Simple, Fast, and Practical Non-Blocking and Blocking Concurrent Queue Algorithms

Pseudocode from article of the above name in PODC96 (with two typos corrected), by Maged M. Michael and Michael L. Scott. Corrected version also appeared in JPDC, 1998.

The non-blocking concurrent queue algorithm performs well on dedicated as well as multiprogrammed multiprocessors with and without contention. The algorithm requires a universal atomic primitive, CAS or LL/SC.

The two-lock concurrent queue algorithm performs well on dedicated multiprocessors under high contention. Useful for multiprocessors without a universal atomic primitive.

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Non-Blocking Concurrent Queue Algorithm

structure pointer_t {ptr: pointer to node_t, count: unsigned integer}
  structure node_t {value: data type, next: pointer_t}
  structure queue_t {Head: pointer_t, Tail: pointer_t}
  
  initialize(Q: pointer to queue_t)
     node = new_node()		// Allocate a free node
     node->next.ptr = NULL	// Make it the only node in the linked list
     Q->Head.ptr = Q->Tail.ptr = node	// Both Head and Tail point to it
  
  enqueue(Q: pointer to queue_t, value: data type)
   E1:   node = new_node()	// Allocate a new node from the free list
   E2:   node->value = value	// Copy enqueued value into node
   E3:   node->next.ptr = NULL	// Set next pointer of node to NULL
   E4:   loop			// Keep trying until Enqueue is done
   E5:      tail = Q->Tail	// Read Tail.ptr and Tail.count together
   E6:      next = tail.ptr->next	// Read next ptr and count fields together
   E7:      if tail == Q->Tail	// Are tail and next consistent?
               // Was Tail pointing to the last node?
   E8:         if next.ptr == NULL
                  // Try to link node at the end of the linked list
   E9:            if CAS(&tail.ptr->next, next, <node, next.count+1>)
  E10:               break	// Enqueue is done.  Exit loop
  E11:            endif
  E12:         else		// Tail was not pointing to the last node
                  // Try to swing Tail to the next node
  E13:            CAS(&Q->Tail, tail, <next.ptr, tail.count+1>)
  E14:         endif
  E15:      endif
  E16:   endloop
         // Enqueue is done.  Try to swing Tail to the inserted node
  E17:   CAS(&Q->Tail, tail, <node, tail.count+1>)
  
  dequeue(Q: pointer to queue_t, pvalue: pointer to data type): boolean
   D1:   loop			     // Keep trying until Dequeue is done
   D2:      head = Q->Head	     // Read Head
   D3:      tail = Q->Tail	     // Read Tail
   D4:      next = head.ptr->next    // Read Head.ptr->next
   D5:      if head == Q->Head	     // Are head, tail, and next consistent?
   D6:         if head.ptr == tail.ptr // Is queue empty or Tail falling behind?
   D7:            if next.ptr == NULL  // Is queue empty?
   D8:               return FALSE      // Queue is empty, couldn't dequeue
   D9:            endif
                  // Tail is falling behind.  Try to advance it
  D10:            CAS(&Q->Tail, tail, <next.ptr, tail.count+1>)
  D11:         else		     // No need to deal with Tail
                  // Read value before CAS
                  // Otherwise, another dequeue might free the next node
  D12:            *pvalue = next.ptr->value
                  // Try to swing Head to the next node
  D13:            if CAS(&Q->Head, head, <next.ptr, head.count+1>)
  D14:               break             // Dequeue is done.  Exit loop
  D15:            endif
  D16:         endif
  D17:      endif
  D18:   endloop
  D19:   free(head.ptr)		     // It is safe now to free the old node
  D20:   return TRUE                   // Queue was not empty, dequeue succeeded

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Two-Lock Concurrent Queue Algorithm

structure node_t {value: data type, next: pointer to node_t}
  structure queue_t {Head: pointer to node_t, Tail: pointer to node_t,
                        H_lock: lock type, T_lock: lock type}
  
  initialize(Q: pointer to queue_t)
     node = new_node()		// Allocate a free node
     node->next = NULL          // Make it the only node in the linked list
     Q->Head = Q->Tail = node	// Both Head and Tail point to it
     Q->H_lock = Q->T_lock = FREE	// Locks are initially free
  
  enqueue(Q: pointer to queue_t, value: data type)
     node = new_node()	        // Allocate a new node from the free list
     node->value = value		// Copy enqueued value into node
     node->next = NULL          // Set next pointer of node to NULL
     lock(&Q->T_lock)		// Acquire T_lock in order to access Tail
        Q->Tail->next = node	// Link node at the end of the linked list
        Q->Tail = node		// Swing Tail to node
     unlock(&Q->T_lock)		// Release T_lock
  
  dequeue(Q: pointer to queue_t, pvalue: pointer to data type): boolean
     lock(&Q->H_lock)	        // Acquire H_lock in order to access Head
        node = Q->Head		// Read Head
        new_head = node->next	// Read next pointer
        if new_head == NULL	// Is queue empty?
           unlock(&Q->H_lock)	// Release H_lock before return
           return FALSE		// Queue was empty
        endif
        *pvalue = new_head->value	// Queue not empty.  Read value before release
        Q->Head = new_head	// Swing Head to next node
     unlock(&Q->H_lock)		// Release H_lock
     free(node)			// Free node
     return} TRUE		// Queue was not empty, dequeue succeeded