Reuse key buffers during hashing

x/merkledb/bytes_pool.go

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2019-2024, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package merkledb
+
+import "sync"
+
+type bytesPool struct {
+	slots     chan struct{}
+	bytesLock sync.Mutex
+	bytes     [][]byte
+}
+
+func newBytesPool(numSlots int) *bytesPool {
+	return &bytesPool{
+		slots: make(chan struct{}, numSlots),
+		bytes: make([][]byte, 0, numSlots),
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *bytesPool) Acquire() []byte {
+	p.slots <- struct{}{}
+	return p.pop()
+}
+
+func (p *bytesPool) TryAcquire() ([]byte, bool) {
+	select {
+	case p.slots <- struct{}{}:
+		return p.pop(), true
+	default:
+		return nil, false
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *bytesPool) pop() []byte {
+	p.bytesLock.Lock()
+	defer p.bytesLock.Unlock()
+
+	numBytes := len(p.bytes)
+	if numBytes == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	b := p.bytes[numBytes-1]
+	p.bytes = p.bytes[:numBytes-1]
+	return b
+}
+
+func (p *bytesPool) Release(b []byte) {
+	// Before waking anyone waiting on a slot, return the bytes.
+	p.bytesLock.Lock()
+	p.bytes = append(p.bytes, b)
+	p.bytesLock.Unlock()
+
+	select {
+	case <-p.slots:
+	default:
+		panic("release of unacquired semaphore")
+	}
+}

x/merkledb/bytes_pool_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2019-2024, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package merkledb
+
+import "testing"
+
+func Benchmark_BytesPool_Acquire(b *testing.B) {
+	s := newBytesPool(b.N)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		s.Acquire()
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_BytesPool_Release(b *testing.B) {
+	s := newBytesPool(b.N)
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		s.Acquire()
+	}
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		s.Release(nil)
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_BytesPool_TryAcquire_Success(b *testing.B) {
+	s := newBytesPool(b.N)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		s.TryAcquire()
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_BytesPool_TryAcquire_Failure(b *testing.B) {
+	s := newBytesPool(1)
+	s.Acquire()
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		s.TryAcquire()
+	}
+}

x/merkledb/db.go

@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
-	"golang.org/x/sync/semaphore"
 
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/database"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
@@ -216,9 +215,10 @@ type merkleDB struct {
 	// Valid children of this trie.
 	childViews []*view
 
-	// hashNodesSema controls the number of goroutines that are created inside
-	// [hashChangedNode] at any given time.
-	hashNodesSema *semaphore.Weighted
+	// hashNodesKeyPool controls the number of goroutines that are created
+	// inside [hashChangedNode] at any given time and provides slices for the
+	// keys needed while hashing.
+	hashNodesKeyPool *bytesPool
 
 	tokenSize int
 }
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ func newDatabase(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	rootGenConcurrency := uint(runtime.NumCPU())
+	rootGenConcurrency := runtime.NumCPU()
 	if config.RootGenConcurrency != 0 {
-		rootGenConcurrency = config.RootGenConcurrency
+		rootGenConcurrency = int(config.RootGenConcurrency)
 	}
 
 	// Share a sync.Pool of []byte between the intermediateNodeDB and valueNodeDB
@@ -270,12 +270,12 @@ func newDatabase(
 			bufferPool,
 			metrics,
 			int(config.ValueNodeCacheSize)),
-		history:       newTrieHistory(int(config.HistoryLength)),
-		debugTracer:   getTracerIfEnabled(config.TraceLevel, DebugTrace, config.Tracer),
-		infoTracer:    getTracerIfEnabled(config.TraceLevel, InfoTrace, config.Tracer),
-		childViews:    make([]*view, 0, defaultPreallocationSize),
-		hashNodesSema: semaphore.NewWeighted(int64(rootGenConcurrency)),
-		tokenSize:     BranchFactorToTokenSize[config.BranchFactor],
+		history:          newTrieHistory(int(config.HistoryLength)),
+		debugTracer:      getTracerIfEnabled(config.TraceLevel, DebugTrace, config.Tracer),
+		infoTracer:       getTracerIfEnabled(config.TraceLevel, InfoTrace, config.Tracer),
+		childViews:       make([]*view, 0, defaultPreallocationSize),
+		hashNodesKeyPool: newBytesPool(rootGenConcurrency),
+		tokenSize:        BranchFactorToTokenSize[config.BranchFactor],
 	}
 
 	if err := trieDB.initializeRoot(); err != nil {

x/merkledb/view.go

@@ -281,31 +281,31 @@ func (v *view) hashChangedNodes(ctx context.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	_ = v.db.hashNodesSema.Acquire(context.Background(), 1)
-	defer v.db.hashNodesSema.Release(1)
+	// If there are no children, we can avoid allocating [keyBuffer].
+	root := v.root.Value()
+	if len(root.children) == 0 {
+		v.changes.rootID = root.calculateID(v.db.metrics)
+		return
+	}
 
