal scheduling, non-blocking signalling (as in the producer/consumer example) is used when the signaller is providing the cooperation for a waiting thread; 2071 the 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. 2072 The waiter unblocks next from the urgent queue, uses/takes the state, and exits the monitor. 2073 Blocking signal is the reverse, where the waiter is providing the cooperation for the signalling thread; 2074 the 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. 2075 The waiter changes state and exits the monitor, and the signaller unblocks next from the urgent queue to use/take the state. 2076 2077 Both internal and external scheduling extend to multiple monitors in a natural way. 2298 2078 \begin{cquote} 2299 \begin{tabular}{@{}l@{\hspace{ 2\parindentlnth}}l@{}}2079 \begin{tabular}{@{}l@{\hspace{3\parindentlnth}}l@{}} 2300 2080 \begin{cfa} 2301 2081 monitor M { `condition e`; ... }; … … 2308 2088 & 2309 2089 \begin{cfa} 2310 void rtn$\(_1\)$( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ); // overload rtn2090 void rtn$\(_1\)$( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ); 2311 2091 void rtn$\(_2\)$( M & mutex m1 ); 2312 2092 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { 2313 ... waitfor( `rtn` ${\color{red}\(_1\)}$ ); ... // $\LstCommentStyle{waitfor( rtn\(_1\) :m1, m2 )}$2314 ... waitfor( `rtn ${\color{red}\(_2\)}$ : m1` ); ...2093 ... waitfor( `rtn` ); ... // $\LstCommentStyle{waitfor( rtn\(_1\), m1, m2 )}$ 2094 ... waitfor( `rtn, m1` ); ... // $\LstCommentStyle{waitfor( rtn\(_2\), m1 )}$ 2315 2095 } 2316 2096 \end{cfa} … … 2318 2098 \end{cquote} 2319 2099 For @wait( e )@, the default semantics is to atomically block the signaller and release all acquired mutex parameters, \ie @wait( e, m1, m2 )@. 2320 To override the implicit multi monitor wait, specific mutex parameter(s) can be specified, \eg @wait( e, m1 )@.2321 Wait cannot statically verif ythe released monitors are the acquired mutex-parameters without disallowing separately compiled helper functions calling @wait@.2322 While \CC supports bulk locking, @wait@ only accepts a single lock for a condition queue, so bulk locking with condition queues is asymmetric.2100 To override the implicit multi-monitor wait, specific mutex parameter(s) can be specified, \eg @wait( e, m1 )@. 2101 Wait cannot statically verifies the released monitors are the acquired mutex-parameters without disallowing separately compiled helper functions calling @wait@. 2102 While \CC supports bulk locking, @wait@ only accepts a single lock for a condition variable, so bulk locking with condition variables is asymmetric. 2323 2103 Finally, a signaller, 2324 2104 \begin{cfa} … … 2327 2107 } 2328 2108 \end{cfa} 2329 must have acquired at least the same locks as the waiting thread signal ed from a condition queue to allow the locks to be passed, and hence, prevent barging.2330 2331 Similarly, for @waitfor( rtn )@, the default semantics is to atomically block the acceptor and release all acquired mutex parameters, \ie @waitfor( rtn :m1, m2 )@.2332 To override the implicit multi monitor wait, specific mutex parameter(s) can be specified, \eg @waitfor( rtn :m1 )@.2333 @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.2109 must have acquired at least the same locks as the waiting thread signalled from a condition queue to allow the locks to be passed, and hence, prevent barging. 2110 2111 Similarly, for @waitfor( rtn )@, the default semantics is to atomically block the acceptor and release all acquired mutex parameters, \ie @waitfor( rtn, m1, m2 )@. 2112 To override the implicit multi-monitor wait, specific mutex parameter(s) can be specified, \eg @waitfor( rtn, m1 )@. 2113 @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. 2334 2114 % When an overloaded function appears in an @waitfor@ statement, calls to any function with that name are accepted. 2335 % The rationale is that functions with the same name should perform a similar actions, and therefore, all should be eligible to accept a call.2115 % The rationale is that members with the same name should perform a similar function, and therefore, all should be eligible to accept a call. 2336 2116 Overloaded functions can be disambiguated using a cast 2337 2117 \begin{cfa} 2338 2118 void rtn( M & mutex m ); 2339 2119 `int` rtn( M & mutex m ); 2340 waitfor( (`int` (*)( M & mutex ))rtn :m );2341 \end{cfa} 2342 2343 The ability to release a subset of acquired monitors can result in a \newterm{nested monitor}~\cite{Lister77} deadlock (see Section~\ref{s:MutexAcquisition}).2120 waitfor( (`int` (*)( M & mutex ))rtn, m ); 2121 \end{cfa} 2122 2123 The ability to release a subset of acquired monitors can result in a \newterm{nested monitor}~\cite{Lister77} deadlock. 2344 2124 \begin{cfa} 2345 2125 void foo( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { 2346 ... wait( `e, m1` ); ... $\C{// release m1, keeping m2 acquired }$2347 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { $\C{// must acquire m1 and m2 }$2126 ... wait( `e, m1` ); ... $\C{// release m1, keeping m2 acquired )}$ 2127 void bar( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { $\C{// must acquire m1 and m2 )}$ 2348 2128 ... signal( `e` ); ... 2349 2129 \end{cfa} 2350 The @wait@ only releases @m1@ so the signaling thread cannot acquire @m1@ and @m2@ to enter @bar@ and @signal@ the condition. 2351 While deadlock can occur with multiple/nesting acquisition, this is a consequence of locks, and by extension monitor locking is not perfectly composable. 2130 The @wait@ only releases @m1@ so the signalling thread cannot acquire @m1@ and @m2@ to enter @bar@ and @signal@ the condition. 2131 While deadlock can occur with multiple/nesting acquisition, this is a consequence of locks, and by extension monitors, not being perfectly composable. 2132 2352 2133 2353 2134 2354 2135 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{Extended \protect\lstinline@waitfor@}{Extended waitfor}} 2355 \label{s:ExtendedWaitfor}2356 2136 2357 2137 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. 2358 For a @waitfor@ clause to be executed, its @when@ must be true and an outstanding call to its corresponding function(s) must exist.2138 For a @waitfor@ clause to be executed, its @when@ must be true and an outstanding call to its corresponding member(s) must exist. 2359 2139 The \emph{conditional-expression} of a @when@ may call a function, but the function must not block or context switch. 2360 If there are multiple acceptable mutex calls, selection is prioritized top-to-bottomamong the @waitfor@ clauses, whereas some programming languages with similar mechanisms accept nondeterministically for this case, \eg Go \lstinline[morekeywords=select]@select@.2361 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.2140 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@. 2141 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. 2362 2142 If there is a @timeout@ clause, it provides an upper bound on waiting. 2363 2143 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. 2364 2144 Hence, the terminating @else@ clause allows a conditional attempt to accept a call without blocking. 2365 2145 If both @timeout@ and @else@ clause are present, the @else@ must be conditional, or the @timeout@ is never triggered. 2366 % 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. 2367 Finally, there is a shorthand for specifying multiple functions using the same set of monitors: @waitfor( f, g, h : m1, m2, m3 )@. 2146 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. 2368 2147 2369 2148 \begin{figure} … … 2371 2150 \begin{cfa} 2372 2151 `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// optional guard}$ 2373 waitfor( $\emph{mutex- function-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ $\C{// action after call}$2152 waitfor( $\emph{mutex-member-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ $\C{// action after call}$ 2374 2153 `or` `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// any number of functions}$ 2375 waitfor( $\emph{mutex- function-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$2154 waitfor( $\emph{mutex-member-name}$ ) $\emph{statement}$ 2376 2155 `or` ... 2377 2156 `when` ( $\emph{conditional-expression}$ ) $\C{// optional guard}$ … … 2391 2170 The left example only accepts @mem1@ if @C1@ is true or only @mem2@ if @C2@ is true. 2392 2171 The right example accepts either @mem1@ or @mem2@ if @C1@ and @C2@ are true. 2393 Hence, the @waitfor@ has parallel semantics, accepting any true @when@ clause. 2394 2395 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@. 2172 2173 An interesting use of @waitfor@ is accepting the @mutex@ destructor to know when an object is deallocated, \eg assume the bounded buffer is restructred from a monitor to a thread with the following @main@. 2396 2174 \begin{cfa} 2397 2175 void main( Buffer(T) & buffer ) with(buffer) { 2398 2176 for () { 2399 `waitfor( ^?