1 files changed, 75 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/include/linux/seqlock.h b/include/linux/seqlock.h
index 5f68d0a391ce..1c0cf3102fdc 100644
--- a/include/linux/seqlock.h
+++ b/include/linux/seqlock.h
@@ -233,9 +233,83 @@ static inline void raw_write_seqcount_end(seqcount_t *s)
 	s->sequence++;
 }
 
-/*
+/**
  * raw_write_seqcount_latch - redirect readers to even/odd copy
  * @s: pointer to seqcount_t
+ *
+ * The latch technique is a multiversion concurrency control method that allows
+ * queries during non-atomic modifications. If you can guarantee queries never
+ * interrupt the modification -- e.g. the concurrency is strictly between CPUs
+ * -- you most likely do not need this.
+ *
+ * Where the traditional RCU/lockless data structures rely on atomic
+ * modifications to ensure queries observe either the old or the new state the
+ * latch allows the same for non-atomic updates. The trade-off is doubling the
+ * cost of storage; we have to maintain two copies of the entire data
+ * structure.
+ *
+ * Very simply put: we first modify one copy and then the other. This ensures
+ * there is always one copy in a stable state, ready to give us an answer.
+ *
+ * The basic form is a data structure like:
+ *
+ * struct latch_struct {
+ *	seqcount_t		seq;
+ *	struct data_struct	data[2];
+ * };
+ *
+ * Where a modification, which is assumed to be externally serialized, does the
+ * following:
+ *
+ * void latch_modify(struct latch_struct *latch, ...)
+ * {
+ *	smp_wmb();	<- Ensure that the last data[1] update is visible
+ *	latch->seq++;
+ *	smp_wmb();	<- Ensure that the seqcount update is visible
+ *
+ *	modify(latch->data[0], ...);
+ *
+ *	smp_wmb();	<- Ensure that the data[0] update is visible
+ *	latch->seq++;
+ *	smp_wmb();	<- Ensure that the seqcount update is visible
+ *
+ *	modify(latch->data[1], ...);
+ * }
+ *
+ * The query will have a form like:
+ *
+ * struct entry *latch_query(struct latch_struct *latch, ...)
+ * {
+ *	struct entry *entry;
+ *	unsigned seq, idx;
+ *
+ *	do {
+ *		seq = latch->seq;
+ *		smp_rmb();
+ *
+ *		idx = seq & 0x01;
+ *		entry = data_query(latch->data[idx], ...);
+ *
+ *		smp_rmb();
+ *	} while (seq != latch->seq);
+ *
+ *	return entry;
+ * }
+ *
+ * So during the modification, queries are first redirected to data[1]. Then we
+ * modify data[0]. When that is complete, we redirect queries back to data[0]
+ * and we can modify data[1].
+ *
+ * NOTE: The non-requirement for atomic modifications does _NOT_ include
+ *       the publishing of new entries in the case where data is a dynamic
+ *       data structure.
+ *
+ *       An iteration might start in data[0] and get suspended long enough
+ *       to miss an entire modification sequence, once it resumes it might
+ *       observe the new entry.
+ *
+ * NOTE: When data is a dynamic data structure; one should use regular RCU
+ *       patterns to manage the lifetimes of the objects within.
  */
 static inline void raw_write_seqcount_latch(seqcount_t *s)
 {