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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+=================================================
+Using RCU hlist_nulls to protect list and objects
+=================================================
+
+This section describes how to use hlist_nulls to
+protect read-mostly linked lists and
+objects using SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU allocations.
+
+Please read the basics in listRCU.rst.
+
+Using 'nulls'
+=============
+
+Using special makers (called 'nulls') is a convenient way
+to solve following problem :
+
+A typical RCU linked list managing objects which are
+allocated with SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU kmem_cache can
+use following algos :
+
+1) Lookup algo
+--------------
+
+::
+
+ rcu_read_lock()
+ begin:
+ obj = lockless_lookup(key);
+ if (obj) {
+ if (!try_get_ref(obj)) // might fail for free objects
+ goto begin;
+ /*
+ * Because a writer could delete object, and a writer could
+ * reuse these object before the RCU grace period, we
+ * must check key after getting the reference on object
+ */
+ if (obj->key != key) { // not the object we expected
+ put_ref(obj);
+ goto begin;
+ }
+ }
+ rcu_read_unlock();
+
+Beware that lockless_lookup(key) cannot use traditional hlist_for_each_entry_rcu()
+but a version with an additional memory barrier (smp_rmb())
+
+::
+
+ lockless_lookup(key)
+ {
+ struct hlist_node *node, *next;
+ for (pos = rcu_dereference((head)->first);
+ pos && ({ next = pos->next; smp_rmb(); prefetch(next); 1; }) &&
+ ({ tpos = hlist_entry(pos, typeof(*tpos), member); 1; });
+ pos = rcu_dereference(next))
+ if (obj->key == key)
+ return obj;
+ return NULL;
+ }
+
+And note the traditional hlist_for_each_entry_rcu() misses this smp_rmb()::
+
+ struct hlist_node *node;
+ for (pos = rcu_dereference((head)->first);
+ pos && ({ prefetch(pos->next); 1; }) &&
+ ({ tpos = hlist_entry(pos, typeof(*tpos), member); 1; });
+ pos = rcu_dereference(pos->next))
+ if (obj->key == key)
+ return obj;
+ return NULL;
+
+Quoting Corey Minyard::
+
+ "If the object is moved from one list to another list in-between the
+ time the hash is calculated and the next field is accessed, and the
+ object has moved to the end of a new list, the traversal will not
+ complete properly on the list it should have, since the object will
+ be on the end of the new list and there's not a way to tell it's on a
+ new list and restart the list traversal. I think that this can be
+ solved by pre-fetching the "next" field (with proper barriers) before
+ checking the key."
+
+2) Insert algo
+--------------
+
+We need to make sure a reader cannot read the new 'obj->obj_next' value
+and previous value of 'obj->key'. Or else, an item could be deleted
+from a chain, and inserted into another chain. If new chain was empty
+before the move, 'next' pointer is NULL, and lockless reader can
+not detect it missed following items in original chain.
+
+::
+
+ /*
+ * Please note that new inserts are done at the head of list,
+ * not in the middle or end.
+ */
+ obj = kmem_cache_alloc(...);
+ lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+ obj->key = key;
+ /*
+ * we need to make sure obj->key is updated before obj->next
+ * or obj->refcnt
+ */
+ smp_wmb();
+ atomic_set(&obj->refcnt, 1);
+ hlist_add_head_rcu(&obj->obj_node, list);
+ unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()
+
+
+3) Remove algo
+--------------
+Nothing special here, we can use a standard RCU hlist deletion.
+But thanks to SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, beware a deleted object can be reused
+very very fast (before the end of RCU grace period)
+
+::
+
+ if (put_last_reference_on(obj) {
+ lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+ hlist_del_init_rcu(&obj->obj_node);
+ unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()
+ kmem_cache_free(cachep, obj);
+ }
+
+
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Avoiding extra smp_rmb()
+========================
+
+With hlist_nulls we can avoid extra smp_rmb() in lockless_lookup()
+and extra smp_wmb() in insert function.
+
+For example, if we choose to store the slot number as the 'nulls'
+end-of-list marker for each slot of the hash table, we can detect
+a race (some writer did a delete and/or a move of an object
+to another chain) checking the final 'nulls' value if
+the lookup met the end of chain. If final 'nulls' value
+is not the slot number, then we must restart the lookup at
+the beginning. If the object was moved to the same chain,
+then the reader doesn't care : It might eventually
+scan the list again without harm.
+
+
+1) lookup algo
+--------------
+
+::
+
+ head = &table[slot];
+ rcu_read_lock();
+ begin:
+ hlist_nulls_for_each_entry_rcu(obj, node, head, member) {
+ if (obj->key == key) {
+ if (!try_get_ref(obj)) // might fail for free objects
+ goto begin;
+ if (obj->key != key) { // not the object we expected
+ put_ref(obj);
+ goto begin;
+ }
+ goto out;
+ }
+ /*
+ * if the nulls value we got at the end of this lookup is
+ * not the expected one, we must restart lookup.
+ * We probably met an item that was moved to another chain.
+ */
+ if (get_nulls_value(node) != slot)
+ goto begin;
+ obj = NULL;
+
+ out:
+ rcu_read_unlock();
+
+2) Insert function
+------------------
+
+::
+
+ /*
+ * Please note that new inserts are done at the head of list,
+ * not in the middle or end.
+ */
+ obj = kmem_cache_alloc(cachep);
+ lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+ obj->key = key;
+ /*
+ * changes to obj->key must be visible before refcnt one
+ */
+ smp_wmb();
+ atomic_set(&obj->refcnt, 1);
+ /*
+ * insert obj in RCU way (readers might be traversing chain)
+ */
+ hlist_nulls_add_head_rcu(&obj->obj_node, list);
+ unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()