MT STREAMS Perimeters

For the purpose of controlling and restricting the concurrency for the synchronous entry points, the STREAMS framework defines two MT perimeters. The STREAMS framework provides the concepts of inner and outer perimeters. A module can be configured either to have no perimeters, to have only an inner or an outer perimeter, or to have both an inner and outer perimeter. For inner perimeters there are different scope perimeters to choose from. Unrestricted concurrency can be obtained by configuring no perimeters.

Figure Figure 12-1 and Figure 12-2 are examples of inner perimeters. Figure 12-3 shows multiple inner perimeters inside an outer perimeter.

Figure 12-1 Inner Perimeter Spanning a Pair of Queues. (D_MPTQAIR)

Both the inner and outer perimeters act as readers/writer locks allowing multiple readers or a single writer. Thus, each perimeter can be entered in two modes: shared (reader) or exclusive (writer). By default, all synchronous entry points enter the inner perimeter exclusively and the outer perimeter shared.

The inner and outer perimeters are entered when one of the synchronous entry points is called. The perimeters are retained until the call returns from the entry point. Thus, for example, the thread does not leave the perimeter of one module when it calls putnext to enter another module.

Figure 12-2 Inner Perimeter Spanning All queues In a Module. (D_MTPERMOD)

When a thread is inside a perimeter and it calls putnext(9F) (or putnextctl1(9F)), the thread can "loop around" through other STREAMS modules and try to reenter a put procedure inside the original perimeter. If this reentry conflicts with the earlier entry (for example if the first entry has exclusive access at the inner perimeter), the STREAMS framework defers the reentry while preserving the order of the messages attempting to enter the perimeter. Thus, putnext(9F) returns without the message having been passed to the put procedure and the framework passes the message to the put procedure when it is possible to enter the perimeters.

The optional outer perimeter spans all queues in a module is illustrated in Figure 12-3.

Figure 12-3 Outer Perimeter Spanning All Queues With Inner Perimeters Spanning Each Pair (D_MTOUTPERIM Combined With D_MTQPAIR)