RemoteValue can hold any type of AbstractChannel

base/exports.jl

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export
     Markdown,
 
 # Types
+    AbstractChannel,
     AbstractMatrix,
     AbstractSparseArray,
     AbstractSparseMatrix,

base/multi.jl

@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ function deregister_worker(pg, pid)
 
     # throw exception to tasks waiting for this pid
     for (id,rv) in tonotify
-        notify_error(rv.full, ProcessExitedException())
+        notify_error(rv.c, ProcessExitedException())
         delete!(pg.refs, id)
     end
 end
@@ -476,45 +476,51 @@ type RemoteRef
         finalizer(r, send_del_client)
         r
     end
+end
 
-    REQ_ID::Int = 0
-    function RemoteRef(pid::Integer)
-        rr = RemoteRef(pid, myid(), REQ_ID)
-        REQ_ID += 1
-        rr
-    end
+let REF_ID::Int = 1
+    global next_ref_id
+    next_ref_id() = (id = REF_ID; REF_ID += 1; id)
+
+    global next_rrid_tuple
+    next_rrid_tuple() = (myid(),next_ref_id())
+end
 
-    RemoteRef(w::LocalProcess) = RemoteRef(w.id)
-    RemoteRef(w::Worker) = RemoteRef(w.id)
-    RemoteRef() = RemoteRef(myid())
+RemoteRef(w::LocalProcess) = RemoteRef(w.id)
+RemoteRef(w::Worker) = RemoteRef(w.id)
+RemoteRef(pid::Integer=myid()) = RemoteRef(pid, myid(), next_ref_id())
 
-    global next_id
-    next_id() = (id=(myid(),REQ_ID); REQ_ID+=1; id)
+function RemoteRef(f::Function, pid::Integer=myid())
+    remotecall_fetch(pid, f-> begin
+        rr = RemoteRef()
+        lookup_ref(rr2id(rr), f)
+        rr
+    end, f)
 end
 
 hash(r::RemoteRef, h::UInt) = hash(r.whence, hash(r.id, h))
 ==(r::RemoteRef, s::RemoteRef) = (r.whence==s.whence && r.id==s.id)
 
 rr2id(r::RemoteRef) = (r.whence, r.id)
 
-lookup_ref(id) = lookup_ref(PGRP, id)
-function lookup_ref(pg, id)
+lookup_ref(id, f=def_rv_channel) = lookup_ref(PGRP, id, f)
+function lookup_ref(pg, id, f)
     rv = get(pg.refs, id, false)
     if rv === false
         # first we've heard of this ref
-        rv = RemoteValue()
+        rv = RemoteValue(f)
         pg.refs[id] = rv
         push!(rv.clientset, id[1])
     end
     rv
 end
 
-function isready(rr::RemoteRef)
+function isready(rr::RemoteRef, args...)
     rid = rr2id(rr)
     if rr.where == myid()
-        lookup_ref(rid).done
+        isready(lookup_ref(rid).c, args...)
     else
-        remotecall_fetch(rr.where, id->lookup_ref(id).done, rid)
+        remotecall_fetch(rr.where, id->isready(lookup_ref(rid).c, args...), rid)
     end
 end
 
@@ -607,38 +613,16 @@ function deserialize(s::SerializationState, t::Type{RemoteRef})
 end
 
 # data stored by the owner of a RemoteRef
+def_rv_channel() = Channel(1)
 type RemoteValue
-    done::Bool
-    result
-    full::Condition   # waiting for a value
-    empty::Condition  # waiting for value to be removed
+    c::AbstractChannel
     clientset::IntSet
     waitingfor::Int   # processor we need to hear from to fill this, or 0
 
-    RemoteValue() = new(false, nothing, Condition(), Condition(), IntSet(), 0)
+    RemoteValue(f::Function) = new(f(), IntSet(), 0)
 end
 
-function work_result(rv::RemoteValue)
-    v = rv.result
-    if isa(v,WeakRef)
-        v = v.value
-    end
-    v
-end
-
-function wait_full(rv::RemoteValue)
-    while !rv.done
-        wait(rv.full)
-    end
-    return work_result(rv)
-end
-
-function wait_empty(rv::RemoteValue)
-    while rv.done
-        wait(rv.empty)
-    end
-    return nothing
-end
+wait(rv::RemoteValue) = wait(rv.c)
 
