William L Foote

US Patent:

6587955, Jul 1, 2003

Filed:

Feb 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/495820

Inventors:

William Foote - Cupertino CA
Dean Roy Ernest Long - Boulder Creek CA
Nedim Fresko - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 112

US Classification:

713400, 714 39, 709107

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for implementing priority inversion avoidance protocols and deterministic locking where an API is used to select objects in a multi-threaded computer system are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, an enhanced monitor is associated with one or more selected objects by way of an associated API. The enhanced monitor is arranged to set behavior for a lock associated with the selected objects as determined by a user defined behavior object included within the enhanced monitor. In this arrangement, only the selected one or more objects are associated with the enhanced monitor.

US Patent:

6742123, May 25, 2004

Filed:

Sep 10, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/394121

Inventors:

William F. Foote - Cupertino CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 945

US Classification:

713200, 713164, 713146, 717146, 717131, 717126, 705 26, 705 16, 705 37, 380287

Abstract:

In one aspect of the invention, the frames of a thread stack that associated with the misbehaving code are popped from the thread stack. Exception handling code is allowed to execute for trusted code by popping the trusted code frame via processing an exception, but exception handling is not allowed to execute for untrusted code. In a second aspect, frames are popped on all thread stacks of all threads that are associated with the misbehaving code. Threads are generally deemed to be associated with the misbehaving code when the threads share a same object or the same resources as the thread that is associated with the misbehaving code.

US Patent:

6910209, Jun 21, 2005

Filed:

Apr 30, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/846064

Inventors:

Hideya Kawahara - Mountain View CA, US
William F. Foote - Los Angeles CA, US
Dean R. E. Long - Boulder Creek CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F009/46

US Classification:

718102, 718100, 718103, 718105

Abstract:

Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for a process of terminating a thread in a clean, certain, and forcible manner. A thread is forcibly terminated in such a manner that data structures in the system are not left in an inconsistent state and the overall system status is not damaged. The methods and systems described are for terminating a thread in a computer language execution environment. Methods are implemented in an interpretive loop executing in a language that is interpreted and in runtime support libraries in a language that are not interpreted. A method of forcibly terminating a thread in a computer language execution environment is described. A thread receives a terminate thread command. The thread has associated with it a termination flag, a value of the termination flag being immutable once set, and one or more monitors. The termination flag is then set for the thread.

US Patent:

7028298, Apr 11, 2006

Filed:

Sep 10, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/394118

Inventors:

William F. Foote - Cupertino CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9/46

US Classification:

718104, 709226

Abstract:

Disclosed is a method for managing resource usage of a particular resource by a set of related code, such as code executed on behalf of a downloaded applet. A resource indicator is associated with the related code, and the resource indicator indicates an amount of resource usage of the particular resource by the related code. The resource indicator is updated when the related code increases or decreases its collective resource usage of the particular resource.

US Patent:

61675350, Dec 26, 2000

Filed:

Apr 14, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/060226

Inventors:

William F. Foote - Cupertino CA
Jeffrey D. Nisewanger - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

H02H 305

US Classification:

714 38

Abstract:

Techniques for analyzing object-oriented computer programs are provided. A snapshot of the objects that are active at a specific point in time during execution may be stored. An analysis tool may be utilized to generate hypertext documents that allow a user to analyze the active objects. Additionally, a user may compare two different snapshots of active objects at two different run-times so that, for example, new instances of a class may be easily identified.