Hi, I'm struggling to understand how would the following two processes would be processed according to Causal Consistency Model...
Initially x=y=0
Process A
x = 1
if ( y = 0) z++
Process B
y = 1
if (x = 0) z++
I would appreciate if someone could reply by giving the step by step analysis of the processing. Thx
Maybe this will help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_consistency
One point, unrelated to your causal linkage, is that your conditional statements of if (x = 0) and if (y = 0) should more appropriately be if (x == 0) and if (y == 0) so that one can distinguish between an assignment and a boolean comparison.
So, as for your question, the end value for Z is indeterminate since either process may assign x or y in any order, and at any time. IE, it could be that Z ends up with a value of 0 or 1. Consider possible steps:
1. A assigns 1 to x
2. B assigns 1 to y
3. A tests and finds y != 0 - no z increment results
4. B tests and finds x != 0 - no z increment results
end: z == 0 (you can switch order of process operations and get same z result)
or
1. A assigns 1 to x
2. A tests y and finds y == 0 - z increment results
3. B assigns 1 to y
4. B tests x and finds x != 0 - no increment results
end: z == 1 (you can switch order of A and B operations and get same z result)
So, z is causally linked to the values of x and y via the order they are set and read.
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