Re: [boost] [docs / pre-alpha] For my atomically thread-saferefcount library prototype...

From: Chris Thomasson (cristom_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-10-24 08:15:36

"Giovanni Piero Deretta" <gpderetta_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:1439aad50610240210n2c9d89cdie5e462fc5f26075e_at_mail.gmail.com...
> Ok, now the tricky question,
>
> Judiging from the comments on comp.programming.threads, looks like
> almost everything that falls under lock free is patented.

Not everything... yet...

 ;^)

> Is the refcount code definitely patent encumbered or there is a
> reasonable chance that it could be used without falling in the patent
> swamp?

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.c++.moderated/msg/744d1fcf97fa9dd9

So far so good. I have recently snooped around some patents and patent 
applications and have not found anything that claims my prior art wrt the my 
refcount algorithm; looks like this is going to work out just fine for 
Boost.

> What about the rest of appcore (I would love to use a lockfree thread 
> queue)?

Well, the current version of AppCore includes a full-blown SMR 
implementation; IBM has a patent application out on it.

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.programming.threads/browse_frm/thread/dc7cea8cb012cdf5

So, I need to strip it completely out of my library, then alls that's left 
are my inventions, this of course includes the queue...

> And then, what about the license? I suppose you have the intention of
> releasing at least the refcount code under the boost license,

Yup.

> what about the rest of appcore?

Humm... Not "exactly" sure yet... A commercial library of mine, called 
vZOOM, makes use of a couple of my algorithms in AppCore. I currently have a 
patent application out on vZOOM and it's private at this point. I only 
released a particular version of it to Sun for their CoolThreads contest; 
it's one of the four finalists:

https://coolthreads.dev.java.net/

So, that could be a little tricky... I really need to make up my mind 
here... I will have an answer for you fairly shortly... Okay?

;^)

> other than that, great job,

Thank You!  :^)

> I'm definitely not an expert in lock free
> programming and wouldn't touch the implementation not even with a 100
> meters staff, but I would definitely be an user .

That's fine. As a user, you should be able to experience the enhanced 
scalability, throughput and performance benefits' that some cleverly 
thought-out lock-free algorithms provide...

Indeed!