Method and apparatus for intraprocess locking of a shared resource in a computer system
US5392433A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 1992 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 25, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/52
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for the intraprocess locking of a shared resource in a computer system is disclosed. A computer system operates under the control of an operating system. The operating system supports the asynchronous execution of a plurality of tasks, referred to herein as processes. Each process is capable of being executed by a plurality of asynchronously executing programs. In addition to assuring that only one process may use a shared computer resource, such as a magnetic storage device, tape drive, printer, software module, message queue, etc, at one time, the operating system also grants access to a shared computer resource at the level of a program operating within a process. When one program executing within a process accesses a shared computer resource, it requests that the operating system lock out all other programs executing asynchronous within that process, as well as other processes executing within the computer system, from that shared resource. Different types of locks, such as exclusive and shared locks, are also supported.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.