Adaptive spin latches

A computer program product having a computer readable medium having instructions for directing a computer processing system to implement an adaptive spin latch system, comprising:

• a run queue adapted to store agent index data correlated to at least one agent in execution mode;
• a spin latch module adapted to put the at least one agent into sleep mode for a period of time correlated to a number of agents awaiting access to a resource;
• and
• a wait queue adapted to store agent index data correlated to the at least one agent in sleep mode, awaiting access to a resource.

A computer program product having a computer readable medium having instructions for directing a computer system to perform a method of regulating access by agents to a resource in a multiprocessor computing system, comprising:

• providing at least one agent, wherein the at least one agent is capable of being set in at least a run mode and a sleep mode;
• determining the number of agents awaiting access to the resource;
• determining if the resource is unavailable for access by the at least one agent;
• upon determining that the resource is unavailable for access by the at least one agent, putting the at least one agent into sleep mode for a period of time correlated to the number of agents awaiting access to the resource;
• and
• upon the expiry of the period of time, putting the at least one agent into run mode.