Abstract: In a process for ensuring compatibility of components in a system, system components are defined and relationships between two or more system components identified. From relationships between components, inter-relationships between these identified relationships and possibly other components are determined. By validating integrity of either or both of the identified relationship and determined inter-relationship and, based on a validating result, ensuring integrity of the identified relationship or determined inter-relationship, compatibility of the components in the system is ensured. This process is particularly useful in eliminating incompatibilities between resident and migrational software in an automated computer system.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus comprising an electronic scanner and an electronic printer for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a mass memory device for storing data to be printed, random access memory, a printer control, and a Resource Manager for ensuring access to the random access memory for conveying data from the mass memory device to the printer via the random access memory, the Resource Manager including a mass memory device scheduler to provide printer access to the random access memory, the mass memory device scheduler having a reservation queue to reserve mass memory device access at predetermined times, delay means to determine that access to the mass memory device is invalid within a given time, and means to convey disk request operations to said reservation queue in order to provide guaranteed random access mernory at predetermined times.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for scheduling transfers in a printing machine of the type having a scheduler communicating with both a first disk and a second disk, the first and second disks having a combined bandwidth. The method for scheduling comprises the following steps: First, a first transfer to be performed on a first location of the first disk during a first time interval and a second transfer to be performed on a second location of the first disk during a second time interval are both scheduled, with the scheduler, so that a first time gap interval exists between the first time interval and the second time interval.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files with booting process for booting the system to a running condition, the booting process detecting a previously replaced or misplaced disk and in response thereto, enabling booting of the system without loss or re-installing of critical system files.

Abstract: An electronic printing system with plural hard disks for storing system files in which upgraded software together with software identification data is written to a first of the disks, the system booted from the first disk, and the upgraded software thereafter migrated from the first disks to the other disks.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus having image processing resources including a controller for directing the operation of the image processing resources, the controller including a disk memory, the method of controlling mass memory device bandwidth access during an access time window including guaranteeing access to the memory for predetermined time periods for a first set of image processing resources during each access time window, a second set of image processing resources having access subordinate to the first set of image processing resources, maintaining a record of mass memory device access for the first set of image processing resources during each access time window, receiving a memory access request from the first set of image processing resources, determining that said resource utilization does not exceed the predetermined time period, and allowing current access to the mass memory device by the image processing resource.

Abstract: A multiprocessor control for a machine including a first executing portion communicating with a first processor and a second executing portion communicating with a second processor. The processors execute a plurality of tasks with each of said tasks residing in one or the other of the processors. Each of the tasks is executed in one or the other of the processors and each of the tasks comprises a block of instructions. A plurality of tasks are operated on by providing a start instruction for the execution of tasks, identifying a first task to be started by said start instruction, initiating the execution of the first task by the start instruction, identifying a second task to be started by the start instruction, and initiating the execution of the second task by the start instruction before the execution of the first task is complete.