Library cache lock and library cache pin waits

I encountered few customer issues centered around library cache lock and library cache pin waits. Library cache lock and pin waits can hang instance, and in few cases, whole clusters of RAC instances can be hung due to library cache lock and pin waits.

Why Library cache locks are needed?

Library cache locks aka parse locks are needed to maintain dependency mechanism between objects and their dependent objects like SQL etc. For example, if an object definition need to be modified or if parse locks are to be broken, then dependent objects objects must be invalidated. This dependency is maintained using library cache locks. For example, if a column is dropped from a table then all SQLs dependent upon the table must be invalidated and reparsed during next access to that object. Library cache locks are designed to implement this tracking mechanism.

In a regular enqueue locking scenarios there is a resource (example TM table level lock) and sessions enqueue to lock that resource. More discussion on enqueue locking can be found in Internal of locks. Similarly, library cache locks uses object handles as resource structures and locks are taken on that resource. If the resources are not available in a compatible mode, then sessions must wait for library cache objects to be available.

Why Library cache pins are needed?

Library cache pins deals with current execution of dependent objects. For example, an underlying objects should not be modified when a session is executing or accessing a dependent object. So, before parse locks on a library cache object can be broken, library cache pins must be acquired in an Exclusive mode and then only library cache objects can be dropped. If a session is executing a stored object, then the library cache pins will not be available and there will be waits for library cache pins. Typically, this happens for a long running statement executing a stored object.

x$kgllk, x$kglpn and x$kglob

Library cache locks and pins are externalized in three x$ tables. x$kgllk is externalizing all locking structures on an object. Entries in x$kglob acts as a resource structure. x$kglpn is externalizing all library cache pins.

x$kglob.kglhdadr acts as a pointer to the resource structure. Presumably, kglhdadr stands KGL handle address. x$kgllk acts as a lock structure and x$kgllk.kgllkhdl points to x$kglob.kglhdadr. Also, x$kglpn acts as a pin stucture and x$kglpn.kglpnhdl points to x$kglob.kglhdadr to pin a resource. To give an analogy between object locking scenarios, x$kglob acts as resource structure and x$kgllk acts as lock structures for library cache locks. For library cache pins, x$kglpn acts as pin structure. x$kglpn also pins that resource using kglpnhdl. This might be clear after reviewing the example below.

Test case

We will create a simple test case to create library cache locks and pin waits

create or replace procedure backup.test_kgllk (l_sleep in boolean , l_compile in boolean)
as
 begin
  if (l_sleep ) then
	sys.dbms_lock.sleep(60);
  elsif (l_compile )  then
  	execute immediate 'alter procedure test_kgllk compile';
  end if;
 end;
/

In this test case above, we create a procedure and it accepts two boolean parameters: sleep and compile. Passing true to first argument will enable the procedure to sleep for a minute and passing true for the second argument will enable the procedure to recompile itself.

Let’s create two sessions in the database and then execute them as below.

Session #1: exec test_kgllk ( true, false); — Sleep for 1 minutes and no compile
Session #2: exec test_kgllk ( false, true); — No sleep,but compile..

At this point both sessions are waiting. Following SQL can be used to print session wait details.

select
 distinct
   ses.ksusenum sid, ses.ksuseser serial#, ses.ksuudlna username,ses.ksuseunm machine,
   ob.kglnaown obj_owner, ob.kglnaobj obj_name
   ,pn.kglpncnt pin_cnt, pn.kglpnmod pin_mode, pn.kglpnreq pin_req
   , w.state, w.event, w.wait_Time, w.seconds_in_Wait
   -- lk.kglnaobj, lk.user_name, lk.kgllksnm,
   --,lk.kgllkhdl,lk.kglhdpar
   --,trim(lk.kgllkcnt) lock_cnt, lk.kgllkmod lock_mode, lk.kgllkreq lock_req,
   --,lk.kgllkpns, lk.kgllkpnc,pn.kglpnhdl
 from
  x$kglpn pn,  x$kglob ob,x$ksuse ses 
   , v$session_wait w
where pn.kglpnhdl in
(select kglpnhdl from x$kglpn where kglpnreq >0 )
and ob.kglhdadr = pn.kglpnhdl
and pn.kglpnuse = ses.addr
and w.sid = ses.indx
order by seconds_in_wait desc
/

