synchronized object not locked by thread before notifyAll() - java

I want to have a boolean to notify some sections of the system that a specific service started.
For some strange reason I'm getting the error java.lang.IllegalMonitorStateException: object not locked by thread before notifyAll().
What is strange is that the notifyAll() is inside a synchronized block that takes control over the object that I call notifyAll() on.
My class starts like this:
public class MyService {
public static Boolean notifier = Boolean.valueOf(false);
#Override
public void start() {
synchronized (MyService.notifier) {
MyService.notifier = Boolean.valueOf(true);
MyService.notifier.notifyAll();
}
}
#Override
public void stop() {
synchronized (MyService.notifier) {
MyService.notifier = Boolean.valueOf(false);
MyService.notifier.notifyAll();
}
}
...
}
I'm working on an android application. I don't think it should affect anything, but I'm complementing the question with that comment in case that affects the way that java works.
Why am I getting the exception if the object is locked inside a synchronized block?

The line
MyService.notifier = Boolean.valueOf(true);
swaps out the object you're locking on, it overwrites the variable with a reference to a new object. So the object you acquired the lock on upon entering the block is not the same one that you're calling notifyAll on. All notifyAll knows is it hasn't acquired the lock on the object it's being called on, which is the new object created after the synchronize block was entered.
All the threads need to be using the same lock. Like Ian Roberts said, the lock belongs to the object. If you overwrite the object you have a new lock.

Related

my own blocking queue for producer consumer [duplicate]

