🔒 Distributed Synchronization & Locks
In multi-instance microservice deployments, running background processes or mutating shared resources (e.g., inventory deduction or batch invoice generation) requires cross-process synchronization to prevent race conditions.
ferrox-sync provides distributed locking abstractions backed by Redis and in-memory synchronizers.
1. Using Distributed Locks
ferrox-sync allows microservices to acquire mutual exclusion locks over Redis:
use ferrox_sync::DistributedLock;
use std::time::Duration;
let lock = DistributedLock::new("redis://127.0.0.1:6379");
// Attempt to acquire lock for resource "inventory_update_101" with a 10-second TTL
if let Ok(guard) = lock.acquire("inventory_update_101", Duration::from_secs(10)).await {
println!("🔒 Lock acquired! Safely mutating shared inventory...");
// Perform critical section logic...
// Lock automatically releases when `guard` drops!
} else {
println!("⚠️ Resource is locked by another instance. Skipping operation.");
}
2. Redlock Algorithm
For high-availability clusters, ferrox-sync implements the Redlock Algorithm, acquiring consensus across multiple independent Redis master nodes to ensure safety even if individual Redis nodes fail.
3. ✅ Best Practices
- Always configure short TTLs on locks: Set lock auto-release timeouts to prevent deadlocks if a microservice process crashes unexpectedly during critical section execution.