Unix to Windows Porting Dictionary for HPC

header file: pthread.h

int pthread_mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex);
      

header file: Windows.h

BOOL WINAPI ReleaseMutex(
  __in  HANDLE hMutex
);
      

The pthread_mutex_unlock function is used to release ownership of a mutex so that another thread may acquire it. If the mutex was designated with recursive properties, the unlock will remove one level of recursion if more than one exists.

The Windows mutex function is always recursive. The ReleaseMutex function will remove one level of recursion if more than one exists. When the final level of recursion is released, the mutex will be available for other threads.

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

#define THREADCOUNT 2

HANDLE ghMutex; 

DWORD WINAPI WriteToDatabase( LPVOID );

void main()
{
    HANDLE aThread[THREADCOUNT];
    DWORD ThreadID;
    int i;

    // Create a mutex with no initial owner

    ghMutex = CreateMutex( 
        NULL,              // default security attributes
        FALSE,             // initially not owned
        NULL);             // unnamed mutex

    if (ghMutex == NULL) 
    {
        printf("CreateMutex error: %d\n", GetLastError());
        return;
    }

    // Create worker threads

    for( i=0; i < THREADCOUNT; i++ )
    {
        aThread[i] = CreateThread( 
                     NULL,       // default security attributes
                     0,          // default stack size
                     (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE) WriteToDatabase, 
                     NULL,       // no thread function arguments
                     0,          // default creation flags
                     &ThreadID); // receive thread identifier

        if( aThread[i] == NULL )
        {
            printf("CreateThread error: %d\n", GetLastError());
            return;
        }
    }

    // Wait for all threads to terminate

    WaitForMultipleObjects(THREADCOUNT, aThread, TRUE, INFINITE);

    // Close thread and mutex handles

    for( i=0; i < THREADCOUNT; i++ )
        CloseHandle(aThread[i]);

    CloseHandle(ghMutex);
}

DWORD WINAPI WriteToDatabase( LPVOID lpParam )
{ 
    DWORD dwCount=0, dwWaitResult; 

    // Request ownership of mutex.

    while( dwCount < 20 )
    { 
        dwWaitResult = WaitForSingleObject( 
            ghMutex,    // handle to mutex
            INFINITE);  // no time-out interval
 
        switch (dwWaitResult) 
        {
            // The thread got ownership of the mutex
            case WAIT_OBJECT_0: 
                __try { 
                    // TODO: Write to the database
                    printf("Thread %d writing to database...\n", 
                            GetCurrentThreadId());
                    dwCount++;
                } 

                __finally { 
                    // Release ownership of the mutex object
                    if (! ReleaseMutex(ghMutex)) 
                    { 
                        // Handle error.
                    } 
                } 
                break; 

            // The thread got ownership of an abandoned mutex
            // The database is in an indeterminate state
            case WAIT_ABANDONED: 
                return FALSE; 
        }
    }
    return TRUE; 
}