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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+=================================================
+Using RCU hlist_nulls to protect list and objects
+=================================================
+
+This section describes how to use hlist_nulls to
+protect read-mostly linked lists and
+objects using SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU allocations.
+
+Please read the basics in listRCU.rst.
+
+Using 'nulls'
+=============
+
+Using special makers (called 'nulls') is a convenient way
+to solve following problem :
+
+A typical RCU linked list managing objects which are
+allocated with SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU kmem_cache can
+use following algos :
+
+1) Lookup algo
+--------------
+
+::
+
+  rcu_read_lock()
+  begin:
+  obj = lockless_lookup(key);
+  if (obj) {
+    if (!try_get_ref(obj)) // might fail for free objects
+      goto begin;
+    /*
+    * Because a writer could delete object, and a writer could
+    * reuse these object before the RCU grace period, we
+    * must check key after getting the reference on object
+    */
+    if (obj->key != key) { // not the object we expected
+      put_ref(obj);
+      goto begin;
+    }
+  }
+  rcu_read_unlock();
+
+Beware that lockless_lookup(key) cannot use traditional hlist_for_each_entry_rcu()
+but a version with an additional memory barrier (smp_rmb())
+
+::
+
+  lockless_lookup(key)
+  {
+    struct hlist_node *node, *next;
+    for (pos = rcu_dereference((head)->first);
+        pos && ({ next = pos->next; smp_rmb(); prefetch(next); 1; }) &&
+        ({ tpos = hlist_entry(pos, typeof(*tpos), member); 1; });
+        pos = rcu_dereference(next))
+      if (obj->key == key)
+        return obj;
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+And note the traditional hlist_for_each_entry_rcu() misses this smp_rmb()::
+
+  struct hlist_node *node;
+  for (pos = rcu_dereference((head)->first);
+        pos && ({ prefetch(pos->next); 1; }) &&
+        ({ tpos = hlist_entry(pos, typeof(*tpos), member); 1; });
+        pos = rcu_dereference(pos->next))
+   if (obj->key == key)
+     return obj;
+  return NULL;
+
+Quoting Corey Minyard::
+
+  "If the object is moved from one list to another list in-between the
+  time the hash is calculated and the next field is accessed, and the
+  object has moved to the end of a new list, the traversal will not
+  complete properly on the list it should have, since the object will
+  be on the end of the new list and there's not a way to tell it's on a
+  new list and restart the list traversal. I think that this can be
+  solved by pre-fetching the "next" field (with proper barriers) before
+  checking the key."
+
+2) Insert algo
+--------------
+
+We need to make sure a reader cannot read the new 'obj->obj_next' value
+and previous value of 'obj->key'. Or else, an item could be deleted
+from a chain, and inserted into another chain. If new chain was empty
+before the move, 'next' pointer is NULL, and lockless reader can
+not detect it missed following items in original chain.
+
+::
+
+  /*
+  * Please note that new inserts are done at the head of list,
+  * not in the middle or end.
+  */
+  obj = kmem_cache_alloc(...);
+  lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+  obj->key = key;
+  /*
+  * we need to make sure obj->key is updated before obj->next
+  * or obj->refcnt
+  */
+  smp_wmb();
+  atomic_set(&obj->refcnt, 1);
+  hlist_add_head_rcu(&obj->obj_node, list);
+  unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()
+
+
+3) Remove algo
+--------------
+Nothing special here, we can use a standard RCU hlist deletion.
+But thanks to SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, beware a deleted object can be reused
+very very fast (before the end of RCU grace period)
+
+::
+
+  if (put_last_reference_on(obj) {
+    lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+    hlist_del_init_rcu(&obj->obj_node);
+    unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()
+    kmem_cache_free(cachep, obj);
+  }
+
+
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Avoiding extra smp_rmb()
+========================
+
+With hlist_nulls we can avoid extra smp_rmb() in lockless_lookup()
+and extra smp_wmb() in insert function.
+
+For example, if we choose to store the slot number as the 'nulls'
+end-of-list marker for each slot of the hash table, we can detect
+a race (some writer did a delete and/or a move of an object
+to another chain) checking the final 'nulls' value if
+the lookup met the end of chain. If final 'nulls' value
+is not the slot number, then we must restart the lookup at
+the beginning. If the object was moved to the same chain,
+then the reader doesn't care : It might eventually
+scan the list again without harm.
+
+
+1) lookup algo
+--------------
+
+::
+
+  head = &table[slot];
+  rcu_read_lock();
+  begin:
+  hlist_nulls_for_each_entry_rcu(obj, node, head, member) {
+    if (obj->key == key) {
+      if (!try_get_ref(obj)) // might fail for free objects
+        goto begin;
+      if (obj->key != key) { // not the object we expected
+        put_ref(obj);
+        goto begin;
+      }
+    goto out;
+  }
+  /*
+  * if the nulls value we got at the end of this lookup is
+  * not the expected one, we must restart lookup.
+  * We probably met an item that was moved to another chain.
+  */
+  if (get_nulls_value(node) != slot)
+  goto begin;
+  obj = NULL;
+
+  out:
+  rcu_read_unlock();
+
+2) Insert function
+------------------
+
+::
+
+  /*
+  * Please note that new inserts are done at the head of list,
+  * not in the middle or end.
+  */
+  obj = kmem_cache_alloc(cachep);
+  lock_chain(); // typically a spin_lock()
+  obj->key = key;
+  /*
+  * changes to obj->key must be visible before refcnt one
+  */
+  smp_wmb();
+  atomic_set(&obj->refcnt, 1);
+  /*
+  * insert obj in RCU way (readers might be traversing chain)
+  */
+  hlist_nulls_add_head_rcu(&obj->obj_node, list);
+  unlock_chain(); // typically a spin_unlock()