Abstract: In carrying out a task that consumes data from a one-time pad, task inputs comprising at least first data and second data from the pad, are combined together to form an output from which the data used from the pad cannot be recovered without knowledge of at least one of the first and second data. The task concerned can be, for example, the encrypting of a message or the creating of an attribute verifier.

Abstract: Print jobs requested are scheduled to be performed during available time slots, and on suitable printers having lowest associated overhead cost. In the event that no technically suitable printer is available a print services management programme determines whether it is economically viable to cancel one or more pre-scheduled print jobs in favour of the requested job, taking into account, for example, the price of the requested job and scheduled jobs. In a development a bidding routine establishes at what price it is viable to cancel a scheduled job in favour of a requested job, and that price is then offered to a customer. Future work inflow is predicted and represented in the form of virtual jobs which are scheduled in the same manner as actual jobs, but whose value is representative of the likelihood of the job maturing into an actual job.

Abstract: A method of analysing a network having a plurality of computing and infrastructure elements, some of which run agents that monitor one or more network phenomenon, the method comprising the steps of: disabling a selected infrastructure element on which it is not possible to run a monitoring agent; acquiring data from an element adjacent a disabled element; and generating, from the acquired data, a signature representative of the selected element being inoperative.

Abstract: A fault manifested in a network between two network nodes is investigated by selecting highest probability failure modes of resources which form network pathways between the two nodes, and probing the network to establish whether any of the highest probability failure modes are the cause of the fault. If not then a group of lower probability failure modes are selected and the network is probed once again to establish whether any of the lower probability failure modes are the cause of the fault. This process may be repeated until the fault is diagnosed. Resources are defined at the discretion of an administrator, and so may be clustered groups of computing entities and network links, or defined at a level of particularity such that functional elements within a computing entity such as a network card and a driver are defined as resources.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system comprising means to process identification data associated with a communication; and means, responsive to the identification data, to access a data base to invoke/execute at least one voice application arranged to provide assistance in relation to at least one program; the data base having been configured to comprise the at least one voice application in response to the at least one program being executable by the user equipment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system comprising means to process identification data associated with a communication; and means, responsive to the identification data, to access a data base to invoke at least one voice application arranged for providing assistance in relation to a respective fault; the data base having been configured to comprise the at least one voice application related to the respective fault.

Abstract: A computer network has plural computer systems, plural printers and a server. Each computer system has an application program for generating print data for the printers. The server has a workflow management program which (1) monitors and controls the flow of jobs computer systems send the printer and (2) a computer model representing the current system state. In response to a network event occurring, e.g., a hardware failure or a new print job, the program makes plural computer model copies and makes each copy perform an alternative event management operation. The program generates a set of prediction data from each computer model copy. Each set of prediction data represents a predicted future network state in response to each event management operation. A preferred event management operation is selected by comparing each generated set of prediction data with a reference set of prediction data.

Abstract: A method of configuring a supercomputer having a plurality of computing elements, each having means providing an irreducible core computing capability to store and retrieve data, is disclosed, which method comprises the steps of: defining an operating time interval; establishing an desired probability of successful operation over the operating time interval; having regard to the total number of computing elements, configuring each computing element so that, over the operating time interval, the probability of successful operation of the irreducible core capability of each computing elements is greater than, or equal to, the desired probability of successful operation over the operating time interval.

Abstract: A method of operating a supercomputer having N computing elements each connected to a fast communications link is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of: operating the supercomputer to perform a computing operation; upon failure of a fast communications link transferring state from a computing element which, as a result of the fast communications link failure, is no longer able to communicate, to a spare computing element not previously engaged in the computing operation, and continuing the computing operation with the spare computing element, wherein the number of redundant elements M is chosen to satisfy the expression BM[N, (1?PT)]>S where S is a desired probability of successful completion of the computing operation within a time T and P is the probability of successful operation per unit time of a fast communications link.

