Patent ID: 7734879

Claim:
A method for efficiently boosting the priority of a preemptable data reader in order to eliminate impediments to grace period processing that defers the destruction of one or more shared data elements that may be referenced by said reader until said reader is no longer capable of referencing said one or more data elements, comprising: upon said reader being subject to preemption or blocking: determining whether said reader is in a read-side critical section referencing any of said one or more shared data elements; detecting the existence of a predetermined condition other than whether said reader is in said critical section; boosting said reader's priority when said reader is in said critical section from an existing priority level to a priority boost level that is higher than said existing priority level to expedite said reader's completion of said critical section, said priority boost level having a first magnitude when said predetermined condition is not detected and a second magnitude that is greater than said first magnitude when said predetermined condition is detected; and decreasing said reader's priority following said reader's completion of said critical section.