I am using multi-threading in java for my program.
I have run thread successfully but when I am using Thread.wait(), it is throwing java.lang.IllegalMonitorStateException.
How can I make a thread wait until it will be notified?
You need to be in a synchronized block in order for Object.wait() to work.
Also, I recommend looking at the concurrency packages instead of the old school threading packages. They are safer and way easier to work with.
EDIT
I assumed you meant Object.wait() as your exception is what happens when you try to gain access without holding the objects lock.
wait is defined in Object, and not it Thread. The monitor on Thread is a little unpredictable.
Although all Java objects have monitors, it is generally better to have a dedicated lock:
private final Object lock = new Object();
You can get slightly easier to read diagnostics, at a small memory cost (about 2K per process) by using a named class:
private static final class Lock { }
private final Object lock = new Lock();
In order to wait or notify/notifyAll an object, you need to be holding the lock with the synchronized statement. Also, you will need a while loop to check for the wakeup condition (find a good text on threading to explain why).
synchronized (lock) {
while (!isWakeupNeeded()) {
lock.wait();
}
}
To notify:
synchronized (lock) {
makeWakeupNeeded();
lock.notifyAll();
}
It is well worth getting to understand both Java language and java.util.concurrent.locks locks (and java.util.concurrent.atomic) when getting into multithreading. But use java.util.concurrent data structures whenever you can.
I know this thread is almost 2 years old but still need to close this since I also came to this Q/A session with same issue...
Please read this definition of illegalMonitorException again and again...
IllegalMonitorException is thrown to indicate that a thread has attempted to wait on an object's monitor or to notify other threads waiting on an object's monitor without owning the specified monitor.
This line again and again says, IllegalMonitorException comes when one of the 2 situation occurs....
1> wait on an object's monitor without owning the specified monitor.
2> notify other threads waiting on an object's monitor without owning the specified monitor.
Some might have got their answers... who all doesn't, then please check 2 statements....
synchronized (object)
object.wait()
If both object are same... then no illegalMonitorException can come.
Now again read the IllegalMonitorException definition and you wont forget it again...
Based on your comments it sounds like you are doing something like this:
Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable(){
public void run() { // do stuff }});
thread.start();
...
thread.wait();
There are three problems.
As others have said, obj.wait() can only be called if the current thread holds the primitive lock / mutex for obj. If the current thread does not hold the lock, you get the exception you are seeing.
The thread.wait() call does not do what you seem to be expecting it to do. Specifically, thread.wait() does not cause the nominated thread to wait. Rather it causes the current thread to wait until some other thread calls thread.notify() or thread.notifyAll().
There is actually no safe way to force a Thread instance to pause if it doesn't want to. (The nearest that Java has to this is the deprecated Thread.suspend() method, but that method is inherently unsafe, as is explained in the Javadoc.)
If you want the newly started Thread to pause, the best way to do it is to create a CountdownLatch instance and have the thread call await() on the latch to pause itself. The main thread would then call countDown() on the latch to let the paused thread continue.
Orthogonal to the previous points, using a Thread object as a lock / mutex may cause problems. For example, the javadoc for Thread::join says:
This implementation uses a loop of this.wait calls conditioned on this.isAlive. As a thread terminates the this.notifyAll method is invoked. It is recommended that applications not use wait, notify, or notifyAll on Thread instances.
Since you haven't posted code, we're kind of working in the dark. What are the details of the exception?
Are you calling Thread.wait() from within the thread, or outside it?
I ask this because according to the javadoc for IllegalMonitorStateException, it is:
Thrown to indicate that a thread has attempted to wait on an object's monitor or to notify other threads waiting on an object's monitor without owning the specified monitor.
To clarify this answer, this call to wait on a thread also throws IllegalMonitorStateException, despite being called from within a synchronized block:
private static final class Lock { }
private final Object lock = new Lock();
#Test
public void testRun() {
ThreadWorker worker = new ThreadWorker();
System.out.println ("Starting worker");
worker.start();
System.out.println ("Worker started - telling it to wait");
try {
synchronized (lock) {
worker.wait();
}
} catch (InterruptedException e1) {
String msg = "InterruptedException: [" + e1.getLocalizedMessage() + "]";
System.out.println (msg);
e1.printStackTrace();
System.out.flush();
}
System.out.println ("Worker done waiting, we're now waiting for it by joining");
try {
worker.join();
} catch (InterruptedException ex) { }
}
In order to deal with the IllegalMonitorStateException, you must verify that all invocations of the wait, notify and notifyAll methods are taking place only when the calling thread owns the appropriate monitor. The most simple solution is to enclose these calls inside synchronized blocks. The synchronization object that shall be invoked in the synchronized statement is the one whose monitor must be acquired.
Here is the simple example for to understand the concept of monitor
public class SimpleMonitorState {
public static void main(String args[]) throws InterruptedException {
SimpleMonitorState t = new SimpleMonitorState();
SimpleRunnable m = new SimpleRunnable(t);
Thread t1 = new Thread(m);
t1.start();
t.call();
}
public void call() throws InterruptedException {
synchronized (this) {
wait();
System.out.println("Single by Threads ");
}
}
}
class SimpleRunnable implements Runnable {
SimpleMonitorState t;
SimpleRunnable(SimpleMonitorState t) {
this.t = t;
}
#Override
public void run() {
try {
// Sleep
Thread.sleep(10000);
synchronized (this.t) {
this.t.notify();
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Thread.wait() call make sense inside a code that synchronizes on Thread.class object. I don't think it's what you meant.
You ask
How can I make a thread wait until it will be notified?
You can make only your current thread wait. Any other thread can be only gently asked to wait, if it agree.
If you want to wait for some condition, you need a lock object - Thread.class object is a very bad choice - it is a singleton AFAIK so synchronizing on it (except for Thread static methods) is dangerous.
Details for synchronization and waiting are already explained by Tom Hawtin.
java.lang.IllegalMonitorStateException means you are trying to wait on object on which you are not synchronized - it's illegal to do so.
Not sure if this will help somebody else out or not but this was the key part to fix my problem in user "Tom Hawtin - tacklin"'s answer above:
synchronized (lock) {
makeWakeupNeeded();
lock.notifyAll();
}
Just the fact that the "lock" is passed as an argument in synchronized() and it is also used in "lock".notifyAll();
Once I made it in those 2 places I got it working
I received a IllegalMonitorStateException while trying to wake up a thread in / from a different class / thread. In java 8 you can use the lock features of the new Concurrency API instead of synchronized functions.
I was already storing objects for asynchronous websocket transactions in a WeakHashMap. The solution in my case was to also store a lock object in a ConcurrentHashMap for synchronous replies. Note the condition.await (not .wait).
To handle the multi threading I used a Executors.newCachedThreadPool() to create a thread pool.
Those who are using Java 7.0 or below version can refer the code which I used here and it works.
public class WaitTest {
private final Lock lock = new ReentrantLock();
private final Condition condition = lock.newCondition();
public void waitHere(long waitTime) {
System.out.println("wait started...");
lock.lock();
try {
condition.await(waitTime, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
lock.unlock();
System.out.println("wait ends here...");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
//Your Code
new WaitTest().waitHere(10);
//Your Code
}
}
For calling wait()/notify() on object, it needs to be inside synchronized block. So first you have to take lock on object then would be possible to call these function.
synchronized(obj)
{
obj.wait()
}
For detailed explanation:
https://dzone.com/articles/multithreading-java-and-interviewspart-2
wait(), notify() and notifyAll() methods should only be called in syncronized contexts.
For example, in a syncronized block:
syncronized (obj) {
obj.wait();
}
Or, in a syncronized method:
syncronized static void myMethod() {
wait();
}

