Helper function `bpf_spin_lock`

v5.1

Acquire a spinlock represented by the pointer lock, which is stored as part of a value of a map. Taking the lock allows to safely update the rest of the fields in that value. The spinlock can (and must) later be released with a call to bpf_spin_unlock.

Definition

Copyright (c) 2015 The Libbpf Authors. All rights reserved.

static long (* const bpf_spin_lock)(struct bpf_spin_lock *lock) = (void *) 93;

Usage

Spinlocks in BPF programs come with a number of restrictions and constraints:

bpf_spin_lock objects are only allowed inside maps of types BPF_MAP_TYPE_HASH and BPF_MAP_TYPE_ARRAY (this list could be extended in the future).
BTF description of the map is mandatory.
The BPF program can take ONE lock at a time, since taking two or more could cause dead locks.
Only one struct bpf_spin_lock is allowed per map element.
When the lock is taken, calls (either BPF to BPF or helpers) are not allowed.
The BPF_LD_ABS and BPF_LD_IND instructions are not allowed inside a spinlock-ed region.
The BPF program MUST call bpf_spin_unlock() to release the lock, on all execution paths, before it returns.
The BPF program can access struct bpf_spin_lock only via the bpf_spin_lock() and bpf_spin_unlock() helpers. Loading or storing data into the struct bpf_spin_lock lock; field of a map is not allowed.
To use the bpf_spin_lock() helper, the BTF description of the map value must be a struct and have struct bpf_spin_lock anyname; field at the top level. Nested lock inside another struct is not allowed.
The struct bpf_spin_lock lock field in a map value must be aligned on a multiple of 4 bytes in that value.
Syscall with command BPF_MAP_LOOKUP_ELEM does not copy the bpf_spin_lock field to user space.
Syscall with command BPF_MAP_UPDATE_ELEM, or update from a BPF program, do not update the bpf_spin_lock field.
bpf_spin_lock cannot be on the stack or inside a networking packet (it can only be inside of a map values).
bpf_spin_lock is available to root only.
Tracing programs and socket filter programs cannot use bpf_spin_lock() due to insufficient preemption checks (but this may change in the future).
bpf_spin_lock is not allowed in inner maps of map-in-map.

Program types

This helper call can be used in the following program types:

Note

bpf_spin_lock also can't be used if the program has been loaded with the BPF_F_SLEEPABLE flag.

Example

Docs could be improved

This part of the docs is incomplete, contributions are very welcome

Helper function bpf_spin_lock