Synchronization Issues in Real-Time Systems

Real-time systems must accomplish executive and application tasks within speci ed timing constraints. In distributed real-time systems, the mechanisms that ensure fair access to shared resources, achieve consistent deadlines, meet timing or precedence constraints, and avoid deadlocks all utilize the notion of a common system-wide time base. A synchronization primitive is essential in meeting the demands of real-time critical computing. This paper provides a tutorial on the terminology, issues, and techniques essential to synchronization in real-time systems.