Example for boost shared_mutex (multiple reads/one write)?

user_10705 0
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I have a multithreaded app that has to read some data often, and occasionally that data is updated. Right now a mutex keeps access to that data safe, but it's expensive because I would like multiple threads to be able to read simultaneously, and only lock them out when an update is needed (the updating thread could wait for the other threads to finish).

I think this is what boost::shared_mutex is supposed to do, but I'm not clear on how to use it, and haven't found a clear example.

Does anyone have a simple example I could use to get started?

boost-thread mutex multithreading boost c++
6 Answers

1800 INFORMATION is more or less correct, but there are a few issues I wanted to correct.

boost::shared_mutex _access;
void reader()
{
  boost::shared_lock< boost::shared_mutex > lock(_access);
  // do work here, without anyone having exclusive access
}

void conditional_writer()
{
  boost::upgrade_lock< boost::shared_mutex > lock(_access);
  // do work here, without anyone having exclusive access

  if (something) {
    boost::upgrade_to_unique_lock< boost::shared_mutex > uniqueLock(lock);
    // do work here, but now you have exclusive access
  }

  // do more work here, without anyone having exclusive access
}

void unconditional_writer()
{
  boost::unique_lock< boost::shared_mutex > lock(_access);
  // do work here, with exclusive access
}

Also Note, unlike a shared_lock, only a single thread can acquire an upgrade_lock at one time, even when it isn't upgraded (which I thought was awkward when I ran into it). So, if all your readers are conditional writers, you need to find another solution.

michalmocny_297010

It looks like you would do something like this:

boost::shared_mutex _access;
void reader()
{
  // get shared access
  boost::shared_lock<boost::shared_mutex> lock(_access);

  // now we have shared access
}

void writer()
{
  // get upgradable access
  boost::upgrade_lock<boost::shared_mutex> lock(_access);

  // get exclusive access
  boost::upgrade_to_unique_lock<boost::shared_mutex> uniqueLock(lock);
  // now we have exclusive access
}
1800_INFORMATION_31460

Great response by Jim Morris, I stumbled upon this and it took me a while to figure. Here is some simple code that shows that after submitting a "request" for a unique_lock boost (version 1.54) blocks all shared_lock requests. This is very interesting as it seems to me that choosing between unique_lock and upgradeable_lock allows if we want write priority or no priority.

Also (1) in Jim Morris's post seems to contradict this: Boost shared_lock. Read preferred?

#include <iostream>
#include <boost/thread.hpp>

using namespace std;

typedef boost::shared_mutex Lock;
typedef boost::unique_lock< Lock > UniqueLock;
typedef boost::shared_lock< Lock > SharedLock;

Lock tempLock;

void main2() {
    cout << "10" << endl;
    UniqueLock lock2(tempLock); // (2) queue for a unique lock
    cout << "11" << endl;
    boost::this_thread::sleep(boost::posix_time::seconds(1));
    lock2.unlock();
}

void main() {
    cout << "1" << endl;
    SharedLock lock1(tempLock); // (1) aquire a shared lock
    cout << "2" << endl;
    boost::thread tempThread(main2);
    cout << "3" << endl;
    boost::this_thread::sleep(boost::posix_time::seconds(3));
    cout << "4" << endl;
    SharedLock lock3(tempLock); // (3) try getting antoher shared lock, deadlock here
    cout << "5" << endl;
    lock1.unlock();
    lock3.unlock();
}
user_28434800
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