Python Multi-Processing -- Array Sharing?

Question

When sharing a rawarray between different processes using multiprocessing, is it a problem to have all the children write / modify the raw array?

Does one need to handle lockings etc in such a case?

Cinquo · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-07 07:28:48Z

2

From python documentation:

multiprocessing.sharedctypes.RawArray(typecode_or_type, size_or_initializer)
Return a ctypes array allocated from shared memory.

typecode_or_type determines the type of the elements of the returned
array: it is either a ctypes type or a one character typecode of the kind used by the array module. If size_or_initializer is an integer then it determines the length of the array, and the array will be initially zeroed. Otherwise size_or_initializer is a sequence which is used to initialize the array and whose length determines the length of the array.
Note that setting and getting an element is potentially non-atomic;
use Array() instead to make sure that access is automatically synchronized using a lock.

So, you may need to use multiprocessing.sharedctypes.Array which allows locking and synchronization between processes.

answered Jul 7, 2011 at 7:28

Cinquo

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1 Comment

user3262424 Over a year ago

Thank you. I do care about atomicity. Is it possible to define a multi-dimensional array using multiprocessing.sharedctypes.Array?

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