Abstract: Messages are redistributed in a clustered messaging environment including messaging servers and consuming applications. Each messaging server has a queue partition operable to contain messages. Each consuming application can connect to a messaging server in to consume one or more messages from a queue partition local to that messaging server. A message on a holding queue partition local to a messaging server without at least one consumer interested in consuming that message is said to be marooned. Using either a push model or a pull model, a marooned message is redistributed from the holding queue partition to a queue partition local to a messaging server that does have at least one consumer interested in consuming the message.

Abstract: Requests from a client to put messages into an input queue are intercepted before reaching the input queue. The intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application are established. Information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner. A request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional, and the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message. Such a message can then be matched with the server application's request such that the server application can retrieve the message. In this way, such messages by-pass the input queue, and are, therefore, not logged, resulting in a reduction of I/O.

Abstract: A method and computer program product is provided for sending a persistent message in a transaction-enabled messaging and queuing system. A message queue manager is responsible for transferring messages from a sender program to a receiving program via a message queue. A message is sent from the sender program to the message queue manager. The message is defined to permit the message queue manager to select whether to treat the message transactionally or non-transactionally.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for delivering messages and data to competing consumers. One aspect of the invention includes a message delivery system including a destination messaging engine, one or more receiver messaging engines, and a message pool. The destination messaging engine is configured to distribute data from one or more producers. The receiver messaging engines are configured to request data from the destination messaging engine and transmit the data to one or more consumers. The message pool is configured to store data from the producers, with the destination messaging engine arbitrating data in the message pool among the receiver messaging engines.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program for reducing the number of data elements checkpointed in a system having at least one data store where operations on said at least one data store are recorded in a log. A point in the log is recorded. The oldest data element in each of the least one data store is determined and it is then determined for each of the at least one data store whether a logged representation of the data store's oldest data element is more recent than the point recorded. Responsive to determining that a data store's logged representation is more recent than the point recorded, it is realised that it is not necessary to force data elements from that data store to disk if the point recorded is made the point of restart for that data store.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein provides an exercise device and method of use for strengthening the fingers and hands. The device includes a base with a handrest onto which the hand is placed in a palm-up posture with the fingers extending beneath finger pads attached to a handle joined to a rotatable shaft. Resistance to shaft rotation is encountered by the fingers and hands during exercise which allows the user to build strength and endurance. The rigid shaft includes a sprocket to which a chain having a weight load affixed permits the addition of disk shaped weights for greater resistance as the muscles of the fingers and hands become stronger.

Abstract: There is disclosed a source messaging system having a queue for receiving messages. The source messaging system has means for determining whether a message should be permitted to become INDOUBT. This is done by retrieving a value denoting the maximum number of messages that may be permitted to become INDOUBT at any one time; determining whether the message falls within the range denoted by the value; and responsive to determining that the message falls within the range, permitting the message to become INDOUBT.

Abstract: This invention relates to a class of heterocycles and their metal complexes, and is particularly concerned with the use of these compounds in the preparation of prodrugs or as prodrugs that may be activated under hypoxic conditions by enzymes or by therapeutic ionising radiation, in the treatment of cancer. The invention also relates to the use of these heterocycles and the corresponding metal complexes in the preparation of medicaments and to compositions including the heterocycles or their metal complexes and to methods for preparing these compounds.

Abstract: Provided are a method, computer program product and data processing apparatus for recovery from interprocess communication failures, the method comprising: in response to an initiator process requesting interprocess communication (IPC) with a responder process via an IPC link, recognizing if the initiator process does not have the expected write control of the IPC link and setting an indicator. A process other than the initiator process checks the indicator (such as after a timeout, or periodically) and, if the indicator has been set, notifies the initiator process to take control. This method avoids potential stalemate situations in which neither the initiator nor the responder process can take control, without reliance on mutex locks for every exchange of data and control.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and computer program product for sending a persistent message in a transaction-enabled messaging and queuing system comprising a message queue manager responsible for transferring messages from a sender program to a receiving program via a message queue. A message is sent from the sender program to the message queue manager, the message being defined so as to permit the message queue manager to select whether to treat the message transactionally or non-transactionally.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program for reducing the number of data elements checkpointed in a system having at least one data store where operations on said at least one data store are recorded in a log. A point in the log is recorded. The oldest data element in each of the least one data store is determined and it is then determined for each of the at least one data store whether a logged representation of the data store's oldest data element is more recent than the point recorded. Responsive to determining that a data store's logged representation is more recent than the point recorded, it is realised that it is not necessary to force data elements from that data store to disk if the point recorded is made the point of restart for that data store.

Abstract: Requests from a client to put messages into an input queue are intercepted before reaching the input queue. The intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application are established. Information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner. A request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional, and the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message. Such a message can then be matched with the server application's request such that the server application can retrieve the message. In this way, such messages by-pass the input queue, and are, therefore, not logged, resulting in a reduction of I/O.

Abstract: In a publish/subscribe data processing broker network having a plurality of broker data processing apparatuses each of which has an input for receiving published messages directly from a publisher application and/or receiving subscription data from a subscriber application, a first broker data processing apparatus has: a unit for receiving a data message published on a first topic by a first publisher application; and a unit for forwarding the received published data message to a subscriber application which has requested, by entering subscription data, to receive a message on the first topic; wherein the first broker data processing apparatus sends a declaration to at least one other broker data processing apparatus of said plurality of broker data processing apparatuses declaring that the first broker data processing apparatus is the only broker data processing apparatus that is directly communicating with a publisher application that is publishing on the first topic.

Abstract: A publishing data processing method for use in a publish/subscribe data processing broker network having a plurality of broker data processing apparatuses each of which has an input for receiving published messages directly from a publisher application and/or receiving subscription data directly from a subscriber application, the method includes steps of: Publishing a message on a topic to a first broker data processing apparatus; and providing an indication as to whether the published data message is to be considered as local to the first broker apparatus. Also included are an analogous subscribing data processing method, an analogous broker data processing method, apparatuses and computer program products.

Abstract: In a publish/subscribe data processing broker network having a plurality of broker data processing apparatuses each of which has an input for receiving published messages directly from a publisher application and/or receiving subscription data from a subscriber application, a first broker apparatus has: a software unit for receiving via said input subscription data from a subscriber application; a software unit for providing an acknowledgement to said subscriber application to acknowledge that the subscription data has been received; a software unit for propagating said subscription data to a group of other broker apparatuses; a software unit for determining whether said means for propagating has propagated said subscription data to the group of other broker apparatuses; and a software unit for receiving via said input an indication from said subscriber application that said acknowledgement should not be sent to the subscriber application until the means for determining has determined that said means for prop

Abstract: Solid state optoelectronic control apparatus responsive to manual stimulus is presented. The control apparatus comprises: a transmitter (20) having a light source (38) for projecting a beam of light along a path normally directed away from a photo sensitive detector (24); characterised in that the control apparatus further comprises: a receiver (21) for generating an enable pulse having a duration determined by a length of time for which the beam is reflected towards the detector by a digit or similarly reflective article; and conversion means (31) for varying an output signal level (44) as a function of the duration of the enable pulse. The conversion means increases the signal level (44) in response to and during a first enable pulse, and decreases the signal level in response to and during a second enable pulse occurring next to the first enable pulse.