A Mutual Exclusion Algorithm Based on Request and Fair

iii PREFACE Process Synchronization is the set of techniques that are used to coordinate execution amongst processes. A common resource such as shared memory or a device may require exclusive access. In a multitasked/multithreaded system, processes have to coordinate amongst themselves to ensure that access is exclusive and fair. The mutual exclusion problem is one of the problems in inter-process communication that has been studied extensively. A number of mutual exclusion algorithms have been proposed. They have had varying degrees of success in handling the problem. These algorithms can be classified into hardware solutions and software solutions. The most well-known software solutions are turn-taking algorithms. This thesis gives an alternative mutual exclusion algorithm that is based on request and fair access instead of turn taking. The algorithmic details and the implementation of the new mutual exclusion algorithm are given in this thesis report. The new algorithm's implementation was tested on different multi-tasking multi-processor systems. The test environments consisted of a Dual CPU Dell PowerEdge 1800 running Windows 2003 Advanced Server and a four CPU HP ProLiant DL580 running Windows 2000 Server. The new algorithm was implemented in C#. The new algorithm was tested using classical dining philosophers and race condition problems. The test results showed that the new algorithm successfully solved these traditional mutual exclusion problems. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation to my graduate advisor Dr. M. H. my thesis research work. His inspiring insight and patience guided me through my research and provided me with a valuable experience. My sincere appreciation also extends to Drs. their advice and serving on my graduate committee. Finally, I also wish to thank my wife and parents for their encouragement and support throughout my graduate studies.