Re: [boost] Boost.Threads Locking Delima

From: Eric D Crahen (crahen_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-05-19 12:03:03

> Incidentally, the notion of passing the key off to a co-worker doesn't
> fly Nobody else has my key. That way I know that I'm safe as long as
> I've locked my lock. If somebody else also need to lock out the power
> they use their lock, not mine.

It still is a serialization problem. Something needs to connect these keys
in someway. If I have a key to a lock, its because I was able to lock
a pad lock on the switch. If I was able to lock a pad lock on the switch
it's because the switch was off (because it's not physcially possible to
lock locks when the switch is up? I don't know what this thing looks
like :) BUT its all coming back to center on this switch again - its on or
its off, you can put a lock on or you can't put a lock on - that state
still needs to be serialized.

Would you really need to have a special key that only unlocks one of
these padlocks? To me this seems like a counting problem, 5 guys
working, 5 guys placed pad locks, 5 pad locks need to be removed - does
which particular pad lock that comes off really matter? Not as long
as everyone places one padlock and removes one padlock. The balance
is more important than which lock I think.

- Eric
http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~crahen