Abstract: Threads of a process require a shared resource to perform their work. The threads have a shared object, which might include a lock and an expiration time. When the resource has not been acquired and any one of the threads attempts to access the shared resource, that thread locks the lock, acquires the shared resource, sets the expiration time, releases the lock, and then uses the shared resource to perform its work. When any one of the threads requires the resource and the resource has been acquired but the expiration time is within a time threshold, only that thread refreshes the resource, resets the expiration time, and uses the resource to perform its work. When any of the threads require the resource and the resource is available and not expired, the thread uses the shared resource.

Abstract: Threads of a process require a shared resource to perform their work. The threads have a shared object, which might include a lock and an expiration time. When the resource has not been acquired and any one of the threads attempts to access the shared resource, that thread locks the lock, acquires the shared resource, sets the expiration time, releases the lock, and then uses the shared resource to perform its work. When any one of the threads requires the resource and the resource has been acquired but the expiration time is within a time threshold, only that thread refreshes the resource, resets the expiration time, and uses the resource to perform its work. When any of the threads require the resource and the resource is available and not expired, the thread uses the shared resource.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for discovering, qualifying, and activating software add-in components. An add-in components manager discovers one or more add-in components at the computer system are of a specified type of add-in component requested by an application. The add-in component manager qualifies at least one discovered add-in component based on the at least one discovered add-in component satisfying one or more qualification constraints. The one or more qualification constraints are representative of functionality that is to be associated with an add-in component for the add-in component to interoperate with the application in a desired manner. The add-in component manager activates a qualified add-in component in accordance with the one or more qualification constraints for use with the application.