Method for managing concurrent access to virtual memory data structures

A method for providing concurrent access by a plurality of processors including a first and second processor to a virtual page data structure in a memory system, comprising:

• providing a lock bit for locking a virtual page data structure, said lock bit being provided in a page table entry of a page table capable of having a plurality of page table entries;
• and
• setting said lock bit in said page table entry such that a first thread running in said first processor is granted exclusive access to said virtual page data structure and that other threads are prevented from accessing said virtual page data structure;
• executing the first thread on the second processor, wherein the first thread retains exclusive access to said virtual page data structure;
• and
• clearing said lock bit when said first thread has completed access to said virtual page data structure such that a thread selected from said other threads sets said lock bit to acquire exclusive access to said virtual page data structure.

A method for locking a virtual memory data structure that is accessible by a plurality of processors including a first and second processor via a page table having a plurality of page table entries, with each page table entry including a physical page number, a valid bit, and a set of miscellaneous bits, the method comprising:

• defining a first bit of said miscellaneous bits in said page table entry as a lock bit;
• and
• using said lock bit to provide mutually exclusive access to a virtual page data structure associated with said lock bit in response to a first thread executing in the first processor while preventing other threads from accessing said virtual page data structure;
• and
• executing the first thread on the second processor, wherein the first thread retains exclusive access to said virtual page data structure.