Utilizing hardware transactional approach to execute code after initially utilizing software locking by employing pseudo-transactions

Abstract

Utilizing a hardware transactional approach to execute a code section by employing pseudo-transactions, after initially utilizing software locking, is disclosed. A method is disclosed that utilizes a software approach to locking memory to execute a code section relating to memory. The software approach employs a pseudo-transaction to determine whether a hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the threshold would have been successful. Where the hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the code section satisfies a threshold based on success of at least the pseudo-transaction, the method subsequently utilizes the hardware approach to execute the code section. The hardware approach may include starting a transaction inclusive of the code section, conditionally executing the transaction, and, upon successfully completing the transaction, committing execution of the transaction to the memory to which the code section relates.

1 . An article of manufacture comprising: 
 a computer-readable medium; and,    means in the medium for utilizing a hardware approach to transactional memory to execute a code section after having utilized a software approach to locking memory to execute the code section and the hardware approach to transactional memory having satisfied a threshold based at least upon a pseudo-transaction to determine whether the hardware approach would have succeeded in executing the code section.    
   
   
       2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the means utilizes the hardware approach to transactional memory where the hardware approach to transactional memory would have successfully executed the code section a predetermined one or more times.  
   
   
       3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the hardware approach satisfies the threshold also based on previous transactions utilized by the hardware approach to execute the code section and on previous pseudo-transactions.  
   
   
       4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable medium is one of a recordable data storage medium and a modulated carrier signal.