{} :buffer )` break;2400 or when ( count != 20 ) waitfor( insert :buffer ) { ... }2401 or when ( count != 0 ) waitfor( remove :buffer ) { ... }2177 `waitfor( ^?{}, buffer )` break; 2178 or when ( count != 20 ) waitfor( insert, buffer ) { ... } 2179 or when ( count != 0 ) waitfor( remove, buffer ) { ... } 2402 2180 } 2403 2181 // clean up … … 2412 2190 2413 2191 2414 \subsection{Bulk barging prevention}2415 2416 Figure~\ref{f:BulkBargingPrevention} shows \CFA code where bulk acquire adds complexity to the internal-signal ing semantics.2192 \subsection{Bulk Barging Prevention} 2193 2194 Figure~\ref{f:BulkBargingPrevention} shows \CFA code where bulk acquire adds complexity to the internal-signalling semantics. 2417 2195 The complexity begins at the end of the inner @mutex@ statement, where the semantics of internal scheduling need to be extended for multiple monitors. 2418 2196 The problem is that bulk acquire is used in the inner @mutex@ statement where one of the monitors is already acquired. 2419 When the signal ing thread reaches the end of the inner @mutex@ statement, it should transfer ownership of @m1@ and @m2@ to the waiting threads to prevent barging into the outer @mutex@ statement by another thread.2420 However, both the signal ing and waiting threads W1 and W2 need some subset of monitors @m1@ and @m2@.2197 When the signalling thread reaches the end of the inner @mutex@ statement, it should transfer ownership of @m1@ and @m2@ to the waiting threads to prevent barging into the outer @mutex@ statement by another thread. 2198 However, both the signalling and waiting threads W1 and W2 need some subset of monitors @m1@ and @m2@. 2421 2199 \begin{cquote} 2422 2200 condition c: (order 1) W2(@m2@), W1(@m1@,@m2@)\ \ \ or\ \ \ (order 2) W1(@m1@,@m2@), W2(@m2@) \\ … … 2485 2263 \end{figure} 2486 2264 2487 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 behavio r of single-monitor scheduling.2488 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.2265 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. 2266 However, this solution is inefficient if W2 waited first and can be immediate passed @m2@ when released, while S retains @m1@ until completion of the outer mutex statement. 2489 2267 If W1 waited first, the signaller must retain @m1@ amd @m2@ until completion of the outer mutex statement and then pass both to W1. 2490 2268 % Furthermore, there is an execution sequence where the signaller always finds waiter W2, and hence, waiter W1 starves. 2491 To support th ese efficient semantics and prevent barging, the implementation maintains a list of monitors acquired for each blocked thread.2492 When a signaller exits or waits in a m utex function orstatement, the front waiter on urgent is unblocked if all its monitors are released.2493 Implementing a fast subset check for the necessar ily released monitors is important and discussed in the following sections.2269 To support this efficient semantics (and prevent barging), the implementation maintains a list of monitors acquired for each blocked thread. 2270 When a signaller exits or waits in a monitor function/statement, the front waiter on urgent is unblocked if all its monitors are released. 2271 Implementing a fast subset check for the necessary released monitors is important. 2494 2272 % 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. 2495 2273 2496 2274 2497 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{\protect\lstinline@waitfor@ Implementation}{waitfor Implementation}} 2498 \label{s:waitforImplementation} 2499 2500 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}). 2501 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. 2502 2503 \begin{figure} 2504 \centering 2505 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxA} 2506 \begin{uC++}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2507 $\emph{translation unit 1}$ 2508 _Monitor B { // common type in .h file 2509 _Mutex virtual void `f`( ... ); 2510 _Mutex virtual void `g`( ... ); 2511 _Mutex virtual void w1( ... ) { ... _Accept(`f`, `g`); ... } 2512 }; 2513 $\emph{translation unit 2}$ 2514 // include B 2515 _Monitor D : public B { // inherit 2516 _Mutex void `h`( ... ); // add 2517 _Mutex void w2( ... ) { ... _Accept(`f`, `h`); ... } 2518 }; 2519 \end{uC++} 2520 \end{lrbox} 2521 2522 \begin{lrbox}{\myboxB} 2523 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2524 $\emph{translation unit 1}$ 2525 monitor M { ... }; // common type in .h file 2526 void `f`( M & mutex m, ... ); 2527 void `g`( M & mutex m, ... ); 2528 void w1( M & mutex m, ... ) { ... waitfor(`f`, `g` : m); ... } 2529 2530 $\emph{translation unit 2}$ 2531 // include M 2532 extern void `f`( M & mutex m, ... ); // import f but not g 2533 void `h`( M & mutex m ); // add 2534 void w2( M & mutex m, ... ) { ... waitfor(`f`, `h` : m); ... } 2535 2536 \end{cfa} 2537 \end{lrbox} 2538 2539 \subfloat[\uC]{\label{f:uCinheritance}\usebox\myboxA} 2540 \hspace{3pt} 2541 \vrule 2542 \hspace{3pt} 2543 \subfloat[\CFA]{\label{f:CFinheritance}\usebox\myboxB} 2544 \caption{Member / function visibility} 2545 \label{f:MemberFunctionVisibility} 2546 \end{figure} 2547 2548 However, the @waitfor@ statement in translation unit 2 (see Figure~\ref{f:CFinheritance}) cannot see function @g@ in translation unit 1 precluding a unique numbering for a bit-mask because the monitor type only carries the protected shared data. 2275 \subsection{Loose Object Definitions} 2276 \label{s:LooseObjectDefinitions} 2277 2278 In an object-oriented programming language, a class includes an exhaustive list of operations. 2279 A new class can add members via static inheritance but the subclass still has an exhaustive list of operations. 2280 (Dynamic member adding, \eg JavaScript~\cite{JavaScript}, is not considered.) 2281 In the object-oriented scenario, the type and all its operators are always present at compilation (even separate compilation), so it is possible to number the operations in a bit mask and use an $O(1)$ compare with a similar bit mask created for the operations specified in a @waitfor@. 2282 2283 However, in \CFA, monitor functions can be statically added/removed in translation units, making a fast subset check difficult. 2284 \begin{cfa} 2285 monitor M { ... }; // common type, included in .h file 2286 translation unit 1 2287 void `f`( M & mutex m ); 2288 void g( M & mutex m ) { waitfor( `f`, m ); } 2289 translation unit 2 2290 void `f`( M & mutex m ); $\C{// replacing f and g for type M in this translation unit}$ 2291 void `g`( M & mutex m ); 2292 void h( M & mutex m ) { waitfor( `f`, m ) or waitfor( `g`, m ); } $\C{// extending type M in this translation unit}$ 2293 \end{cfa} 2294 The @waitfor@ statements in each translation unit cannot form a unique bit-mask because the monitor type does not carry that information. 2295 Hence, function pointers are used to identify the functions listed in the @waitfor@ statement, stored in a variable-sized array. 2296 Then, the same implementation approach used for the urgent stack is used for the calling queue. 2297 Each caller has a list of monitors acquired, and the @waitfor@ statement performs a (usually short) linear search matching functions in the @waitfor@ list with called functions, and then verifying the associated mutex locks can be transfers. 2549 2298 (A possible way to construct a dense mapping is at link or load-time.) 2550 Hence, function pointers are used to identify the functions listed in the @waitfor@ statement, stored in a variable-sized array. 2551 Then, the same implementation approach used for the urgent stack (see Section~\ref{s:Scheduling}) is used for the calling queue. 2552 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. 2553 2554 2555 \subsection{Multimonitor scheduling} 2299 2300 2301 \subsection{Multi-Monitor Scheduling} 2556 2302 \label{s:Multi-MonitorScheduling} 2557 2303 2558 External scheduling, like internal scheduling, becomes significantly more complex for multi monitor semantics.2304 External scheduling, like internal scheduling, becomes significantly more complex for multi-monitor semantics. 2559 2305 Even in the simplest case, new semantics need to be established. 2560 2306 \begin{cfa} … … 2565 2311 The solution is for the programmer to disambiguate: 2566 2312 \begin{cfa} 2567 waitfor( f :`m2` ); $\C{// wait for call to f with argument m2}$2313 waitfor( f, `m2` ); $\C{// wait for call to f with argument m2}$ 2568 2314 \end{cfa} 2569 2315 Both locks are acquired by function @g@, so when function @f@ is called, the lock for monitor @m2@ is passed from @g@ to @f@, while @g@ still holds lock @m1@. 2570 This behavio r can be extended to the multimonitor @waitfor@ statement.2316 This behaviour can be extended to the multi-monitor @waitfor@ statement. 