Patent · US Active

Priority differentiated subtree locking

US7653629B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
9References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 8, 2007
Grant dateJan 26, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99938
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A locking arrangement for data structures is provided that prevents deadlocks, but still allows different threads to simultaneously obtain locks on different nodes of a data structure for both read and write operations. The locking system differentiates locks based on a priority hierarchy. The locking system will fail a request to lock one or more resources in a data structure if access to those resources has already been restricted by a conflicting lock of an equal or higher priority. The locking system may also employ preemptable and non-preemptable locks such that, if a preemptable lock with a lower priority has restricted access to resources, then the locking system will preempt the lower priority lock in favor of a conflicting higher priority lock. Alternately, if a non-preemptable lock with a lower priority has restricted access to resources, then the locking system will wait until the lower priority lock is removed before implementing a requested conflicting higher priority lock. This locking arrangement allows high priority operations that require higher performance and efficiency to receive preferential access to a data structure without preventing lower priority operation…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.