Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 1

A Short DigressionStacks and Heaps

CS-502, Operating SystemsFall 2007

(Slides include materials from Operating System Concepts, 7th ed., by Silbershatz, Galvin, & Gagne and from Modern Operating Systems, 2nd ed., by Tanenbaum)

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 2

Digression: the “Stack”

• Imagine the following program:–int factorial(int n){if (n <= 1)

return (1);else

int y = factorial(n-1);return (y * n);

}

• Imagine also the caller:–int x = factorial(100);

• What does compiled code look like?

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 3

Compiled code: the caller

int x = factorial(100);

• Put the value “100” somewhere that factorial can find

• Put the current program counter somewhere so that factorial can return to the right place in caller

• Provide a place to put the result, so that caller can find it

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 4

Compiled code: factorial function

• Save the caller’s registers somewhere• Get the argument n from the agreed-upon place• Set aside some memory for local variables and

intermediate results – i.e., y, n - 1

• Do whatever it was programmed to do

• Put the result where the caller can find it• Restore the caller’s registers• Transfer back to the program counter saved by the

caller

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Question: Where is “somewhere”?

• So that caller can provide as many arguments as needed (within reason)?

• So that called routine can decide at run-time how much temporary space is needed?

• So that called routine can call any other routine, potentially recursively?

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Answer: a “Stack”

• Stack – a linear data structure in which items are added and removed in last-in, first-out order.

• Calling program• Push arguments & return address onto stack• After return, pop result off stack

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“Stack” (continued)

• Called routine• Push registers and return address onto stack• Push temporary storage space onto stack

• Do work of the routine

• Pop registers and temporary storage off stack• Leave result on stack• Return to address left by calling routine

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Stack (continued)

• Definition: context – the region of the stack that provides the execution environment of a particular call to a function

• Implementation• Usually, a linear piece of memory and a stack

pointer contained in a (fixed) register• Occasionally, a linked list

• Recursion• Stack discipline allows multiple contexts for the

same function in the stack at the same time

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Stacks in Modern Systems

• All modern programming languages require a stack

• Fortran and Cobol did not (non-recursive)

• All modern processors provide a designated stack pointer register

• All modern process address spaces provide room for a stack

• Able to grow to a large size• May grow upward or downward

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Process Address Space (Typical)

0x00000000

0xFFFFFFFF

Virtual

address space

program code(text)

static data

heap(dynamically allocated)

stack(dynamically allocated)

PC

SP

See also Silbershatz, figure 3.1

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Stacks in Multi-threaded Environments

• Every thread requires its own stack• Separate from all other stacks• Each stack may grow separately• Address space must be big enough to accommodate

stacks for all threads

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Stacks in Multi-threaded Address Space

0x00000000

0xFFFFFFFF

Virtual

address space

code(text)

static data

heap

thread 1 stack

PC (T2)

SP (T2)thread 2 stack

thread 3 stack

SP (T1)

SP (T3)

PC (T1)PC (T3)

SP

PC

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Stacks in Multi-threaded Environments

• Every thread requires its own stack• Separate from all other stacks• Each stack may grow separately• Address space must be big enough to accommodate

stacks for all threads

• Some small or RT operating systems are equivalent to multi-threaded environments

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Heap

• A place for allocating memory that is not part of last-in, first-out discipline

• I.e., dynamically allocated data structures that survive function calls

• E.g., strings in C• new objects in C++, Java, etc.

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 15

Process Address Space (Typical)

0x00000000

0xFFFFFFFF

Virtual

address space

program code(text)

static data

heap(dynamically allocated)

stack(dynamically allocated)

PC

SP

See also Silbershatz, figure 3.1

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Dynamically Allocating from Heap

• malloc() – POSIX standard function• Allocates a chunk of memory of desired size• Remembers size• Returns pointer

• free () – POSIX standard function• Returns previously allocated chunk to heap for

reallocation• Assumes that pointer is correct!

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Dynamically Allocating from Heap

• malloc() – POSIX standard function• Allocates a chunk of memory of desired size• Remembers size• Returns pointer

• free () – POSIX standard function• Returns previously allocated chunk to heap for

reallocation• Assumes that pointer is correct!

• Storage leak – failure to free something

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Heaps in Modern Systems

• Many modern programming languages require a heap

• C++, Java, etc.• NOT Fortran

• Typical process environment• Grows toward stack

• Multi-threaded environments• All threads share the same heap• Data structures may be passed from one thread to

another.

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Heap in Multi-threaded Address Space

0x00000000

0xFFFFFFFF

Virtual

address space

code(text)

static data

heap

thread 1 stack

PC (T2)

SP (T2)thread 2 stack

thread 3 stack

SP (T1)

SP (T3)

PC (T1)PC (T3)

SP

PC

Heap

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 20

Stacks in Multi-threaded Address Space

0x00000000

0xFFFFFFFF

Virtual

address space

code(text)

static data

heap

thread 1 stack

PC (T2)

SP (T2)thread 2 stack

thread 3 stack

SP (T1)

SP (T3)

PC (T1)PC (T3)

SP

PC

What’s this?

Stacks and HeapsCS-502 Fall 2007 21

Questions?