Root/Documentation/io_ordering.txt

1On some platforms, so-called memory-mapped I/O is weakly ordered. On such
2platforms, driver writers are responsible for ensuring that I/O writes to
3memory-mapped addresses on their device arrive in the order intended. This is
4typically done by reading a 'safe' device or bridge register, causing the I/O
5chipset to flush pending writes to the device before any reads are posted. A
6driver would usually use this technique immediately prior to the exit of a
7critical section of code protected by spinlocks. This would ensure that
8subsequent writes to I/O space arrived only after all prior writes (much like a
9memory barrier op, mb(), only with respect to I/O).
10
11A more concrete example from a hypothetical device driver:
12
13        ...
14CPU A: spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
15CPU A: val = readl(my_status);
16CPU A: ...
17CPU A: writel(newval, ring_ptr);
18CPU A: spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
19        ...
20CPU B: spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
21CPU B: val = readl(my_status);
22CPU B: ...
23CPU B: writel(newval2, ring_ptr);
24CPU B: spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
25        ...
26
27In the case above, the device may receive newval2 before it receives newval,
28which could cause problems. Fixing it is easy enough though:
29
30        ...
31CPU A: spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
32CPU A: val = readl(my_status);
33CPU A: ...
34CPU A: writel(newval, ring_ptr);
35CPU A: (void)readl(safe_register); /* maybe a config register? */
36CPU A: spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
37        ...
38CPU B: spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
39CPU B: val = readl(my_status);
40CPU B: ...
41CPU B: writel(newval2, ring_ptr);
42CPU B: (void)readl(safe_register); /* maybe a config register? */
43CPU B: spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
44
45Here, the reads from safe_register will cause the I/O chipset to flush any
46pending writes before actually posting the read to the chipset, preventing
47possible data corruption.
48

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