Does SemaphoreSlim (.NET) prevent same thread from entering block?

Question

I have read the docs for SemaphoreSlim SemaphoreSlim MSDN which indicates that the SemaphoreSlim will limit a section of code to be run by only 1 thread at a time if you configure it as:

SemaphoreSlim _semaphoreSlim = new SemaphoreSlim(1, 1);

However, it doesn't indicate if it stops the same thread from accessing that code. This comes up with async and await. If one uses await in a method, control leaves that method and returns when whatever task or thread has completed. In my example, I use a button with an async button handler. It calls another method (Function1) with 'await'. Function1 in turn calls

await Task.Run(() => Function2(beginCounter));

Around my Task.Run() I have a SemaphoreSlim. It sure seems like it stops the same thread from getting to Function2. But this is not guaranteed (as I read it) from the documentation and I wonder if that can be counted on.

I have posted my complete example below.

Thanks,

Dave

 using System; using System.Threading; using System.Threading.Tasks; using System.Windows; namespace AsynchAwaitExample { /// <summary> /// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml /// </summary> public partial class MainWindow : Window { private readonly SemaphoreSlim _semaphoreSlim = new SemaphoreSlim(1, 1); public MainWindow() { InitializeComponent(); } static int beginCounter = 0; static int endCounter = 0; /// <summary> /// Suggest hitting button 3 times in rapid succession /// </summary> /// <param name="sender"></param> /// <param name="e"></param> private async void button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { beginCounter++; endCounter++; // Notice that if you click fast, you'll get all the beginCounters first, then the endCounters Console.WriteLine("beginCounter: " + beginCounter + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId); await Function1(beginCounter); Console.WriteLine("endCounter: " + endCounter + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId); } private async Task Function1(int beginCounter) { try { Console.WriteLine("about to grab lock" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); await _semaphoreSlim.WaitAsync(); // get rid of _semaphoreSlim calls and you'll get into beginning of Function2 3 times before exiting Console.WriteLine("grabbed lock" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); await Task.Run(() => Function2(beginCounter)); } finally { Console.WriteLine("about to release lock" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); _semaphoreSlim.Release(); Console.WriteLine("released lock" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); } } private void Function2(int beginCounter) { Console.WriteLine("Function2 start" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); Thread.Sleep(1000); Console.WriteLine("Function2 end" + " threadId: " + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " beginCounter: " + beginCounter); return; } } }

Sample output if you click button 3 times. Notice that Function2 always finishes for a given counter before it starts again.

 beginCounter: 1 threadId: 9 about to grab lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 1 grabbed lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 1 Function2 start threadId: 13 beginCounter: 1 beginCounter: 2 threadId: 9 about to grab lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 2 beginCounter: 3 threadId: 9 about to grab lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 3 Function2 end threadId: 13 beginCounter: 1 about to release lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 1 released lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 1 grabbed lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 2 Function2 start threadId: 13 beginCounter: 2 endCounter: 3 threadId: 9 Function2 end threadId: 13 beginCounter: 2 about to release lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 2 released lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 2 endCounter: 3 threadId: 9 grabbed lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 3 Function2 start threadId: 13 beginCounter: 3 Function2 end threadId: 13 beginCounter: 3 about to release lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 3 released lock threadId: 9 beginCounter: 3 endCounter: 3 threadId: 9

If you get rid of the SemaphoreSlim calls you'll get:

beginCounter: 1 threadId: 10 about to grab lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 1 grabbed lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 1 Function2 start threadId: 13 beginCounter: 1 beginCounter: 2 threadId: 10 about to grab lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 2 grabbed lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 2 Function2 start threadId: 14 beginCounter: 2 beginCounter: 3 threadId: 10 about to grab lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 3 grabbed lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 3 Function2 start threadId: 15 beginCounter: 3 Function2 end threadId: 13 beginCounter: 1 about to release lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 1 released lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 1 endCounter: 3 threadId: 10 Function2 end threadId: 14 beginCounter: 2 about to release lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 2 released lock threadId: 10 beginCounter: 2 endCounter: 3 threadId: 10

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:29:41Z

From the documentation:

The SemaphoreSlim class doesn’t enforce thread or task identity on calls to the Wait, WaitAsync, and Release methods

In other words, the class doesn't look to see which thread is calling it. It's just a simple counter. The same thread can acquire the semaphore multiple times, and that will be the same as if multiple threads acquired the semaphore. If the thread count remaining is down to 0, then even if a thread already was one that had acquired the semaphore that thread, if it calls Wait(), it will block until some other thread releases the semaphore.

So, with respect to async/await, the fact that an await may or may not resume in the same thread where it was started doesn't matter. As long as you keep your Wait() and Release() calls balanced, it will work as one would hope and expect.

In your example, you're even waiting on the semaphore asynchronously, and thus not blocking any thread. Which is good, because otherwise you'd deadlock the UI thread the second time you pressed your button.

Related reading:
Resource locking between iterations of the main thread (Async/Await)
Why does this code not end in a deadlock
Locking with nested async calls

Note in particular caveats on re-entrant/recursive locking, especially with async/await. Thread synchronization is tricky enough as it is, and that difficulty is what async/await is designed to simplify. And it does so significantly in most cases. But not when you mix it with yet another synchronization/locking mechanism.

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Does SemaphoreSlim (.NET) prevent same thread from entering block?

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