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AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorsAshok Singhal, Erik Hagersten
Estimating the term…
A probabilistic queue lock divides requesters for a lock into at least three sets. In one embodiment, the requesters are divided into the owner of the lock, the first waiting contender, and the other waiting contenders. The first waiting contender is made probabilistically more likely to obtain the lock by having it spin faster than the other waiting contenders. Because the other waiting contenders spin more slowly, the first waiting contender is more likely to be able to observe the free lock and acquire it before the other waiting contenders notice that it is free. The first of the other waiting contenders that determines that the previous first waiting contender has acquired the lock is promoted to be the new first waiting contender and begins spinning fast. Because only the first waiting contender is spinning fast on the lock, it is probable that only the first waiting contender will attempt to acquire the lock when it becomes available.
A method of synchronizing access to a resource in a computer system that includes a lock corresponding to said resource and a plurality of requesters that may attempt to access said resource, wherein said lock has at least three lock states, said method comprising:
A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for synchronizing access to a resource in a computer system that includes a lock corresponding to said resource and a plurality of requesters that may attempt to access said resource, wherein said lock has at least three lock states, said program instructions operable to implement the steps of:
A method of synchronizing access to a resource in a computer system that includes a lock corresponding to said resource and a plurality of requesters that may attempt to access said resource, wherein said lock has at least four lock states, said method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.