Method of assigning virtual process identifier to process within process domain

1. A method of virtualizing a process identifier comprising the steps of:

creating a child process from a parent process by making a system call from the parent process;

if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute, at a kernel level and without interruption mapping a free virtual process identifier to a kernel process identifier for the child process, wherein the parent process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute; and

if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute, at the kernel level and without interruption:

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process; and

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier, wherein the child process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier makes an entry in a mapping table.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a loadable kernel module places the system call within a wrapper function.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the wrapper function includes wrapper code to perform the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process a identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the child process begins execution at a user level.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the child process begins with an instruction which directs the child process to enter the kernel level.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the child process upon entering the kernel level performs the steps of:

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process; and

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier.

8. A method of virtualizing a process identifier comprising the steps of:

creating a child process from a parent process by making a system call from the parent process;

if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute, at the kernel level:

acquiring a lock on a mapping table;

assigning a free virtual process identifier to the child process;

mapping the free virtual process identifier to a kernel process identifier for the child process which makes an entry in the mapping table, wherein the parent process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute; and

unlocking the mapping table; and

if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute, at the kernel level:

acquiring a lock on the mapping table;

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process;

assigning the free virtual process identifier to the child process;

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier which makes the entry in the mapping table, wherein the child process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute; and

unlocking the mapping table.

9. A computer readable media having stored thereon computer code which when executed implements a method of virtualizing a process identifier, the method of virtualizing the process identifier comprising the steps of:

creating a child process from a parent process by making a system call from the parent process;

if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute, at a kernel level and without interruption mapping a free virtual process identifier to a kernel process identifier for the child process, wherein the parent process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute; and

if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute, at the kernel level and without interruption:

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process; and

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier, wherein the child process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute.

10. The computer readable media of claim 9 wherein the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier makes an entry in a mapping table.

11. The computer readable media of claim 9 wherein a loadable kernel module places the system call within a wrapper function.

12. The computer readable media of claim 11 wherein the wrapper function includes wrapper code to perform the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier.

13. The computer readable media of claim 9 wherein the child process begins execution at a user level.

14. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein the child process begins with an instruction which directs the child process to enter the kernel level.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14 wherein the child process upon entering the kernel level performs the steps of:

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process; and

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier.

16. A computer readable media having stored thereon computer code which when executed implements a method of virtualizing a process identifier, the method of virtualizing the process identifier comprising the steps of:

creating a child process from a parent process by making a system call from the parent process;

if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute, at the kernel level:

acquiring a lock on a mapping table;

assigning a free virtual process identifier to the child process;

mapping the free virtual process identifier to a kernel process identifier for the child process which makes an entry in the mapping table, wherein the parent process performs the mapping of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute; and

unlocking the mapping table; and

if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute, at the kernel level:

acquiring a lock on the mapping table;

determining the kernel process identifier for the child process;

assigning the free virtual process identifier to the child process;

mapping the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier which makes the entry in the mapping table, wherein the child process performs the manning of the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier if the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute; and

unlocking the mapping table.