Abstract: A connection method of a plurality of input/output channels between a plurality of sub-channels of an information processing system having a virtual machine running on a physical machine under control of a hypervisor and a plurality of devices. The method includes issuing from the hypervisor a command for setting configuration information defining a plurality of configuration structures between the sub-channels set for the respective virtual machines and the devices in a storage device and acquiring configuration information containing the sub-channel corresponding to a designated device from the configuration information corresponding to one of the virtual machines based on the device designation contained in the input/output command from the one virtual machine. The virtual machines are enabled after the issuance of the set command and before the issuance of the input/output command.

Abstract: A network SCSI apparatus and method that comprises a network SCSI device driver which presents a SCSI device interface to a host computer for transmitting SCSI commands in packets over a network to one or more network SCSI applications servers on other computers at separate physical locations connected to local SCSI devices. In a preferred embodiment, the network SCSI device driver enables programs executing on the host computer to treat the local SCSI devices at the remote locations as though they were at the same location as the host computer, thereby overcoming limitations on the number of target devices available at the host site, as well as physical distance limitations imposed by SCSI device standards.

Abstract: A distributed-client change-detection tool detects changes in Internet web-page documents on the world-wide-web. To register a web page for change detection with a change-detection server, a user specifies the web page's URL. A client-side change-detection application is downloaded to the user's client from the change-detection server. The server assigns a date and time for the client to perform change detection. At the assigned time and date, the client fetches a new copy of the web page and compares it to an archived copy to detect changes. When the client detects a change, it sends a notification with the URL to the server. The server verifies that the change has not already been reported by another user's client and then notifies all users of the registered web page. As more users are registered for a web page, change detection is performed more frequently. The most popular pages with tens of thousands of registered users are checked every few minutes.

Abstract: A method of performing a software operation on a target of one of more processors in a distributed processing system wherein another processor is designated as a server. The method includes running a configuration program on the server to condition the server to serve on the target, the software operation which includes resource creation and object definitions; testing entry conditions in the configuration program for determining if entry conditions are met to serve the software operation on the target; if the entry conditions are met, serving the software operation on the target; at the completion of the software operation, testing exit conditions in the configuration program for determining if the software operation on the target completed successfully; if the exit conditions are met, exiting the software operation; returning to the configuration program to serve a second software operation on the target; and repeating until all software operations are served on the target.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for performing dynamic synchronization between data stored in a handheld computer and a host computer, each having a plurality of data sets including at least one common data set, each computer having a copy of the common data set. The handheld computer has a processor, a communication port, and a data synchronization engine. The data synchronization engine has a pseudo-cache and one or more tags connected to the pseudo cache. Data is synchronized whenever data is written to main memory and/or when the associated pseudo-cache tag is invalidated. By strict adherence to a set of protocols, data coherency is achieved because the system always knows who owns the data, who has a copy of the data, and who has modified the data. The data synchronization engine resolves any differences in the copies and allows the storage of identical copies of the common data set in the host computer and in the handheld computer.

Abstract: A computer instruction execution unit includes different execution paths for different categories of instructions. Different execution paths share circuitry. The slower execution paths are pipelined. In some embodiments, all execution paths are pipelined. Fast instructions are executed by a fast execution path. Slower instructions are executed by a slower execution path. Faster instructions immediately following the slower instruction are also executed by the slower execution path not to block the shared circuitry. Consequently, the throughput is increased and the average instruction execution latency is reduced. When a sufficient number of clock cycles accumulate with no instructions started, subsequent fast instructions are executed by the fast execution path. A floating point multiplier is provided in which normalization/denormalization shift amounts are generated in parallel with multiplication of the significands of the operands.

Abstract: A method, system, and product for communicating data text messages, such as E-Mail, between computers connected to a network while providing selectable degrees of security for each message. The methodology comprises the procedure of creating in the originating computer a data message having a header which specifies, in addition to the address of the intended recipient computer, one or more security parameters which control the processing of the data message in the recipient computer. The security parameters include instructions for erasure of the data message following its storage in the recipient computer. The security parameters also include instructions as to whether or not copying, archiving, forwarding and printing of the data message is permitted. The recipient computer processes the data message in accord with the instructions. The erasure is of such a nature as to render the data message irretrievable following erasure.

Abstract: Web access functionality is embedded in a device to enable low cost widely accessible and enhanced user interface functions for the device. A web server in the device provides access to the user interface functions for the device through a device web page. A network interface in the device enables access to the web page by a web browser such that a user of the web browser accesses the user interface functions for the device through the web page.