notifyAll() throws IllegalMonitorStateException

I am designing two threads: one has to get the name of players, and the second thread has to wait for the name being set in order to continue, but notify() all in the first thread is throwing the IllegalMonitorStateException error.
private NameFecth nameFetch;
private UseName useName;
private Object nameSetLock;
public static void method{
nameSetLock = new Object()
nameFetch = new NameFetch(nameSetLock);
useName = new UseName(nameSetLock);
Thread nameFetchThread = new Thread(nameFetch);
nameFetchThread.start();
Thread useNameThread = new Thread(useName);
useNameThread.start();
}
public class NameFetch implements Runnable{
/*variables and constructers*/
public void run(){
/*get name and set the variable somehow*/
synchronized(nameSetLock){
notifyAll();
}
}
}
public class UseName implements Runnable{
/*variables and constructers*/
public void run(){
while(!nameBeenSet){
synchronized(nameSetLock){
try{
wait();
}catch(InterruptedException e) {}
}
}
}
What have I done wrong?
You're calling wait and notify without synchronizing on the thing you're waiting on or notifying. As documented in Object.notifyAll:
Throws:
IllegalMonitorStateException - if the current thread is not the owner of this object's monitor.
So this:
synchronized(nameSetLock){
notifyAll();
}
should be:
synchronized(nameSetLock){
nameSetLock.notifyAll();
}
... and ditto for wait. Note that your current code wouldn't even compile as you're using syncronized rather than synchronized, which suggests that you didn't post your actual code. It's possible that in typing out the code you've actually changed the problem - in which case you should edit your question to be more representative.
It looks like your issue that you are using the lock incorectly. You synchronized block is on nameSetLock and you are calling your notifyall on your NameFetch object instance (which is the sayme a synchronized(this).
You should do
nameSetLock.wait when you want to use the lock and nameSetLock.notifyAll to notify.
From the JavaDoc of IllegalStateException
Thrown to indicate that a thread has attempted to wait on an object's
monitor or to notify other threads waiting on an object's monitor
without owning the specified monitor.
You are trying to invoke the wait() and notifyAll() without having that object lock.
Please try what #Jon has suggested it will work.
This happens to me when I forgot to add the synchronized in the method call.

If I synchronized two methods on the same class, can they run simultaneously?

