Abstract: A system and method for performing merge transactions and non-failure rollback transactions between data structures without logging. The system comprises data structure objects (or consoles) comprising means for storing original attributes that define that object, means for storing apparent attributes merged into that object from the other object, means for storing a switch-to pointer, and means for storing a switch-chain pointer. The system may further comprise merging means for processing merge transactions, including means for switching the switch-to pointer of the second object to point to the first object, means for switching the switch-chain pointer of the first object to point to the second object to thereby form a switch chain, and means for logically ORing the apparent attributes of the first and second objects to thereby render the second object idle and permit the first object to control the attributes of the second object.

Abstract: A computer system includes a dual instruction decoder which issues two instructions in parallel within a single clock cycle if their are no register dependencies between the instructions, and instructions fall within a predetermined subset of the complete instruction set. The system includes first and second instruction pipelines. The first pipeline executes any instruction issued from the full instruction set, while the second pipeline only executes a predetermined subset of instructions selected based on principles of locality. A register dependency checker determines whether the destination register of a first instruction is used during the execution of a second instruction in an instruction sequence. When both instructions are within the subset and there are no dependencies, the first and second instructions can be issued in parallel in the first and second pipelines.

Abstract: A software architecture is implemented through the execution of instructions by a processor. The software architecture provides a first task for performing a first function in response to the occurrence of an interrupt. The first task is assigned a first priority level that is one of a predetermined set of priority levels. A server task is provided to perform a second function in response to the occurrence of the interrupt. The server task is assigned a second priority level that is between predetermined ones of the priority levels of the predetermined set of priority levels. The second priority level is alternately set higher than the first priority level. The operating system kernel includes a scheduler that selects tasks for execution based on relative task priority level. The kernel includes an interrupt handler that provides for setting the server task in a schedulable state in response to the occurrence of the interrupt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for file storage allocation for secondary storage systems for allocating storage space for both small and large files in the same file system that dynamically utilizes at least two different sizes of logical storage allocation units to organize files stored on one or more physical storage devices. A first, smaller logical allocation unit is used to allocate space for the beginning of files until the size of the file passes a predefined maximum small allocation unit size. Beyond the predefined maximum small allocation unit size for a file, a second, larger logical allocation unit is used to allocate the remaining space necessary to store the file. In the preferred embodiment, small allocation units of 1K and large allocation units of 16K are used to map files directly and indirectly to the physical storage devices in a secondary file storage system.

Abstract: A method and system relating to management of dynamic vehicle data from data sources that produce data entries that have both type and latency and are possibly periodic. Data sources produce data entries that are entered into a fixed interval data storage structure that has positions related to times. Data entries are entered into the storage structure at a position represented by the position of the current time minus the known latency of the data source. The position in the structure representing the current time is updated at predetermined times so that the structure represents a historical record in real time. Data clients receive notification of availability of data and request retrievals from the fixed interval storage structure of either current or historical data entries. When a current entry of a given data type is requested, the system returns the most recent data of that type stored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for a caching file server ("CFS") system which permits end user client programs on a local node of a distributed computer system, to issue requests to read/write data to a remote file and to query/set attributes of the remote file, and to have these requests serviced by the CFS in a way which minimizes the caching resources used as well as minimizes the related network communications. The CFS establishes CFS file programs to interface with the client programs, and sets up a common CFS cache for the file attributes, which cache is kept current via a communications link to a file program in a file server at the remote node containing the file, wherein the file program automatically updates the common CFS cache whenever any attributes change. The CFS also caches the results of bind operations in order to further minimize network calls and redundant cache usage.

Abstract: A system and method of logically and physically clustering data (tuples) in a database. The database management system of the invention partitions (declusters) a set of relations into smaller so-called local relations and reclusters the local relations into constructs called domains. The domains are self-contained in that a domain contains the information for properly accessing and otherwise manipulating the data it contains. In other words, the data objects stored in the domains may be stored in a particular domain based upon a locality-of-reference algorithm in which a tuple of data is placed in a domain if and only if all objects referenced by the tuple are contained in the domain. On the other hand, the data objects stored in a domain may be clustered so that a tuple of data is placed in a domain based on the domain of the object referenced by a particular element of the tuple.

Abstract: Scatter-Gather is a computer based document browsing method which operates in time proportional to a number of documents in a target corpus. The Scatter-Gather method includes: preparing an initial ordering of the corpus using, for example, an off-line computational method; determining a summary of the initial ordering of the corpus for interactive utility; and providing a further ordering of the corpus using, for example, an on-line non-deterministic method. The step of an off-line preparation of an initial ordering of a corpus is non-time-dependent, thus an accurate initial ordering is prepared. The step of determining a summary includes determining a summary for presentation to a user without scrolling on a CRT. The step of providing a further ordering includes truncated group average agglomerate clustering, merging disjointed document sets, center finding, assign-to-nearest and other refinement methods.

Abstract: A unique naming system and method are described for managing object identification by a network of computer systems. The naming system employs data structures stored in the memory of the computer systems containing character strings and corresponding addresses to entries in the data structures and objects in the computer systems. Names employed in a particular computer system that correspond to objects in another computer system are resolved by a border data structure capable of transforming names, delimiters and visas across computer systems.