 ## core messages: do, call, fetch, wait, ref, put! ##
 type RemoteException <: Exception
@@ -670,7 +654,7 @@ function run_work_thunk(rv::RemoteValue, thunk)
 end
 
 function schedule_call(rid, thunk)
-    rv = RemoteValue()
+    rv = RemoteValue(def_rv_channel)
     (PGRP::ProcessGroup).refs[rid] = rv
     push!(rv.clientset, rid[1])
     schedule(@task(run_work_thunk(rv,thunk)))
@@ -736,11 +720,11 @@ end
 function remotecall_fetch(w::Worker, f, args...)
     # can be weak, because the program will have no way to refer to the Ref
     # itself, it only gets the result.
-    oid = next_id()
+    oid = next_rrid_tuple()
     rv = lookup_ref(oid)
     rv.waitingfor = w.id
     send_msg(w, CallMsg{:call_fetch}(f, args, oid))
-    v = wait_full(rv)
+    v = take!(rv)
     delete!(PGRP.refs, oid)
     isa(v, RemoteException) ? throw(v) : v
 end
@@ -752,12 +736,12 @@ remotecall_fetch(id::Integer, f, args...) =
 remotecall_wait(w::LocalProcess, f, args...) = wait(remotecall(w,f,args...))
 
 function remotecall_wait(w::Worker, f, args...)
-    prid = next_id()
+    prid = next_rrid_tuple()
     rv = lookup_ref(prid)
     rv.waitingfor = w.id
     rr = RemoteRef(w)
     send_msg(w, CallWaitMsg(f, args, rr2id(rr), prid))
-    wait_full(rv)
+    wait(rv)
     delete!(PGRP.refs, prid)
     rr
 end
@@ -791,36 +775,25 @@ function call_on_owner(f, rr::RemoteRef, args...)
     end
 end
 
-wait_ref(rid) = (wait_full(lookup_ref(rid)); nothing)
-wait(r::RemoteRef) = (call_on_owner(wait_ref, r); r)
+wait_ref(rid, args...) = (wait(lookup_ref(rid).c, args...); nothing)
+wait(r::RemoteRef, args...) = (call_on_owner(wait_ref, r, args...); r)
 
-fetch_ref(rid) = wait_full(lookup_ref(rid))
-fetch(r::RemoteRef) = call_on_owner(fetch_ref, r)
+fetch_ref(rid, args...) = fetch(lookup_ref(rid).c, args...)
+fetch(r::RemoteRef, args...) = call_on_owner(fetch_ref, r, args...)
 fetch(x::ANY) = x
 
 # storing a value to a RemoteRef
-function put!(rv::RemoteValue, val::ANY)
-    wait_empty(rv)
-    rv.result = val
-    rv.done = true
-    notify_full(rv)
-    rv
-end
+put!(rv::RemoteValue, args...) = put!(rv.c, args...)
+put_ref(rid, args...) = put!(lookup_ref(rid), args...)
+put!(rr::RemoteRef, args...) = (call_on_owner(put_ref, rr, args...); rr)
 
-put_ref(rid, v) = put!(lookup_ref(rid), v)
-put!(rr::RemoteRef, val::ANY) = (call_on_owner(put_ref, rr, val); rr)
+take!(rv::RemoteValue, args...) = take!(rv.c, args...)
+take_ref(rid, args...) = take!(lookup_ref(rid), args...)
+take!(rr::RemoteRef, args...) = call_on_owner(take_ref, rr, args...)
 
-function take!(rv::RemoteValue)
-    wait_full(rv)
-    val = rv.result
-    rv.done = false
-    rv.result = nothing
-    notify_empty(rv)
-    val
-end
+close_ref(rid) = (close(lookup_ref(rid).c); nothing)
+close(rr::RemoteRef) = call_on_owner(close_ref, rr)
 
-take_ref(rid) = take!(lookup_ref(rid))
-take!(rr::RemoteRef) = call_on_owner(take_ref, rr)
 
 function deliver_result(sock::IO, msg, oid, value)
     #print("$(myid()) sending result $oid\n")
@@ -848,10 +821,6 @@ function deliver_result(sock::IO, msg, oid, value)
     end
 end
 
