Deadlock-prevention system

• US 20060156308A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kenneth W. Todd, Thomas C. Jarvis
• Original Assignee: Kenneth W. Todd, Thomas C. Jarvis
• Inventors: Jarvis, Thomas C., Todd, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US11/031,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/524 Deadlock detection or avoidance

Abstract

A deadlock-prevention system includes a resource-access key passed from a parent process to a spawned process that includes the parent processes'"'"' level of access to a system resource. Optionally, the resource-access key includes a shared-access request based on the expectation by the parent process that the child process will need shared-access to a system resource. The resource-access key is presented by the child process to a resource-allocation algorithm. The resource-allocation algorithm identifies the resource-access key, allows the child process to bypass a resource-allocation queue, and grants shared access to the resource to the child process, preventing deadlock.

Claims

1. A deadlock-prevention system, comprising:

a resource;

a resource-allocation queue;

a first process;

a second process spawned by the first process including a resource-access key, said resource-access key including a request for shared access to the resource; and

a resource-allocation algorithm adapted to identify the resource-access key, allow the second process to bypass the resource-allocation queue, and grant the second process shared access to the resource.

2. The deadlock-prevention system of claim 1, wherein the resource-access key includes a level of access passed by the first process to the second process.

3. The deadlock-prevention system of claim 1, wherein the request for shared access is created by the first process in anticipation that the second process would need the shared access to the resource.

4. The deadlock-prevention system of claim 1, wherein the resource is a data track.

5. The deadlock-prevention system of claim 4, wherein the first process includes a first write request.

6. The deadlock-prevention system of claim 5, wherein the second process includes a read request.

7. A method of preventing deadlock, comprising the steps of:

creating a spawned process including a resource-access key, said resource-access key including a request for shared access to a resource;

recognizing the resource-access key; and

granting the request for shared access, thereby bypassing a resource allocation queue.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resource-access key includes a level of access possessed by a parent process.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the resource is a data track.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for shared access is a request to write data to the data track.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the request for shared access is created by a parent process in anticipation that the spawned process will need the request for shared access.

13. An article of manufacture including a data storage medium, said data storage medium including a set of machine-readable instructions that are executable by a processing device to implement an algorithm, said algorithm comprising the steps of:

creating a spawned process including a resource-access key, said resource-access key including a request for shared access to a resource;

recognizing the resource-access key; and

granting the request for shared access, thereby bypassing a resource allocation queue.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the resource-access key includes a level of access possessed by a parent process.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the resource is a data track.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the request for shared access is a request to write data to the data track.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the request for shared access is created by a parent process in anticipation that the spawned process will need the request for shared access.