What are some examples of livelock in computer systems?

What are some examples of livelock in computer systems?

Livelock occurs when processes continuously change states in response to each other without making progress. One example is two processes trying to acquire two locks in a circular manner.

Can you give me a specific scenario involving livelock?

Sure! Imagine two threads, A and B. Thread A holds Lock 1 and needs Lock 2 to proceed, while Thread B holds Lock 2 and needs Lock 1. They keep releasing and trying to acquire the locks, but neither can make progress.

How can livelock be resolved in such cases?

Livelock can be resolved by implementing a back-off strategy, where processes wait for a random time before retrying to acquire the locks.

Are there any real-world applications where livelock is a concern?

Yes, livelock can be a concern in network protocols, where multiple devices attempt to communicate and end up in a state of continuous retransmission without success.