Patent ID: 6275860
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
In a shared resource unit providing shared resources to a plurality of resource users submitting requests for shared resource operations in a plurality of protocols, a method for the shared resource unit to synchronize different sets of function values for the protocols for each shared resource managed by the shared resource unit, comprising the steps of:receiving a request for a shared resource operation expressed in a protocol whereinthe request contains a function value representing a primary value relating to a shared resource and a function value representing a related associated value that is related to the primary value and is used in performing the requested operation,parsing the request to obtain the primary value and the related associated value,determining whether a database contains a values entry corresponding to the primary value appearing in the request,if the database does not contain a corresponding values entry,constructing a values entry in a database whereineach values entry includesa primary value field for storing a primary value,an associated value field for each protocol of the plurality of protocols, each associated value field for storing a related associated value of the corresponding protocol, byobtaining the related associated value corresponding to the primary value received in the request and the protocol of the request,writing the primary value into the primary value field of the corresponding values entry,writing the related associated value into the associated value field corresponding to the request protocol, andwriting a sentinel value into each remaining associated value field of the values entry,reading the associated value field corresponding to the protocol of the request from the values entry corresponding to the primary value, andif the value in the associated value field corresponding to the request protocol is a related associated value other than a sentinel value,comparing the related associated value read from the associated value field corresponding to the request protocol to the related associated value received in the request and indicating a result of the comparison to a resource manager,if the value in the associated value field corresponding to the request protocol is a sentinel value,querying a system administrative function with the primary value read from the corresponding values entry,receiving from the system administrative function a related associated value corresponding to the primary value and to the protocol of the request,writing the related associated value into the associated field of the values entry corresponding to the protocol of the request in replacement of the sentinel value,comparing the related associated value received in the request with the related associated value written into the associated value field corresponding to the protocol of the request, andindicating the result of the comparison to the resource manager.