[PATCH v4] Single threaded stdio optimization

[Szabolcs Nagy <szabolcs dot nagy at arm dot com>]

On 30/06/17 17:07, Carlos O'Donell wrote:
> 
> I'm OK with the patch for 2.26.
> 

v4: i did two modifications:

i dropped the hunk

 #if _G_HAVE_MMAP

-# ifdef _LIBC
+# if IS_IN (libc)
 /* When using this code in the GNU libc we must not pollute the name space.  */
 #  define mmap __mmap
 #  define munmap __munmap

because
https://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2017-06/msg00854.html
got committed which made __mmap work in pthread_create.

and added comments to the _IO_enable_locks definition.

if there are no complaints about these changes i'll commit
the patch tomorrow as:

Locking overhead can be significant in some stdio operations
that are common in single threaded applications.

This patch adds the _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK flag to indicate if
an _IO_FILE object needs to be locked and some of the stdio
functions just jump to their _unlocked variant when not.  The
flag is set on all _IO_FILE objects when the first thread is
created.  A new GLIBC_PRIVATE libc symbol, _IO_enable_locks,
was added to do this from libpthread.

The optimization can be applied to more stdio functions,
currently it is only applied to single flag check or single
non-wide-char standard operations.  The flag should probably
be never set for files with _IO_USER_LOCK, but that's just a
further optimization, not a correctness requirement.

The optimization is valid in a single thread because stdio
operations are non-as-safe (so lock state is not observable
from a signal handler) and stdio locks are recursive (so lock
state is not observable via deadlock).  The optimization is not
valid if a thread may be created while an stdio lock is taken
and thus it should be disabled if any user code may run during
an stdio operation (interposed malloc, printf hooks, etc).
This makes the optimization more complicated for some stdio
operations (e.g. printf), but those are bigger and thus less
important to optimize so this patch does not try to do that.

2017-07-03  Szabolcs Nagy  <szabolcs.nagy@arm.com>

	* libio/libio.h (_IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK, _IO_need_lock): Define.
	* libio/libioP.h (_IO_enable_locks): Declare.
	* libio/Versions (_IO_enable_locks): New symbol.
	* libio/genops.c (_IO_enable_locks): Define.
	(_IO_old_init): Initialize flags2.
	* libio/feof.c.c (_IO_feof): Avoid locking when not needed.
	* libio/ferror.c (_IO_ferror): Likewise.
	* libio/fputc.c (fputc): Likewise.
	* libio/putc.c (_IO_putc): Likewise.
	* libio/getc.c (_IO_getc): Likewise.
	* libio/getchar.c (getchar): Likewise.
	* libio/ioungetc.c (_IO_ungetc): Likewise.
	* nptl/pthread_create.c (__pthread_create_2_1): Enable stdio locks.
	* libio/iofopncook.c (_IO_fopencookie): Enable locking for the file.
	* sysdeps/pthread/flockfile.c (__flockfile): Likewise.

diff --git a/libio/Versions b/libio/Versions
index 2a1d6e6c85..77123347e3 100644
--- a/libio/Versions
+++ b/libio/Versions
@@ -155,5 +155,8 @@ libc {
   GLIBC_PRIVATE {
     # Used by NPTL and librt
     __libc_fatal;
+
+    # Used by NPTL
+    _IO_enable_locks;
   }
 }
diff --git a/libio/feof.c b/libio/feof.c
index 9712a81e78..8890a5f51f 100644
--- a/libio/feof.c
+++ b/libio/feof.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ _IO_feof (_IO_FILE *fp)
 {
   int result;
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_feof_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_flockfile (fp);
   result = _IO_feof_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_funlockfile (fp);
diff --git a/libio/ferror.c b/libio/ferror.c
index 01e3bd8e2b..d10fcd9fff 100644
--- a/libio/ferror.c
+++ b/libio/ferror.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ _IO_ferror (_IO_FILE *fp)
 {
   int result;
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_ferror_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_flockfile (fp);
   result = _IO_ferror_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_funlockfile (fp);
diff --git a/libio/fputc.c b/libio/fputc.c
index a7cd682fe2..b72305c06f 100644
--- a/libio/fputc.c
+++ b/libio/fputc.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ fputc (int c, _IO_FILE *fp)
 {
   int result;
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_putc_unlocked (c, fp);
   _IO_acquire_lock (fp);
   result = _IO_putc_unlocked (c, fp);
   _IO_release_lock (fp);
diff --git a/libio/genops.c b/libio/genops.c
index a466cfa337..6ad7346cae 100644
--- a/libio/genops.c
+++ b/libio/genops.c
@@ -570,11 +570,39 @@ _IO_init (_IO_FILE *fp, int flags)
   _IO_init_internal (fp, flags);
 }
 