Abstract: An electronic mail cataloging and retrieving system comprises an electronic mail communication unit, an electronic mail storage unit for storing electronic mails, a tray information storage unit for storing information on classification types used for classification of electronic mails and a format for relating electronic mails to said classification types, an electronic mail object storage unit for storing an electronic mail object related to each electronic mail stored in the electronic mail storage unit, a header information display control unit for showing header information and electronic mail attribute information on a prescribed electronic mail in the form of an at-a-glance guide, a tray display control unit showing tray information which shows that a prescribed electronic mail is classified into a prescribed classification type, and an electronic mail editing means for showing and editing the content of an electronic mail.

Abstract: A method for dynamically allocating the capacity of a computer network. All users of the network are classified as low or high priority users. High priority users may broadcast a delay message to the low priority users that cause the low priority users to delay before attempting to use the network. The length of delay can be adjusted if the high priority users are not able to utilize the network as required. In addition, if a low priority user does not receive a broadcast delay message within a predetermined amount of time, the delay period is reset to avoid unnecessary slowing of the network.

Abstract: A method of triggering video imaging and/or audio data on a "HyperCD" (CD-ROM) via a trigger through a network for instant local access of encrypted data on local media. The CD-ROM contains video/audio files that have been crippled by removing the critical information thereof. The CD-ROM also contains programs for directly and automatically connecting the end-user's computer to a targeted server (URL) a network (such as the Internet).

Abstract: A system for accessing information stored in a distributed information database provides a community of intelligent software agents. Each agent can be built as an extension of a known viewer for a distributed information system such as the Internet WorldWide Web. The agent is effectively integrated with the viewer and can extract pages by means of the viewer for storage in an intelligent page store. The text from the information system is abstracted and is stored with additional information, optionally selected by the user. The agent-based access system uses keyword sets to locate information of interest to a user, together with user profiles such that pages being stored by one user can be notified to another whose profile indicates potential interest. The keyword sets can be extended by use of a thesaurus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for linking real-time data with audiovisual content to enable a user to make selections, manipulate data, and to execute functions interactively through an audiovisual display unit based upon audiovisual content being displayed at the time. Audiovisual content is synchronized with the available interactive functions so that the user has the ability to interact with and perform functions related to the audiovisual content being shown at the time. In a preferred embodiment, actionable events in audiovisual programs are synchronized with associated overlay functions and interface data. A method is provided to make overlay functions available to the user through an audiovisual display during the actionable events that occur in a program being viewed by the user. A user interface for each overlay function that may be performed, which user interface may or may not be visible to the user, is overlaid on and synchronized with the program being shown.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compacting VLIW instructions in a processor having multiple functional units and including a buffer for storing compacted instructions, wherein NOP codes are eliminated from the compacted instruction and each compacted instruction includes words which contain an operation code directing the operation of one of the functional units, a dispersal code, and a delimiter code, wherein an alignment circuit parses each compacted instruction from the buffer based upon the delimiter codes of the words and aligns the compacted instruction in an alignment buffer and a dispersal circuit transfers each word of the compacted instruction stored in the alignment buffer into at least one operational field of a dispersed instruction buffer which stores an executable instruction having an operational field corresponding to each one of the functional units.

Abstract: The present invention solves the problems associated with the prior art by decoupling the issuing of instructions from their dispatch into their respective pipeline. This permits the determination of whether a particular instruction can safely be issued from an instruction queue to the next stage of the pipeline by providing such information at a point early in the machine cycle. In a multistage pipeline, a first stage is bypassed to provide instructions to a second stage regardless of the ability of the first stage to store the instruction from the instruction issuing unit.

Abstract: Methods apparatus for storing and expanding wide instruction words in a computer system are provided. The computer system includes a memory and an instruction cache. Compressed instruction words of a program are stored in a code heap segment of the memory, and code pointers are stored in a code pointer segment of the memory. Each of the code pointers contains a pointer to one of the compressed instruction words. Part of the program is stored in the instruction cache as expanded instruction words. During execution of the program, an instruction word is accessed in the instruction cache. When the instruction word required for execution is not present in the instruction cache, thereby indicating a cache miss, a code pointer corresponding to the required instruction word is accessed in the code pointer segment of memory. The code pointer is used to access a compressed instruction word corresponding to the required instruction word in the code heap segment of memory.

Abstract: A method for designing a constant multiplier system comprises identifying a repeated pattern in a minimal signed digit expression of a multiplier, designing a first accumulator stage to compute the product of a multiplicand by an instance of the pattern, and designing a second accumulator stage for accumulating shifted replicas of the pattern to yield a final product. Remainder terms, for example corresponding to non-zero digit positions not included in any instance of the pattern, are also accumulated at the second stage. By limiting the method to patterns with at least two non-zero values, the result tends to reduce the number of operations that must be performed to determine a final product. Thus, the size, complexity and speed of a constant multiplier system can be optimized.