Abstract: Disclosed are exemplary embodiments for updating a networked machine having at least a dormant state and an active state. In various embodiments, when the machine it is a dormant state, it listens to a network for candidate updates, that is, updates that may be applicable to the machine. In some embodiments, determining the candidate update is an applicable update for the machine may be based at least in part on a variety of reasons, including testing if it has already been applied, does not actually update some aspect of the machine, conflicts with an existing configuration of the machine, conflicts with a policy of the machine, etc. The machine may cache some or all of the candidate updates or applicable updates, where a variety of rationales or policies may be used to control update retention.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to booting to a network storage target. In general, in one implementation, a bus-to-network device driver is loaded during a machine boot, where the bus-to-network device driver is capable of sending machine bus commands over a network, providing access to the network for a network device driver, and distinguishing between received responses to the machine bus commands and other network traffic corresponding to the network device driver. Loading of the bus-to-network device driver can occur in response to an operating system load of bus drivers. For example, the bus-to-network device driver can be an iSCSI driver, and the operating system load of bus drivers can be the operating system load of SCSI drivers.

Abstract: A directed audio system, a network interface communicatively coupled with a network, and a controller to receive, via the network interface, an estimate for a location from a locating device communicatively coupled with the network, and to cause the directed audio system to direct an audio signal based at least in part on an estimate for the location received from the locating device.

Abstract: A method for preventing counterfeit of a hardware device is disclosed. The method comprises determining whether a first indicator for a hardware device is set, wherein the first indicator when set indicates that the device is not a counterfeit device, and if the first indicator is not set, then activating a counter, setting a second indicator when the counter expires, and operating the hardware device in a counterfeit mode when the second indicator is set, wherein the counterfeit mode identifies the hardware device as a counterfeit device. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: Corrupted configuration data stored in a first memory for a device may be restored using backup configuration data stored in a second memory. In one embodiment, the second memory may be carried by the device itself. In another embodiment, the second memory may be carried on a motherboard and may store backup configuration data for more than one device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The method and apparatus feature detecting an interrupt service request; storing into an instruction cache interrupt service instructions in response to detecting the interrupt service request; and fetching instructions from the instruction cache into an instruction stream sequence, the instruction stream sequence including mainline program instructions and the interrupt service instructions resulting in allocating core processor bandwidth between the interrupt servicing and mainline program instructions while executing the instruction stream sequence based on an interrupt priority; and processing instructions within the instruction stream sequence including the mainline program instructions and the inserted interrupt servicing instructions. The method and apparatus further feature recycling of executed micro-ops and detecting imminent context switch for interrupt service instruction preparation.

Abstract: A system and method for initialization of a computer system is described. Faster initialization of a computer system is possible by allowing certain device driver initialization tasks to overlap with other initialization and operating system tasks. option-ROMs resident on hardware device drivers define the initialization tasks to be performed prior to device driver initialization. Initial computer code for booting the computing device, such as a BIOS, is executed. As option-ROMs for hardware devices are scanned and executed, specific device initialization information is accessed from the devices and placed in pre-defined buffer areas. These accesses occur in parallel to other start up tasks. When device drivers are loaded, some of their initialization has already completed, thereby shortening the time necessary to boot the system.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program for detecting and restricting remotely controlled distributed denial of service software. This detection is based upon characteristic patterns seen in denial of service software. These patterns are monitored for at the generating source of the attack. When detected, the software application attempting a distributed denial of service is blocked from transmitting any packets to a target web server. Therefore, this system, method a computer program stops distributed denial of service attacks before a web site can be overwhelmed by such an attack.

Abstract: A resource controller allocates a portion of network memory to a receive path for receiving data and to a transmit path for transmitting data. Network traffic patterns are monitored including the amount of data received and transmitted by the network processing device. The resource controller determines based on the monitored traffic patterns if the transmit path or receive path has allocated a desire amount of network memory. The resource controller removes underutilized resources in the receive or transmit paths. Removed network memory is returned to a resource pool and made available for allocation to another receive path or transmit path that needs additional network memory. An artificial intelligence system predicts future network resource allocations to further increase the efficiency of the resource controller's network resource allocation.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes techniques of detecting a network attack. The method includes receiving at least one packet at a device; and determining whether the at least one received packet has at least one characteristic of a denial of service attack. Based on the determining, the packet may not be processed by a transport layer protocol.

Abstract: Described are a system and method of forwarding data packets from a network interface controller (NIC) to one or more media decoding devices. The NIC may comprise an I/O interface to transmit to communicate with either a host processing system and the one or more media decoding devices. Data packets received at the NIC may be forwarded to the one or more media decoding devices independently of the host processing system.

Abstract: The method includes detecting and prioritizing one or more interrupt service requests; inserting interrupt servicing instructions responsive to the interrupt service request into an instruction queue mechanism; and processing the instructions within the instruction queue mechanism including the inserted interrupt servicing instructions. The instruction queue mechanism may include an instruction cache and an instruction fetch unit for fetching instructions from the instruction cache, wherein the processing includes decoding the instructions into micro-opcodes and executing the micro-opcodes in one or more out-of-order execution units. The method further includes retiring the executed micro-opcodes including those micro-opcodes representing the inserted interrupt servicing instructions to the instruction cache. Preferably, the criteria for interrupting the core processor include the priority of the interrupts and the capacity of the processor to allocate bandwidth to interrupt servicing.

Abstract: The method and apparatus feature detecting and prioritizing one or more interrupt service requests; inserting interrupt servicing instructions responsive to the interrupt service request into an instruction queue mechanism; and processing the instructions within the instruction queue mechanism including the inserted interrupt servicing instructions. The instruction queue mechanism may include an instruction cache and an instruction fetch unit for fetching instructions from the instruction cache, wherein the processing includes decoding the instructions into micro-opcodes and executing the micro-opcodes in one or more out-of-order execution units. Further features include retiring the executed micro-opcodes including those micro-opcodes representing the inserted interrupt servicing instructions to the instruction cache. Preferably, the criteria for interrupting the core processor include the priority of the interrupts and the capacity of the processor to allocate bandwidth to interrupt servicing.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program for detecting and restricting remotely controlled distributed denial of service software. This detection is based upon characteristic patterns seen in denial of service software. These patterns are monitored for at the generating source of the attack. When detected, the software application attempting a distributed denial of service is blocked from transmitting any packets to a target web server. Therefore, this system, method a computer program stops distributed denial of service attacks before a web site can be overwhelmed by such an attack.