Output of above SQL is:

                                                                pin  pin  pin                                 wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MACHINE   OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME      cnt  mode req  STATE      EVENT               time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ --------- ---------- ------------- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------- ----- -------
  268     12409 SYS          orap      SYS        TEST_KGLLK    3    2    0    WAITING    PL/SQL lock timer       0       7
  313     45572 SYS          orap      SYS        TEST_KGLLK    0    0    3    WAITING    library cache pin       0       3
  313     45572 SYS          orap      SYS        TEST_KGLLK    3    2    0    WAITING    library cache pin       0       3

1. Session 268 (session #1) is sleeping while holding library cache pin on test_kgllk object (waiting on PL/SQL lock timer more accurately).
2. Session 313 is holding library cache pin in mode 2 and waiting for library cache pin in mode 3.

Obviously, session 313 is waiting for session 268 to release library cache pins. Since session 268 is executing, session 313 should not be allowed to modify test_kgllk library cache object. That’s exactly why library cache pins are needed.

Adding another session to this mix..

Let’s add one more session as below

 
exec test_kgllk (false, true);

Output of above query is:

 
                                                                                   pin  pin  pin                                            wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MACHINE              OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME              cnt mode  req STATE      EVENT                           time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ -------------------- ---------- -------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------------------ ----- -------
  268     12409 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              3    2    0 WAITING    PL/SQL lock timer                  0      34
  313     45572 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              0    0    3 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      29
  313     45572 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              3    2    0 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      29
  442      4142 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              0    0    2 WAITING    library cache pin                  0       3

Well, no surprise there. New session 442 also waiting for library cache pin. But, notice the request mode for session 442. It is 2. Session 442 needs that library cache pin in share mode to start execution. But 313 has already requested that library cache pin in mode 3. A queue is building up here. Many processes can queue behind session 313 at this point leading to an hung instance.

library cache locks..

Let’s execute same package but both with same parameters.

 Session #1: exec test_kgllk(false, true);
 Session #2: exec test_kgllk(false, true);

Rerunning above query tells us that session 313 is waiting for the self. Eventually, this will lead library cache pin self deadlock.

Library cache pin holders/waiters
---------------------------------
                                                                                   pin  pin  pin                                            wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MACHINE              OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME              cnt mode  req STATE      EVENT                           time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ -------------------- ---------- -------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------------------ ----- -------
  313     45572 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              0    0    3 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      26
  313     45572 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              3    2    0 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      26

Wait, what happened to session #2? It is not visible in x$kglpn. Querying v$session_wait shows that Session #2 is waiting for library cache lock. We will run yet another query against x$kgllk to see library cache lock waits.

 
  Querying x$kgllk with the query below: 
select
 distinct
   ses.ksusenum sid, ses.ksuseser serial#, ses.ksuudlna username,KSUSEMNM module,
   ob.kglnaown obj_owner, ob.kglnaobj obj_name
   ,lk.kgllkcnt lck_cnt, lk.kgllkmod lock_mode, lk.kgllkreq lock_req
   , w.state, w.event, w.wait_Time, w.seconds_in_Wait
 from
  x$kgllk lk,  x$kglob ob,x$ksuse ses
  , v$session_wait w
where lk.kgllkhdl in
(select kgllkhdl from x$kgllk where kgllkreq >0 )
and ob.kglhdadr = lk.kgllkhdl
and lk.kgllkuse = ses.addr
and w.sid = ses.indx
order by seconds_in_wait desc
/

Library cache lock holders/waiters
---------------------------------
                                                                                   lock lock                                            wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MODULE     OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME                LCK_CNT mode  req STATE      EVENT                           time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ ---------- ---------- -------------------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------------------ ----- -------
  313     45572 SYS          wsqfinc1a  SYS        TEST_KGLLK                    1    1    0 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      29
  313     45572 SYS          wsqfinc1a  SYS        TEST_KGLLK                    1    3    0 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      29
  268     12409 SYS          wsqfinc1a  SYS        TEST_KGLLK                    0    0    2 WAITING    library cache lock                 0      12
  268     12409 SYS          wsqfinc1a  SYS        TEST_KGLLK                    1    1    0 WAITING    library cache lock                 0      12

Session 313 is holding library cache lock on that object in mode 3 and session 268 is requesting lock on that library cache object in mode 2. So, session 268 is waiting for library cache lock while session 313 is waiting for library cache pin (self ). Again, point here is that session 268 is trying to access library cache object and need to acquire library cache lock in correct mode. That library cache lock is not available leading to a wait.