-	v.changes.rootID = v.hashChangedNode(v.root.Value())
+	// Allocate [keyBuffer] and populate it with the root node's key.
+	keyBuffer := v.db.hashNodesKeyPool.Acquire()
+	keyBuffer = v.setKeyBuffer(root, keyBuffer)
+	v.changes.rootID, keyBuffer = v.hashChangedNode(root, keyBuffer)
+	v.db.hashNodesKeyPool.Release(keyBuffer)
 }
 
 // Calculates the ID of all descendants of [n] which need to be recalculated,
 // and then calculates the ID of [n] itself.
-func (v *view) hashChangedNode(n *node) ids.ID {
-	// If there are no children, we can avoid allocating [keyBuffer].
-	if len(n.children) == 0 {
-		return n.calculateID(v.db.metrics)
-	}
-
-	// Calculate the size of the largest child key of this node. This allows
-	// only allocating a single slice for all of the keys.
-	var maxChildBitLength int
-	for _, childEntry := range n.children {
-		maxChildBitLength = max(maxChildBitLength, childEntry.compressedKey.length)
-	}
-
+//
+// Returns a potentially expanded [keyBuffer]. By returning this value this
+// function is able to have a maximum total number of allocations shared across
+// multiple invocations.
+//
+// Invariant: [keyBuffer] must be populated with [n]'s key and have sufficient
+// length to contain any of [n]'s child keys.
+func (v *view) hashChangedNode(n *node, keyBuffer []byte) (ids.ID, []byte) {
 	var (
-		maxBytesNeeded = bytesNeeded(n.key.length + v.tokenSize + maxChildBitLength)
-		// keyBuffer is allocated onto the heap because it is dynamically sized.
-		keyBuffer = make([]byte, maxBytesNeeded)
 		// childBuffer is allocated on the stack.
 		childBuffer = make([]byte, 1)
 		dualIndex   = dualBitIndex(v.tokenSize)
@@ -318,14 +318,13 @@ func (v *view) hashChangedNode(n *node) ids.ID {
 		// We use [wg] to wait until all descendants of [n] have been updated.
 		wg waitGroup
 	)
-
 	if bytesForKey > 0 {
-		// We only need to copy this node's key once because it does not change
-		// as we iterate over the children.
-		copy(keyBuffer, n.key.value)
 		lastKeyByte = keyBuffer[bytesForKey-1]
 	}
 
+	// This loop is optimized to avoid allocations when calculating the
+	// [childKey] by reusing [keyBuffer] and leaving the first [bytesForKey-1]
+	// bytes unmodified.
 	for childIndex, childEntry := range n.children {
 		childBuffer[0] = childIndex << dualIndex
 		childIndexAsKey := Key{
@@ -336,17 +335,26 @@ func (v *view) hashChangedNode(n *node) ids.ID {
 		}
 
 		totalBitLength := n.key.length + v.tokenSize + childEntry.compressedKey.length
-		buffer := keyBuffer[:bytesNeeded(totalBitLength)]
-		// Make sure the last byte of the key is originally set correctly
+		// Because [keyBuffer] may have been modified in a prior iteration of
+		// this loop, it is not guaranteed that its length is at least
+		// [bytesNeeded(totalBitLength)]. However, that's fine. The below
+		// slicing would only panic if the buffer didn't have sufficient
+		// capacity.
+		keyBuffer = keyBuffer[:bytesNeeded(totalBitLength)]
+		// We don't need to copy this node's key. It's assumed to already be
+		// correct; except for the last byte. We must make sure the last byte of
+		// the key is set correctly because extendIntoBuffer may OR bits from
+		// the extension and overwrite the last byte. However, extendIntoBuffer
+		// does not modify the first [bytesForKey-1] bytes of [keyBuffer].
 		if bytesForKey > 0 {
-			buffer[bytesForKey-1] = lastKeyByte
+			keyBuffer[bytesForKey-1] = lastKeyByte
 		}
-		extendIntoBuffer(buffer, childIndexAsKey, n.key.length)
-		extendIntoBuffer(buffer, childEntry.compressedKey, n.key.length+v.tokenSize)
+		extendIntoBuffer(keyBuffer, childIndexAsKey, n.key.length)
+		extendIntoBuffer(keyBuffer, childEntry.compressedKey, n.key.length+v.tokenSize)
 		childKey := Key{
-			// It is safe to use byteSliceToString because [buffer] is not
+			// It is safe to use byteSliceToString because [keyBuffer] is not
 			// modified while [childKey] is in use.
-			value:  byteSliceToString(buffer),
+			value:  byteSliceToString(keyBuffer),
 			length: totalBitLength,
 		}
 
