Patent ID: 8910179

Claim:
A method performed in a system that includes a first descriptor controller module and a second descriptor controller module, the method comprising: a job scheduling module receiving first and second job execution requests from one or more requesting modules, wherein the first and second job execution requests each include information facilitating identification of a descriptor that includes computer-executable code which, when executed, performs an access to a semaphore-protected resource; in response to receiving the first job execution request, the job scheduling module causing the first descriptor controller module to load the descriptor into a first descriptor storage structure, and to execute the descriptor and to perform the access to the semaphore-protected resource, wherein the descriptor includes the computer-executable code which, when executed, makes a determination of whether the semaphore-protected resource is in a protected state, and accesses the semaphore-protected resource when the determination is made that the semaphore-protected resource is not in a protected state; in response to receiving the second job execution request, the job scheduling module determining whether the descriptor can be shared; and when the job scheduling module determines that the descriptor can be shared, the job scheduling module deciding whether to cause the first or the second descriptor controller module to execute the descriptor in response to receiving the second job execution request, wherein when the job scheduling module decides to cause the first descriptor controller module to execute the descriptor, the job scheduling module provides an indication to the first descriptor controller module that the descriptor should be accessed from the first descriptor storage structure, and when the job scheduling module decides to cause the second descriptor controller module to execute the descriptor, the job scheduling module provides the indication to the second descriptor controller module that the descriptor should be accessed from the first descriptor storage structure.