+static int stdio_needs_locking;
+
+/* In a single-threaded process most stdio locks can be omitted.  After
+   _IO_enable_locks is called, locks are not optimized away any more.
+   It must be first called while the process is still single-threaded.
+
+   This lock optimization can be disabled on a per-file basis by setting
+   _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK, because a file can have user-defined callbacks
+   or can be locked with flockfile and then a thread may be created
+   between a lock and unlock, so omitting the lock is not valid.
+
+   Here we have to make sure that the flag is set on all existing files
+   and files created later.  */
+void
+_IO_enable_locks (void)
+{
+  _IO_ITER i;
+
+  if (stdio_needs_locking)
+    return;
+  stdio_needs_locking = 1;
+  for (i = _IO_iter_begin (); i != _IO_iter_end (); i = _IO_iter_next (i))
+    _IO_iter_file (i)->_flags2 |= _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK;
+}
+libc_hidden_def (_IO_enable_locks)
+
 void
 _IO_old_init (_IO_FILE *fp, int flags)
 {
   fp->_flags = _IO_MAGIC|flags;
   fp->_flags2 = 0;
+  if (stdio_needs_locking)
+    fp->_flags2 |= _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK;
   fp->_IO_buf_base = NULL;
   fp->_IO_buf_end = NULL;
   fp->_IO_read_base = NULL;
diff --git a/libio/getc.c b/libio/getc.c
index b58fd62308..fd66ef93cf 100644
--- a/libio/getc.c
+++ b/libio/getc.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ _IO_getc (FILE *fp)
 {
   int result;
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_getc_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_acquire_lock (fp);
   result = _IO_getc_unlocked (fp);
   _IO_release_lock (fp);
diff --git a/libio/getchar.c b/libio/getchar.c
index 5b41595d17..d79932114e 100644
--- a/libio/getchar.c
+++ b/libio/getchar.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ int
 getchar (void)
 {
   int result;
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (_IO_stdin))
+    return _IO_getc_unlocked (_IO_stdin);
   _IO_acquire_lock (_IO_stdin);
   result = _IO_getc_unlocked (_IO_stdin);
   _IO_release_lock (_IO_stdin);
diff --git a/libio/iofopncook.c b/libio/iofopncook.c
index a08dfdaa42..982f464a68 100644
--- a/libio/iofopncook.c
+++ b/libio/iofopncook.c
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ _IO_cookie_init (struct _IO_cookie_file *cfile, int read_write,
   _IO_mask_flags (&cfile->__fp.file, read_write,
 		  _IO_NO_READS+_IO_NO_WRITES+_IO_IS_APPENDING);
 
+  cfile->__fp.file._flags2 |= _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK;
+
   /* We use a negative number different from -1 for _fileno to mark that
      this special stream is not associated with a real file, but still has
      to be treated as such.  */
diff --git a/libio/ioungetc.c b/libio/ioungetc.c
index 951064fa12..917cad8abb 100644
--- a/libio/ioungetc.c
+++ b/libio/ioungetc.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ _IO_ungetc (int c, _IO_FILE *fp)
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
   if (c == EOF)
     return EOF;
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_sputbackc (fp, (unsigned char) c);
   _IO_acquire_lock (fp);
   result = _IO_sputbackc (fp, (unsigned char) c);
   _IO_release_lock (fp);
diff --git a/libio/libio.h b/libio/libio.h
index 518ffd8e44..14bcb92332 100644
--- a/libio/libio.h
+++ b/libio/libio.h
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@
 # define _IO_FLAGS2_SCANF_STD 16
 # define _IO_FLAGS2_NOCLOSE 32
 # define _IO_FLAGS2_CLOEXEC 64
+# define _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK 128
 #endif
 
 /* These are "formatting flags" matching the iostream fmtflags enum values. */
@@ -451,6 +452,9 @@ extern int _IO_ftrylockfile (_IO_FILE *) __THROW;
 #define _IO_cleanup_region_end(_Doit) /**/
 #endif
 
+#define _IO_need_lock(_fp) \
+  (((_fp)->_flags2 & _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK) != 0)
+
 extern int _IO_vfscanf (_IO_FILE * __restrict, const char * __restrict,
 			_IO_va_list, int *__restrict);
 extern int _IO_vfprintf (_IO_FILE *__restrict, const char *__restrict,
diff --git a/libio/libioP.h b/libio/libioP.h
index eb93418c8d..1832b44cc7 100644
--- a/libio/libioP.h
+++ b/libio/libioP.h
@@ -444,6 +444,8 @@ extern void _IO_list_unlock (void) __THROW;
 libc_hidden_proto (_IO_list_unlock)
 extern void _IO_list_resetlock (void) __THROW;
 libc_hidden_proto (_IO_list_resetlock)
+extern void _IO_enable_locks (void) __THROW;
+libc_hidden_proto (_IO_enable_locks)
 
 /* Default jumptable functions. */
 
diff --git a/libio/putc.c b/libio/putc.c
index b591c5538b..6e1fdeef3a 100644
--- a/libio/putc.c
+++ b/libio/putc.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ _IO_putc (int c, _IO_FILE *fp)
 {
   int result;
   CHECK_FILE (fp, EOF);
+  if (!_IO_need_lock (fp))
+    return _IO_putc_unlocked (c, fp);
   _IO_acquire_lock (fp);
   result = _IO_putc_unlocked (c, fp);
   _IO_release_lock (fp);
diff --git a/nptl/pthread_create.c b/nptl/pthread_create.c
index 7a970ffc5b..2f8ada34d6 100644
--- a/nptl/pthread_create.c
+++ b/nptl/pthread_create.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <exit-thread.h>
 #include <default-sched.h>
 #include <futex-internal.h>
+#include "libioP.h"
 
 #include <shlib-compat.h>
 
@@ -756,6 +757,9 @@ __pthread_create_2_1 (pthread_t *newthread, const pthread_attr_t *attr,
         collect_default_sched (pd);
     }
 
+  if (__glibc_unlikely (__nptl_nthreads == 1))
+    _IO_enable_locks ();
+
   /* Pass the descriptor to the caller.  */
   *newthread = (pthread_t) pd;
 
diff --git a/sysdeps/pthread/flockfile.c b/sysdeps/pthread/flockfile.c
index 7fe8e99161..a8e6c28ed9 100644
--- a/sysdeps/pthread/flockfile.c
+++ b/sysdeps/pthread/flockfile.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 void
 __flockfile (FILE *stream)
 {
+  stream->_flags2 |= _IO_FLAGS2_NEED_LOCK;
   _IO_lock_lock (*stream->_lock);
 }
 strong_alias (__flockfile, _IO_flockfile)