Multiprocessing system including an apparatus for optimizing spin--lock operations

A method of processing transaction requests at a home node within a multiprocessing system having a distributed shared memory architecture, said method comprising:

• receiving a read-to-share transaction request at said home node;
• receiving a read-to-own transaction request at said home node subsequent to said home node receiving said read-to-share transaction request;
• and
• said home node servicing said read-to-own transaction request prior to servicing said read-to-share transaction request.

A multiprocessing computer system comprising:

• a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by an interconnect network, wherein one of said processing nodes includes:
• a plurality of storage elements configured to receive transaction requests from other nodes of said multiprocessing computer system;
• and
• a home agent control unit coupled to receive said transaction requests stored by said plurality of storage elements, wherein said home agent control unit is configured to service a given read-to-own transaction request with a higher priority than a given read-to-share transaction request received by said one of said processing nodes prior to said given read-to-own transaction request.