As you alread can know linux kernel provides many different libraries and functions which implements different data structures and algorithm. In this part we will consider one of these data structures - [Radix tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radix_tree). There are two files which related with`radix tree` implementation and API in the linux kernel:
As you already know linux kernel provides many different libraries and functions which implement different data structures and algorithm. In this part we will consider one of these data structures - [Radix tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radix_tree). There are two files which are related to`radix tree` implementation and API in the linux kernel:
Let's talk first of all about what is it`radix tree`. Radix tree is a `compressed trie` where [trie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trie) is a data structure which implements interface of an associative array and allows to store values as `key-value`. In general way keys are strings, but of course we can use any data type. Trie different from any `n-tree` in its nodes. Nodes of a trie does not store keys. Instead, node of a trie stores one-character labels and the key which related to the given node is full way from the root of a tree to this node. For example:
Lets talk about what is `radix tree`. Radix tree is a `compressed trie` where [trie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trie) is a data structure which implements interface of an associative array and allows to store values as `key-value`. The keys are usually strings, but any other data type can be used as well. Trie is different from any `n-tree` in its nodes. Nodes of a trie do not store keys, instead, a node of a trie stores single character labels. The key which is related to a given node is derived by traversing from the root of the tree to this node. For example:
```
@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ Let's talk first of all about what is it `radix tree`. Radix tree is a `compress
+-----------+
```
So in this example, we can see the `trie` with keys, `go` and `cat`. The compressed trie or `radix tree` differs from `trie` that all intermediates nodes which have only one child are removed.
So in this example, we can see the `trie` with keys, `go` and `cat`. The compressed trie or `radix tree` differs from `trie`, such that all intermediates nodes which have only one child are removed.
Radix tree in the linux kernel is mechanism which maps values to the integer key. It represented by the following structures from the [include/linux/radix-tree.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/include/linux/radix-tree.h):
Radix tree in linux kernel is the datastructure which maps values to the integer key. It is represented by the following structures from the file [include/linux/radix-tree.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/include/linux/radix-tree.h):
```C
struct radix_tree_root {
@ -59,9 +59,11 @@ This structure presents the root of a radix tree and contains three fields:
* `gfp_mask` - tells how memory allocations are to be performed;
* `rnode` - pointer to the child node.
Here is interesting only one field - `gfp_mask`. The low-level kernel memory allocation functions take a set of flags describing how that allocation is to be performed. These `GFP_` flags control is the allocation process can be sleep and wait for memory (`GF_NOIO` flag), is high memory can be used (`__GFP_HIGHMEM`), is allocation process high-priority and can't sleep (`GFP_ATOMIC` flag) and etc...
The first structure we will discuss is `gfp_mask`:
The next structure as you already can guess is `radix_tree_node`:
Low-level kernel memory allocation functions take a set of flags as - `gfp_mask`, which describes how that allocation is to be performed. These `GFP_` flags which control the allocation process can have following values, (`GF_NOIO` flag) be sleep and wait for memory, (`__GFP_HIGHMEM` flag) is high memory can be used, (`GFP_ATOMIC` flag) is allocation process high-priority and can't sleep etc.
The next structure is `rnode`:
```C
struct radix_tree_node {
@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ struct radix_tree_node {
};
```
The `radix_tree_node` structure contains information about the offset in a parent and hieght from the bottom, count of the child nodes and fields for te accessing and freeing a node. `radix_tree_node` contains following fields:
This structure contains information about the offset in a parent and height from the bottom, count of the child nodes and fields for accessing and freeing a node. The fields are described below:
* `path` - offset in parent & height from the bottom;
* `count` - count of the child nodes;
@ -90,14 +92,14 @@ The `radix_tree_node` structure contains information about the offset in a paren
* `rcu_head` - used for freeing a node;
* `private_list` - used by the user of a tree;
The two last fields of the `radix_tree_node` - `tags` and `slots` are important and interesting. Every node can contain the set of slots which are store pointers to the data. Empty slots in the linux kernel radix tree implementation store `NULL`. Radix tree in the linux kernel also supports tags which are associated with the `tags` fields in the `radix_tree_node` structure. Tags allow to set individual bits on records which are stored in the radix tree.
The two last fields of the `radix_tree_node` - `tags` and `slots` are important and interesting. Every node can contains a set of slots which are store pointers to the data. Empty slots in the linux kernel radix tree implementation store `NULL`. Radix tree in the linux kernel also supports tags which are associated with the `tags` fields in the `radix_tree_node` structure. Tags allow to set individual bits on records which are stored in the radix tree.
Now we know about radix tree structure, time to look on its API.
Every part about any data structure, we start from the data structure intialization. There are two way how to initialize new radix tree. The first is to use `RADIX_TREE` macro:
We start from the datastructure intialization. There are two ways to initialize new radix tree. The first is to use `RADIX_TREE` macro:
```C
RADIX_TREE(name, gfp_mask);
@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ As you can see we pass the `name` parameter, so with the `RADIX_TREE` macro we c
}
```
At the beginning of the `RADIX_TREE` macro we define instance of the `radix_tree_root` structure with the give name and call `RADIX_TREE_INIT` macro with the givin mask. The `RADIX_TREE_INIT` macro just initializes `radix_tree_root` structure with the default values and the given mask.
At the beginning of the `RADIX_TREE` macro we define instance of the `radix_tree_root` structure with the given name and call `RADIX_TREE_INIT` macro with the given mask. The `RADIX_TREE_INIT` macro just initializes `radix_tree_root` structure with the default values and the given mask.
The second way is to define `radix_tree_root` structure by hand and pass it with mask to the `INIT_RADIX_TREE` macro:
@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ do { \
makes the same initialziation with default values as it does `RADIX_TREE_INIT` macro.
The next are two functions for the inserting and deleting records to/from a radix tree. They are:
The next are two functions for the inserting and deleting records to/from a radix tree:
* `radix_tree_insert`;
* `radix_tree_delete`.
@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ The first `radix_tree_lookup` function takes two parameters:
* root of a radix tree;
* index key;
This function tries to find give key in the tree and returns associated record with this key. The second `radix_tree_gan_lookup` function have the following signature
This function tries to find the given key in the tree and returns associated record with this key. The second `radix_tree_gang_lookup` function have the following signature
```C
unsigned int radix_tree_gang_lookup(struct radix_tree_root *root,
@ -171,7 +173,7 @@ unsigned int radix_tree_gang_lookup(struct radix_tree_root *root,
unsigned int max_items);
```
and returns amount of the records which are sorted by the keys starting from the first index. Amount of the returned records will be not greater than `max_items` value.
and returns number of records, sorted by the keys, starting from the first index. Number of the returned records will be not greater than `max_items` value.
And the last `radix_tree_lookup_slot` function will return the slot which will contain the data.
Ahsan Naqvi
9 years ago