2571 2317 \begin{cfa} 2572 2318 monitor M { ... }; 2573 2319 void f( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ); 2574 void g( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { waitfor( f :`m1, m2` ); $\C{// wait for call to f with arguments m1 and m2}$2320 void g( M & mutex m1, M & mutex m2 ) { waitfor( f, `m1, m2` ); $\C{// wait for call to f with arguments m1 and m2}$ 2575 2321 \end{cfa} 2576 2322 Again, the set of monitors passed to the @waitfor@ statement must be entirely contained in the set of monitors already acquired by the accepting function. 2577 % Also, the order of the monitors in a @waitfor@ statement must match the order of the mutex parameters.2578 2579 Figure~\ref{f:UnmatchedMutexSets} shows internal and external scheduling with multiple monitors that must match exactly with a signaling or accepting thread, \ie partial matching results in waiting.2580 In both cases, the set of monitors is disjoint so unblocking is impossible.2323 Also, the order of the monitors in a @waitfor@ statement is unimportant. 2324 2325 Figure~\ref{f:UnmatchedMutexSets} shows an example where, for internal and external scheduling with multiple monitors, a signalling or accepting thread must match exactly, \ie partial matching results in waiting. 2326 For both examples, the set of monitors is disjoint so unblocking is impossible. 2581 2327 2582 2328 \begin{figure} … … 2607 2353 } 2608 2354 void g( M1 & mutex m1, M2 & mutex m2 ) { 2609 waitfor( f :m1, m2 );2355 waitfor( f, m1, m2 ); 2610 2356 } 2611 2357 g( `m11`, m2 ); // block on accept … … 2622 2368 \end{figure} 2623 2369 2370 2371 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{\protect\lstinline@mutex@ Threads}{mutex Threads}} 2372 2373 Threads in \CFA can also be monitors to allow \emph{direct communication} among threads, \ie threads can have mutex functions that are called by other threads. 2374 Hence, all monitor features are available when using threads. 2375 Figure~\ref{f:DirectCommunication} shows a comparison of direct call communication in \CFA with direct channel communication in Go. 2376 (Ada provides a similar mechanism to the \CFA direct communication.) 2377 The program main in both programs communicates directly with the other thread versus indirect communication where two threads interact through a passive monitor. 2378 Both direct and indirection thread communication are valuable tools in structuring concurrent programs. 2379 2624 2380 \begin{figure} 2625 2381 \centering … … 2628 2384 2629 2385 struct Msg { int i, j; }; 2630 mutexthread GoRtn { int i; float f; Msg m; };2386 thread GoRtn { int i; float f; Msg m; }; 2631 2387 void mem1( GoRtn & mutex gortn, int i ) { gortn.i = i; } 2632 2388 void mem2( GoRtn & mutex gortn, float f ) { gortn.f = f; } … … 2634 2390 void ^?{}( GoRtn & mutex ) {} 2635 2391 2636 void main( GoRtn & mutex gortn ) with(gortn) {// thread starts2392 void main( GoRtn & gortn ) with( gortn ) { // thread starts 2637 2393 2638 2394 for () { 2639 2395 2640 `waitfor( mem1 :gortn )` sout | i; // wait for calls2641 or `waitfor( mem2 :gortn )` sout | f;2642 or `waitfor( mem3 :gortn )` sout | m.i | m.j;2643 or `waitfor( ^?{} : gortn )` break; // low priority2396 `waitfor( mem1, gortn )` sout | i; // wait for calls 2397 or `waitfor( mem2, gortn )` sout | f; 2398 or `waitfor( mem3, gortn )` sout | m.i | m.j; 2399 or `waitfor( ^?{}, gortn )` break; 2644 2400 2645 2401 } … … 2695 2451 \hspace{3pt} 2696 2452 \subfloat[Go]{\label{f:Gochannel}\usebox\myboxB} 2697 \caption{Direct versus indirect communication} 2698 \label{f:DirectCommunicationComparison} 2699 2700 \medskip 2701 2702 \begin{cfa} 2703 mutex thread DatingService { 2704 condition Girls[CompCodes], Boys[CompCodes]; 2705 int girlPhoneNo, boyPhoneNo, ccode; 2706 }; 2707 int girl( DatingService & mutex ds, int phoneno, int code ) with( ds ) { 2708 girlPhoneNo = phoneno; ccode = code; 2709 `wait( Girls[ccode] );` $\C{// wait for boy}$ 2710 girlPhoneNo = phoneno; return boyPhoneNo; 2711 } 2712 int boy( DatingService & mutex ds, int phoneno, int code ) with( ds ) { 2713 boyPhoneNo = phoneno; ccode = code; 2714 `wait( Boys[ccode] );` $\C{// wait for girl}$ 2715 boyPhoneNo = phoneno; return girlPhoneNo; 2716 } 2717 void main( DatingService & ds ) with( ds ) { $\C{// thread starts, ds defaults to mutex}$ 2718 for () { 2719 waitfor( ^?{} ) break; $\C{// high priority}$ 2720 or waitfor( girl ) $\C{// girl called, compatible boy ? restart boy then girl}$ 2721 if ( ! is_empty( Boys[ccode] ) ) { `signal_block( Boys[ccode] ); signal_block( Girls[ccode] );` } 2722 or waitfor( boy ) { $\C{// boy called, compatible girl ? restart girl then boy}$ 2723 if ( ! is_empty( Girls[ccode] ) ) { `signal_block( Girls[ccode] ); signal_block( Boys[ccode] );` } 2724 } 2725 } 2726 \end{cfa} 2727 \caption{Direct communication dating service} 2728 \label{f:DirectCommunicationDatingService} 2453 \caption{Direct communication} 2454 \label{f:DirectCommunication} 2729 2455 \end{figure} 2730 2456 … … 2741 2467 void main( Ping & pi ) { 2742 2468 for ( 10 ) { 2743 `waitfor( ping :pi );`2469 `waitfor( ping, pi );` 2744 2470 `pong( po );` 2745 2471 } … … 2754 2480 for ( 10 ) { 2755 2481 `ping( pi );` 2756 `waitfor( pong :po );`2482 `waitfor( pong, po );` 2757 2483 } 2758 2484 } … … 2765 2491 % \label{f:pingpong} 2766 2492 % \end{figure} 2767 Note, the ping/pong threads are globally declared, @pi@/@po@, and hence, start and possibly completebefore the program main starts.2493 Note, the ping/pong threads are globally declared, @pi@/@po@, and hence, start (and possibly complete) before the program main starts. 2768 2494 \end{comment} 2769 2495 2770 2496 2771 \subsection{\texorpdfstring{\protect\lstinline@mutex@ Generators / coroutines / threads}{monitor Generators / coroutines / threads}} 2772 2773 \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. 2774 All monitor features are available within these mutex functions. 2775 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: 2776 \begin{cfa} 2777 void fmt( Fmt & mutex fmt, char ch ) { fmt.ch = ch; resume( fmt ) } 2778 \end{cfa} 2779 multiple threads can safely pass characters for formatting. 2780 2781 Figure~\ref{f:DirectCommunicationComparison} shows a comparison of direct call-communication in \CFA versus indirect channel-communication in Go. 2782 (Ada has a similar mechanism to \CFA direct communication.) 2783 % The thread main function is by default @mutex@, so the @mutex@ qualifier for the thread parameter is optional. 2784 % 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. 2785 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. 2786 Communication by multiple threads is safe for the @gortn@ thread via mutex calls in \CFA or channel assignment in Go. 2787 The difference between call and channel send occurs for buffered channels making the send asynchronous. 2788 In \CFA, asynchronous call and multiple buffers are provided using an administrator and worker threads~\cite{Gentleman81} and/or futures (not discussed). 2789 2790 Figure~\ref{f:DirectCommunicationDatingService} shows the dating-service problem in Figure~\ref{f:DatingServiceMonitor} extended from indirect monitor communication to direct thread communication. 2791 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. 2792 Notice, the dating server is postponing requests for an unspecified time while continuing to accept new requests. 2793 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. 2497 \subsection{Execution Properties} 2498 2499 Table~\ref{t:ObjectPropertyComposition} shows how the \CFA high-level constructs cover 3 fundamental execution properties: thread, stateful function, and mutual exclusion. 2500 Case 1 is a basic object, with none of the new execution properties. 2501 Case 2 allows @mutex@ calls to Case 1 to protect shared data. 2502 Case 3 allows stateful functions to suspend/resume but restricts operations because the state is stackless. 2503 Case 4 allows @mutex@ calls to Case 3 to protect shared data. 2504 Cases 5 and 6 are the same as 3 and 4 without restriction because the state is stackful. 2505 Cases 7 and 8 are rejected because a thread cannot execute without a stackful state in a preemptive environment when context switching from the signal handler. 2506 Cases 9 and 10 have a stackful thread without and with @mutex@ calls. 2507 For situations where threads do not require direct communication, case 9 provides faster creation/destruction by eliminating @mutex@ setup. 2508 2509 \begin{table} 2510 \caption{Object property composition} 2511 \centering 2512 \label{t:ObjectPropertyComposition} 2513 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.25} 2514 %\setlength{\tabcolsep}{5pt} 2515 \begin{tabular}{c|c||l|l} 2516 \multicolumn{2}{c||}{object properties} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{mutual exclusion} \\ 2517 \hline 2518 thread & stateful & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{No} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Yes} \\ 2519 \hline 2520 \hline 2521 No & No & \textbf{1}\ \ \ aggregate type & \textbf{2}\ \ \ @monitor@ aggregate type \\ 2522 \hline 2523 No & Yes (stackless) & \textbf{3}\ \ \ @generator@ & \textbf{4}\ \ \ @monitor@ @generator@ \\ 2524 \hline 2525 No & Yes (stackful) & \textbf{5}\ \ \ @coroutine@ & \textbf{6}\ \ \ @monitor@ @coroutine@ \\ 2526 \hline 2527 Yes & No / Yes (stackless) & \textbf{7}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} & \textbf{8}\ \ \ {\color{red}rejected} \\ 2528 \hline 2529 Yes & Yes (stackful) & \textbf{9}\ \ \ @thread@ & \textbf{10}\ \ @monitor@ @thread@ \\ 2530 \end{tabular} 2531 \end{table} 2794 2532 2795 2533 … … 2797 2535 2798 2536 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. 2799 Some of these low-level mechanism s are used to build the \CFA runtime, but we alwaysadvocate using high-level mechanisms whenever possible.2537 Some of these low-level mechanism are used in the \CFA runtime, but we strongly advocate using high-level mechanisms whenever possible. 2800 2538 2801 2539 2802 2540 % \section{Parallelism} 2803 2541 % \label{s:Parallelism} 2804 % 2542 % 2805 2543 % Historically, computer performance was about processor speeds. 2806 2544 % However, with heat dissipation being a direct consequence of speed increase, parallelism is the new source for increased performance~\cite{Sutter05, Sutter05b}. … … 2809 2547 % However, kernel threads are better as an implementation tool because of complexity and higher cost. 2810 2548 % Therefore, different abstractions are often layered onto kernel threads to simplify them, \eg pthreads. 2811 % 2812 % 2813 % \subsection{User threads}2814 % 2549 % 2550 % 2551 % \subsection{User Threads} 2552 % 2815 2553 % A direct improvement on kernel threads is user threads, \eg Erlang~\cite{Erlang} and \uC~\cite{uC++book}. 2816 2554 % This approach provides an interface that matches the language paradigms, gives more control over concurrency by the language runtime, and an abstract (and portable) interface to the underlying kernel threads across operating systems. … … 2818 2556 % Like kernel threads, user threads support preemption, which maximizes nondeterminism, but increases the potential for concurrency errors: race, livelock, starvation, and deadlock. 2819 2557 % \CFA adopts user-threads to provide more flexibility and a low-cost mechanism to build any other concurrency approach, \eg thread pools and actors~\cite{Actors}. 2820 % 2558 % 2821 2559 % A variant of user thread is \newterm{fibres}, which removes preemption, \eg Go~\cite{Go} @goroutine@s. 2822 2560 % Like functional programming, which removes mutation and its associated problems, removing preemption from concurrency reduces nondeterminism, making race and deadlock errors more difficult to generate. … … 2826 2564 2827 2565 \begin{comment} 2828 \subsection{Thread pools}2566 \subsection{Thread Pools} 2829 2567 2830 2568 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. 2831 If the jobs are dependent, \ie interact, there is an implicit dependency graph that ties them together.2569 If the jobs are dependent, \ie interact, there is an implicit/explicit dependency graph that ties them together. 2832 2570 While removing direct concurrency, and hence the amount of context switching, thread pools significantly limit the interaction that can occur among jobs. 2833 2571 Indeed, jobs should not block because that also blocks the underlying thread, which effectively means the CPU utilization, and therefore throughput, suffers. … … 2840 2578 \begin{cfa} 2841 2579 struct Adder { 2842 int * row, cols;2580 int * row, cols; 2843 2581 }; 2844 2582 int operator()() { … … 2899 2637 \label{s:RuntimeStructureCluster} 2900 2638 2901 A \newterm{cluster} is a collection of user and kernel threads, where the kernel threads run the user threads from the cluster's ready queue, and the operating system runs the kernel threads on the processors from its ready queue~\cite{Buhr90a}. 2902 The term \newterm{virtual processor} is introduced as a synonym for kernel thread to disambiguate between user and kernel thread. 2903 From the language perspective, a virtual processor is an actual processor (core). 2904 2639 A \newterm{cluster} is a collection of threads and virtual processors (abstract kernel-thread) that execute the (user) threads from its own ready queue (like an OS executing kernel threads). 2905 2640 The purpose of a cluster is to control the amount of parallelism that is possible among threads, plus scheduling and other execution defaults. 2906 2641 The default cluster-scheduler is single-queue multi-server, which provides automatic load-balancing of threads on processors. 2907 However, the design allows changing the scheduler, \eg multi-queue multi server with work-stealing/sharing across the virtual processors.2642 However, the design allows changing the scheduler, \eg multi-queue multi-server with work-stealing/sharing across the virtual processors. 2908 2643 If several clusters exist, both threads and virtual processors, can be explicitly migrated from one cluster to another. 2909 2644 No automatic load balancing among clusters is performed by \CFA. … … 2915 2650 2916 2651 2917 \subsection{Virtual processor}2652 \subsection{Virtual Processor} 2918 2653 \label{s:RuntimeStructureProcessor} 2919 2654 2920 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.2655 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. 2921 2656 Programs may use more virtual processors than hardware processors. 2922 2657 On a multiprocessor, kernel threads are distributed across the hardware processors resulting in virtual processors executing in parallel. 2923 (It is possible to use affinity to lock a virtual processor onto a particular hardware processor~\cite{affinityLinux, affinityWindows}, which is used when caching issues occur or for heterogeneous hardware processors.) %, affinityFreebsd, affinityNetbsd, affinityMacosx2658 (It is possible to use affinity to lock a virtual processor onto a particular hardware processor~\cite{affinityLinux, affinityWindows, affinityFreebsd, affinityNetbsd, affinityMacosx}, which is used when caching issues occur or for heterogeneous hardware processors.) 2924 2659 The \CFA runtime attempts to block unused processors and unblock processors as the system load increases; 2925 balancing the workload with processors is difficult because it requires future knowledge, \ie what will the applicat ion workload do next.2660 balancing the workload with processors is difficult because it requires future knowledge, \ie what will the applicaton workload do next. 2926 2661 Preemption occurs on virtual processors rather than user threads, via operating-system interrupts. 2927 2662 Thus virtual processors execute user threads, where preemption frequency applies to a virtual processor, so preemption occurs randomly across the executed user threads. … … 2933 2668 \label{s:Implementation} 2934 2669 2935 A primary implementation challenge is avoiding contention from dynamically allocating memory because of bulk acquire, \eg the internal-scheduling design is almostfree of allocations.2670 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. 2936 2671 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. 2937 2672 Furthermore, several bulk-acquire operations need a variable amount of memory. 2938 2673 This storage is allocated at the base of a thread's stack before blocking, which means programmers must add a small amount of extra space for stacks. 2939 2674 2940 In \CFA, ordering of monitor acquisition relies on memory ordering to prevent deadlock~\cite{Havender68}, because all objects have distinct non overlapping memory layouts, and mutual-exclusion for a monitor is only defined for its lifetime.2675 In \CFA, ordering of monitor acquisition relies on memory ordering to prevent deadlock~\cite{Havender68}, because all objects have distinct non-overlapping memory layouts, and mutual-exclusion for a monitor is only defined for its lifetime. 2941 2676 When a mutex call is made, pointers to the concerned monitors are aggregated into a variable-length array and sorted. 2942 2677 This array persists for the entire duration of the mutual exclusion and is used extensively for synchronization operations. … … 2957 2692 2958 2693 Nondeterministic preemption provides fairness from long-running threads, and forces concurrent programmers to write more robust programs, rather than relying on code between cooperative scheduling to be atomic. 2959 This atomic reliance can fail on multi core machines, because execution across cores is nondeterministic.2960 A different reason for not supporting preemption is that it significantly complicates the runtime system, \eg Windowsruntime does not support interrupts and on Linux systems, interrupts are complex (see below).2694 This atomic reliance can fail on multi-core machines, because execution across cores is nondeterministic. 2695 A different reason for not supporting preemption is that it significantly complicates the runtime system, \eg Microsoft runtime does not support interrupts and on Linux systems, interrupts are complex (see below). 2961 2696 Preemption is normally handled by setting a countdown timer on each virtual processor. 2962 When the timer expires, an interrupt is delivered, and its signalhandler resets the countdown timer, and if the virtual processor is executing in user code, the signal handler performs a user-level context-switch, or if executing in the language runtime kernel, the preemption is ignored or rolled forward to the point where the runtime kernel context switches back to user code.2697 When the timer expires, an interrupt is delivered, and the interrupt handler resets the countdown timer, and if the virtual processor is executing in user code, the signal handler performs a user-level context-switch, or if executing in the language runtime kernel, the preemption is ignored or rolled forward to the point where the runtime kernel context switches back to user code. 2963 2698 Multiple signal handlers may be pending. 2964 2699 When control eventually switches back to the signal handler, it returns normally, and execution continues in the interrupted user thread, even though the return from the signal handler may be on a different kernel thread than the one where the signal is delivered. 2965 2700 The only issue with this approach is that signal masks from one kernel thread may be restored on another as part of returning from the signal handler; 2966 2701 therefore, the same signal mask is required for all virtual processors in a cluster. 2967 Because preemption interval is usually long (1 ms) performance cost is negligible. 2968 2969 Linux switched a decade ago from specific to arbitrary virtual-processor signal-delivery for applications with multiple kernel threads. 2970 In the new semantics, a virtual-processor directed signal may be delivered to any virtual processor created by the application that does not have the signal blocked. 2702 Because preemption frequency is usually long (1 millisecond) performance cost is negligible. 2703 2704 Linux switched a decade ago from specific to arbitrary process signal-delivery for applications with multiple kernel threads. 2705 \begin{cquote} 2706 A process-directed signal may be delivered to any one of the threads that does not currently have the signal blocked. 2707 If more than one of the threads has the signal unblocked, then the kernel chooses an arbitrary thread to which it will deliver the signal. 2708 SIGNAL(7) - Linux Programmer's Manual 2709 \end{cquote} 2971 2710 Hence, the timer-expiry signal, which is generated \emph{externally} by the Linux kernel to an application, is delivered to any of its Linux subprocesses (kernel threads). 2972 2711 To ensure each virtual processor receives a preemption signal, a discrete-event simulation is run on a special virtual processor, and only it sets and receives timer events. … … 2976 2715 2977 2716 2978 \subsection{Debug kernel}2979 2980 There are two versions of the \CFA runtime kernel: debug and non debug.2981 The debugging version has many runtime checks and internal assertions, \eg stack nonwritableguard page, and checks for stack overflow whenever context switches occur among coroutines and threads, which catches most stack overflows.2982 After a program is debugged, the non debugging version can be used to significantly decrease space and increase performance.2717 \subsection{Debug Kernel} 2718 2719 There are two versions of the \CFA runtime kernel: debug and non-debug. 2720 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. 2721 After a program is debugged, the non-debugging version can be used to significantly decrease space and increase performance. 2983 2722 2984 2723 … … 2986 2725 \label{s:Performance} 2987 2726 2988 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. 2989 For comparison, the package must be multiprocessor (M:N), which excludes libdil and libmil~\cite{libdill} (M:1)), and use a shared-memory programming model, \eg not message passing. 2990 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. 2991 2992 All benchmarks are run using the following harness. 2993 (The Java harness is augmented to circumvent JIT issues.) 2994 \begin{cfa} 2995 #define BENCH( `run` ) uint64_t start = cputime_ns(); `run;` double result = (double)(cputime_ns() - start) / N; 2996 \end{cfa} 2997 where CPU time in nanoseconds is from the appropriate language clock. 2998 Each benchmark is performed @N@ times, where @N@ is selected so the benchmark runs in the range of 2--20 s for the specific programming language; 2999 each @N@ appears after the experiment name in the following tables. 3000 The total time is divided by @N@ to obtain the average time for a benchmark. 3001 Each benchmark experiment is run 13 times and the average appears in the table. 3002 For languages with a runtime JIT (Java, Node.js, Python), a single half-hour long experiment is run to check stability; 3003 all long-experiment results are statistically equivalent, \ie median/average/SD correlate with the short-experiment results, indicating the short experiments reached a steady state. 3004 All omitted tests for other languages are functionally identical to the \CFA tests and available online~\cite{CforallConcurrentBenchmarks}. 3005 3006 \subsection{Creation} 3007 3008 Creation is measured by creating and deleting a specific kind of control-flow object. 3009 Figure~\ref{f:creation} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:creation}. 3010 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. 2727 To verify the implementation of the \CFA runtime, a series of microbenchmarks are performed comparing \CFA with pthreads, Java OpenJDK-9, Go 1.12.6 and \uC 7.0.0. 2728 For comparison, the package must be multi-processor (M:N), which excludes libdill/libmil~\cite{libdill} (M:1)), and use a shared-memory programming model, \eg not message passing. 2729 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 \CFA/\uC are compiled with gcc 6.5. 2730 2731 All benchmarks are run using the following harness. (The Java harness is augmented to circumvent JIT issues.) 2732 \begin{cfa} 2733 unsigned int N = 10_000_000; 2734 #define BENCH( `run` ) Time before = getTimeNsec(); `run;` Duration result = (getTimeNsec() - before) / N; 2735 \end{cfa} 2736 The method used to get time is @clock_gettime( CLOCK_REALTIME )@. 2737 Each benchmark is performed @N@ times, where @N@ varies depending on the benchmark; 2738 the total time is divided by @N@ to obtain the average time for a benchmark. 2739 Each benchmark experiment is run 31 times. 2740 All omitted tests for other languages are functionally identical to the \CFA tests and available online~\cite{CforallBenchMarks}. 2741 % tar --exclude=.deps --exclude=Makefile --exclude=Makefile.in --exclude=c.c --exclude=cxx.cpp --exclude=fetch_add.c -cvhf benchmark.tar benchmark 2742 2743 \paragraph{Object Creation} 2744 2745 Object creation is measured by creating/deleting the specific kind of concurrent object. 2746 Figure~\ref{f:creation} shows the code for \CFA, with results in Table~\ref{tab:creation}. 2747 The only note here is that the call stacks of \CFA coroutines are lazily created, therefore without priming the coroutine to force stack creation, the creation cost is artificially low. 3011 2748 3012 2749 \begin{multicols}{2} 3013 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 3014 `coroutine` MyCoroutine {}; 3015 void ?{}( MyCoroutine & this ) { 3016 #ifdef EAGER 3017 resume( this ); 3018 #endif 3019 } 3020 void main( MyCoroutine & ) {} 2750 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2751 \begin{cfa} 2752 @thread@ MyThread {}; 2753 void @main@( MyThread & ) {} 3021 2754 int main() { 3022 BENCH( for ( N ) { `MyCoroutine c;`} )3023 sout | result ;3024 } 3025 \end{cfa} 3026 \captionof{figure}{\CFA creation benchmark}2755 BENCH( for ( N ) { @MyThread m;@ } ) 2756 sout | result`ns; 2757 } 2758 \end{cfa} 2759 \captionof{figure}{\CFA object-creation benchmark} 3027 2760 \label{f:creation} 3028 2761 … … 3030 2763 3031 2764 \vspace*{-16pt} 3032 \captionof{table}{ Creation comparison (nanoseconds)}3033 \label{t :creation}2765 \captionof{table}{Object creation comparison (nanoseconds)} 2766 \label{tab:creation} 3034 2767 3035 2768 \begin{tabular}[t]{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{5.2}}@{}} 3036 \multicolumn{1}{@{}r}{Object(N)\hspace*{10pt}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3037 \CFA generator (1B) & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.0 \\ 3038 \CFA coroutine lazy (100M) & 13.4 & 13.1 & 0.5 \\ 3039 \CFA coroutine eager (10M) & 144.7 & 143.9 & 1.5 \\ 3040 \CFA thread (10M) & 466.4 & 468.0 & 11.3 \\ 3041 \uC coroutine (10M) & 155.6 & 155.7 & 1.7 \\ 3042 \uC thread (10M) & 523.4 & 523.9 & 7.7 \\ 3043 Python generator (10M) & 123.2 & 124.3 & 4.1 \\ 3044 Node.js generator (10M) & 33.4 & 33.5 & 0.3 \\ 3045 Goroutine thread (10M) & 751.0 & 750.5 & 3.1 \\ 3046 Rust tokio thread (10M) & 1860.0 & 1881.1 & 37.6 \\ 3047 Rust thread (250K) & 53801.0 & 53896.8 & 274.9 \\ 3048 Java thread (250K) & 119256.0 & 119679.2 & 2244.0 \\ 3049 % Java thread (1 000 000) & 123100.0 & 123052.5 & 751.6 \\ 3050 Pthreads thread (250K) & 31465.5 & 31419.5 & 140.4 2769 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2770 \CFA Coroutine Lazy & 13.2 & 13.1 & 0.44 \\ 2771 \CFA Coroutine Eager & 531.3 & 536.0 & 26.54 \\ 2772 \CFA Thread & 2074.9 & 2066.5 & 170.76 \\ 2773 \uC Coroutine & 89.6 & 90.5 & 1.83 \\ 2774 \uC Thread & 528.2 & 528.5 & 4.94 \\ 2775 Goroutine & 4068.0 & 4113.1 & 414.55 \\ 2776 Java Thread & 103848.5 & 104295.4 & 2637.57 \\ 2777 Pthreads & 33112.6 & 33127.1 & 165.90 3051 2778 \end{tabular} 3052 2779 \end{multicols} 3053 2780 3054 \vspace*{-10pt} 3055 \subsection{Internal scheduling} 3056 3057 Internal scheduling is measured using a cycle of two threads signaling and waiting. 3058 Figure~\ref{f:schedint} shows the code for \CFA, with results in Table~\ref{t:schedint}. 3059 Note, the \CFA incremental cost for bulk acquire is a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 3060 User-level threading has one kernel thread, eliminating contention between the threads (direct handoff of the kernel thread). 3061 Kernel-level threading has two kernel threads allowing some contention. 2781 2782 \paragraph{Context-Switching} 2783 2784 In procedural programming, the cost of a function call is important as modularization (refactoring) increases. 2785 (In many cases, a compiler inlines function calls to eliminate this cost.) 2786 Similarly, when modularization extends to coroutines/tasks, the time for a context switch becomes a relevant factor. 2787 The coroutine test is from resumer to suspender and from suspender to resumer, which is two context switches. 2788 The thread test is using yield to enter and return from the runtime kernel, which is two context switches. 2789 The difference in performance between coroutine and thread context-switch is the cost of scheduling for threads, whereas coroutines are self-scheduling. 2790 Figure~\ref{f:ctx-switch} only shows the \CFA code for coroutines/threads (other systems are similar) with all results in Table~\ref{tab:ctx-switch}. 3062 2791 3063 2792 \begin{multicols}{2} 3064 \setlength{\tabcolsep}{3pt} 3065 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 2793 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2794 \begin{cfa}[aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt] 2795 @coroutine@ C {} c; 2796 void main( C & ) { for ( ;; ) { @suspend;@ } } 2797 int main() { // coroutine test 2798 BENCH( for ( N ) { @resume( c );@ } ) 2799 sout | result`ns; 2800 } 2801 int main() { // task test 2802 BENCH( for ( N ) { @yield();@ } ) 2803 sout | result`ns; 2804 } 2805 \end{cfa} 2806 \captionof{figure}{\CFA context-switch benchmark} 2807 \label{f:ctx-switch} 2808 2809 \columnbreak 2810 2811 \vspace*{-16pt} 2812 \captionof{table}{Context switch comparison (nanoseconds)} 2813 \label{tab:ctx-switch} 2814 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 2815 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2816 C function & 1.8 & 1.8 & 0.01 \\ 2817 \CFA generator & 2.4 & 2.2 & 0.25 \\ 2818 \CFA Coroutine & 36.2 & 36.2 & 0.25 \\ 2819 \CFA Thread & 93.2 & 93.5 & 2.09 \\ 2820 \uC Coroutine & 52.0 & 52.1 & 0.51 \\ 2821 \uC Thread & 96.2 & 96.3 & 0.58 \\ 2822 Goroutine & 141.0 & 141.3 & 3.39 \\ 2823 Java Thread & 374.0 & 375.8 & 10.38 \\ 2824 Pthreads Thread & 361.0 & 365.3 & 13.19 2825 \end{tabular} 2826 \end{multicols} 2827 2828 2829 \paragraph{Mutual-Exclusion} 2830 2831 Uncontented mutual exclusion, which frequently occurs, is measured by entering/leaving a critical section. 2832 For monitors, entering and leaving a monitor function is measured. 2833 To put the results in context, the cost of entering a non-inline function and the cost of acquiring and releasing a @pthread_mutex@ lock is also measured. 2834 Figure~\ref{f:mutex} shows the code for \CFA with all results in Table~\ref{tab:mutex}. 2835 Note, the incremental cost of bulk acquire for \CFA, which is largely a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 2836 2837 \begin{multicols}{2} 2838 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2839 \begin{cfa} 2840 @monitor@ M {} m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/; 2841 void __attribute__((noinline)) 2842 do_call( M & @mutex m/*, m2, m3, m4*/@ ) {} 2843 int main() { 2844 BENCH( 2845 for( N ) do_call( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); 2846 ) 2847 sout | result`ns; 2848 } 2849 \end{cfa} 2850 \captionof{figure}{\CFA acquire/release mutex benchmark} 2851 \label{f:mutex} 2852 2853 \columnbreak 2854 2855 \vspace*{-16pt} 2856 \captionof{table}{Mutex comparison (nanoseconds)} 2857 \label{tab:mutex} 2858 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 2859 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2860 test and test-and-test lock & 19.1 & 18.9 & 0.40 \\ 2861 \CFA @mutex@ function, 1 arg. & 45.9 & 46.6 & 1.45 \\ 2862 \CFA @mutex@ function, 2 arg. & 105.0 & 104.7 & 3.08 \\ 2863 \CFA @mutex@ function, 4 arg. & 165.0 & 167.6 & 5.65 \\ 2864 \uC @monitor@ member rtn. & 54.0 & 53.7 & 0.82 \\ 2865 Java synchronized method & 31.0 & 31.1 & 0.50 \\ 2866 Pthreads Mutex Lock & 33.6 & 32.6 & 1.14 2867 \end{tabular} 2868 \end{multicols} 2869 2870 2871 \paragraph{External Scheduling} 2872 2873 External scheduling is measured using a cycle of two threads calling and accepting the call using the @waitfor@ statement. 2874 Figure~\ref{f:ext-sched} shows the code for \CFA, with results in Table~\ref{tab:ext-sched}. 2875 Note, the incremental cost of bulk acquire for \CFA, which is largely a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 2876 2877 \begin{multicols}{2} 2878 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2879 \vspace*{-16pt} 2880 \begin{cfa} 3066 2881 volatile int go = 0; 3067 `condition c;` 3068 `monitor` M {} m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/; 3069 void call( M & `mutex p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/` ) { 3070 `signal( c );` 3071 } 3072 void wait( M & `mutex p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/` ) { 2882 @monitor@ M {} m; 2883 thread T {}; 2884 void __attribute__((noinline)) 2885 do_call( M & @mutex@ ) {} 2886 void main( T & ) { 2887 while ( go == 0 ) { yield(); } 2888 while ( go == 1 ) { do_call( m ); } 2889 } 2890 int __attribute__((noinline)) 2891 do_wait( M & @mutex@ m ) { 3073 2892 go = 1; // continue other thread 3074 for ( N ) { `wait( c );` } ); 3075 } 3076 thread T {}; 3077 void main( T & ) { 3078 while ( go == 0 ) { yield(); } // waiter must start first 3079 BENCH( for ( N ) { call( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); } ) 3080 sout | result; 2893 BENCH( for ( N ) { @waitfor( do_call, m );@ } ) 2894 go = 0; // stop other thread 2895 sout | result`ns; 3081 2896 } 3082 2897 int main() { 3083 2898 T t; 3084 wait( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); 3085 } 3086 \end{cfa} 3087 \vspace*{-8pt} 2899 do_wait( m ); 2900 } 2901 \end{cfa} 2902 \captionof{figure}{\CFA external-scheduling benchmark} 2903 \label{f:ext-sched} 2904 2905 \columnbreak 2906 2907 \vspace*{-16pt} 2908 \captionof{table}{External-scheduling comparison (nanoseconds)} 2909 \label{tab:ext-sched} 2910 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 2911 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2912 \CFA @waitfor@, 1 @monitor@ & 376.4 & 376.8 & 7.63 \\ 2913 \CFA @waitfor@, 2 @monitor@ & 491.4 & 492.0 & 13.31 \\ 2914 \CFA @waitfor@, 4 @monitor@ & 681.0 & 681.7 & 19.10 \\ 2915 \uC @_Accept@ & 331.1 & 331.4 & 2.66 2916 \end{tabular} 2917 \end{multicols} 2918 2919 2920 \paragraph{Internal Scheduling} 2921 2922 Internal scheduling is measured using a cycle of two threads signalling and waiting. 2923 Figure~\ref{f:int-sched} shows the code for \CFA, with results in Table~\ref{tab:int-sched}. 2924 Note, the incremental cost of bulk acquire for \CFA, which is largely a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 2925 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. 