Library lock management

• US 7,467,139 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Titus, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong; Camquy
• Application Number:
  US10/011,043
• Time in Patent Office: 2,590 Days
• Field of Search: 395/606, 707/9, 707/4, 707/8, 718/101, 717/163, 717/122, 709/224, 711/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

An apparatus for and method of permitting the maintenance/control console of a large scale mainframe computer to list the contents of program libraries in the demand or even batch mode with minimum operational impact. The preferred mode of the present invention permits the maintenance and operations personnel to list, pause, and perform other functions without unduly preventing user applications from needed accesses to the libraries.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a. a mainframe processor with an active application and a plurality of library programs;

b. a maintenance terminal wherein said maintenance terminal is utilized by a system administrator to perform maintenance functions associated with said data processing system;

c. wherein said plurality of library programs includes a plurality of software computer programs and wherein said active application is a particular one of said plurality of software computer programs;

d. a plurality of user terminals responsively coupled to said mainframe processor;

e. wherein a particular one of said plurality of user terminals utilizes said active application by requesting said mainframe processor to execute said particular one of said plurality of software computer programs; and

f. a facility located within said mainframe processor which permits said maintenance terminal to print a list of said plurality of library programs without unduly preventing said active application from accessing said plurality of library programs in response to the requesting said listing from said maintenance terminal;

said facility receiving said request;

g. locking accesses to said plurality of library software computer programs to prohibit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

h. transferring a list of a first portion of said plurality of library software computer programs to a buffer;

i. unlocking said accesses to said plurality of library programs to permit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

k. outputting contents of said buffer;

j. repeating g, h, i, and k until all of said plurality of library programs has been listed; and

wherein said buffer further comprises a plurality of individual buffers wherein said plurality of individual buffers is alternated.

2. The data processing system according to claim 1 wherein said facility permits said maintenance terminal to request a pause of said printing of said list of said plurality of library programs.

3. The data processing system according to claim 2 wherein said facility permits said maintenance terminal to discontinue said printing of said I plurality of library programs.

4. The data processing system according to claim 3 wherein said facility permits said maintenance terminal to request of a display of other than said listing of said plurality of library programs during said printing.

5. The data processing system according to claim 4 wherein said facility wherein said maintenance terminal requests said listing of said plurality of library programs in a demand mode.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said terminal operates in demand mode.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein step g further comprises a request by said terminal to pause.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein step g further comprises a request by said terminal to discontinue listing.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a. a mainframe processor;

b. a plurality of library software computer programs located within said mainframe processor;

c. an application software program which is not one of said plurality of library software computer programs located within said mainframe processor and executed by said mainframe processor which calls for execution one of said plurality of library software computer programs;

d. a maintenance terminal responsively which performs maintenance functions associated with said mainframe processor; and

e. a facility located within said mainframe processor and responsively coupled to said maintenance terminal which prints a list of said plurality of library software computer programs without unduly restricting execution of said one of said plurality of library software computer programs by said application software program in response to the requesting said listing from said maintenance terminal;

said facility receiving said request;

f. locking accesses to said plurality of library software computer programs to prohibit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

g. transferring a list of a first portion of said plurality of library software computer programs to a buffer;

h. unlocking said accesses to said plurality of library programs to permit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

i. outputting contents of said buffer;

k. repeating f, q, h, and i until all of said plurality of library programs has been listed; and

wherein said buffer further comprises a plurality of individual buffers wherein said plurality of individual buffers is alternated.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said facility pauses during said printing of said list of said plurality of library software computer programs in response to a first request by said maintenance terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said facility discontinues said printing, of said list of said plurality of library software computer programs in response to a second request by said maintenance terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said maintenance terminal displays a presentation other than said listing of said plurality of library software computer programs during said listing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said maintenance terminal operates in a demand mode during said printing.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a. a mainframe processor

b. a maintenance terminal responsively which performs maintenance functions associated with said mainframe processor;

c. providing means for providing a plurality of library software computer programs;

e. executing means responsively coupled to said providing means for executing one of said plurality library software computer programs;

d. requesting means responsively coupled to said providing means for requesting a printed listing of said plurality of library software computer programs; and

f. generating means responsively coupled to said providing means and said requesting means for generating said printed listing of said plurality of library software computer programs which permits said executing means to execute said one of said plurality of said library programs while generating of said printed listing in response to the requesting said listing from said maintenance terminal;

a facility located within said mainframe processor receives said request;

g. locking accesses to said plurality of library software computer programs to prohibit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

h. transferring a list of a first portion of said plurality of library software computer programs to a buffer;

i. unlocking said accesses to said plurality of library programs to permit execution of any of said plurality of library software computer programs;

k. outputting contents of said buffer;

j. repeating q, h, i, and k until all of said plurality of library programs has been listed; and

wherein said buffer further comprises a plurality of individual buffers wherein said plurality of individual buffers is alternated.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said generating means terminates said printed listing in response to a terminate request from said requesting means.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said generating means pauses said printed listing in response to a pause request from said requesting means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said requesting means operates in a demand mode.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said requesting means operates in a batch mode.