Abstract: An extension of the two phase commit protocol allows distributed participation among physically distant agents independent of the communications mechanism being used in a data processing system. An extra stage of processing is added to the two phase commit protocol called End Phase One Processing (EPOP) which enables a distribution of the coordinator function across systems using any communication mechanism. EPOP is an extra stage in which a participant can receive control. In this extra stage, a participant flows two phase commit protocol sequences to distributed systems. The communication mechanism is used in such a way that it becomes part of a distributed coordinator. The coordinator itself does not need knowledge of other systems. The extra stage of processing is enabled by an operating system service called Enable End Phase One Exit Processing (EEPOEP). EEPOEP causes an extension of two phase commit protocol to be used on the issuing system.

Abstract: Dispatching improvements in operating systems are described for multiprogrammed data processing systems. A common priority dispatching mechanism for applications that span multiple address spaces in multi-address space operating systems is provided where multiple, dispatchable operating system processes operating in different address spaces but on behalf of a common application can all be dispatched at the same priority of the application rather than at the priority of the particular address space in which each individual process operates. The system further enables individual processes of a distributed application, that operate under different host operating systems in a connected complex to run at the common priority of the distributed application. High priority processes are given the capability to avoid becoming blocked by low priority processes for extended periods of time when serialization must occur on common resources in the system.