Abstract: A method of operating a supercomputer having a plurality of computing elements each connected to a fast communications link is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of: scheduling specified elements to perform computing tasks in specified cycles of a computing operation; in the event of failure of a fast communications link in a given cycle, transferring state from a disabled element no longer able to communicate as a result of the failure to an idle element not scheduled to perform a task in the given cycle; operating the idle element to perform any uncompleted tasks scheduled for the disabled element remaining in the cycle.

Abstract: Scheduling software is disclosed which is adapted to: receive input data sets for each of a plurality of tasks, each data set including a value for a resource required to perform the task and a rule relating to performance of the task; having regard to the rules in the data sets, order tasks in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria; calculate, using each of the values for the resource from individual tasks, a value for a parameter of the resource, wherein the value is calculated upon the basis of a function which is an algebra homomorphism.

Abstract: A computer program (10) for analysing a specification, determining what kind of data processing operations are carried out, and deducing or inferring from the kind of internal operations, what data types are appropriate. The data types inferred can be compared with specified data types, to check for errors, or optimise the overall process. This is effectively an extension of type inference from individual programs into the higher level technical field of process analysis. It can also be applied to monitoring and optimising processes during operation of the processes.

Abstract: This invention describes methods for securing access to an electronic annotation provided on an object, including the steps of providing the object with a plurality of memory tags, providing an electronic annotation on at least one of the memory tags, and defining a sequence in which the memory tags must be accessed in order to access the annotation.

Abstract: A computer program (10) analyses a specification for a process, by analysing automatically the specification of the process to identify a set of monitoring points, and determine automatically a cost of the monitoring. Measuring the cost can enable the cost to be reduced or the monitoring to be optimised for a given cost. The analysis can include identifying database accesses, and determine automatically how to reduce the amount of database accesses to improve database performance. It can also analyse automatically the specification to identify database accesses which involve database locking, and infer automatically how to reduce the scope and range of the locking, to improve database performance.

Abstract: A network connects plural computer systems to plural printers. A program of each computer system generates data supplied to at least one printer. A print spooler of each computer system stores the print data. Each printer comprises a daemon and local memory. A data control module monitors, via the network, data relating to a print job stored on a computer system and job timing information relating to preferred time for processing the print job. The daemon retrieves a copy of the data when the network becomes available to transfer the data, and stores the print data on the local memory. The retrieval and storage operations occur before the time specified in the job timing information. When the network traffic is low each printer locally stores data that are retrieved and stored prior to the time specified in the job timing information.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment is an apparatus for compressing data having an arbitrary probability distribution, the apparatus being configured to obtain a set of samples from said data, create a phase distribution model of said sample data set, and perform a search function adapted to select the elements forming said phase distribution model by evaluating one or more values of the elements within the model and determine those that best fit the distribution of the example data set.

Abstract: Upon downloading of a home page for example, which contains two or more links to other pages (either within the same site, or part of a different site), the links to those pages are pre-emptively actuated, i.e. before manual actuation by a user. Consequential download of these pages may be either performed simultaneously but at different speeds, thereby reflecting pre-determined weightings for each of the pages, or one after the other, with the order reflecting the weightings.

Abstract: Connection of a client browser to a server hosting a sub-page in a website via a link from a principal page at a higher level in the hierarchy of pages is established by actuation of a link sent to the client with the principal page. The link includes a signifier unique to a given server on which the sub-page is hosted, so that resolution of the URL in the link need not be performed dynamically at the server side.

Abstract: A method of providing a node 200 of a peer-to-peer network 250 with access to a resource 210 located within the network 250 comprising providing the node 200 with at least one link to the resource 210 which is actuable to connect the node 200 to the resource 210 and the link having associated therewith information which provides an action that the node 200 accessing the resource 210 using the link should perform if the access should fail.

Abstract: Connection of a client browser to a server hosting a sub-page in a website via a link from a principal page at a higher level in the hierarchy of pages is established by actuation of a link sent to the client with the principal page. The link includes a signifier unique to a given server on which the sub-page is hosted, so that resolution of the URL in the link need not be performed dynamically at the server side.