Abstract: A set in structure (SIS) list is established for each DAG structure of a DAG structure network. Additionally, a used before set (UBS) list is established for each structure invoking element in the DAG data structure. At each invocation of a DAG structure, a list of traversal state list (TSL) attribute values that need to saved and subsequently restored (SAR) for the invoking DAG data structure is established. The SAR list of an invoked DAG data structure is established based on a list of attributes needed by the invoking DAG data structure (N) and the SIS of the invoked DAG data structure. The N list is established based on the UBS list of the invoking structure element of the invoking DAG structure, and a need from child (NFC) attribute list of the invoking DAG data structure. Only values of the TSL attributes included in the SAR list are saved before the invoked DAG data structure is traversed.

Abstract: The utilization of a level of a data storage hierarchy is monitored and the data in such level is manipulated in response thereto. In a data storage hierarchy including an automated storage library, the utilization is a mount rate relative to the maximum possible mount rate. When the combined utilization of all of the libraries exceeds a predetermined value, data is promoted from the most utilized library (or libraries) to a higher level in the data storage hierarchy until the combined utilization of all of the libraries is sufficiently reduced. By reducing the combined utilization of all of the libraries, the average queue time for library mount requests is prevented from becoming excessively long relative to the average library mount cycle time.

Abstract: The Network Data Dictionary is a device for enabling standardization of data structures in programs, file layouts and Data Base Management System (DBMS) schema residing in Include Files located on one or more computers in a network. By making the data structures comply with the data element definitions stored in a common data element dictionary, improvements in the quality, accuracy, and consistency of data can be obtained, while simultaneously providing productivity advantages to programmers. The device is set up to organize a set of disparate Include Files (representing data structure descriptions corresponding to program structures, file layouts, and DBMS schema), in one or more computers in a network under a common scheme called the Include File Dictionary, so that these Include Files are made accessible by the device to programmers for sharing, controlled modification, and use.

Abstract: A shared resource management system in a multi-processor system comprises the steps of: requesting an accessing right from a processor requesting an accessing right to a shared resource to one processor in the system; taking the place of the request for the accessing right to the shared resource by the one processor; and establishing the accessing right by the one processor when the accessing is permitted and informing the acquirement of the accessing right to the accessing right requesting processor.

Abstract: License management systems and methods allow licenses for a computer program to be available for use at each of a plurality of nodes of a network. If a valid license file at a local node contains an unexpired, available license, a license manager at the local node permits the computer program to be executed at the requesting local node. If no such license is available in a valid license file at such local node, the license manager searches the other nodes for a valid license file containing an unexpired, available license. In one embodiment, if an unexpired available license is located in a valid license file at a second (or "remote") node, the license manager transfers such license to the local node, and assigns and encrypts a unique identification to such transferred license. The original record of the transferred license is modified by erasing it from the license file at the remote node so that the transferred license is no longer available there.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for operating a digital communication network to avoid congestion by detecting load conditions at the routers exceeding their knee capacities, flagging information packets associated with those streams of traffic accounting for more than their fair share of throughput at such overloaded routers, and reducing at the end systems the throughput of those streams of traffic for which more than a predetermined fraction of information packets received by the end systems are flagged.

Abstract: According to this invention, an image storage/retrieval apparatus classifies a plurality of keywords into groups constituting retrieval data assigned with image numbers corresponding respective images, performs a primary retrieving process for retrieving a group keyword for specifying the groups, extracts candidate images, and then selects a predetermined image from the extracted candidate images. The plurality of images are stored in an optical disk, and image management data is stored in a image management table.

Abstract: A Virtual Storage Access Management (VSAM) technique for maintaining data integrity of the record-level shared data in a multiprocessor system environment without the concurrency loss associated with locking at the data Control Interval (CI) or block level. Two or more concurrent processes can update different records within the same VSAM data CI using only a record-level lock. This feature relies upon multiple private data CI copies, Shared External Storage (SES), cache cross-invalidation, and a conditional writing operation. A first process updates a private copy of a data CI containing the target record from SES, logs the changes, and writes the changed data CI back to the SES conditioned upon no update having been made to the same block data CI by a second process in the interim.

Abstract: A speed and memory control system and method for use with a sort accelerator having a rebound sorter. The speed and memory control system includes a variable length shift register which utilizes circulating RAM indexing, tag extraction lookahead features to speed up access of records, and merge lookahead and memory management features to provide quick and effective storage of records.

Abstract: A compiler includes a register allocation method making use of the concept of assigning temporary items to lifetime holes if such holes exist that are suitable. The compiler includes a front end for converting the input code to an intermediate representation, then this input representation is traversed to identify all of the temporary items, and to find all of the holes in the temporary items. Lists are maintained of the identified temporaries and holes. Register allocation then includes assigning temporaries to registers so long as there are free registers, and if holes are available in already-assigned temporaries then these holes are used in assigning registers. After all the available registers and holes are used, remaining temporaries are unallocated and thus represent memory references.

Abstract: A method for automatically optimizing computer disks is disclosed which utilizes recorded file usage to determine this optimum location of files on the disk. Each file on the disk is assigned a priority, depending upon its characteristics and frequency of usage. The files on the disk are then reordered on the basis of their priorities (for instance, active files are grouped together in low-numbered sections and volatile files are grouped with free space), thereby minimizing seek time of disk access. The method can be done in the background and optimization can occur on a daily basis.