DEADLOCK PREVENTION

• US 20130042039A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hameed, Sohail, Natrajan, Balaji, Qin, Lijun
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/524 Deadlock detection or avoidance

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media with executable instructions stored thereon for preventing deadlocks are provided. An inter-device mutex (IDM) can be locked for a first client. An error message can be sent to a second client in response to a received first lock command from the second client while the IDM is locked for the first client. A number of second lock commands from the second client while the IDM is locked for the first client can be received. The IDM can be unlocked for the first client in response to an unlock command received from the first client. The IDM can be locked for the second client in response to a received third lock command from the second client, wherein the third lock command is received subsequent to unlocking the IDM for the first client.

Claims

1. A method for preventing deadlocks, comprising:

locking an inter-device mutex (IDM) for a first client;

sending an error message to a second client in response to a received first lock command from the second client while the IDM is locked for the first client;

receiving a number of second lock commands from the second client while the IDM is locked for the first client;

unlocking the IDM for the first client in response to an unlock command received from the first client; and

locking the IDM for the second client in response to a received third lock command from the second client, wherein the third lock command is received subsequent to unlocking the IDM for the first client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein locking the IDM comprises:

determining if the first or second client is local to the IDM;

determining if the first or second client has context information;

creating context information for the first or second client, when the first or second client is not local and does not have context information; and

associating the IDM with the context information of the first or second client.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

granting access to a first number of resources; and

associating the first number of resources with the first or second client associated with the locked IDM.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising:

receiving a double-lock command from the first or second client; and

double-locking the IDM, when the double-lock command from the first or second client includes the same context information associated with the locked IDM.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein unlocking the IDM comprises:

disassociating the first number of resources from the first or second client associated with the locked IDM; and

relinquishing the first number of resources

6. The method of claim 4, comprising:

receiving a double-unlock command from the first or second client, subsequent to double-locking the IDM for the first or second client; and

double-unlocking the IDM if the double-unlock command from the first or second client includes the same context information associated with the locked IDM.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein double-locking the IDM includes:

granting access to a second number of resources; and

associating the second number of resources with the first or second client associated with the double locked IDM.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising:

incrementing a reference count of the IDM by one when the IDM is locked;

incrementing the reference count of the IDM by one when the IDM is double-locked;

decrementing the reference count of the IDM by one when the IDM is double-unlocked; and

decrementing the reference count of the IDM by one when the IDM is unlocked.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the error message comprises instructing a server associated with the second client to go into a wait cycle.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

send an error message to a second device in response to a received first lock command having a second device context information from the second device to lock the inter-device mutex (IDM) while the IDM is locked for a first device with a first device context information, wherein the locked IDM has a reference count of one;

receive a number of second lock commands from the second device while the IDM is locked for the first device;

unlock the IDM for the first device in response to a received unlock command from the first device, the unlock command from the first device including the first device context information;

decrease the reference count of the IDM by one in response to unlocking the IDM; and

lock the IDM for the second device in response to a received third lock command from the second device subsequent to unlocking the IDM for the first device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive an unlock command from the second device, the unlock command from the second device including the context information of the second device; and

unlock the IDM for the second device in response to the unlock command.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first device includes the IDM.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a double-lock command from the first or second device, subsequent to locking the IDM for the first or second device;

double-lock the IDM when the double-lock command from the first or second device includes the same context information associated with the locked IDM; and

increase the reference count of the IDM by one in response to double-locking the IDM.

14. A system for preventing deadlocks during inter-device communication, comprising:

a memory operable to store executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the instruction to;

lock an inter-device mutex (IDM) for a first device in response to a received lock command including a first device context information, wherein the lock command includes a command to retrieve and associate a first number of resources;

send a first error message to a second device in response to a received first lock command having a second device context information from the second device to lock the IDM while the IDM is locked for the first device;

receive a number of second lock commands from the second device while the IDM is locked for the first device;

unlock the IDM for the first device in response to a received unlock command from the first device, the unlock command from the first device including the first device context information and a command to disassociate the first number of resources; and

lock the IDM for the second device in response to a received third lock command from the second device subsequent to unlocking the IDM for the first device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions to lock the IDM for the first of second device include instructions executed by the processors to:

determine if the IDM is local; and

create a non-local client in response to determining the IDM is non-local.