Symmetric multiprocessor operating system for execution on non-independent lightweight thread context

A method for a multiprocessor operating system (OS) to run on a multiprocessing system including a multithreading microprocessor having a plurality of thread contexts (TCs), a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) shared by the plurality of TCs, and an instruction scheduler configured to dispatch to execution units instructions of threads executing on the plurality of TCs in a multithreaded fashion, the method comprising:

• scheduling execution of the threads on the plurality of TCs, wherein a thread of the threads executing on one of the plurality of TCs is configured for updating the shared TLB;
• disabling interrupts, prior to said updating the TLB, to prevent the OS from unscheduling the TLB-updating thread from executing on the plurality of TCs;
• and
• disabling the instruction scheduler, prior to said updating the TLB, from dispatching instructions from any of the plurality of TCs except from the one of the plurality of TCs on which the TLB-updating thread is executing.

A computer program product for use with a computing device, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium, having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, for causing a method for method for a multiprocessor operating system (OS) to run on a multiprocessing system including a multithreading microprocessor having a plurality of thread contexts (TCs), a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) shared by the plurality of TCs, and an instruction scheduler configured to dispatch to execution units instructions of threads executing on the plurality of TCs in a multithreaded fashion, said computer readable program code comprising:
• first program code for providing a step of scheduling execution of the threads on the plurality of TCs, wherein a thread of the threads executing on one of the plurality of TCs is configured for updating the shared TLB;
• second program code for providing a step of disabling interrupts, prior to said updating the TLB, to prevent the OS from unscheduling the TLB-updating thread from executing on the plurality of TCs;
• and
• third program code for providing a step of disabling the instruction scheduler, prior to said updating the TLB, from dispatching instructions from any of the plurality of TCs except from the one of the plurality of TCs on which the TLB-updating thread is executing.

A method for providing operating system software for running on a multiprocessing system including a multithreading microprocessor having a plurality of thread contexts (TCs), a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) shared by the plurality of TCs, and an instruction scheduler configured to dispatch to execution units instructions of threads executing on the plurality of TCs in a multithreaded fashion, the method comprising:

• providing computer-readable program code describing the operating system software, the program code comprising:
• first program code for providing a step of scheduling execution of the threads on the plurality of TCs, wherein a thread of the threads executing on one of the plurality of TCs is configured for updating the shared TLB;
• second program code for providing a step of disabling interrupts, prior to said updating the TLB, to prevent the OS from unscheduling the TLB-updating thread from executing on the plurality of TCs;
• and
• third program code for providing a step of disabling the instruction scheduler, prior to said updating the TLB, from dispatching instructions from any of the plurality of TCs except from the one of the plurality of TCs on which the TLB-updating thread is executing;
• and
• transmitting the computer-readable program code as a computer data signal on a network.