[e-lang] GridLock

[Kevin Reid]

On Feb 9, 2007, at 6:55, Dr. Pierre Vignéras wrote:

> Ok, so consider a server which is using a threadpool -- as often --  
> for serving its clients. Lets also suppose that one of its service  
> is a blocking service that -- for some reasons -- only another  
> service can unblock (wait/notifyAll sort of).
>
> Then this implementation is subject to gridlock if the number of  
> threads in the threadpool is bounded, isn't it?

Yes.

> By the way, since the number of threads available is always bounded  
> (by ulimit or by the available memory), any thead-pooled  
> implementation that can serve a blocking call is subject to  
> gridlock. Am I right?

It is subject to deadlock if the unblocking is to be performed by a  
thread from that pool. If it were instead, say, blocking on a read  
from a socket or pipe from another process, or on the activity of a  
thread outside of the pool, then there is not necessarily gridlock.

-- 
Kevin Reid                            <http://homepage.mac.com/kpreid/>