User mode stack disassociation

Abstract

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for allowing a user mode stack to be shared by multiple contexts. A user mode stack can be shared between execution contexts that are guaranteed to not need the user mode stack at the same time. For example, each user mode portion of a kernel thread is provided with a dedicated backing thread. When a respective dedicated backing thread is sleeping and not using a respective user mode stack, the user mode stack is allowed to float with a respective user mode portion to other kernel threads. The user mode stack is disassociated from the kernel portion of the thread. The kernel is notified of an address of a user mode thread context. The kernel mode portion of the converted thread becomes a backing thread that waits. The user mode portion of the converted thread can be switched without entering the kernel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.