STREAMS Programming Guide

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Updated: July 2014
 
 

Structure of a Message Queue

A queue is an interface between a STREAMS driver or module and the rest of the stream (see queue(9S)). The queue structure holds the messages, and points to the STREAMS processing routines that should be applied to a message as it travels through a module. STREAMS modules and drivers must explicitly place messages on a queue, for example, when flow control is used.

Each open driver or pushed module has a pair of queues allocated, one for the read side and one for the write side. Queues are always allocated in pairs. Kernel routines are available to access each queue's mate. The queue's put or service procedure can add a message to the current queue. If a module does not need to queue messages, its put procedure can call the neighboring queue's put procedure.

The queue's service procedure deals with messages on the queue, usually by removing successive messages from the queue, processing them, and calling the put procedure of the next module in the stream to pass the message to the next queue. Chapter 7, STREAMS Framework – Kernel Level discusses the service and put procedures in more detail.

Each queue also has a pointer to an open and close routine. The open routine of a driver is called when the driver is first opened and on every successive open of the stream. The open routine of a module is called when the module is first pushed on the stream and on every successive open of the stream. The close routine of the module is called when the module is popped (removed) off the stream, or at the time of the final close. The close routine of the driver is called when the last reference to the stream is closed and the stream is dismantled.