Problem 

Solving: Priority Inversion 

a. The following table shows the priority of three tasks base on the timeline execution of the
tasks in Figure Q4.1. In this figure ‘E’ represents a single tick of execution time, ‘Q’
represents an execution tick with access to the Q critical section and ‘V’ represents an
execution tick with access to the V critical section. Answer the following questions.
Table Q4.1
Process Priority
Task1 High
Task2 Medium
Task3 Low

Figure Q4

i. Redraw the timeline and show the following three situations in the timeline.

ii. Base on the sketch discuss priority inversion situation.

iii. Sketch two timeline diagrams to show different solutions to limit the effect of priority
inversion using priority inheritance and original ceiling priority protocol, the ceiling
values for resources Q and V is high or 3. Discuss the differences, if any.
[12 marks]
b. Consider four periodic tasks with the following arrival times (S), computation times,
execution sequence and priority, in Table Q4.2. Each task’s period starts at time S and
terminates at T. The four tasks shared two resources that are protected by binary
semaphores A and B. For the execution sequence, ‘E’ represents a single tick of execution
time, ‘A’ represents an execution tick with access to the A semaphore and ‘B’ represents
an execution tick with access to the B semaphore. Answer the following questions.
Table Q4.2
Process Priority Arrival Computation Execution Semaphores
time times sequence used
T1 Very high 7 4 EAEB A, B
T2 High 2 5 EBABE A, B
T3 Low 5 4 EEEE -
T4 Very low 0 5 EAAAE A

i. Sketch timeline diagrams to show the execution of the four tasks given the scheduling
policies in Table 1 In each timeline shows the three situations: executing, preempted
and blocked, when appropriate using the following legend.

[4 marks]

ii. Identify the time tick for each task T1, T2 and T4 when the task do a wait operation on
the semaphores using wait(A) or wait(B) and do a release operation on the
semaphores using signal(A) or signal(B). Draw the following table to answer this
question. [3 marks]

Task wait(A) signal(A) wait(B) signal(B)

T1
T2
T4

iii. Based on the sketch timeline answer for Question 4.b.i. discuss the priority inversion
problem. [2 marks]