Patent ID: 6374285
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for acquiring a lock in a network of processors with globally ordered writes, the network of processors hosting a plurality of processes, each having a process identifier, the method comprising the steps of:assigning an initial ticket number to a current process requesting a lock; determining among the plurality of processes, other than the current process requesting the lock, a largest outstanding ticket number; determining, based on the largest outstanding ticket number, whether there are other processes requesting the lock; if there are no other processes requesting the lock, granting the lock to the current process; and if there are other processes, each having a ticket number, requesting the lock: obtaining, for the current process, a successor ticket number to the largest outstanding ticket number; determining that the successor ticket number of the current process is less than the ticket number of any other process requesting the lock or, the process identifier of the current process is less than the process identifier of any other process having a ticket number equal to the successor ticket number; and then granting the lock to the current process.