1 files changed, 0 insertions, 47 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/io_ordering.txt b/Documentation/io_ordering.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 9faae6f26d32..000000000000
--- a/Documentation/io_ordering.txt
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@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-On some platforms, so-called memory-mapped I/O is weakly ordered.  On such
-platforms, driver writers are responsible for ensuring that I/O writes to
-memory-mapped addresses on their device arrive in the order intended.  This is
-typically done by reading a 'safe' device or bridge register, causing the I/O
-chipset to flush pending writes to the device before any reads are posted.  A
-driver would usually use this technique immediately prior to the exit of a
-critical section of code protected by spinlocks.  This would ensure that
-subsequent writes to I/O space arrived only after all prior writes (much like a
-memory barrier op, mb(), only with respect to I/O).
-
-A more concrete example from a hypothetical device driver:
-
-        ...
-CPU A:  spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
-CPU A:  val = readl(my_status);
-CPU A:  ...
-CPU A:  writel(newval, ring_ptr);
-CPU A:  spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
-        ...
-CPU B:  spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
-CPU B:  val = readl(my_status);
-CPU B:  ...
-CPU B:  writel(newval2, ring_ptr);
-CPU B:  spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
-        ...
-
-In the case above, the device may receive newval2 before it receives newval,
-which could cause problems.  Fixing it is easy enough though:
-
-        ...
-CPU A:  spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
-CPU A:  val = readl(my_status);
-CPU A:  ...
-CPU A:  writel(newval, ring_ptr);
-CPU A:  (void)readl(safe_register); /* maybe a config register? */
-CPU A:  spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
-        ...
-CPU B:  spin_lock_irqsave(&dev_lock, flags)
-CPU B:  val = readl(my_status);
-CPU B:  ...
-CPU B:  writel(newval2, ring_ptr);
-CPU B:  (void)readl(safe_register); /* maybe a config register? */
-CPU B:  spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev_lock, flags)
-
-Here, the reads from safe_register will cause the I/O chipset to flush any
-pending writes before actually posting the read to the chipset, preventing
-possible data corruption.