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Revision 1.23 by root, Mon Jan 22 15:59:52 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.26 by root, Thu Oct 4 12:50:35 2007 UTC

61 faster on a RAID volume or over NFS when you do a number of stat 61 faster on a RAID volume or over NFS when you do a number of stat
62 operations concurrently. 62 operations concurrently.
63 63
64 While most of this works on all types of file descriptors (for example 64 While most of this works on all types of file descriptors (for example
65 sockets), using these functions on file descriptors that support 65 sockets), using these functions on file descriptors that support
66 nonblocking operation (again, sockets, pipes etc.) is very inefficient 66 nonblocking operation (again, sockets, pipes etc.) is very inefficient.
67 or might not work (aio_read fails on sockets/pipes/fifos). Use an event
68 loop for that (such as the Event module): IO::AIO will naturally fit 67 Use an event loop for that (such as the Event module): IO::AIO will
69 into such an event loop itself. 68 naturally fit into such an event loop itself.
70 69
71 In this version, a number of threads are started that execute your 70 In this version, a number of threads are started that execute your
72 requests and signal their completion. You don't need thread support in 71 requests and signal their completion. You don't need thread support in
73 perl, and the threads created by this module will not be visible to 72 perl, and the threads created by this module will not be visible to
74 perl. In the future, this module might make use of the native aio 73 perl. In the future, this module might make use of the native aio
76 not well-supported or restricted (GNU/Linux doesn't allow them on normal 75 not well-supported or restricted (GNU/Linux doesn't allow them on normal
77 files currently, for example), and they would only support aio_read and 76 files currently, for example), and they would only support aio_read and
78 aio_write, so the remaining functionality would have to be implemented 77 aio_write, so the remaining functionality would have to be implemented
79 using threads anyway. 78 using threads anyway.
80 79
81 Although the module will work with in the presence of other (Perl-) 80 Although the module will work in the presence of other (Perl-) threads,
82 threads, it is currently not reentrant in any way, so use appropriate 81 it is currently not reentrant in any way, so use appropriate locking
83 locking yourself, always call "poll_cb" from within the same thread, or 82 yourself, always call "poll_cb" from within the same thread, or never
84 never call "poll_cb" (or other "aio_" functions) recursively. 83 call "poll_cb" (or other "aio_" functions) recursively.
85 84
86 EXAMPLE 85 EXAMPLE
87 This is a simple example that uses the Event module and loads 86 This is a simple example that uses the Event module and loads
88 /etc/passwd asynchronously: 87 /etc/passwd asynchronously:
89 88
259 } 258 }
260 }; 259 };
261 260
262 aio_close $fh, $callback->($status) 261 aio_close $fh, $callback->($status)
263 Asynchronously close a file and call the callback with the result 262 Asynchronously close a file and call the callback with the result
264 code. *WARNING:* although accepted, you should not pass in a perl 263 code.
265 filehandle here, as perl will likely close the file descriptor
266 another time when the filehandle is destroyed. Normally, you can
267 safely call perls "close" or just let filehandles go out of scope.
268 264
269 This is supposed to be a bug in the API, so that might change. It's 265 Unlike the other functions operating on files, this function uses
270 therefore best to avoid this function. 266 the PerlIO layer to close the filehandle. The reason is that the
267 PerlIO API insists on closing the underlying fd itself, no matter
268 what, and doesn't allow modifications to the fd. Unfortunately, it
269 is not clear that you can call PerlIO from different threads
270 (actually, its quite clear that this won't work in some cases), so
271 while it likely works perfectly with simple file handles (such as
272 the ones created by "aio_open") it might fail in interesting ways
273 for others.
274
275 Having said that, aio_close tries to clean up the filehandle as much
276 as possible before handing it to an io thread, and generally does
277 work.
271 278
272 aio_read $fh,$offset,$length, $data,$dataoffset, $callback->($retval) 279 aio_read $fh,$offset,$length, $data,$dataoffset, $callback->($retval)
273 aio_write $fh,$offset,$length, $data,$dataoffset, $callback->($retval) 280 aio_write $fh,$offset,$length, $data,$dataoffset, $callback->($retval)
274 Reads or writes "length" bytes from the specified "fh" and "offset" 281 Reads or writes $length bytes from the specified $fh and $offset
275 into the scalar given by "data" and offset "dataoffset" and calls 282 into the scalar given by $data and offset $dataoffset and calls the
276 the callback without the actual number of bytes read (or -1 on 283 callback without the actual number of bytes read (or -1 on error,
277 error, just like the syscall). 284 just like the syscall).
285
286 If $offset is undefined, then the current file descriptor offset
287 will be used (and updated), otherwise the file descriptor offset
288 will not be changed by these calls.
289
290 If $length is undefined in "aio_write", use the remaining length of
291 $data.
