Patent ID: 8775743

Claim:
A method for resolving ownership deadlock in a distributed shared memory (DSM) using a processor device, comprising: maintaining by each of a plurality of DSM agents, as local parameters, a local-message-Identification (ID) to which a local DSM agent assigns a local unique Identification (ID) upon issuing a request, and a remote-message-ID to which the local DSM agent assigns the local unique ID received in an alternative request from a remote DSM agent for resolving a no-ownership deadlock for obtaining access permission on a requested data segment by the plurality of distributed shared memory (DSM) agents that do not have ownership over the requested data segment; incorporating a local-message-ID and the remote-message-ID in both requests and responses sent by each of the plurality of DSM agents; if, prior to the remote DSM agent receiving the request for the access permission to the requested data segment and sending a response, the remote DSM agent sends the alternative request for the access permission to the requested data segment to the local DSM agent within a designated time of the request: detecting by one of the plurality of DSM agents that the no-ownership deadlock exists when both the local DSM agent processes the alternative request and the remote DSM agent processes the request with both the request and the alternative request containing a value for the local-message-ID which is different than a local value for the local-message-ID that is stored in each of the plurality of DSM agents; and resolving the no-ownership deadlock when the local DSM agent, which has been predetermined to act as an agent to resolve the no-ownership-deadlock, determines that no other local user is acting to resolve a no-ownership-deadlock.