Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product for performing ad hoc media delivery. Enhanced handheld devices are used in combination with the other components to route media and control its presentation. Enhanced media presentation stations detect the presence of one or more of the handheld devices. Information regarding the presence of a handheld device is then communicated from the media presentation stations to an enhanced server. The server uses this information to maintain a record of the location of each handheld device. The recorded location information is used to route the media to the media presentation station that is closest to the location of the handheld device. Control information, such as media selection and fidelity control (when appropriate), is forwarded from the handheld device to the server, so that the server can take appropriate action relative to transmission of the media to the media presentation station at issue.

Abstract: Disclosed is an Information Supply Facility. The Information Supply Facility utilizes a personal/hand held device that transparently interacts (via various access points) with a centralized server. The server collects identification and location information about the personal device and makes a determination as to whether the person associated with the device should be notified regarding the proximity of other individuals and/or regarding one or more topics of interest to the particular person. The collected information along with certain profile information is stored in a database where it can be made available to third parties (e.g., governmental entities) for tracking and notification purposes.

Abstract: Disclosed is an enhanced conformal coating, a process for making the same, and several computer related applications. A commercially available conformal coating is combined with a commercially available blowing agent (sometimes called a “foaming agent”) to create an enhanced conformal coating. The formulation of the enhanced coating is such that it will emit a particular gas when heated to a particular temperature. The enhanced coating is then applied to an object to which pre-damage heat detection is desired. A sensor, located proximate to the object, is then used to detect the emitted gas. Once the gas is detected, actions can be taken to reduce the heat in a manner appropriate for the particular object. Application of the enhanced coating within the computer industry can involve its use with a particular electrical component or a group of electrical components (e.g., a circuit board). For example, the enhanced coating can be applied to one or more circuit boards.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product that provides atomic, multi-word load support without incurring additional memory utilization. A double-word is atomically loaded without the use of one or more additional fields and without a lock. An invalidity marker is used in connection with a cache miss time to ascertain whether a loaded double-word has been stored and loaded atomically, and is thus, valid.

Abstract: Disclosed are two mechanisms for preventing access failures attributable to dynamic port assignment of firewall-blocked ports. The mechanism involves an enhanced firewall that opens blocked ports prior to possible dynamic allocation so that the blocked ports are not available when a port is requested. The second mechanism involves an enhanced commutations stack that works in conjunction with an enhanced firewall to reserve blocked ports so that the blocked ports are not available for dynamic allocation when a port is requested.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product for performing efficient database access plan caching. Unlike prior art mechanism that automatically discard stored access plans whenever the need for a different access plans is detected, stored plans are intelligently retained despite the handling of one or more infrequent queries that call for the use of a different plan.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a communications protocol supporting cluster configurations more complex than a single LAN is disclosed. A cluster destination address table (CDAT) is used in conjunction with a network message servicer to communicate between computer systems in a cluster. Each computer system preferably contains a cluster servicer, a CDAT, and a network message servicer. The CDAT contains network addresses, status and adapter information for each computer system in a cluster. Although computer systems may have alternate network addresses when they have multiple adapters, the CDAT indexes primary and alternate address information under a single named system. Thus, redundant connections amongst computer systems are identified, while still using the numeric addresses upon which the network message servicer is based. To send a message using the methods of the present invention, the cluster servicer retrieves a network address for a computer system from a CDAT.

Abstract: OOP environments comprise composite data structures and internal mechanisms for manipulating those structures. The structures are used to allow a user to realize the power of OOP. Hence, the layout of these structures, the way in which the structures inter-relate, and the manner in which they are built and used are all critical to the utility of a particular OOP environment. It is no surprise, then, that manufacturers and suppliers of OOP environments are constantly striving to design composite data structures and internal mechanisms which maximize user productivity. The internal mechanisms and structures that make up the present invention are collectively referred to as the New Object Model (NOM). The composite data structures and organization of the NOM OOP environment provide significant benefits that are not provided by the environments of the prior art.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing software between computers are disclosed. A software fix manager compares a preferred software inventory with a software inventory from a computer that is to be synchronized and, from this comparison, creates a number of software product synchronizations. An update manager uses the software fix list to apply software product synchronizations to the computer. Preferably, the computer can be brought to the same fix level or product level, if desired, as the preferred software inventory through this process. The software fix manager can place synchronizations in a fix list. There can be multiple software product synchronizations per software product, and the synchronizations can be applied to a computer by removing a software product fix or installing a product software fix. The current invention may also be applied to software products themselves, by installing or removing software products.

Abstract: Disclosed is an enhanced database journaling mechanism that results in reduced secondary storage consumption. The memory management mechanism of the present invention reduces journal size, and accordingly, secondary storage utilization by monitoring the effects to the journal by certain transactions and by making one or more adjustments to reduce those effects.

Abstract: The mechanisms of the present invention provide comprehensive heuristic menu arrangement control by providing several discrete, yet complementary, features. One feature is automatic menu arrangement for both fixed and variable content menus based on a combination of frequency of selection and recency of selection. Another feature is the consideration of time of day for menu arrangement. Time of day is used in two different ways. First, time of day is used as a heuristic factor (i.e., in the same way as recency and frequency) to affect the automatic arrangement of menu items. The second time of day feature allows the user to affect the order that certain menu items are presented during a user specified time period.

