Unisys Corporation

Marvin W Theis

Ralph E Sipple

Eugene A Rodi

Ferris T Price, Deceased

John R Jordan

John O Sjolander

The disclosure relates to a high performance fault tolerant queuing system. Multiple processors share access to one or more queues which are stored in an addressable memory. A storage controller provides general access to the addressable memory and includes queue functions for maintaining the queues. Queue access is provided in a first-come/first-served basis. In addition to the get and put queue functions, queue control within the storage control saves a queue item which is read from the queue in a location in the addressable memory which is associated with the processor making a get request, thereby alleviating the requesting processor from having to save the queue item.

Fault tolerant apparatus and method for maintaining one or more queues

A record lock processor provides a common facility for control of the locking and unlocking of mass storage objects (for example, records, files, pages or any other logical entity) that is shared by a number of loosely-coupled data processors. The terms 'record' or 'records' wherever they are used in this document are intended to refer to all such objects, including records, files, pages or any other logical grouping or entity into which the mass storage may be portioned. Each of the data processors has access to all of the shared mass storage. Three Lock Modules all receive the same requests and majority voting techniques are used to determine the result. A fourth lock module is included as a Hot Spare Module. A Maintenance Module receives the same requests as the voting Lock Modules and, therefore, it is able to interpret results on-line based on user requests. Programmable Channel Interfaces provide the operational interface to the host processors. The Lock Modules are also programmable, and they hold lock and Queued Lock Requests and execute locking and unlocking algorithms in response thereto.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Marvin W Theis