2926 2927 \begin{multicols}{2} 2928 \lstset{language=CFA,moredelim=**[is][\color{red}]{@}{@},deletedelim=**[is][]{`}{`}} 2929 \begin{cfa} 2930 volatile int go = 0; 2931 @monitor@ M { @condition c;@ } m; 2932 void __attribute__((noinline)) 2933 do_call( M & @mutex@ a1 ) { @signal( c );@ } 2934 thread T {}; 2935 void main( T & this ) { 2936 while ( go == 0 ) { yield(); } 2937 while ( go == 1 ) { do_call( m ); } 2938 } 2939 int __attribute__((noinline)) 2940 do_wait( M & mutex m ) with(m) { 2941 go = 1; // continue other thread 2942 BENCH( for ( N ) { @wait( c );@ } ); 2943 go = 0; // stop other thread 2944 sout | result`ns; 2945 } 2946 int main() { 2947 T t; 2948 do_wait( m ); 2949 } 2950 \end{cfa} 3088 2951 \captionof{figure}{\CFA Internal-scheduling benchmark} 3089 \label{f: schedint}2952 \label{f:int-sched} 3090 2953 3091 2954 \columnbreak … … 3093 2956 \vspace*{-16pt} 3094 2957 \captionof{table}{Internal-scheduling comparison (nanoseconds)} 3095 \label{t :schedint}2958 \label{tab:int-sched} 3096 2959 \bigskip 3097 2960 3098 2961 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{5.2}}@{}} 3099 \multicolumn{1}{@{}r}{Object(N)\hspace*{10pt}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3100 \CFA @signal@, 1 monitor (10M) & 364.4 & 364.2 & 4.4 \\ 3101 \CFA @signal@, 2 monitor (10M) & 484.4 & 483.9 & 8.8 \\ 3102 \CFA @signal@, 4 monitor (10M) & 709.1 & 707.7 & 15.0 \\ 3103 \uC @signal@ monitor (10M) & 328.3 & 327.4 & 2.4 \\ 3104 Rust cond. variable (1M) & 7514.0 & 7437.4 & 397.2 \\ 3105 Java @notify@ monitor (1M) & 8717.0 & 8774.1 & 471.8 \\ 3106 % Java @notify@ monitor (100 000 000) & 8634.0 & 8683.5 & 330.5 \\ 3107 Pthreads cond. variable (1M) & 5553.7 & 5576.1 & 345.6 2962 \multicolumn{1}{@{}c}{} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 2963 \CFA @signal@, 1 @monitor@ & 372.6 & 374.3 & 14.17 \\ 2964 \CFA @signal@, 2 @monitor@ & 492.7 & 494.1 & 12.99 \\ 2965 \CFA @signal@, 4 @monitor@ & 749.4 & 750.4 & 24.74 \\ 2966 \uC @signal@ & 320.5 & 321.0 & 3.36 \\ 2967 Java @notify@ & 10160.5 & 10169.4 & 267.71 \\ 2968 Pthreads Cond. Variable & 4949.6 & 5065.2 & 363 3108 2969 \end{tabular} 3109 2970 \end{multicols} 3110 2971 3111 2972 3112 \subsection{External scheduling} 3113 3114 External scheduling is measured using a cycle of two threads calling and accepting the call using the @waitfor@ statement. 3115 Figure~\ref{f:schedext} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:schedext}. 3116 Note, the \CFA incremental cost for bulk acquire is a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 3117 3118 \begin{multicols}{2} 3119 \setlength{\tabcolsep}{5pt} 3120 \vspace*{-16pt} 3121 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 3122 `monitor` M {} m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/; 3123 void call( M & `mutex p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/` ) {} 3124 void wait( M & `mutex p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/` ) { 3125 for ( N ) { `waitfor( call : p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/ );` } 3126 } 3127 thread T {}; 3128 void main( T & ) { 3129 BENCH( for ( N ) { call( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); } ) 3130 sout | result; 3131 } 3132 int main() { 3133 T t; 3134 wait( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); 3135 } 3136 \end{cfa} 3137 \captionof{figure}{\CFA external-scheduling benchmark} 3138 \label{f:schedext} 3139 3140 \columnbreak 3141 3142 \vspace*{-18pt} 3143 \captionof{table}{External-scheduling comparison (nanoseconds)} 3144 \label{t:schedext} 3145 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 3146 \multicolumn{1}{@{}r}{Object(N)\hspace*{10pt}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3147 \CFA @waitfor@, 1 monitor (10M) & 367.1 & 365.3 & 5.0 \\ 3148 \CFA @waitfor@, 2 monitor (10M) & 463.0 & 464.6 & 7.1 \\ 3149 \CFA @waitfor@, 4 monitor (10M) & 689.6 & 696.2 & 21.5 \\ 3150 \uC \lstinline[language=uC++]|_Accept| monitor (10M) & 328.2 & 329.1 & 3.4 \\ 3151 Go \lstinline[language=Golang]|select| channel (10M) & 365.0 & 365.5 & 1.2 3152 \end{tabular} 3153 \end{multicols} 3154 3155 \subsection{Mutual-Exclusion} 3156 3157 Uncontented mutual exclusion, which frequently occurs, is measured by entering and leaving a critical section. 3158 For monitors, entering and leaving a mutex function are measured, otherwise the language-appropriate mutex-lock is measured. 3159 For comparison, a spinning (vs.\ blocking) test-and-test-set lock is presented. 3160 Figure~\ref{f:mutex} shows the code for \CFA with results in Table~\ref{t:mutex}. 3161 Note the incremental cost of bulk acquire for \CFA, which is largely a fixed cost for small numbers of mutex objects. 3162 3163 \begin{multicols}{2} 3164 \setlength{\tabcolsep}{3pt} 3165 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 3166 `monitor` M {} m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/; 3167 call( M & `mutex p1/*, p2, p3, p4*/` ) {} 3168 int main() { 3169 BENCH( for( N ) call( m1/*, m2, m3, m4*/ ); ) 3170 sout | result; 3171 } 3172 \end{cfa} 3173 \captionof{figure}{\CFA acquire/release mutex benchmark} 3174 \label{f:mutex} 3175 3176 \columnbreak 3177 3178 \vspace*{-16pt} 3179 \captionof{table}{Mutex comparison (nanoseconds)} 3180 \label{t:mutex} 3181 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 3182 \multicolumn{1}{@{}r}{Object(N)\hspace*{10pt}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3183 test-and-test-set lock (50M) & 19.1 & 18.9 & 0.4 \\ 3184 \CFA @mutex@ function, 1 arg. (50M) & 48.3 & 47.8 & 0.9 \\ 3185 \CFA @mutex@ function, 2 arg. (50M) & 86.7 & 87.6 & 1.9 \\ 3186 \CFA @mutex@ function, 4 arg. (50M) & 173.4 & 169.4 & 5.9 \\ 3187 \uC @monitor@ member rtn. (50M) & 54.8 & 54.8 & 0.1 \\ 3188 Goroutine mutex lock (50M) & 34.0 & 34.0 & 0.0 \\ 3189 Rust mutex lock (50M) & 33.0 & 33.2 & 0.8 \\ 3190 Java synchronized method (50M) & 31.0 & 30.9 & 0.5 \\ 3191 % Java synchronized method (10 000 000 000) & 31.0 & 30.2 & 0.9 \\ 3192 Pthreads mutex Lock (50M) & 31.0 & 31.1 & 0.4 3193 \end{tabular} 3194 \end{multicols} 3195 3196 \subsection{Context switching} 3197 3198 In procedural programming, the cost of a function call is important as modularization (refactoring) increases. 3199 (In many cases, a compiler inlines function calls to increase the size and number of basic blocks for optimizing.) 3200 Similarly, when modularization extends to coroutines and threads, the time for a context switch becomes a relevant factor. 3201 The coroutine test is from resumer to suspender and from suspender to resumer, which is two context switches. 3202 %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. 3203 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@). 3204 The thread test is using yield to enter and return from the runtime kernel, which is two context switches. 3205 The difference in performance between coroutine and thread context-switch is the cost of scheduling for threads, whereas coroutines are self-scheduling. 3206 Figure~\ref{f:ctx-switch} shows the \CFA code for a coroutine and thread with results in Table~\ref{t:ctx-switch}. 3207 3208 % From: Gregor Richards <gregor.richards@uwaterloo.ca> 3209 % To: "Peter A. Buhr" <pabuhr@plg2.cs.uwaterloo.ca> 3210 % Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:49:18 -0500 3211 % 3212 % I can also verify that the previous version, which just tied a bunch of promises together, *does not* go back to the 3213 % event loop at all in the current version of Node. Presumably they're taking advantage of the fact that the ordering of 3214 % events is intentionally undefined to just jump right to the next 'then' in the chain, bypassing event queueing 3215 % entirely. That's perfectly correct behavior insofar as its difference from the specified behavior isn't observable, but 3216 % it isn't typical or representative of much anything useful, because most programs wouldn't have whole chains of eager 3217 % promises. Also, it's not representative of *anything* you can do with async/await, as there's no way to encode such an 3218 % eager chain that way. 3219 3220 \begin{multicols}{2} 3221 \begin{cfa}[xleftmargin=0pt] 3222 `coroutine` C {}; 3223 void main( C & ) { for () { `suspend;` } } 3224 int main() { // coroutine test 3225 C c; 3226 BENCH( for ( N ) { `resume( c );` } ) 3227 sout | result; 3228 } 3229 int main() { // thread test 3230 BENCH( for ( N ) { `yield();` } ) 3231 sout | result; 3232 } 3233 \end{cfa} 3234 \captionof{figure}{\CFA context-switch benchmark} 3235 \label{f:ctx-switch} 3236 3237 \columnbreak 3238 3239 \vspace*{-16pt} 3240 \captionof{table}{Context switch comparison (nanoseconds)} 3241 \label{t:ctx-switch} 3242 \begin{tabular}{@{}r*{3}{D{.}{.}{3.2}}@{}} 3243 \multicolumn{1}{@{}r}{Object(N)\hspace*{10pt}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Median} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Average} & \multicolumn{1}{c@{}}{Std Dev} \\ 3244 C function (10B) & 1.8 & 1.8 & 0.0 \\ 3245 \CFA generator (5B) & 1.8 & 2.0 & 0.3 \\ 3246 \CFA coroutine (100M) & 32.5 & 32.9 & 0.8 \\ 3247 \CFA thread (100M) & 93.8 & 93.6 & 2.2 \\ 3248 \uC coroutine (100M) & 50.3 & 50.3 & 0.2 \\ 3249 \uC thread (100M) & 97.3 & 97.4 & 1.0 \\ 3250 Python generator (100M) & 40.9 & 41.3 & 1.5 \\ 3251 Node.js await (5M) & 1852.2 & 1854.7 & 16.4 \\ 3252 Node.js generator (100M) & 33.3 & 33.4 & 0.3 \\ 3253 Goroutine thread (100M) & 143.0 & 143.3 & 1.1 \\ 3254 Rust async await (100M) & 32.0 & 32.0 & 0.0 \\ 3255 Rust tokio thread (100M) & 143.0 & 143.0 & 1.7 \\ 3256 Rust thread (25M) & 332.0 & 331.4 & 2.4 \\ 3257 Java thread (100M) & 405.0 & 415.0 & 17.6 \\ 3258 % Java thread ( 100 000 000) & 413.0 & 414.2 & 6.2 \\ 3259 % Java thread (5 000 000 000) & 415.0 & 415.2 & 6.1 \\ 3260 Pthreads thread (25M) & 334.3 & 335.2 & 3.9 3261 \end{tabular} 3262 \end{multicols} 3263 3264 3265 \subsection{Discussion} 3266 3267 Languages using 1:1 threading based on pthreads can at best meet or exceed, due to language overhead, the pthread results. 