| 摘要 |
The invention provides unique mechanisms and techniques for a computing device to perform various tasks in a multi-tasking or time sliced environment. A general task scheduling algorithm can select various time slices or priorities for task performance. However, in a dedicated device such as a data communications device, a primary task such as a data transfer task may be so heavily favored by the general task scheduling algorithm, such as in heavy network traffic conditions, that other tasks may be starved of processor time. As such, the system of the invention allows the primary task, to track a first time period Y, and upon expiration of this time period Y, to generate a yield signal to a yielding scheduler. The yielding scheduler can then disable performance of the primary task(s) and track a second time period X during which other tasks may be performed. At the expiration of the second time period X, the primary task(s) which were disabled upon the occurrence of the yield signal are then re-enabled for performance and the yielding scheduler selects a task for performance. Generally, the primary task will again be selected over, for example, lower priority tasks. However, the lower priority tasks will have had a chance to perform irrespective of the general task scheduling algorithm since the primary task(s), which may be heavily scheduled, can control the yielding of processor time. By selecting various values for the time periods X and Y, different aspects of device operation can be controlled to provide a balanced system that can greatly avoid task starvation while also meeting the response time requirements of the primary task and the other lower priority task(s). Since the tasks themselves are given control over the ability to yield time to other tasks, flexibility is provided by the system of the invention.
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