umem_alloc(3MALLOC) Memory Allocation Library Functions umem_alloc(3MALLOC)
NAME
umem_alloc, umem_zalloc, umem_free, umem_nofail_callback - fast, scalable memory allocation
SYNOPSIS
cc [ flag ... ] file... -lumem [ library ... ]
#include <umem.h>
void *umem_alloc(size_t size, int flags);
void *umem_zalloc(size_t size, int flags);
void umem_free(void *buf, size_t size);
void umem_nofail_callback((int (*callback)(void));
void *malloc(size_t size);
void *calloc(size_t nelem, size_t elsize);
void free(void *ptr);
void *memalign(size_t alignment, size_t size);
void *realloc(void *ptr, size_t size);
void *valloc(size_t size);
DESCRIPTION
The umem_alloc() function returns a pointer to a block of size bytes suitably aligned for any variable type. The initial contents of memory
allocated using umem_alloc() is undefined. The flags argument determines the behavior of umem_alloc() if it is unable to fulfill the
request. The flags argument can take the following values:
UMEM_DEFAULT Return NULL on failure.
UMEM_NOFAIL Call an optional callback (set with umem_nofail_callback()) on failure. The callback takes no arguments and can finish by:
o returning UMEM_CALLBACK_RETRY, in which case the allocation will be retried. If the allocation fails, the callback
will be invoked again.
o returning UMEM_CALLBACK_EXIT(status), in which case exit(2) is invoked with status as its argument. The exit() func-
tion is called only once. If multiple threads return from the UMEM_NOFAIL callback with UMEM_CALLBACK_EXIT(status),
one will call exit() while the other blocks until exit() terminates the program.
o invoking a context-changing function (setcontext(2)) or a non-local jump (longjmp(3C) or siglongjmp(3C), or ending the
current thread of control (thr_exit(3C) or pthread_exit(3C). The application is responsible for any necessary cleanup.
The state of libumem remains consistent.
If no callback has been set or the callback has been set to NULL, umem_alloc(..., UMEM_NOFAIL) behaves as though the call-
back returned UMEM_CALLBACK_EXIT(255).
The libumem library can call callbacks from any place that a UMEM_NOFAIL allocation is issued. In multithreaded applica-
tions, callbacks are expected to perform their own concurrency management.
The function call umem_alloc(0, flag) always returns NULL. The function call umem_free(NULL, 0) is allowed.
The umem_zalloc() function has the same semantics as umem_alloc(), but the block of memory is initialized to zeros before it is returned.
The umem_free() function frees blocks previously allocated using umem_alloc() and umem_zalloc(). The buffer address and size must exactly
match the original allocation. Memory must not be returned piecemeal.
The umem_nofail_callback() function sets the process-wide UMEM_NOFAIL callback. See the description of UMEM_NOFAIL for more information.
The malloc(), calloc(), free(), memalign(), realloc(), and valloc() functions are are as described in malloc(3C). The libumem library pro-
vides these functions for backwards-compatibility with the standard functions.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
See umem_debug(3MALLOC) for environment variables that effect the debugging features of the libumem library.
UMEM_OPTIONS Contains a list of comma-separated options. Unrecognized options are ignored. The options that are supported are:
backend=sbrk Set the underlying function used to allocate memory. This option can be set to sbrk (the default) for an
backend=mmap sbrk(2)-based source or mmap for an mmap(2)-based source. If set to a value that is not supported, sbrk
will be used.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Using the umem_alloc() function.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <umem.h>
...
char *buf = umem_alloc(1024, UMEM_DEFAULT);
if (buf == NULL) {
fprintf(stderr, "out of memory
");
return(1);
}
/* cannot assume anything about buf's contents */
...
umem_free(buf, 1024);
...
Example 2: Using the umem_zalloc() function
#include <stdio.h>
#include <umem.h>
...
char *buf = umem_zalloc(1024, UMEM_DEFAULT);
if (buf == NULL) {
fprintf(stderr, "out of memory
");
return(1);
}
/* buf contains zeros */
...
umem_free(buf, 1024);
...
