Real time dispatcher

The present invention provides a process scheduler or dispatcher for a multiprocessor system for real time applications. This embodiment of the present invention proposes a dispatcher model that maintains a dispatch queue for each processor and a separate global dispatch queue for unbound higher priority real time threads. A processor has its own queue and a dispatcher. Each queue has a separate schedule lock associated with it to protect scheduling operations. A processor's dispatcher selects a thread for execution from one of the queues in the system as a candidate thread to execute. When a candidate thread is selected for execution, the processor proceeds to verify against threads in the global real time queue and the processor's own dispatch queue to select a highest priority runnable thread in the system. Thus, the present invention allows the dispatcher to prevent race conditions and minimize lock contention while assuring that high-priority threads are dispatched as quickly as possible. The present invention is implemented by a synchronization between the operations of dispatching a thread and making a thread runnable.