Read-Copy-Update (RCU)

Read-Copy-Update (RCU) is a synchronization mechanism used in computing to allow multiple processes to read shared data concurrently without interfering with each other. When data needs updating, RCU creates a copy of the current data, modifies the copy, and then atomically swaps it in place of the original. Readers can continue accessing the old data safely while the update happens. Once all readers have finished, the old data is safely discarded. RCU enhances performance by minimizing locking and blocking, making concurrent read operations fast and efficient, especially in systems with many reads and occasional writes.