Patent ID: 7155717

Claim:
A method, comprising: assigning an access value and a priority value to each of a plurality of computer processes which request access to a shared computer resource, where the priority value can be high priority or low priority; during an first access cycle, first providing access to processes whose priority value represents high priority and whose access value represents that access should still be granted during the access cycle, and after granting each access, adjusting an access value associated with said each access to indicate that additional access has been granted; determining, during said first access cycle, that all high priority requests have access values that indicate that no additional access should be granted; responsive to said determining, in said first access cycle, providing access to low priority requests whose access values represent that access should be granted, and adjusting access values after granting the access; and after determining that both the high priority requests and low priority requests each have access values that represent no further access should be granted in said first access cycle, starting a new access cycle with new access values and priority values.