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Deadlocks
Chapter 3
3.1. Resource
3.2. Introduction to deadlocks
3.3. The ostrich algorithm
3.4. Deadlock detection and recovery
3.5. Deadlock avoidance
3.6. Deadlock prevention
3.7. Other issues

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Chapter Objectives
To develop a description of
deadlocks, which prevent sets of
concurrent processes from
completing their tasks
To present a number of different
methods for preventing or avoiding
deadlocks in a computer system.

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Resources(1)
Examples of computer resources
printers
tape drives
tables
Processes need access to resources in reasonable
order
Suppose a process holds resource X and requests
resourceY
at same time another process holds Y and requests X
both are blocked and remain so
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Resources (2)
Deadlocks occur when
processes are granted exclusive access to devices
we refer to these devices generally as resources
Preemptable resources
can be taken away from a process with no ill
effects
Nonpreemptable resources
will cause the process to fail if taken away


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Resources (3)
Sequence of events required to use a resource
1. request the resource
2. use the resource
3. release the resource
Must wait if request is denied
requesting process may be blocked
may fail with error code
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Resources (4)
Example request/release as system call
request/release device
open/close file
allocate/free memory
wait/signal

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Introduction to Deadlocks
Formal definition :
A set of processes is deadlocked if each process in the set is
waiting for an event that only another process in the set can
cause
Usually the event is release of a currently held
resource
None of the processes can
run
release resources
be awakened
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Four Conditions for Deadlock
1. Mutual exclusion condition
each resource assigned to 1 process or is available
2. Hold and wait condition
process holding resources can request additional
3. No preemption condition
previously granted resources cannot forcibly taken
away
4. Circular wait condition
must be a circular chain of 2 or more processes
each is waiting for resource held by next member of the
chain
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Deadlock Modeling (1)
Modeled with directed graphs
Resource-Allocation Graph (RAG)






resource R assigned to process A
process B is requesting/waiting for resource S
process C and D are in deadlock over resources T and U
10 How deadlock occurs
A B C
Deadlock Modeling (2)
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Deadlock Modeling (3)
How deadlock can be avoided
(o) (p) (q)
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Strategies for dealing with Deadlocks

1. just ignore the problem altogether
2. detection and recovery
3. dynamic avoidance
careful resource allocation
4. prevention
negating one of the four necessary conditions
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The Ostrich Algorithm
Pretend there is no problem
Reasonable if
deadlocks occur very rarely
cost of prevention is high
UNIX and Windows takes this approach
It is a trade off between
convenience
correctness
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Detection with Multiple Resource of Each Type (1)
Data structures needed by deadlock detection algorithm
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Detection with Multiple Resource of Each Type (2)
The deadlock detection algorithm:
1. Look for unmarked process, P
i
, for which the
i-th row of R is less than or equal to A
2. If such process is found, add the i-th row of C to
A , mark the process and go back to step 1
3. If no such process exists, the algorithm
terminates.
When algorithm terminates, any unmarked processes
are known to be dealocked
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Detection with Multiple Resource of Each Type (3)
An example for the deadlock detection algorithm
After first cycle A=(2 2 2 0),
After second cycle A=(4 2 2 1)
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Recovery from Deadlock (1)
Recovery through preemption
take a resource from some other process
depends on nature of the resource
Recovery through rollback
checkpoint a process periodically
use this saved state
restart the process if it is found deadlocked

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Recovery from Deadlock (2)
Recovery through killing processes
crudest but simplest way to break a deadlock
kill one of the processes in the deadlock cycle
the other processes get its resources
choose process that can be rerun from the beginning
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Deadlock Avoidance
Resource Trajectories
Two process resource trajectories
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Deadlock Avoidance
Basic Facts
At any instant of time, current state of system
consisting of E (Resources in Existance), A
(Resource Available), C (Current allocation
matrix), R (Request matrix)
If a system is in safe state no deadlocks.
If a system is in unsafe state possibility of
deadlock.
Avoidance ensure that a system will never
enter an unsafe state.
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Deadlock Avoidance
Safe, Unsafe , Deadlock State
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Deadlock Avoidance
Safe and Unsafe States (1)
- Example: 3 processses A, B, C using one
resource with total 10 instances, 7 already
allocated, 3 available
- Demonstration that the state in (a) is safe

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
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Deadlock Avoidance
Safe and Unsafe States (2)
Demonstration that the state in b is not safe
(a) (b) (c) (d)
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Deadlock Avoidance
The Banker's Algorithm for a Single Resource (1)
Three resource allocation states
(a) safe
(b) safe
(c) unsafe
(a) (b) (c)
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Deadlock Avoidance
The Banker's Algorithm for a Single Resource (2)
The bankers algorithm considers each request as it occurs,
and see if granting it leads to a safe state.
If it does, the request is granted; otherwise, it is postponed
until later.
To see if a state is safe, the banker checks to see if he has
enough resources to satisfy some customer.
If so, those loans are assumed to be repaid, and the
customer now closest to the limit is checked, and so on. If
all loans can eventually be repaid, the state is safe and the
initial request can be granted.
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Deadlock Avoidance
Banker's Algorithm for Multiple Resources (1)
Example of banker's algorithm with multiple resources
If order is D, E, A, B, C, Vector A will be (2121), (2121), (5132), (5232), (6342)

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Deadlock Avoidance
Banker's Algorithm for Multiple Resources (2)
The algorithm for checking to see if a state is safe can be
stated.
1. Look for a row, R, whose unmet resource needs are all
smaller than or equal to A. If no such row exists, the
system will eventually deadlock since no process can run
to completion.
2. Assume the process of the row chosen requests all the
resources it needs and finishes. Mark that process as
terminated and add all its resources to the A vector.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until either all processes are marked
terminated, in which case the initial state was safe, or until
a deadlock occurs, in which case it was not.
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Deadlock Prevention
Attacking the Mutual Exclusion Condition
Some devices (such as printer) can be spooled
only the printer daemon uses printer resource
thus deadlock for printer eliminated
Not all devices can be spooled
Principle:
avoid assigning resource when not absolutely
necessary
as few processes as possible actually claim the
resource

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Deadlock Prevention
Attacking the Hold and Wait Condition
Require processes to request resources before
starting
a process never has to wait for what it needs
Problems
may not know required resources at start of run
also ties up resources other processes could be using
Variation:
process must give up all resources
then request all immediately needed
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Deadlock Prevention
Attacking the No Preemption Condition
This is not a viable option
Consider a process given the printer
halfway through its job
now forcibly take away printer
!!??

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Deadlock Prevention
Attacking the Circular Wait Condition (1)
Normally ordered resources
A resource graph
(a) (b)
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Deadlock Prevention
Summary of approaches to deadlock prevention
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Other Issues
Two-Phase Locking
Phase One
process tries to lock all records it needs, one at a time
if needed record found locked, start over
(no real work done in phase one)
If phase one succeeds, it starts second phase,
performing updates
releasing locks
Note similarity to requesting all resources at once
Algorithm works where programmer can arrange
program can be stopped, restarted
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Nonresource Deadlocks
Possible for two processes to deadlock
each is waiting for the other to do some task
Can happen with semaphores
each process required to do a down() on two
semaphores (mutex and another)
if done in wrong order, deadlock results
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Starvation
Algorithm to allocate a resource
may be to give to shortest job first
Works great for multiple short jobs in a system
May cause long job to be postponed indefinitely
even though not blocked
Solution:
First-come, first-serve policy