Utilizing hardware transactional approach to execute code after initially utilizing software locking by employing pseudo-transactions

• US 20070198521A1
• Filed: 04/22/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: McKenney, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/738,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms

Abstract

Utilizing a hardware transactional approach to execute a code section by employing pseudo-transactions, after initially utilizing software locking, is disclosed. A method is disclosed that utilizes a software approach to locking memory to execute a code section relating to memory. The software approach employs a pseudo-transaction to determine whether a hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the threshold would have been successful. Where the hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the code section satisfies a threshold based on success of at least the pseudo-transaction, the method subsequently utilizes the hardware approach to execute the code section. The hardware approach may include starting a transaction inclusive of the code section, conditionally executing the transaction, and, upon successfully completing the transaction, committing execution of the transaction to the memory to which the code section relates.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

,

means in the medium for utilizing a hardware approach to transactional memory to execute a code section after having utilized a software approach to locking memory to execute the code section and the hardware approach to transactional memory having satisfied a threshold based at least upon a pseudo-transaction to determine whether the hardware approach would have succeeded in executing the code section.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the means utilizes the hardware approach to transactional memory where the hardware approach to transactional memory would have successfully executed the code section a predetermined one or more times.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the hardware approach satisfies the threshold also based on previous transactions utilized by the hardware approach to execute the code section and on previous pseudo-transactions.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium is one of a recordable data storage medium and a modulated carrier signal.