3268 Note, pthreads has a fast zero-contention mutex lock checked in user space. 3269 Languages with M:N threading have better performance than 1:1 because there is no operating-system interactions (context-switching or locking). 3270 As well, for locking experiments, M:N threading has less contention if only one kernel thread is used. 3271 Languages with stackful coroutines have higher cost than stackless coroutines because of stack allocation and context switching; 3272 however, stackful \uC and \CFA coroutines have approximately the same performance as stackless Python and Node.js generators. 3273 The \CFA stackless generator is approximately 25 times faster for suspend/resume and 200 times faster for creation than stackless Python and Node.js generators. 3274 The Node.js context-switch is costly when asynchronous await must enter the event engine because a promise is not fulfilled. 3275 Finally, the benchmark results correlate across programming languages with and without JIT, indicating the JIT has completed any runtime optimizations. 3276 3277 3278 \section{Conclusions and Future Work} 2973 \section{Conclusion} 3279 2974 3280 2975 Advanced control-flow will always be difficult, especially when there is temporal ordering and nondeterminism. 3281 2976 However, many systems exacerbate the difficulty through their presentation mechanisms. 3282 This paper shows it is possible to understand high-level control-flow using three properties: statefulness, thread, mutual-exclusion/synchronization. 3283 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. 3284 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. 3285 \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@. 2977 This paper shows it is possible to present a hierarchy of control-flow features, generator, coroutine, thread, and monitor, providing an integrated set of high-level, efficient, and maintainable control-flow features. 2978 Eliminated from \CFA are spurious wakeup and barging, which are nonintuitive and lead to errors, and having to work with a bewildering set of low-level locks and acquisition techniques. 2979 \CFA high-level race-free monitors and tasks provide the core mechanisms for mutual exclusion and synchronization, without having to resort to magic qualifiers like @volatile@/@atomic@. 3286 2980 Extending these mechanisms to handle high-level deadlock-free bulk acquire across both mutual exclusion and synchronization is a unique contribution. 3287 2981 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. 3288 2982 The M:N model is judged to be efficient and provide greater flexibility than a 1:1 threading model. 3289 2983 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. 3290 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. 3291 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. 2984 Performance comparisons with other concurrent systems/languages show the \CFA approach is competitive across all low-level operations, which translates directly into good performance in well-written concurrent applications. 2985 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. 2986 2987 2988 \section{Future Work} 3292 2989 3293 2990 While control flow in \CFA has a strong start, development is still underway to complete a number of missing features. 3294 2991 3295 \medskip 3296 \textbf{Flexible scheduling:} 2992 \paragraph{Flexible Scheduling} 2993 \label{futur:sched} 2994 3297 2995 An important part of concurrency is scheduling. 3298 Different scheduling algorithms can affect performance , both in terms of average and variation.2996 Different scheduling algorithms can affect performance (both in terms of average and variation). 3299 2997 However, no single scheduler is optimal for all workloads and therefore there is value in being able to change the scheduler for given programs. 3300 2998 One solution is to offer various tuning options, allowing the scheduler to be adjusted to the requirements of the workload. 3301 2999 However, to be truly flexible, a pluggable scheduler is necessary. 3302 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}. 3303 3304 \smallskip 3305 \textbf{Non-Blocking I/O:} 3306 Many modern workloads are not bound by computation but IO operations, common cases being web servers and XaaS~\cite{XaaS} (anything as a service). 3000 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}. 3001 3002 \paragraph{Non-Blocking I/O} 3003 \label{futur:nbio} 3004 3005 Many modern workloads are not bound by computation but IO operations, a common case being web servers and XaaS~\cite{XaaS} (anything as a service). 3307 3006 These types of workloads require significant engineering to amortizing costs of blocking IO-operations. 3308 At its core, non blocking I/O is an operating-system level feature queuing IO operations, \eg network operations, and registering for notifications instead of waiting for requests to complete.3007 At its core, non-blocking I/O is an operating-system level feature queuing IO operations, \eg network operations, and registering for notifications instead of waiting for requests to complete. 3309 3008 Current trends use asynchronous programming like callbacks, futures, and/or promises, \eg Node.js~\cite{NodeJs} for JavaScript, Spring MVC~\cite{SpringMVC} for Java, and Django~\cite{Django} for Python. 3310 However, these solutions lead to code that is hard to create, read, and maintain. 3311 A better approach is to tie nonblocking I/O into the concurrency system to provide ease of use with low overhead, \eg thread-per-connection web-services. 3312 A nonblocking I/O library is currently under development for \CFA. 3313 3314 \smallskip 3315 \textbf{Other concurrency tools:} 3009 However, these solutions lead to code that is hard to create, read and maintain. 3010 A better approach is to tie non-blocking I/O into the concurrency system to provide ease of use with low overhead, \eg thread-per-connection web-services. 3011 A non-blocking I/O library is currently under development for \CFA. 3012 3013 \paragraph{Other Concurrency Tools} 3014 \label{futur:tools} 3015 3316 3016 While monitors offer flexible and powerful concurrency for \CFA, other concurrency tools are also necessary for a complete multi-paradigm concurrency package. 3317 3017 Examples of such tools can include futures and promises~\cite{promises}, executors and actors. … … 3319 3019 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. 3320 3020 3321 \smallskip 3322 \textbf{Implicit threading:} 3323 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. 3021 \paragraph{Implicit Threading} 3022 \label{futur:implcit} 3023 3024 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. 3324 3025 This type of concurrency can be achieved both at the language level and at the library level. 3325 3026 The canonical example of implicit concurrency is concurrent nested @for@ loops, which are amenable to divide and conquer algorithms~\cite{uC++book}. 3326 The \CFA language features should make it possible to develop a reasonable number of implicit concurrency mechanism sto solve basic HPC data-concurrency problems.3027 The \CFA language features should make it possible to develop a reasonable number of implicit concurrency mechanism to solve basic HPC data-concurrency problems. 3327 3028 However, implicit concurrency is a restrictive solution with significant limitations, so it can never replace explicit concurrent programming. 3328 3029 … … 3330 3031 \section{Acknowledgements} 3331 3032 3332 The authors recognize the design assistance of Aaron Moss, Rob Schluntz, Andrew Beach, and Michael Brooks; David Dice for commenting and helping with the Java benchmarks; and Gregor Richards for helping with the Node.js benchmarks.3333 This research is funded by the NSERC/Waterloo-Huawei (\url{http://www.huawei.com}) Joint Innovation Lab. %, and Peter Buhr is partially funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.3033 The authors would like to recognize the design assistance of Aaron Moss, Rob Schluntz, Andrew Beach and Michael Brooks on the features described in this paper. 3034 Funding for this project has been provided by Huawei Ltd.\ (\url{http://www.huawei.com}). %, and Peter Buhr is partially funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. 3334 3035 3335 3036 {% 3336 \fontsize{9bp}{1 1.5bp}\selectfont%3037 \fontsize{9bp}{12bp}\selectfont% 3337 3038 \bibliography{pl,local} 3338 3039 }%
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