-# notify waiters that a certain job has finished or RemoteRef has been emptied
-notify_full( rv::RemoteValue) = notify(rv.full, work_result(rv))
-notify_empty(rv::RemoteValue) = notify(rv.empty)
-
 ## message event handlers ##
 process_messages(r_stream::TCPSocket, w_stream::TCPSocket) = @schedule process_tcp_streams(r_stream, w_stream)
 
@@ -926,7 +895,7 @@ end
 function handle_msg(msg::CallWaitMsg, r_stream, w_stream)
     @schedule begin
         rv = schedule_call(msg.response_oid, ()->msg.f(msg.args...))
-        deliver_result(w_stream, :call_wait, msg.notify_oid, wait_full(rv))
+        deliver_result(w_stream, :call_wait, msg.notify_oid, wait(rv))
     end
 end
 
@@ -1234,7 +1203,7 @@ function create_worker(manager, wconfig)
     finalizer(w, (w)->if myid() == 1 manage(w.manager, w.id, w.config, :finalize) end)
 
     # set when the new worker has finshed connections with all other workers
-    ntfy_oid = next_id()
+    ntfy_oid = next_rrid_tuple()
     rr_ntfy_join = lookup_ref(ntfy_oid)
     rr_ntfy_join.waitingfor = myid()
 
@@ -1286,7 +1255,7 @@ function create_worker(manager, wconfig)
     send_msg_now(w, JoinPGRPMsg(w.id, all_locs, isa(w.manager, LocalManager), ntfy_oid, PGRP.topology))
 
     @schedule manage(w.manager, w.id, w.config, :register)
-    wait_full(rr_ntfy_join)
+    wait(rr_ntfy_join)
     delete!(PGRP.refs, ntfy_oid)
 
     w.id

base/precompile.jl

@@ -301,8 +301,6 @@ precompile(Base.normpath, (ASCIIString,))
 precompile(Base.normpath, (UTF8String, UTF8String))
 precompile(Base.normpath, (UTF8String,))
 precompile(Base.notify, (Condition, Any))
-precompile(Base.notify_empty, (Base.RemoteValue,))
-precompile(Base.notify_full, (Base.RemoteValue,))
 precompile(Base.open, (ASCIIString, ASCIIString))
 precompile(Base.parse_input_line, (ASCIIString,))
 precompile(Base.parse, (Type{Int}, ASCIIString, Int))
@@ -426,9 +424,6 @@ precompile(Base.uvfinalize, (Base.TTY,))
 precompile(Base.vcat, (Base.LineEdit.Prompt,))
 precompile(Base.wait, ())
 precompile(Base.wait, (RemoteRef,))
-precompile(Base.wait_empty, (Base.RemoteValue,))
-precompile(Base.wait_full, (Base.RemoteValue,))
-precompile(Base.work_result, (Base.RemoteValue,))
 precompile(Base.write, (Base.Terminals.TTYTerminal, ASCIIString))
 precompile(Base.write, (Base.Terminals.TerminalBuffer, ASCIIString))
 precompile(Base.write, (IOBuffer, Vector{UInt8}))
@@ -446,7 +441,6 @@ precompile(Base.Sort.sort!, (Array{Any,1},))
 precompile(Base.Sort.sort!, (Array{VersionNumber, 1}, Int, Int, Base.Sort.InsertionSortAlg, Base.Order.ForwardOrdering))
 precompile(Base.info, (ASCIIString,))
 precompile(Base.isempty, (Array{Void, 1},))
-precompile(Base.setindex!, (Dict{Any, Any}, Base.RemoteValue, (Int, Int)))
 precompile(Base.setindex!, (Dict{ByteString, VersionNumber}, VersionNumber, ASCIIString))
 precompile(Base.spawn, (Cmd, (Base.TTY, Base.TTY, Base.TTY), Bool, Bool))
 precompile(Base.spawn, (Cmd,))
@@ -470,7 +464,6 @@ precompile(Base.LineEdit.init_state, (Base.Terminals.TTYTerminal, Base.LineEdit.
 precompile(Base.setindex!, (Base.Dict{Any, Any}, Base.LineEdit.PrefixSearchState, Base.LineEdit.PrefixHistoryPrompt{Base.REPL.REPLHistoryProvider}))
 precompile(Base.take_ref, (Tuple{Int64, Int64},))
 precompile(Base.get, (Base.Dict{Any, Any}, Tuple{Int64, Int64}, Bool))
-precompile(Base.setindex!, (Base.Dict{Any, Any}, Base.RemoteValue, Tuple{Int64, Int64}))
 precompile(Base.LineEdit.refresh_multi_line, (Array{Any, 1}, Base.Terminals.TerminalBuffer, Base.Terminals.TTYTerminal, Base.IOBuffer, Base.LineEdit.InputAreaState, Base.LineEdit.PromptState))
 precompile(Base.schedule, (Array{Any, 1}, Task, Void))
 precompile(Base.LineEdit.match_input, (Function, Base.LineEdit.MIState, Base.Terminals.TTYTerminal, Array{Char, 1}, Base.Dict{Char, Any}))