Complete script can be downloaded from my script archive.

RAC, library cache locks and pins

Things are different in RAC. Library cache locks and pins are global resources controlled by GES layer. So, these scripts might not work if these library cache lock and pin waits are global events. Let’s look at what happens in a RAC environment

exec test_kgllk ( false, true); — node 1
exec test_kgllk ( false, true); — node 2

In node1, only one session is visible.

Library cache pin holders/waiters
----------------------------------
                                                                                   pin  pin  pin                                            wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MACHINE              OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME              cnt mode  req STATE      EVENT                           time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ -------------------- ---------- -------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------------------ ----- -------
  268     12409 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              0    0    3 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      18
  268     12409 SYS          oraperf              SYS        TEST_KGLLK              3    2    0 WAITING    library cache pin                  0      18

 In node 2, only requestor of the lock is visible. 

                                                                                   lock lock                                            wait seconds
  SID   SERIAL# USERNAME     MODULE     OBJ_OWNER  OBJ_NAME                LCK_CNT mode  req STATE      EVENT                           time in_wait
----- --------- ------------ ---------- ---------- -------------------- ---------- ---- ---- ---------- ------------------------------ ----- -------
  377     43558 SYS          wsqfinc2a  SYS        TEST_KGLLK                    0    0    2 WAITING    library cache lock                 0      86

Essentially, this script does not work in a RAC environment since it accesses x$ tables directly, which are local to an instance. To understand the issue in a RAC environment we need to access gv$ views, based on x$kgllk, x$kglpn etc. But, I don’t see gv$ views over these x$ tables. We are out of luck there unless we do some more coding.

Nevertheless, we can see lockers and waiters accessing gv$ges_blocking_enqneue to understand locking in RAC.

  1  select inst_id, handle, grant_level, request_level, resource_name1, resource_name2, pid , transaction_id0, transaction_id1
  2* ,owner_node, blocked, blocker, state from gv$ges_blocking_enqueue
SQL> /

   INST_ID HANDLE           GRANT_LEV REQUEST_L RESOURCE_NAME1                 RESOURCE_NAME2                        PID
---------- ---------------- --------- --------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------
TRANSACTION_ID0 TRANSACTION_ID1 OWNER_NODE    BLOCKED    BLOCKER
--------------- --------------- ---------- ---------- ----------
STATE
----------------------------------------------------------------
         2 00000008DD779258 KJUSERNL  KJUSERPR  [0x45993b44][0x3a1b9eee],[LB]  1167670084,974888686,LB              8700
              0               0          1          1          0
OPENING

         1 00000008E8123878 KJUSEREX  KJUSEREX  [0x45993b44][0x3a1b9eee],[LB]  1167670084,974888686,LB             12741
              0               0          0          0          1
GRANTED

We can see that PID 12741 from instance 1 is holding a library cache global lock [LB]. Global resource in this case is [0x45993b44][0x3a1b9eee],[LB] which uniquely identifies a library cache object at the cluster level. Grant_level is KJUSEREX or Exclusive level and request_level from node 2 is KJUSERPR which is Protected Read level. PID 8700 in node 2 is waiting for library cache lock held by PID 12741 in node1. Using this output and our script output, we can pin point which process is holding library cache lock or pin. While Library cache locks are globalized as global locks in the range of [LA] – [LZ], Library cache pins are also globalized as lock types in the range [NA]-[NZ].

This blog can be read in a document format from
Library_cache_locks_and_library_cache_pin_waits
Update #1: Updated broken links.
Update #2: Updated verbatim after a reader comment.