## 8.7.2. Clarifications

Up: MPI and Threads Next: Initialization Previous: General

Initialization and Completion The call to MPI_FINALIZE should occur on the same thread that initialized MPI. We call this thread the main thread. The call should occur only after all the process threads have completed their MPI calls, and have no pending communications or I/O operations.

Rationale.

This constraint simplifies implementation. ( End of rationale.)

Multiple threads completing the same request. A program where two threads block, waiting on the same request, is erroneous. Similarly, the same request cannot appear in the array of requests of two concurrent MPI_WAIT{ANY|SOME|ALL} calls. In MPI, a request can only be completed once. Any combination of wait or test which violates this rule is erroneous.

Rationale.

This is consistent with the view that a multithreaded execution corresponds to an interleaving of the MPI calls. In a single threaded implementation, once a wait is posted on a request the request handle will be nullified before it is possible to post a second wait on the same handle. With threads, an MPI_WAIT{ANY|SOME|ALL} may be blocked without having nullified its request(s) so it becomes the user's responsibility to avoid using the same request in an MPI_WAIT on another thread. This constraint also simplifies implementation, as only one thread will be blocked on any communication or I/O event. ( End of rationale.)

Probe A receive call that uses source and tag values returned by a preceding call to MPI_PROBE or MPI_IPROBE will receive the message matched by the probe call only if there was no other matching receive after the probe and before that receive. In a multithreaded environment, it is up to the user to enforce this condition using suitable mutual exclusion logic. This can be enforced by making sure that each communicator is used by only one thread on each process.

Collective calls Matching of collective calls on a communicator, window, or file handle is done according to the order in which the calls are issued at each process. If concurrent threads issue such calls on the same communicator, window or file handle, it is up to the user to make sure the calls are correctly ordered, using interthread synchronization.

Exception handlers An exception handler does not necessarily execute in the context of the thread that made the exception-raising MPI call; the exception handler may be executed by a thread that is distinct from the thread that will return the error code.

Rationale.

The MPI implementation may be multithreaded, so that part of the communication protocol may execute on a thread that is distinct from the thread that made the MPI call. The design allows the exception handler to be executed on the thread where the exception occurred. ( End of rationale.)

Interaction with signals and cancellations The outcome is undefined if a thread that executes an MPI call is cancelled (by another thread), or if a thread catches a signal while executing an MPI call. However, a thread of an MPI process may terminate, and may catch signals or be cancelled by another thread when not executing MPI calls.

Rationale.

Few C library functions are signal safe, and many have cancellation points --- points where the thread executing them may be cancelled. The above restriction simplifies implementation (no need for the MPI library to be ``async-cancel-safe'' or ``async-signal-safe.'' ( End of rationale.)
Advice to users.

Users can catch signals in separate, non- MPI threads (e.g., by masking signals on MPI calling threads, and unmasking them in one or more non- MPI threads). A good programming practice is to have a distinct thread blocked in a call to `sigwait` for each user expected signal that may occur. Users must not catch signals used by the MPI implementation; as each MPI implementation is required to document the signals used internally, users can avoid these signals. ( End of advice to users.)
Advice to implementors.

The MPI library should not invoke library calls that are not thread safe, if multiple threads execute. ( End of advice to implementors.)

Up: MPI and Threads Next: Initialization Previous: General

Return to MPI-2 Standard Index
Return to MPI 1.1 Standard Index
Return to MPI Forum Home Page

MPI-2.0 of July 18, 1997
HTML Generated on September 10, 2001