PASSING INITIATIVE IN A MULTITASKING MULTIPROCESSOR ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090217284A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Verdibello, Ambrose A. JR., Helmer, Leonard W. JR., Houston, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/548 Queue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A computer program product for passing initiative in a multitasking multiprocessor environment includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes writing a request to process a resource of the environment to an associated resource control block, setting a resource flag in a central bit vector, the resource flag indicating that a request for processing has been received for the resource, and setting a target processor initiative flag in the environment, the target processor initiative flag indicating a pass of initiative to a target processor responsible for the resource.

Claims

1. A computer program product for passing initiative in a multitasking multiprocessor environment, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

writing a request to process a resource of the environment to an associated resource control block;

setting a resource flag in a central bit vector, the resource flag indicating that a request for processing has been received for the resource; and

setting a target processor initiative flag in the environment, the target processor initiative flag indicating a pass of initiative to a target processor responsible for the resource.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

clearing the target processor initiative flag;

determining, at the target processor, the resource associated with the resource flag; and

processing the request at the target processor.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing the associated resource control block to determine a type of the request.

4. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises clearing the resource flag.

5. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein determining the resource includes performing a logical AND operation between a target processor mask associated with the target processor and the central bit vector.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the logical AND operation results in a vector containing flag values for all resources associated with only the target processor.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the resource control block includes information pertaining to an associated target processor.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the central bit vector is a vector containing binary flag values for every resource of the environment.

9. A multitasking multiprocessor environment, the environment comprising:

a plurality of processors configured to process work requests for resources of the environment;

a central bit vector containing flags indicative of the work requests; and

a plurality of target processors configured to receive initiative based on the central bit vector.

10. The environment of claim 9, wherein the central bit vector is a vector containing binary flag values for every resource of the environment.

11. The environment of claim 9, wherein the plurality of target processors receive initiative through associated masks, the associated masks being configured to provide information pertaining to resources associated with particular target processors.

12. A method for passing initiative in a multitasking multiprocessor environment, the method comprising:

writing a request to process a resource of the environment to an associated resource control block;

setting a resource flag in a central bit vector, the resource flag indicating that a request for processing has been received for the resource; and

setting a target processor initiative flag in the environment, the target processor initiative flag indicating a pass of initiative to a target processor responsible for the resource.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

clearing the target processor initiative flag;

determining, at the target processor, the resource associated with the resource flag; and

processing the request at the target processor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing the associated resource control block to determine a type of the request.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising clearing the resource flag.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the resource includes performing a logical AND operation between a target processor mask associated with the target processor and the central bit vector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical AND operation results in a vector containing flag values for all resources associated with only the target processor.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the resource control block includes information pertaining to an associated target processor.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the central bit vector is a vector containing binary flag values for every resource of the environment.