Abstract: A color contrast adjuster is disclosed that automatically selects and applies a new color combination for text and background based on the current color combination for the text and background, if the current color combination is a problem color combination. The text can be any text object (such as a hypertext link, bold text, underline text, groups of text etc.) and the background can be any background object whose color can be determined (such as a solid color, a button, a global interchange format file, etc.). Additionally, the color contrast adjuster can store multiple problem and preferred color combinations for each user. The color contrast adjuster can replace a problem color combination with a preferred color combination. Furthermore, the color contrast adjuster can provide example color combinations to a user, allow the user to select a better color combination, and add this preferred and problem combination to a user preferences.

Abstract: A data processing system comprising an object framework, and a plurality of components for supporting an application program utilizing the plurality of components. In the object framework, each of the plurality of components registers with the object framework. Then, in response to the registering, each of the plurality of components is associated with one of a plurality of context groups. Furthermore, each of the plurality of components creates an instance of itself. A first instance is associated with a first context group of a first respective component and a second instance is associated with a second context group of a second respective component. The first instance and the second instance operate independently of each other.

Abstract: OOP environments comprise composite data structures and internal mechanisms for manipulating those structures. The structures are used to allow a user to realize the power of OOP. Hence, the layout of these structures, the way in which the structures inter-relate, and the manner in which they are built and used are all critical to the utility of a particular OOP environment. It is no surprise, then, that manufacturers and suppliers of OOP environments are constantly striving to design composite data structures and internal mechanisms which maximize user productivity. The internal mechanisms and structures that make up the present invention are collectively referred to as the New Object Model (NOM). The composite data structures and organization of the NOM OOP environment provide significant benefits that are not provided by the environments of the prior art.

Abstract: The mechanisms of the present invention model real life by providing subconversations through several different, yet complimentary, features. One feature is referred to as conversation separation. When enabled by a user, conversation separation is used to create subconversations by identifying groups of users that are speaking with one another. Another user configurable feature is referred to as distance recognition. Distance recognition creates subconversations by considering the logical distance between users within a groupware object. A feature that is related to distance recognition is referred to as “priority conversation.” If enabled, priority conversation maintains a user within a subconversation as the user moves away from the location of the other users so long as the user that is moving away continues to participate in the subconversation.

Abstract: A computer system, program product, and method utilize alternate program code associated with an executable file using a file attribute so that the alternate program code may be retrieved and executed in lieu of the primary program code stored in the file. As one example, for a platform-independent executable file such as a Java class file, a file attribute of the file may be analyzed to determine if native program code for a particular platform is associated with the file. If so, the native program code may be retrieved and executed directly without the additional overhead associated with interpreting the platform-independent program code in the file. If, on the other hand, the native program code is not detected, the native program code may be generated and associated with the file using a file attribute such that the native program code is detected in subsequent attempts to retrieve and execute the file.

Abstract: This present invention incorporates the benefits of the function shipping, page shipping and class shipping remote object access models into a single, industry standard programming model. The fundamental mechanism of the present invention is an underlying shipper mechanism, which dynamically selects and updates the remote object access method being employed for any given access based on the most desirable method available at the time of the object access. The shipper mechanism dynamically decides which underlying access mechanism to use based on (1) object access policy rules, and (2) system operational loads and network traffic heuristics. The shipper is further capable of transparently switching from one access model to another while an object access is on-going.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for a profiling system wherein profile data is stored in a separable hierarchical fashion such that profile data for each compiled procedure in a computer program can be readily identified and utilized. In particular, each source module has a corresponding profile data file and each procedure has a corresponding procedure profile area. The system and method also includes a mechanism for verifying the existence and validity of profile information, and a mechanism for handling invalid profile information.

Abstract: A computer system having a graphical system user interface for accepting input from a user to create objects in an object-oriented computing environment. The system user interface generates an XML-compliant template file reflecting the work-flow defined by input fiom the user. A macro list generator displays a representation of the template file and prompts for user interface customization options based on the template file. The macro list generator generates an XML-compliant macro list file reflecting interface customization. The system has a custom interface generator to present the customized interface to the user, having prompts derived from the macro list data. The customized interface generator accepts input from the user in response to the customized interface prompts and generates an XML-compliant application file corresponding to the template file as modified to reflect responses of the user to the customized interface prompts.

Abstract: The mechanisms of the present invention provide comprehensive heuristic menu arrangement control by providing several discrete, yet complementary, features. One feature is automatic menu arrangement for both fixed and variable content menus based on a combination of frequency of selection and recency of selection. Another feature is the consideration of time of day for menu arrangement. Time of day is used in two different ways. First, time of day is used as a heuristic factor (i.e., in the same way as recency and frequency) to affect the automatic arrangement of menu items. The second time of day feature allows the user to affect the order that certain menu items are presented during a user specified time period.