Mutex.ReleaseMutex Method
Definition
Important
Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.
Releases the Mutex once.
public:
void ReleaseMutex();public void ReleaseMutex ();member this.ReleaseMutex : unit -> unitPublic Sub ReleaseMutex ()Exceptions
The calling thread does not own the mutex.
The current instance has already been disposed.
Examples
The following example shows how a local Mutex object is used to synchronize access to a protected resource. The thread that creates the mutex does not own it initially. The ReleaseMutex method is used to release the mutex when it is no longer needed.
// This example shows how a Mutex is used to synchronize access
// to a protected resource. Unlike Monitor, Mutex can be used with
// WaitHandle.WaitAll and WaitAny, and can be passed across
// AppDomain boundaries.
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
const int numIterations = 1;
const int numThreads = 3;
ref class Test
{
public:
// Create a new Mutex. The creating thread does not own the
// Mutex.
static Mutex^ mut = gcnew Mutex;
static void MyThreadProc()
{
for ( int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++ )
{
UseResource();
}
}
private:
// This method represents a resource that must be synchronized
// so that only one thread at a time can enter.
static void UseResource()
{
//Wait until it is OK to enter.
mut->WaitOne();
Console::WriteLine( "{0} has entered protected the area", Thread::CurrentThread->Name );
// Place code to access non-reentrant resources here.
// Simulate some work.
Thread::Sleep( 500 );
Console::WriteLine( "{0} is leaving protected the area\r\n", Thread::CurrentThread->Name );
// Release the Mutex.
mut->ReleaseMutex();
}
};
int main()
{
// Create the threads that will use the protected resource.
for ( int i = 0; i < numThreads; i++ )
{
Thread^ myThread = gcnew Thread( gcnew ThreadStart( Test::MyThreadProc ) );
myThread->Name = String::Format( "Thread {0}", i + 1 );
myThread->Start();
}
// The main thread exits, but the application continues to
// run until all foreground threads have exited.
}
// This example shows how a Mutex is used to synchronize access
// to a protected resource. Unlike Monitor, Mutex can be used with
// WaitHandle.WaitAll and WaitAny, and can be passed across
// AppDomain boundaries.
using System;
using System.Threading;
class Test13
{
// Create a new Mutex. The creating thread does not own the
// Mutex.
private static Mutex mut = new Mutex();
private const int numIterations = 1;
private const int numThreads = 3;
static void Main()
{
// Create the threads that will use the protected resource.
for(int i = 0; i < numThreads; i++)
{
Thread myThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(MyThreadProc));
myThread.Name = String.Format("Thread{0}", i + 1);
myThread.Start();
}
// The main thread exits, but the application continues to
// run until all foreground threads have exited.
}
private static void MyThreadProc()
{
for(int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++)
{
UseResource();
}
}
// This method represents a resource that must be synchronized
// so that only one thread at a time can enter.
private static void UseResource()
{
// Wait until it is safe to enter.
mut.WaitOne();
Console.WriteLine("{0} has entered the protected area",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
// Place code to access non-reentrant resources here.
// Simulate some work.
Thread.Sleep(500);
Console.WriteLine("{0} is leaving the protected area\r\n",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
// Release the Mutex.
mut.ReleaseMutex();
}
}
' This example shows how a Mutex is used to synchronize access
' to a protected resource. Unlike Monitor, Mutex can be used with
' WaitHandle.WaitAll and WaitAny, and can be passed across
' AppDomain boundaries.
Imports System.Threading
Class Test
' Create a new Mutex. The creating thread does not own the
' Mutex.
Private Shared mut As New Mutex()
Private Const numIterations As Integer = 1
Private Const numThreads As Integer = 3
<MTAThread> _
Shared Sub Main()
' Create the threads that will use the protected resource.
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To numThreads
Dim myThread As New Thread(AddressOf MyThreadProc)
myThread.Name = [String].Format("Thread{0}", i)
myThread.Start()
Next i
' The main thread exits, but the application continues to
' run until all foreground threads have exited.
End Sub
Private Shared Sub MyThreadProc()
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To numIterations
UseResource()
Next i
End Sub
' This method represents a resource that must be synchronized
' so that only one thread at a time can enter.
Private Shared Sub UseResource()
' Wait until it is safe to enter.
mut.WaitOne()
Console.WriteLine("{0} has entered protected area", _
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
' Place code to access non-reentrant resources here.
