Patent ID: 8332852
Filing Date: 2012-12-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: for each thread of a plurality of threads of a computer program to be executed on a multiple-processor computer system, associating an affinity identifier to the thread by the computer program, the affinity identifiers of the threads denoting how closely related the threads are; for each thread, selecting a processor of the multiple-processor computer system on which the thread is to be executed based on but not dictated by the affinity identifiers of the threads such that one or more other parameters also influence selection of the processor on which the thread is to be executed, by an operating system being executed on the multiple-processor computer system and in relation to which the computer program is to be executed; and, for each thread, executing the thread by the processor selected for the thread, wherein the threads comprise a first thread and a second thread having affinity with one another, where a first processor is selected on which the first thread is to be executed and a second processor is selected on which the second thread is to be executed, and where the first processor is a different processor than the second processor, wherein each thread is associated with one or more selected anchor objects of a plurality of anchor objects of the computer program, each anchor object corresponding to a different bit-sit within the affinity identifier, wherein the plurality of anchor objects are ordered from a most-significant anchor object to a least-significant anchor object, the most-significant anchor object corresponding to a most-significant bit-set within the affinity identifier and the least-significant anchor object corresponding to a least-significant bit-set within the affinity identifier, such that a lower difference value between the affinity identifiers of any two threads corresponds to greater affinity between the two threads and a higher difference value between the affinity identifiers of any two threads corresponds to lesser affinity between the two threads.