Abstract: A mechanism is provided to automatically associate a data structure, e.g., a mix, containing one or more contexts with a computing job, wherein a context specifying specific operating conditions or permutations of a computing job. A mix can be associated to a computing job prior to and/or during the execution of the computing job. The computing job can then be executed in each context of the mix. Preferably, one or more constraints can be associated with the computing job prior to and/or during the execution of the computing job. Any context in a mix applied to the computing job that conflicts with a constraint of the computing job will be disassociated with the computing job.

Abstract: Disclosed are mechanisms for creating and communicating with computer processes. An application programming interface (API) presents services of the system to applications. The API is usable with all processes, local and remote, and is transparent with respect to the location of processes. A process table stores information about processes created using the system. The process table supports centralized process control and peer-to-peer process communication and synchronization. Each process is assigned a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) that uniquely identifies the process no matter the computing device on which it runs. A parent UUID and a group UUID may be attached to the process and used for enforcing dependencies (e.g., for halting the process and all of its child processes) and for managing arbitrary, user-defined groups, respectively. A global event is associated with each process. When a process receives this event, it performs a controlled shutdown, cleans up, and reports status.

Abstract: Disclosed are mechanisms for creating and communicating with computer processes. An application programming interface (API) presents services of the system to applications. The API is usable with all processes, local and remote, and is transparent with respect to the location of processes. A process table stores information about processes created using the system. The process table supports centralized process control and peer-to-peer process communication and synchronization. Each process is assigned a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) that uniquely identifies the process no matter the computing device on which it runs. A parent UUID and a group UUID may be attached to the process and used for enforcing dependencies (e.g., for halting the process and all of its child processes) and for managing arbitrary, user-defined groups, respectively. A global event is associated with each process. When a process receives this event, it performs a controlled shutdown, cleans up, and reports status.

Abstract: Disclosed are mechanisms for creating and communicating with computer processes. An application programming interface (API) presents services of the system to applications. The API is usable with all processes, local and remote, and is transparent with respect to the location of processes. A process table stores information about processes created using the system. The process table supports centralized process control and peer-to-peer process communication and synchronization. Each process is assigned a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) that uniquely identifies the process no matter the computing device on which it runs. A parent UUID and a group UUID may be attached to the process and used for enforcing dependencies (e.g., for halting the process and all of its child processes) and for managing arbitrary, user-defined groups, respectively. A global event is associated with each process. When a process receives this event, it performs a controlled shutdown, cleans up, and reports status.

Abstract: Disclosed are mechanisms for creating and communicating with computer processes. An application programming interface (API) presents services of the system to applications. The API is usable with all processes, local and remote, and is transparent with respect to the location of processes. A process table stores information about processes created using the system. The process table supports centralized process control and peer-to-peer process communication and synchronization. Each process is assigned a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) that uniquely identifies the process no matter the computing device on which it runs. A parent UUID and a group UUID may be attached to the process and used for enforcing dependencies (e.g., for halting the process and all of its child processes) and for managing arbitrary, user-defined groups, respectively. A global event is associated with each process. When a process receives this event, it performs a controlled shutdown, cleans up, and reports status.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a componentized user interface is provided. The componentized user interface may include a framework and a plurality of plug-ins to provide users a method to customize the user interface. A shell that is linked to the framework hosts the plurality of plug-ins. A shell adapter may be utilized to provide an interface between the shell and the plurality of plug-ins.

Abstract: Updating a single block of metadata is optimized into a single I/O operation. Resilience against single block failure and system crashes with a single or less than three I/O operations is provided. The present invention method and apparatus stores two copies of the metadata in two areas on disk. Each individual block of metadata in each area is duplicated as a doublet. The doublet provides two copies of a subject block to be written to disk as a single I/O. This enables metadata to survive a single block failure since such a failure only affects half of the doublet. Further, each block of metadata has header information including an indication of transaction and a part count. A transaction is not deemed committed until corresponding blocks of all parts are found.