' Simulate some work
Thread.Sleep(500)
Console.WriteLine("{0} is leaving protected area" & vbCrLf, _
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
' Release Mutex.
mut.ReleaseMutex()
End Sub
End Class
Remarks
Whenever a thread acquires a mutex (for example, by calling its WaitOne method), it must subsequently call ReleaseMutex to relinquish ownership of the mutex and unblock other threads that are trying to gain ownership of the mutex. If the attempt to get ownership of the mutex fails (for example, when a call to the WaitOne method with a millisecondsTimeout or a timeout parameter returns false because the request times out), the thread shouldn't call ReleaseMutex, In this case, the thread should also not be allowed to access the resource protected by the mutex, as the following example shows.
using System;
using System.Threading;
class Example
{
// Create a new Mutex. The creating thread does not own the mutex.
private static Mutex mut = new Mutex();
private const int numIterations = 1;
private const int numThreads = 3;
static void Main()
{
Example ex = new Example();
ex.StartThreads();
}
private void StartThreads()
{
// Create the threads that will use the protected resource.
for(int i = 0; i < numThreads; i++)
{
Thread newThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(ThreadProc));
newThread.Name = String.Format("Thread{0}", i + 1);
newThread.Start();
}
// The main thread returns to Main and exits, but the application continues to
// run until all foreground threads have exited.
}
private static void ThreadProc()
{
for(int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++)
{
UseResource();
}
}
// This method represents a resource that must be synchronized
// so that only one thread at a time can enter.
private static void UseResource()
{
// Wait until it is safe to enter, and do not enter if the request times out.
Console.WriteLine("{0} is requesting the mutex", Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
if (mut.WaitOne(1000)) {
Console.WriteLine("{0} has entered the protected area",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
// Place code to access non-reentrant resources here.
// Simulate some work.
Thread.Sleep(5000);
Console.WriteLine("{0} is leaving the protected area",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
// Release the Mutex.
mut.ReleaseMutex();
Console.WriteLine("{0} has released the mutex",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
}
else {
Console.WriteLine("{0} will not acquire the mutex",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
}
}
~Example()
{
mut.Dispose();
}
}
// The example displays output like the following:
// Thread1 is requesting the mutex
// Thread1 has entered the protected area
// Thread2 is requesting the mutex
// Thread3 is requesting the mutex
// Thread2 will not acquire the mutex
// Thread3 will not acquire the mutex
// Thread1 is leaving the protected area
// Thread1 has released the mutex
Imports System.Threading
Class Example
' Create a new Mutex. The creating thread does not own the mutex.
Private mut As New Mutex()
Private Const numIterations As Integer = 1
Private Const numThreads As Integer = 3
Public Shared Sub Main()
Dim ex As New Example()
ex.StartThreads()
End Sub
Private Sub StartThreads()
' Create the threads that will use the protected resource.
For i As Integer = 0 To numThreads - 1
Dim newThread As New Thread(AddressOf ThreadProc)
newThread.Name = String.Format("Thread{0}", i + 1)
newThread.Start()
Next
' The main thread returns to Main and exits, but the application continues to
' run until all foreground threads have exited.
End Sub
Private Sub ThreadProc()
For i As Integer = 0 To numIterations - 1
UseResource()
Next
End Sub
' This method represents a resource that must be synchronized
' so that only one thread at a time can enter.
Private Sub UseResource()
' Wait until it is safe to enter.
Console.WriteLine("{0} is requesting the mutex",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
If mut.WaitOne(1000) Then
Console.WriteLine("{0} has entered the protected area",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
' Place code to access non-reentrant resources here.
' Simulate some work.
Thread.Sleep(5000)
Console.WriteLine("{0} is leaving the protected area",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
' Release the Mutex.
mut.ReleaseMutex()
Console.WriteLine("{0} has released the mutex",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
Else
Console.WriteLine("{0} will not acquire the mutex",
Thread.CurrentThread.Name)
End If
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub Finalize()
mut.Dispose()
End Sub
End Class
' The example displays output like the following:
' Thread1 is requesting the mutex
' Thread1 has entered the protected area
' Thread2 is requesting the mutex
' Thread3 is requesting the mutex
' Thread2 will not acquire the mutex
' Thread3 will not acquire the mutex
' Thread1 is leaving the protected area
' Thread1 has released the mutex
A thread that owns a mutex can specify the same mutex in repeated wait function calls without blocking its execution. The number of calls is kept by the common language runtime. The thread must call ReleaseMutex the same number of times to release ownership of the mutex.
If a thread terminates while owning a mutex, the mutex is said to be abandoned. The state of the mutex is set to signaled and the next waiting thread gets ownership. If no one owns the mutex, the state of the mutex is signaled. Beginning in version 2.0 of the .NET Framework, an AbandonedMutexException is thrown in the next thread that acquires the mutex. Prior to version 2.0 of the .NET Framework, no exception was thrown.
Caution
An abandoned mutex often indicates a serious error in the code. When a thread exits without releasing the mutex, the data structures protected by the mutex might not be in a consistent state. The next thread to request ownership of the mutex can handle this exception and proceed, if the integrity of the data structures can be verified.
In the case of a system-wide mutex, an abandoned mutex might indicate that an application has been terminated abruptly (for example, by using Windows Task Manager).
