freeCodeCamp/guide/english/computer-science/deadlock/index.md

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Deadlock

Deadlock

The Deadlock Problem

  • A set of blocked processes each holding a resource and waiting to acquire a resource held by another process in the set.
  • Example
    • System has 2 disk drives.
    • P 1 and P 2 each hold one disk drive and each needs another one.

Bridge Crossing Example

bridge crossing example

  • Traffic only in one direction.
  • Each section of a bridge can be viewed as a resource.
  • If a deadlock occurs, it can be resolved if one car backs up (preempt resources and rollback).
  • Several cars may have to be backed up if a deadlock occurs.
  • Starvation is possible.

Deadlock Characterization

Deadlock can arise if four conditions hold simultaneously.

  • Mutual exclusion : only one process at a time can use a resource.
  • Hold and wait : a process holding at least one resource is waiting to acquire additional resources held by other processes.
  • No preemption : a resource can be released only voluntarily by the process holding it, after that process has completed its task.
  • Circular wait : there exists a set { P0, P1, …, P0 } of waiting processes such that P0 is waiting for a resource that is held by P1, P1 is waiting for a resource that is held by P2, …, Pn 1 is waiting for a resource that is held by Pn, and P0 is waiting for a resource that is held by P0.

Methods for Handling Deadlocks

  • Put the system in a situation where the deadlock can be avoided, i.e. Deadlock Avoidance.
  • Ensure that the system will never enter a deadlock state.
  • Allow the system to enter a deadlock state and then recover.
  • Ignore the problem and pretend that deadlocks never occur in the system; used by most operating systems, including UNIX.

Deadlock Prevention

  • Mutual Exclusion It is not required for sharable resources; must hold for nonsharable resources.

  • Hold and Wait It must guarantee that whenever a process requests a resource, it does not hold any other resources.

    • Require process to request and be allocated all its resources before it begins execution, or allow process to request resources only when the process has none.
    • Low resource utilization; starvation possible.
  • No Preemption

    • If a process that is holding some resources requests another resource that cannot be immediately allocated to it, then all resources currently being held are released.
    • Preempted resources are added to the list of resources for which the process is waiting.
    • Process will be restarted only when it can regain its old resources, as well as the new ones that it is requesting.
  • Circular Wait It imposes a total ordering of all resource types, and require that each process requests resources in an increasing order of enumeration.

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