Patent ID: 6615216
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for maintaining a list structure having data nodes in a computer memory accessible by multiple processors, said method comprising the steps of:a) maintaining a pool of available data nodes for use in maintaining the list structure; wherein each data node includes i) a data portion ii) a link for addressing other data nodes in the list structure and iii) a unique identifier for said data node; b) adding a data node to the list structure from the pool of data nodes and if there is no such available data node in said pool, creating a new data node from available computer memory that includes i) a data portion ii) a link for addressing other data nodes in the list structure and iii) a unique identifier for said data node, and adding the new data node to the list structure; said adding step comprising a lock free step which checks the identifier of a data node of the list before adding a node to said list structure; and c) accessing data from the list structure by determining the contents of a specified data node, removing the specified data node from the list structure and adding the specified data node from the list structure to the pool of available data nodes.