Method and apparatus for synchronizing function values in a multiple protocol system

Abstract

A method and mechanism for function value synchronization among protocols in a shared resource unit providing shared resources to a plurality of resource users submitting requests for shared resource operations in a plurality of protocols wherein each request includes at least one primary function value and at least one associated function value. A database is constructed having a values entry for each primary value wherein each values entry contains a primary field for storing the corresponding primary value and an associated field for storing an associated value for each protocol. Unknown associated values are represented by sentinel values, and the sentinel values representing associated values are replaced by the appropriate associated values obtained from a system administrative function that maps the primary and associated values of the protocols. The replacement of sentinel values may occur upon a request for a shared resource that contains an associated value represented by a sentinel value and, for the whole database: upon a partial or complete base depending upon whether a partial remapping, such as an update, is to be performed or an complete remapping is to be performed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.