doc/manual/parallel-computing.rst

@@ -463,6 +463,30 @@ variable takes on all values added to the channel. An empty, closed channel
 causes the ``for`` loop to terminate.
 
 
+RemoteRefs and AbstractChannels
+-------------------------------
+
+A ``RemoteRef`` is a proxy for an implementation of an ``AbstractChannel``
+
+A concrete implementation of an ``AbstractChannel`` (like ``Channel``), is required
+to implement ``put!``, ``take!``, ``fetch``, ``isready`` and ``wait``. The remote object
+referred to by a ``RemoteRef()`` or ``RemoteRef(pid)`` is stored in a ``Channel{Any}(1)``,
+i.e., a channel of size 1 capable of holding objects of ``Any`` type.
+
+Methods ``put!``, ``take!``, ``fetch``, ``isready`` and ``wait`` on a ``RemoteRef`` are proxied onto
+the backing store on the remote process.
+
+The constructor ``RemoteRef(f::Function, pid)`` allows us to construct references to channels holding
+more than one value of a specific type. ``f()`` is a function executed on ``pid`` and it must return
+an ``AbstractChannel``.
+
+For example, ``RemoteRef(()->Channel{Int}(10), pid)``, will return a reference to a channel of type ``Int``
+and size 10.
+
+``RemoteRef`` can thus be used to refer to user implemented ``AbstractChannel`` objects. A simple
+example of this is provided in ``examples/dictchannel.jl`` which uses a dictionary as its remote store.
+
+
 Shared Arrays
 -------------
 

doc/stdlib/parallel.rst

@@ -513,7 +513,9 @@ General Parallel Computing Support
 
 .. function:: put!(RemoteRef, value)
 
-   Store a value to a remote reference. Implements "shared queue of length 1" semantics: if a value is already present, blocks until the value is removed with ``take!``. Returns its first argument.
+   Store a value to a remote reference. Constructors ``RemoteRef()`` and ``RemoteRef(pid)`` refer to a remote
+   channel of size 1 - if a value is already present, blocks until the value is removed
+   with ``take!``. Returns its first argument.
 
    ::
               put!(Channel, value)
@@ -534,7 +536,7 @@ General Parallel Computing Support
 
 .. function:: take!(RemoteRef)
 
-   Fetch the value of a remote reference, removing it so that the reference is empty again.
+   Fetches and removes a value from the remote reference.
 
    ::
               take!(Channel)
@@ -586,24 +588,18 @@ General Parallel Computing Support
 
 .. function:: RemoteRef()
 
-   Make an uninitialized remote reference on the local machine.
-
-   ::
-              RemoteRef(n)
-
-   Make an uninitialized remote reference on process ``n``.
-
-.. function:: RemoteRef(n)
+   Make an uninitialized remote reference on the local machine. Backing store is a ``Channel{Any}(1)``.
 
    ::
-              RemoteRef()
+              RemoteRef(p)
 
-   Make an uninitialized remote reference on the local machine.
+   Make an uninitialized remote reference on process ``p``. Backing store is a ``Channel{Any}(1)``.
 
    ::
-              RemoteRef(n)
+              RemoteRef(f::Function , pid)
 
-   Make an uninitialized remote reference on process ``n``.
+   ``f()`` is executed on ``pid`` and must return an object of type ``AbstractChannel`` which will be the
+   backing store for the reference.
 
 .. function:: timedwait(testcb::Function, secs::Float64; pollint::Float64=0.1)