On 05/23/2010 07:30 PM, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
>
>    
>>> Maybe we should use atomics on index then?
>>>
>>>        
>> This should only be helpful if you access the cacheline several times in
>> a row.  That's not the case in virtio (or here).
>>      
> So why does it help?
>    

We actually do access the cacheline several times in a row here (but not 
in virtio?):

>               case SHARE:
>                       while (count<  MAX_BOUNCES) {
>                               /* Spin waiting for other side to change it. */
>                               while (counter->cacheline1 != count);
>    

Broadcast a read request.

>                               count++;
>                               counter->cacheline1 = count;
>    

Broadcast an invalidate request.

>                               count++;
>                       }
>                       break;
>
>               case LOCKSHARE:
>                       while (count<  MAX_BOUNCES) {
>                               /* Spin waiting for other side to change it. */
>                               while 
> (__sync_val_compare_and_swap(&counter->cacheline1, count, count+1)
>                                      != count);
>    

Broadcast a 'read for ownership' request.

>                               count += 2;
>                       }
>                       break;
>    

So RMW should certainly by faster using single-instruction RMW 
operations (or using prefetchw).

-- 
Do not meddle in the internals of kernels, for they are subtle and quick to 
panic.

_______________________________________________
Virtualization mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.linux-foundation.org/mailman/listinfo/virtualization

Reply via email to