Thread synchronization methods and apparatus for managed run-time environments

An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

• determine a set of locking operations to perform on a lock corresponding to an object to be locked for a thread in a managed run-time environment;
• perform an initial locking operation on the lock when the initial locking operation is not unbalanced, wherein the initial locking operation comprises at least one of an initial balanced synchronization of the lock or an initial optimistically balanced synchronization of the lock;
• and
• in response to the initial locking operation is active and the initial locking operation comprises the initial optimistically balanced synchronization, cause the machine to:
• track subsequent recursive optimistically balanced synchronizations of the lock without counting a number of recursive optimistically balanced synchronizations of the lock by storing a state of a pending optimistically balanced release operation corresponding to the initial optimistically balanced synchronization, and
• modify the state of the pending optimistically balanced release operation corresponding to the initial optimistically balanced synchronization when a subsequent locking operation is unbalanced.

A system to lock an object for a thread in a managed run-time environment comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• determine a set of locking operations to perform on a lock corresponding to the object;
• perform an initial locking operation on the lock when the initial locking operation is not unbalanced, wherein the initial locking operation comprises at least one of an initial balanced synchronization of the lock or an initial optimistically balanced synchronization of the lock;
• and
• in response to the initial locking operation is active and the initial locking operation comprises the initial optimistically balanced synchronization, the processor is configured to:
• track subsequent recursive optimistically balanced synchronizations of the lock without counting a number of recursive optimistically balanced synchronizations of the lock by storing a state of a pending optimistically balanced release operation corresponding to the initial optimistically balanced synchronization, and
• modify the state of the pending optimistically balanced release operation corresponding to the initial optimistically balanced synchronization when a subsequent locking operation is unbalanced;
• and
• a memory to store at least one of a present lock owner of the lock, a previous lock owner of the lock or a validity flag.