Composable thread coloring

Abstract

This paper introduces the language-independent concept of ``thread usage policy.'' Many multi-threaded software systems contain policies that regulate associations among threads, executable code, and potentially shared state. A system, for example, may constrain which threads are permitted to execute particular code segments, usually as a means to constrain those threads from accessing or writing particular elements of state. These policies ensure properties such as state confinement or reader/writer constraints, often without recourse to locking or transaction discipline.