Transaction Safe Nonblocking Data Structures

Virendra J. Marathe, Michael F. Spear, Michael L. Scott

Abstract: This brief announcement focuses on interoperability of software transactions with ad hoc nonblocking algorithms. Specifically, we modify arbitrary nonblocking operations so that (1) they can be used both inside and outside transactions, (2) external uses serialize with transactions, and (3) internal uses succeed if and only if the surrounding transaction commits. Interoperability enables seemless integration with legacy code, atomic composition of nonblocking operations, and the equivalent of hand-optimized, closed nested transactions.