local-rcu

local-rcu provides a Read Copy Update (RCU) like concurency primitive that optimizies reads and defers returning old values (ie: for dropping/freeing). It provides a single writer, multiple reader data structure.

Readers don't block writers, slow readers just cause more memory usage (assuming a continuously updating writer, old values are preserved until there are no readers examining them).

If I want behavior like X, what should I do?

left-right

1. Call local_rcu::Writer::sync() before every local_rcu::Writer::write() call
2. Modify the old value returned by local_rcu::Writer::sync() (ie: do your own Absorb) and pass it to the Writer::write() call.

Note: Writer::new() only takes 1 initial value, and Writer::write() will try to return the old value if it can. This means there will need to be extra code to track the "alternate" value that you'll be updating.

tokio::sync::watch

1. Pair an event-listener with a local_rcu::Writer
2. Have each reader listen for events on event-listener to know to do another read.
3. Have the writer signal the event-listener after a new value is written with local_rcu::Writer::write().

Alternatives:

Compared to local-rcu ...:

• triple_buffer: Uses atomic swaps. Allows immediate data free/reuse. Single Consumer.
• std::sync::mpsc::channel: MPSC (vs SPMC), multiple values (not just latest) are readable
• left-right: Uses single "old" value instead of having arbitrary numbers of old values. Slow readers can prevent new values from being published. It requires implementing a concept of "Absorb" to place modification of the "old" value into left-right internals. Uses an "operation log" so that writers don't block on readers directly (only publishing is blocked).
• tokio::sync::watch: Allows being notified of updates via async, uses a mutex to control access to the value. Readers block writers.
• tokio::sync::broadcast: supports multiple producers, provides some "history" (previous values) instead of only the most recent value, supports async waiting for new values, uses Mutexes internally.

Compared to other rust "rcu" crates

Compared to local-rcu ...:

• crossbeam-epoch. Uses a global shared garbage queue. Has a seperate Guard concept (like rcu_clean::graceful) to allow lowering the cost of reads by delaying garbage collection more. Includes miri based validation (along with loom)
• rcu-clean. Does not include any tests using loom or other checking tool. Provides multiple mechanisms for freeing old values ("graceful": a seperated global Arc based method, "arcrcu": a custom Arc-like for each value, and some not shareable between threads: "boxrcu" & "rccru"). The methods that allow sharing between threads both require a reference count to be incremented/decremented. "graceful" allows deferring that atomic ref count inc/dec over multiple reads (lowering read cost) by delaying freeing of old data. Old values are not returned to the caller. In "graceful" variant, writer can briefly block readers which want to create a new "Grace" while an update is occuring. In "arcrcu", readers aren't blocked by the writer. Internally uses a custom singly linked list to queue old values for freeing. In "arcrc", clean() must be called manually, no automatic cleaning exists.
• rcu_cell. Missing most documentation. Uses atomic compare and exchange. Readers block writers (briefly, before a reference is incremented, a bit in the value pointer is used as a lock). Allows multiple writers (uses a compare and exchange determines which writer is published). Includes a custom ARC-like reference counted interface, which uses atomic add and sub. Each written value includes the reference count adjacent to the value. Every read does a increment and decrement to the reference count. Does not include any tests using loom or other checking tool. "Locking" of data for reading done by having readers set a bit in the pointer via compare exchange. In other words: all readers and writers are performing compare exchange on a shared location, which may result in contention on the cache line containing the pointer.
• atom_box. Uses hazard pointers instead of RCU.
• urcu.
• srcu
• keepcalm