US4249241A — Object access serialization apparatus for a data …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 113 words

In a data processing system wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: access restricting means for generating an access restriction on an object, said access restriction being generated in behalf of a particular task; storage means for storing the access restriction on the object; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed operation on a given object with the access restriction on that object; whereby if the testing means determines that the proposed operation on the object is not compatible with the access restriction on that object, the data processing system will not permit the proposed operation to take place.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 113 words

In a data processing system wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: access restricting means for generating an access restriction on an object, said access restriction being generated in behalf of a particular task; storage means for storing the access restriction on the object; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed operation on a given object with the access restriction on that object; whereby if the testing means determines that the proposed operation on the object is not compatible with the access restriction on that object, the data processing system will not permit the proposed operation to take place.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said access restricting means is capable of generating an access restriction on an object, said access restriction being generated in favor of a first task, which access restriction provides the first task with a first specified level of guaranteed access to the object in order to perform specified types of operations on the object, thus precluding a second task from performing other specified types of operations on the object.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 48 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first level of guaranteed access is selected from among the class of: read access, modify access, and destroy access; and the second level of access is selected from among the class of: read access, modify access, and destroy access.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the access restricting means further comprises: seize generating means for automatically generating an access restriction on an object.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seize generating means further comprises: shared seize generating means for generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a first task, said access restriction preventing a second task from obtaining access to modify or destroy the object.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 46 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seize generating means further comprises: exclusive seize generating means for generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a first task, said access restriction preventing a second task from obtaining any access to the object.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

Serialization apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the seize generating means generates access restrictions which are released after a single machine instruction.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 32 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access restricting means further comprises: lock generating means for optionally generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a particular task.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 31 words

Serialization apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the lock generating means can generate plural non-conflicting access restrictions which can be created and released in any sequence at the user's discretion.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 45 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said testing means tests the compatability of a proposed operation on a given object with the access restriction on that object regardless of whether or not the proposed operation explicitly requests a lock on that object.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 99 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the access restricting means further comprises: exclusive seize generating means for generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a first task, said access restriction preventing a second task from obtaining any access of the object; shared seize generating means for generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a first task, said access restriction preventing a second task from obtaining access to modify or destroy the object; and lock generating means for optionally generating an access restriction on an object in behalf of a particular task.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 97 words

Serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lock generating means, the exclusive seize generating means, and the shared seize generating means further comprise: hold record means containing the hold restrictions on an object; hold record chain means for linking said hold record means; address means for addressing said hold record chain means applicable to the object; hold record control means for adding and removing said hold record means from said hold record chain means; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed access to the object with the hold restrictions on the object.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 56 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: wait means whereby when a proposed operation is not permitted to take place due to an existing access restriction on an object, the task proposing the operation will be caused to wait until the access restriction is released, whereupon the proposed operation will be automatically retried.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said wait means further comprises a time limit control means whereby an exception will be signalled if the proposed operation is not permitted to take place within a preselected time interval.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 17 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the testing means automatically enforces the access restriction.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 27 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the task in behalf of which any access restriction is generated can be identified from the access restriction.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 94 words

In a data processing system wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: hold record means containing hold restrictions on an object; hold record chain means for linking said hold record means; address means for addressing said hold record chain means applicable to the object; hold record control means for adding and removing said hold record means from said hold record chain means; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed access to the object with the hold restrictions on the object.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 94 words

In a data processing system wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: hold record means containing hold restrictions on an object; hold record chain means for linking said hold record means; address means for addressing said hold record chain means applicable to the object; hold record control means for adding and removing said hold record means from said hold record chain means; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed access to the object with the hold restrictions on the object.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 30 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: busy indication means for indicating said hold record chain means as busy during operations on said hold record chain means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 19 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: available chain means for linking available hold record means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 35 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said testing means comprises apparatus for comparing the hold restrictions contained in the hold record means for an object with the proposed access to the object.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 82 words

A serialization apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said address means comprises: hash hold table means containing the address of the first hold record means in said hold record chain means for the object; hash generator means for generating a hash index from the object address, the hash index addressing an entry in said hash hold table means; and chain address means contained in said hold record means for addressing the next hold record means in the hold record chain means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 131 words

In a data processing system including a memory wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: hold record means containing hold restrictions on an object, said hold record means being located in a substantially contiguous portion of the memory; hold record chain means for configuring selected ones of said hold record means into a chain, without regard to whether said selected ones of said hold record means are contiguous; address means for addressing said hold record chain means applicable to the object; hold record control means for adding and removing said hold record means from said hold record chain means; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed operation of an object with the hold restrictons on the object.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 131 words

In a data processing system including a memory wherein tasks perform operations on objects, serialization apparatus for controlling access by a task to an object, comprising: hold record means containing hold restrictions on an object, said hold record means being located in a substantially contiguous portion of the memory; hold record chain means for configuring selected ones of said hold record means into a chain, without regard to whether said selected ones of said hold record means are contiguous; address means for addressing said hold record chain means applicable to the object; hold record control means for adding and removing said hold record means from said hold record chain means; and testing means for testing the compatability of a proposed operation of an object with the hold restrictons on the object.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a data processing system, serialization apparatus for controlling access by tasks to objects upon which such tasks execute user instructions and machine instructions comprising: access restricting means responsive to both user instructions and machine instructions for automatically granting to a first task a first specified level of access to a specified object, so that the granting of the first specified level of access to the first task precludes a second task from obtaining a second specified level of access to the object.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a data processing system, serialization apparatus for controlling access by tasks to objects upon which such tasks execute user instructions and machine instructions comprising: access restricting means responsive to both user instructions and machine instructions for automatically granting to a first task a first specified level of access to a specified object, so that the granting of the first specified level of access to the first task precludes a second task from obtaining a second specified level of access to the object.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1984-02-03	1984-08-04	1985-02-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1988-02-03	1988-08-04	1989-02-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1992-02-03	1992-08-04	1993-02-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Object access serialization apparatus for a data processing system

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag