Can you explain livelock in lock-free systems?

Can you explain livelock in lock-free systems?

Sure! Livelock occurs in lock-free systems when two or more processes continuously change states in response to each other without making progress.

How is livelock different from deadlock?

In deadlock, processes are stuck waiting for each other, while in livelock, they keep changing states but still can't proceed.

Can you give an example of livelock?

Imagine two people trying to pass each other in a narrow hallway. If they both step aside to let the other pass but keep moving in response, they can end up in a livelock.

What are some ways to prevent livelock?

To prevent livelock, you can implement backoff strategies, where processes wait for a random time before retrying, or use priority schemes.

Is livelock common in real-world applications?

Yes, livelock can occur in various concurrent systems, especially in network protocols and multi-threaded applications.