Example 3: Using UMEM_NOFAIL
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <umem.h>
/*
* Note that the allocation code below does not have to
* check for umem_alloc() returning NULL
*/
int
my_failure_handler(void)
{
(void) fprintf(stderr, "out of memory
");
return (UMEM_CALLBACK_EXIT(255));
}
...
umem_nofail_callback(my_failure_handler);
...
int i;
char *buf[100];
for (i = 0; i < 100; i++)
buf[i] = umem_alloc(1024 * 1024, UMEM_NOFAIL);
...
for (i = 0; i < 100; i++)
umem_free(buf[i], 1024 * 1024);
...
Example 4: Using UMEM_NOFAIL in a multithreaded application
#define _REENTRANT
#include <thread.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <umem.h>
void *
start_func(void *the_arg)
{
int *info = (int *)the_arg;
char *buf = umem_alloc(1024 * 1024, UMEM_NOFAIL);
/* does not need to check for buf == NULL */
buf[0] = 0;
...
/*
* if there were other UMEM_NOFAIL allocations,
* we would need to arrange for buf to be
* umem_free()ed upon failure.
*/
...
umem_free(buf, 1024 * 1024);
return (the_arg);
}
...
int
my_failure_handler(void)
{
/* terminate the current thread with status NULL */
thr_exit(NULL);
}
...
umem_nofail_callback(my_failure_handler);
...
int my_arg;
thread_t tid;
void *status;
(void) thr_create(NULL, NULL, start_func, &my_arg, 0,
NULL);
...
while (thr_join(0, &tid, &status) != 0)
;
if (status == NULL) {
(void) fprintf(stderr, "thread %d ran out of memory
",
tid);
}
...
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Interface Stability |See below. |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|MT-Level |MT-Safe |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
The malloc(), calloc(), free(), realloc(), and valloc() functions are Standard. The memalign() function is Stable. The umem_alloc(),
umem_zalloc(), umem_free(), and umem_nofail_callback() functions are Evolving.
SEE ALSO
exit(2), mmap(2), sbrk(2), bsdmalloc(3MALLOC), libumem(3LIB), longjmp(3C), malloc(3C), malloc(3MALLOC), mapmalloc(3MALLOC),
pthread_exit(3C), thr_exit(3C), umem_cache_create(3MALLOC), umem_debug(3MALLOC), watchmalloc(3MALLOC), attributes(5), standards(5)
Solaris Modular Debugger Guide
WARNINGS
Any of the following can cause undefined results:
o Passing a pointer returned from umem_alloc() or umem_zalloc() to free() or realloc().
o Passing a pointer returned from malloc(), calloc(), valloc(), memalign(), or realloc() to umem_free().
o Writing past the end of a buffer allocated using umem_alloc() or umem_zalloc()
o Performing UMEM_NOFAIL allocations from an atexit(3C) handler.
If the UMEM_NOFAIL callback performs UMEM_NOFAIL allocations, infinite recursion can occur.
NOTES
The following list compares the features of the malloc(3C), bsdmalloc(3MALLOC), malloc(3MALLOC), mtmalloc(3MALLOC) , and the libumem func-
tions.
o The malloc(3C), bsdmalloc(3MALLOC), and malloc(3MALLOC) functions have no support for concurrency. The libumem and mtmalloc(3MALLOC)
functions support concurrent allocations.
o The bsdmalloc(3MALLOC) functions afford better performance but are space-inefficient.
o The malloc(3MALLOC) functions are space-efficient but have slower performance.
o The standard, fully SCD-compliant malloc(3C) functions are a trade-off between performance and space-efficiency.
o The mtmalloc(3MALLOC) functions provide fast, concurrent malloc() implementations that are not space-efficient.
o The libumem functions provide a fast, concurrent allocation implementation that in most cases is more space-efficient than mtmal-
loc(3MALLOC).
SunOS 5.10 26 Aug 2002 umem_alloc(3MALLOC)