Code preparation technique employing lock-free pointer operations

Abstract

A methodology has been discovered for transforming garbage collection-dependent algorithms, shared object implementations and/or concurrent software mechanisms into a form that does not presume the existence of an independent, or execution environment provided, garbage collector. Algorithms, shared object implementations and/or mechanisms designed or transformed using techniques described herein provide explicit reclamation of storage using lock-free pointer operations. Transformations can be applied to lock-free algorithms and shared object implementations and preserve lock-freedom of such algorithms and implementations. As a result, existing and future lock-free algorithms and shared object implementations that depend on a garbage-collected execution environment can be exploited in environments that do not provide garbage collection. Furthermore, algorithms and shared object implementations that employ explicit reclamation of storage using lock-free pointer operations such as described herein may be employed in the implementation of a garbage collector itself.