If I synchronized two methods on the same class, can they run simultaneously on the same object? For example:
class A {
public synchronized void methodA() {
//method A
}
public synchronized void methodB() {
// method B
}
}
I know that I can't run methodA() twice on same object in two different threads. same thing in methodB().
But can I run methodB() on different thread while methodA() is still running? (same object)
Both methods lock the same monitor. Therefore, you can't simultaneously execute them on the same object from different threads (one of the two methods will block until the other is finished).
In the example methodA and methodB are instance methods (as opposed to static methods). Putting synchronized on an instance method means that the thread has to acquire the lock (the "intrinsic lock") on the object instance that the method is called on before the thread can start executing any code in that method.
If you have two different instance methods marked synchronized and different threads are calling those methods concurrently on the same object, those threads will be contending for the same lock. Once one thread gets the lock all other threads are shut out of all synchronized instance methods on that object.
In order for the two methods to run concurrently they would have to use different locks, like this:
class A {
private final Object lockA = new Object();
private final Object lockB = new Object();
public void methodA() {
synchronized(lockA) {
//method A
}
}
public void methodB() {
synchronized(lockB) {
//method B
}
}
}
where the synchronized block syntax allows specifying a specific object that the executing thread needs to acquire the intrinsic lock on in order to enter the block.
The important thing to understand is that even though we are putting a "synchronized" keyword on individual methods, the core concept is the intrinsic lock behind the scenes.
Here is how the Java tutorial describes the relationship:
Synchronization is built around an internal entity known as the intrinsic lock or monitor lock. (The API specification often refers to this entity simply as a "monitor.") Intrinsic locks play a role in both aspects of synchronization: enforcing exclusive access to an object's state and establishing happens-before relationships that are essential to visibility.
Every object has an intrinsic lock associated with it. By convention, a thread that needs exclusive and consistent access to an object's fields has to acquire the object's intrinsic lock before accessing them, and then release the intrinsic lock when it's done with them. A thread is said to own the intrinsic lock between the time it has acquired the lock and released the lock. As long as a thread owns an intrinsic lock, no other thread can acquire the same lock. The other thread will block when it attempts to acquire the lock.
The purpose of locking is to protect shared data. You would use separate locks as shown in the example code above only if each lock protected different data members.
Java Thread acquires an object level lock when it enters into an instance synchronized java method and acquires a class level lock when it enters into static synchronized java method.
In your case, the methods(instance) are of same class. So when ever a thread enters into java synchronized method or block it acquires a lock(the object on which the method is called). So other method cannot be called at the same time on the same object until the first method is completed and lock(on object) is released.
In your case you synchronized two method on the same instance of class. So, these two methods can't run simultaneously on different thread of the same instance of class A. But they can on different class A instances.
class A {
public synchronized void methodA() {
//method A
}
}
is the same as:
class A {
public void methodA() {
synchronized(this){
// code of method A
}
}
}
Think of your code as the below one:
class A {
public void methodA() {
synchronized(this){
//method A body
}
}
public void methodB() {
synchronized(this){
// method B body
}
}
So, synchronized on method level simply means synchronized(this).
if any thread runs a method of this class, it would obtain the lock before starting the execution and hold it until the execution of the method is finished.
But can I run methodB() on different thread while methodA() is still
running? (same object)
Indeed, it is not possible!
Hence, multiple threads will not able to run any number of synchronized methods on the same object simultaneously.
From oracle documentation link
Making methods synchronized has two effects:
First, it is not possible for two invocations of synchronized methods on the same object to interleave. When one thread is executing a synchronized method for an object, all other threads that invoke synchronized methods for the same object block (suspend execution) until the first thread is done with the object.
Second, when a synchronized method exits, it automatically establishes a happens-before relationship with any subsequent invocation of a synchronized method for the same object. This guarantees that changes to the state of the object are visible to all threads
This will answer your question: On same object, You can't call second synchronized method when first synchronized method execution is in progress.
Have a look at this documentation page to understand intrinsic locks and lock behavior.
Just to all clarity, It’s possible that both static synchronized and non static synchronized method can run simultaneously or concurrently because one is having object level lock and other class level lock.
The key idea with synchronizing which does not sink in easily is that it will have effect only if methods are called on the same object instance - it has already been highlighted in the answers and comments -
Below sample program is to clearly pinpoint the same -
public class Test {
public synchronized void methodA(String currentObjectName) throws InterruptedException {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + "->" +currentObjectName + "->methodA in");
Thread.sleep(1000);
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + "->" +currentObjectName + "->methodA out");
}
public synchronized void methodB(String currentObjectName) throws InterruptedException {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + "->" +currentObjectName + "->methodB in");
Thread.sleep(1000);
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + "->" +currentObjectName + "->methodB out");
}
public static void main(String[] args){
Test object1 = new Test();
Test object2 = new Test();
//passing object instances to the runnable to make calls later
TestRunner runner = new TestRunner(object1,object2);
// you need to start atleast two threads to properly see the behaviour
Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner);
thread1.start();
Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner);
thread2.start();
}
}
class TestRunner implements Runnable {
Test object1;
Test object2;
public TestRunner(Test h1,Test h2) {
this.object1 = h1;
this.object2 = h2;
}
#Override
public void run() {
synchronizedEffectiveAsMethodsCalledOnSameObject(object1);
//noEffectOfSynchronizedAsMethodsCalledOnDifferentObjects(object1,object2);
}
// this method calls the method A and B with same object instance object1 hence simultaneous NOT possible
private void synchronizedEffectiveAsMethodsCalledOnSameObject(Test object1) {
try {
object1.methodA("object1");
object1.methodB("object1");
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
// this method calls the method A and B with different object instances object1 and object2 hence simultaneous IS possible
private void noEffectOfSynchronizedAsMethodsCalledOnDifferentObjects(Test object1,Test object2) {
try {
object1.methodA("object1");
object2.methodB("object2");
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Notice the difference in output of how simultaneous access is allowed as expected if methods are called on different object instances.
Ouput with noEffectOfSynchronizedAsMethodsCalledOnDifferentObjects() commented -the output is in order methodA in > methodA Out .. methodB in > methodB Out
and Ouput with synchronizedEffectiveAsMethodsCalledOnSameObject() commented -
the output shows simultaneous access of methodA by Thread1 and Thread0 in highlighted section -
Increasing the number of threads will make it even more noticeable.
You are synchronizing it on object not on class. So they cant run simultaneously on the same object
No it is not possible, if it were possible then both method could be updating same variable simultaneously which could easily corrupt the data.
Yes, they can run simultaneously both threads. If you create 2 objects of the class as each object contains only one lock and every synchronized method requires lock.
So if you want to run simultaneously, create two objects and then try to run by using of those object reference.
Two different Threads executing a common synchronized method on the single object, since the object is same, when one thread uses it with synchronized method, it will have to verify the lock, if the lock is enabled, this thread will go to wait state, if lock is disabled then it can access the object, while it will access it will enable the lock and will release the lock
only when it's execution is complete.
when the another threads arrives, it will verify the lock, since it is enabled it will wait till the first thread completes his execution and releases the lock put on the object, once the lock is released the second thread will gain access to the object and it will enable the lock until it's execution.
so the execution will not be not concurrent, both threads will execute one by one, when both the threads use the synchronized method on different objects, they will run concurrently.

IllegalMoniterStateException

I get an illegalMoniterStateException whenever I call wait() and notify() or notifyAll(). The javadoc says that I should be getting that exception if my thread "has attempted to wait on an object's monitor or to notify other threads waiting on an object's monitor without owning the specified monitor."
However, here is an example of the code where I call those methods above.
//note that doSomething will be called by a thread from another class, not this one
public void doSomething(){
while(objectsCurrentlyDoingSomething() >= thisClass'sCapacity){
synchronized(objectLock){ //objectLock is created at top of class like this:
wait(2000); //private static final Object objectLock = new Object();
}
}
//rest of code
}
Then later on I release one threads hold on that lock by saying that if object finishes, decreases number of objects currently using and notify().
....object finished......
synchronized(objectLock){
notify();
}
You need to call wait, and notify on objectLock.
e.g.
objectLock.wait()
It you just call wait() you are calling it on this.
As noted by z5h, your calls to wait() and notify() should be made on the objectLock object:
//note that doSomething will be called by a thread from another class, not this one
public void doSomething(){
while(objectsCurrentlyDoingSomething() >= thisClass'sCapacity){
synchronized(objectLock){ //objectLock is created at top of class like this:
objectLock.wait(2000); //private static final Object objectLock = new Object();
}
}
//rest of code
}
and
....object finished......
synchronized(objectLock){
objectLock.notify();
}

Java: what happens when a new Thread is started from a synchronized block?

First question here: it is a very short yet fundamental thing in Java that I don't know...
In the following case, is the run() method somehow executed with the lock that somemethod() did acquire?
public synchronized void somemethod() {
Thread t = new Thread( new Runnable() {
void run() {
... <-- is a lock held here ?
}
}
t.start();
...
(lengthy stuff performed here, keeping the lock held)
...
}
No. run() starts in its own context, synchronization-wise. It doesn't hold any locks. If it did, you would either have a deadlock or it would violate the specs that state that only one thread may hold the lock on an object at any given time.
If run() was to call somemethod() again on the same object, it would have to wait for the somemethod() call that created it to complete first.
No, only the original thread has the lock (because only one thread can hold a lock actually).
I'd guess that the new thread starts running in parallel to the synchronized method.
someMethod() still holds its own lock which only prevents this method from being invoked simultaneously against this instance of the object.
The thread does not inherit the lock, and will only be inhibited by the lock if the thread tries to call someMethod() against the object which created it if someMethod() is currently executing for that object.

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