Abstract: A retail terminal is utilized as a gateway to an electronic billing application that allows a user to gain access to the electronic billing application and thereafter tender payment for the bill. A paper bill that is sent to a user is encoded with user login information that is obtainable by the retail terminal. The retail terminal obtains the user login information from the bill and logs the user into the electronic billing application. Various peripheral devices associated with the retail terminal are configured to accept payment for the bill. In one form, the user login information is encoded as a bar code on the bill that contains a user ID and, optionally, a password. The present invention improves the usability and reliability of an electronic billing application. Further, the present invention minimizes the chance that a user will erroneously enter someone else's account number, and provide a level of security by ensuring that the user is in possession of the printed bill.

Abstract: A method of providing high availability of a service includes the step of allocating the service and a shared volume of a first mass storage device associated with the service to a first server of a first subcluster that is located at a first site and that includes servers which share the first mass storage device. Another step of the method includes mirroring the shared volume to a second mass storage device of a second subcluster that is located at a second site and that includes at least one server in order to obtain a first mirrored copy of the shared volume at the second site. Yet another step of the method includes determining to reallocate said service to a first server of the second subcluster. The method also includes the step of allocating the first mirrored copy to the first server of the second subcluster.

Abstract: A computer system operable to provide nodes of a cluster with a quorum resource includes a network interface controller, a mass storage device, a processor, and memory. The network interface controller is operable to send messages to the nodes via a network and receive messages from the nodes via the network. The mass storage device includes storage that is used to implement the quorum resource and that is accessible by the nodes via the network interface controller. The processor is operably coupled to the network interface controller and the mass storage device. The memory is operably coupled to the processor and includes instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to process a first message requesting ownership of the quorum resource that is received from a first node of the cluster via the network interface controller.

Abstract: A method of protecting volumes of a mass storage device shared by a server cluster includes the step of transferring from (i) a first file system of a first server of the server cluster to (ii) a first filter driver of the first server, a write request packet directed to a first volume of the mass storage device. Another step of the method includes determining at the first filter driver whether the first server has ownership of the first volume. Yet another step of the method includes transferring the write request packet from the first filter driver to a lower level driver for the mass storage device only if the determining step determines that the first server has ownership of the first volume. Apparatus for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A graphical interface for generating configuration files. Many computer programs require configuration files. These files specify parameters which the program will use. One example of a parameter is the resolution of a video display, which the program will use to display output. The invention provides a graphical interface which allows a user to select parameters from menus, and test the generated configuration file. In one form of the invention, speech synthesis of break-out instructions are provided during testing.