POSTER: On the Problem of Consistency Exceptions in the Context of Strong Memory Models

Abstract

This work considers the problem of availability for memory models that throw consistency exceptions. We define a new memory model called RIx based on isolation of synchronization-free regions and a new approach called Avalon that provides RIx. Our evaluation shows that Avalon and RIx substantially reduce consistency exceptions, by 1-3 orders of magnitude and sometimes eliminate them completely. Furthermore, our exploration provides new, compelling points in the performance-availability tradeoff space.