Method, apparatus and system for managing released promotion bits

A processing unit for a data processing system having a global promotion facility and a plurality of processing units coupled by an interconnect, said processing unit comprising:

• an instruction sequencing unit;
• an execution unit that executes an acquisition instruction to acquire a particular promotion bit field within said global promotion facility;
• and
• a promotion awareness facility that, responsive to the processing unit snooping a request by a second processing unit for the particular promotion bit field, records an association between said second processing unit and said particular promotion bit field, wherein after said request and release of said particular promotion bit field by said first processing unit, said first processing unit checks said promotion awareness facility for an association for said particular promotion bit and responsive to said checking, pushes said particular promotion bit field to the second processing unit utilizing an unsolicited operation on said interconnect such that no additional request by said second processing unit is required.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a global promotion facility containing a plurality of promotion bit fields;
• an interconnect;
• a plurality of processing units coupled to said global promotion facility and to the interconnect, wherein said plurality of processing units includes a second processing unit and a first processing unit, said first processing unit comprising:
• an instruction sequencing unit;
• an execution unit that executes an acquisition instruction to acquire a particular promotion bit field within said global promotion facility;
• and
• a promotion awareness facility that, responsive to the first processing unit snooping a request by the second processing unit for the particular promotion bit field, records an association between said second processing unit and said particular promotion bit field, wherein after said request and release of said particular promotion bit field by said first processing unit, said first processing unit checks said promotion awareness facility for an association for said particular promotion bit and responsive to said checking, pushes said particular promotion bit field to the second processing unit utilizing an unsolicited operation on said interconnect such that no additional request by said second processing unit is required.