Strict Alternation

In Fig. 2-20, the integer variable turn, initially 0, keeps track of whose turn it is to enter the critical region and examine or update the shared memory. Initially, process 0 inspects turn, finds it to be 0, and enters its critical region. Process 1 also finds it to be 0 and therefore sits in a tight loop continually testing turn to see when it becomes 1. Continuously testing a variable until some value appears is called busy waiting. It should usually be avoided, since it wastes CPU time. Only when there is a reasonable expectation that the wait will be short is busy waiting used. A lock that uses busy waiting is called a spin lock.

while (TRUE) { while (turn != 0)/* loop */ ; critical_region(); turn = 1; noncritical_region(); }	while (TRUE) { while (turn != 1);/* loop */ ; critical_region(); turn = 0; noncritical_region(); }
(a)	(b)

Figure 2-20. A proposed solution to the critical region problem. (a) Process 0. (b) Process 1. In both cases, be sure to note the semicolons terminating the while statements.

When process 0 leaves the critical region, it sets turn to 1, to allow process 1 to enter its critical region. Suppose that process 1 finishes its critical region quickly, so both processes are in their noncritical regions, with turn set to 0. Now process 0 executes its whole loop quickly, exiting its critical region and setting turn to 1. At this point turn is 1 and both processes are executing in their noncritical regions.

Suddenly, process 0 finishes its noncritical region and goes back to the top of its loop. Unfortunately, it is not permitted to enter its critical region now, because turn is 1 and process 1 is busy with its noncritical region. It hangs in its while loop until process 1 sets turn to 0. Put differently, taking turns is not a good idea when one of the processes is much slower than the other.

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MODERN OPERATING SYSTEMS
SECOND EDITION
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum

Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
ISBN 0-13-031358-0, 976 pages

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