292
293 If $dataoffset is less than zero, it will be counted from the end of
294 $data.
278 295
279 The $data scalar *MUST NOT* be modified in any way while the request 296 The $data scalar *MUST NOT* be modified in any way while the request
280 is outstanding. Modifying it can result in segfaults or WW3 (if the 297 is outstanding. Modifying it can result in segfaults or World War
281 necessary/optional hardware is installed). 298 III (if the necessary/optional hardware is installed).
282 299
283 Example: Read 15 bytes at offset 7 into scalar $buffer, starting at 300 Example: Read 15 bytes at offset 7 into scalar $buffer, starting at
284 offset 0 within the scalar: 301 offset 0 within the scalar:
285 302
286 aio_read $fh, 7, 15, $buffer, 0, sub { 303 aio_read $fh, 7, 15, $buffer, 0, sub {
344 aio_stat "/etc/passwd", sub { 361 aio_stat "/etc/passwd", sub {
345 $_[0] and die "stat failed: $!"; 362 $_[0] and die "stat failed: $!";
346 print "size is ", -s _, "\n"; 363 print "size is ", -s _, "\n";
347 }; 364 };
348 365
366 aio_utime $fh_or_path, $atime, $mtime, $callback->($status)
367 Works like perl's "utime" function (including the special case of
368 $atime and $mtime being undef). Fractional times are supported if
369 the underlying syscalls support them.
370
371 When called with a pathname, uses utimes(2) if available, otherwise
372 utime(2). If called on a file descriptor, uses futimes(2) if
373 available, otherwise returns ENOSYS, so this is not portable.
374
375 Examples:
376
377 # set atime and mtime to current time (basically touch(1)):
378 aio_utime "path", undef, undef;
379 # set atime to current time and mtime to beginning of the epoch:
380 aio_utime "path", time, undef; # undef==0
381
382 aio_chown $fh_or_path, $uid, $gid, $callback->($status)
383 Works like perl's "chown" function, except that "undef" for either
384 $uid or $gid is being interpreted as "do not change" (but -1 can
385 also be used).
386
387 Examples:
388
389 # same as "chown root path" in the shell:
390 aio_chown "path", 0, -1;
391 # same as above:
392 aio_chown "path", 0, undef;
393
394 aio_truncate $fh_or_path, $offset, $callback->($status)
395 Works like truncate(2) or ftruncate(2).
396
397 aio_chmod $fh_or_path, $mode, $callback->($status)
398 Works like perl's "chmod" function.
399
349 aio_unlink $pathname, $callback->($status) 400 aio_unlink $pathname, $callback->($status)
350 Asynchronously unlink (delete) a file and call the callback with the 401 Asynchronously unlink (delete) a file and call the callback with the
351 result code. 402 result code.
352 403
353 aio_mknod $path, $mode, $dev, $callback->($status) 404 aio_mknod $path, $mode, $dev, $callback->($status)
808 $oldmaxreqs = IO::AIO::max_outstanding $maxreqs 859 $oldmaxreqs = IO::AIO::max_outstanding $maxreqs
809 This is a very bad function to use in interactive programs because 860 This is a very bad function to use in interactive programs because
810 it blocks, and a bad way to reduce concurrency because it is 861 it blocks, and a bad way to reduce concurrency because it is
811 inexact: Better use an "aio_group" together with a feed callback. 862 inexact: Better use an "aio_group" together with a feed callback.
812 863
813 Sets the maximum number of outstanding requests to $nreqs. If you to 864 Sets the maximum number of outstanding requests to $nreqs. If you do
814 queue up more than this number of requests, the next call to the 865 queue up more than this number of requests, the next call to the
815 "poll_cb" (and "poll_some" and other functions calling "poll_cb") 866 "poll_cb" (and "poll_some" and other functions calling "poll_cb")
816 function will block until the limit is no longer exceeded. 867 function will block until the limit is no longer exceeded.
817 868
818 The default value is very large, so there is no practical limit on 869 The default value is very large, so there is no practical limit on
864 bytes of memory. In addition, stat requests need a stat buffer (possibly 915 bytes of memory. In addition, stat requests need a stat buffer (possibly
865 a few hundred bytes), readdir requires a result buffer and so on. Perl 916 a few hundred bytes), readdir requires a result buffer and so on. Perl
866 scalars and other data passed into aio requests will also be locked and 917 scalars and other data passed into aio requests will also be locked and
867 will consume memory till the request has entered the done state. 918 will consume memory till the request has entered the done state.
868 919
869 This is now awfully much, so queuing lots of requests is not usually a 920 This is not awfully much, so queuing lots of requests is not usually a
870 problem. 921 problem.
871 922
872 Per-thread usage: 923 Per-thread usage:
873 924
874 In the execution phase, some aio requests require more memory for 925 In the execution phase, some aio requests require more memory for

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