Why it matters

Seqlock enables fast reads without locking readers. Kernel workhorse.

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The architecture

Reader: read seq; read data; re-read seq; retry on mismatch.

Writer: lock, ++seq, write, ++seq.

Seqlock flowWriter++seq, write, ++seqReaderseq, data, re-seqRetryon mismatchLinux kernel uses for jiffies, monotonic clocks; readers never block
Seqlock flow.
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How it works end to end

Linux kernel jiffies.

Fast reads.

Retry on write.