Concurrency Algorithms and Theories 02 Memory Models

Memory Models

Why Memory Models ?

Sequential Consistency (SC) Model

Interleaving semantics

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-lNwEL7X5-1668869667086)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/brFgsuhX9Bo1xpP.png)]

每一次读取的都是上一次写的值

The need of weak memory models

SC model prohibits many optimization

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-BCljSdaV-1668869667086)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/FW6EVArtHReiCTx.png)]

Impossible in SC model, but allowed in x86 or Java (because of 编译优化)

Weak memory model allow more behaviors

Design Criteria

• Usability: DRF guarantee
  • DRF programs have the same behaviors as in SC model
• Not too strong
  • Allow common optimization techniques
  • Allow standard compilation schemes to major modern architectures
  • In some sense hijacked by the mainstream complier
• Preserve type-safety and security guarantee
  • Cannot be too weak (out-of-thin-air)

Data-Race-Freedom(DRF)

Data-race: read-write / write-write conflicts

• A data race occurs when we have two concurrent conflicting operations

  • Conflicting: the two operations both access the same memory location and at least one is a write
  • Concurrent ?
    • Differs across memory models
    • Java: the two operations are not ordered by “happens-before”

SC下 的 happens-before ： $PO\cup SW$

• program-order

• synchronizes-with

DRF Guarantee

• DRF programs have the same behaviors as in SC
  • For DRF programs, the programmer does not need to worry that reorders will affect her code

Compiler Optimization Can Be Smart

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-bN0iUCjg-1668869667087)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/EOWYhvDaP7qnUsM.png)]

Efforts for Java Memory Model (JMM)

• First edition in Java Language Spec
• Current JMM

Happens-Before Order

• Program execution: a set of events, and some orders between them

**Happens-before order (hb): **transitive closure of $po\cup sw$

$w_1\stackrel{hb}{⟶}{w}_2$

$w_1\stackrel{hb}{⟶}r$

Happens-Before Memory Model (HMM)

Read can see

1. the most recent write that happens-before it, or
2. a write that has no happens-before relation

r could see both $w_1$ ( which happens-before it )

and $w_2$ ( with which there is no happens-before relation )

HMM - Relaxed Ordering

HMM - Examples with Global Analysis

HMM - Out-of-Thin-Air-Read

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-uCbOZ89y-1668869667088)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/HLyMbXV3Eu98txB.png)]

• Good speculation -> should allow
• Bad speculation -> disallow!

JMM

• Take HMM as the core, and try hard to distinguish good speculation from bad speculation!
• Introduce 9 axioms to constrain causality.
• Very complex, with surprising results and bugs.

Surprising Results

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-RpA1bQio-1668869667088)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/MDBY7CIpPozTy2O.png)]

Inlining threads may increase behaviors!

More:

Re-ordering independent operations may change behaviors

Adding/removing redundant reads may change behaviors.

More Examples

Load buffering (LB)

Allowed!

Independent reads of independent writes (IRIW)

• SC下不可能产生

• HB下Allowed

Out of thin air read

OOTA的行为

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-EHBY2CJJ-1668869667089)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/yjI7Yqk1PBWCR8u.png)]

如何判断$out-of-thin-air$行为：具体分析

Allowed in HMM !

HMM does not have DRF-guarantee

[外链图片转存失败,源站可能有防盗链机制,建议将图片保存下来直接上传(img-BR4NfbzA-1668869667089)(https://s2.loli.net/2022/09/23/iuXxcDGNLQtvUTw.png)]

Summary

• Why need weak memory models
• Design criteria of weak memory models
• The happens-before memory model
• Out-of-thin-air read