In the below code: get_row_of_machine receiving mon_param as a parameter thread-safe? - c

Question

mon_param is allocated memory by the main process invoking the thread function.
This function will be invoked by multiple threads.So, can I safely assume that it is thread safe as I am using only the variables on the stack?
struct table* get_row_of_machine(int row_num,struct mon_agent *mon_param)
{
struct table *table_row = mon_param->s_table_rows;
if(row_num < mon_param->total_states)
{
table_row = table_row + row_num;
}
return table_row;
}
//in the main function code goes like this ....
int main()
{
int msg_type,ret;
while(!s_interrupted)
{
inter_thread_pair = zsock_new(ZMQ_PAIR);
if(inter_thread_pair != NULL)
zsock_bind (inter_thread_pair, "inproc://zmq_main_pair");
int ret_val = zmq_poll(&socket_items[0], 1, 0); // Do not POLL indefinitely.
if(socket_items[0].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN)
{
char *msg = zstr_recv (inter_thread_pair); //
if(msg != NULL)
{
struct mon_agent *mon_params;
//This is where mon_params is getting its memory
mon_params = (struct mon_agent*)malloc(sizeof(struct mon_agent));
msg_type = get_msg_type(msg);
if(msg_type == /*will check for some message type here*/)
{
struct thread_sock_params *thd_sock = create_connect_pair_socket(thread_count);
// copy the contents of thread_sock_params and also the mon_params to this struct
struct thread_parameters parameters;
parameters.sock_params = thd_sock;
parameters.params = mon_params; //mon_params getting copid here.
//Every time I receive a particular message, I create a new thread and pass on the parameters.
//So, each thread gets its own mon_params memory allocated.
ret = pthread_create(&thread,NULL,monitoring_thread,(void*)&parameters);
and then it goes on like this.
}
}
}
and the code continues..... there is a breakpoint somewhere down..
}
}
void* mon_thread(void *data)
{
// First time data is sent as a function parameter and later will be received as messages.
struct thread_parameters *th_param = (struct thread_parameters *)data;
struct mon_agent *mon_params = th_param->params;
zsock_t* thread_pair_client = zsock_new(ZMQ_PAIR);
//printf("Value of socket is %s: \n",th_param->socket_ep);
rc = zsock_connect(thread_pair_client,th_param->sock_params->socket_ep);
if(rc == -1)
{
printf("zmq_connect failed in monitoring thread.\n");
}
while(!s_interrupted)
{
int row;
//logic to maintain the curent row.
//also receive other messages from thread_pair_client czmq socket.
run_machine(row,mon_params);
}
}
void run_machine(int row_num, struct mon_agent *mon_params)
{
struct table* table_row = get_row_of_state_machine(row_num,mon_param);
}

Answer 1

In short, no.
The way to make parameters thread safe is by design.
There is no fool proof way to do this or a rule of thumb. If you know your codes design well enough and you know no other thread will access the same struct then it's possibly thread safe.
If you do know some other thread might try to access the struct you can use all sorts of synchronization primitives like mutexes, critical sections, semaphores or more generally locks.