@@ -355,32 +363,69 @@ func (v *view) hashChangedNode(n *node) ids.ID {
 			// This child wasn't changed.
 			continue
 		}
-		childEntry.hasValue = childNodeChange.after.hasValue()
+
+		childNode := childNodeChange.after
+		childEntry.hasValue = childNode.hasValue()
+
+		// If there are no children of the childNode, we can avoid constructing
+		// the buffer for the child keys.
+		if len(childNode.children) == 0 {
+			childEntry.id = childNode.calculateID(v.db.metrics)
+			continue
+		}
 
 		// Try updating the child and its descendants in a goroutine.
-		if ok := v.db.hashNodesSema.TryAcquire(1); ok {
+		if childKeyBuffer, ok := v.db.hashNodesKeyPool.TryAcquire(); ok {
 			wg.Add(1)
-
-			// Passing variables explicitly through the function call rather
-			// than implicitly passing them through the scope of the function
-			// definition allows the passed variables to be allocated on the
-			// stack.
-			go func(wg *sync.WaitGroup, childEntry *child) {
-				childEntry.id = v.hashChangedNode(childNodeChange.after)
-				v.db.hashNodesSema.Release(1)
+			go func(wg *sync.WaitGroup, childEntry *child, childNode *node, childKeyBuffer []byte) {
+				childKeyBuffer = v.setKeyBuffer(childNode, childKeyBuffer)
+				childEntry.id, childKeyBuffer = v.hashChangedNode(childNode, childKeyBuffer)
+				v.db.hashNodesKeyPool.Release(childKeyBuffer)
 				wg.Done()
-			}(wg.wg, childEntry)
+			}(wg.wg, childEntry, childNode, childKeyBuffer)
 		} else {
 			// We're at the goroutine limit; do the work in this goroutine.
-			childEntry.id = v.hashChangedNode(childNodeChange.after)
+			//
+			// We can skip copying the key here because [keyBuffer] is already
+			// constructed to be childNode's key.
+			keyBuffer = v.setLengthForChildren(childNode, keyBuffer)
+			childEntry.id, keyBuffer = v.hashChangedNode(childNode, keyBuffer)
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Wait until all descendants of [n] have been updated.
 	wg.Wait()
 
 	// The IDs [n]'s descendants are up to date so we can calculate [n]'s ID.
-	return n.calculateID(v.db.metrics)
+	return n.calculateID(v.db.metrics), keyBuffer
+}
+
+// setKeyBuffer expands [keyBuffer] to have sufficient size for any of [n]'s
+// child keys and populates [n]'s key into [keyBuffer]. If [keyBuffer] already
+// has sufficient size, this function will not perform any memory allocations.
+func (v *view) setKeyBuffer(n *node, keyBuffer []byte) []byte {
+	keyBuffer = v.setLengthForChildren(n, keyBuffer)
+	copy(keyBuffer, n.key.value)
+	return keyBuffer
+}
+
+// setLengthForChildren expands [keyBuffer] to have sufficient size for any of
+// [n]'s child keys.
+func (v *view) setLengthForChildren(n *node, keyBuffer []byte) []byte {
+	// Calculate the size of the largest child key of this node.
+	var maxBitLength int
+	for _, childEntry := range n.children {
+		maxBitLength = max(maxBitLength, childEntry.compressedKey.length)
+	}
+	maxBytesNeeded := bytesNeeded(n.key.length + v.tokenSize + maxBitLength)
+	return setBytesLength(keyBuffer, maxBytesNeeded)
+}
+
+func setBytesLength(b []byte, size int) []byte {
+	if size <= cap(b) {
+		return b[:size]
+	}
+	return append(b[:cap(b)], make([]byte, size-cap(b))...)
 }
 
 // GetProof returns a proof that [bytesPath] is in or not in trie [t].