Updating spin counters for spin latches

• US 20030182356A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stocker, Russell M., Evans, Dominque J., Huras, Matthew A., Limoges, Joseph Serge
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A spin counter updating system and method for updating spin counters for spin latches in a multiprocessor computing system. The updating system includes main spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to at least one spin counter value, and a master agent. The master agent includes agent spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to at least one spin counter value; and a spin counter signal handler, wherein the spin counter signal handler is adapted to read spin counter data from the main spin counter value storage and to store the read spin counter data to the agent spin counter value storage.

Claims

1. A spin counter updating system for updating spin counters for spin latches in a multiprocessor computing system, the updating system comprising:

(a) main spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to at least one spin counter value;

(b) a master agent comprising;

(i) agent spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to at least one spin counter value; and

(ii) a spin counter signal handler, wherein the spin counter signal handler is adapted to read spin counter data from the main spin counter value storage and to store the read spin counter data to the agent spin counter value storage.

2. The updating system of claim 1, wherein the spin counter signal handler is configured to respond to a signal call and to read the spin counter data from the main spin counter value storage and to store the read spin counter data to the agent spin counter value storage.

3. The spin counter updating system of claim 1 operatively coupled to a database management system.

4. The updating system of claim 1, wherein the spin counter data comprises outer loop data, inner loop data and waste loop data.

5. A computer program product having instructions for directing a computer processing system to implement the spin counter system of any of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method of updating spin counters for spin latches in a multiprocessor computing system, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a main spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to at least one spin counter value;

(b) providing a master agent comprising;

(i) agent spin counter value storage for storing spin counter data correlated to spin counter values; and

(ii) a spin counter signal handler, wherein the spin counter signal handler is adapted to receive a signal call, and wherein upon receiving a signal call, the spin counter signal handler is adapted to read spin counter data from the main spin counter value storage and to store the read spin counter data to the agent spin counter value storage;

(c) creating at least one child agent from the master agent wherein the child agent comprises the spin counter signal handler;

(d) storing updated spin counter data in the main spin counter value storage; and

(e) initiating a signal call to each spin counter signal handler.

7. A computer program product having instructions for directing a computer system to perform the method of claim 6.