Abstract: Buffers are separately provided for a region for non-sequential transfer and for a region for sequential transfer in each one of the disk units. A director sends a message to inform at least one of the disk units whether transfer of data the respective disk units are to make is sequential or non-sequential. When the disk unit receives a non-sequential transfer request, it uses the buffer region for non-sequential transfer to transfer data requested by the director and when it receives a sequential transfer request, it uses a plurality of buffer regions for the sequential transfer. Thus, data transfer is performed between a host device and that disk unit.

Abstract: A set of sorted columns of one table stored in a DB machine are binary-searched by a hardware in synchronism with data transfer when another table is read from a disk unit, to select a row to be joined. Where a key word sequence to be searched is stored in ascending or descending order, determination of a maximum address in an area in which key words smaller than a search key are stored and determination of a maximum address in an area in which the key words smaller than or equal to the search key are stored are parallelly executed to determine the store range in one searching.

Abstract: An I/O control system includes an I/O control unit, a plurality of I/O devices, the start process prior to a data transfer process of the I/O device being off-line processed from the I/O control unit, and a data transfer path for data transferring to the I/O device, the data transfer being performed for one I/O device at a time. The I/O control unit controls an I/O device in such a way that the start process of the I/O device completes at the time when another I/O device under data transfer completes its data transfer, thus improving the utilization of a data transfer path.

Abstract: A skip table is prepared from which a state of a subsequent symbol string and an address of one or plural symbols to be subsequently inputted can be readily determined by making reference to a set of a current symbol string search state and one or plural symbols to be subsequently inputted of the symbol string. When executing searching for the symbol string, data stored in the skip table are looked up to assure the symbol string search by inputting only a minimized number of necessary characters of the symbol string. Necessity of inputting all the characters of the symbol string for searching is eliminated and the processing speed can be increased considerably. A plurality of symbol strings may be searched for.

Abstract: A device to be connected between the engine and power train of a construction vehicle or the like for damping the fluctuations of the engine output torque. The damper comprises a drive plate and a retaining plate coaxially connected to each other for simultaneous rotation, and a driven plate coaxially mounted between the drive and retaining plates for angular displacement within limits. Mounted between the retaining plate and the driven plate are a friction plate and a disc spring, with the friction plate being biased by the disc spring into frictional contact with the driven plate. The friction plate has a conical contact surface which, under the bias of the disc spring, makes frictional contact with the driven plate under even pressure. Two other friction plates lie between the drive and driven plates and make frictional contact with the driven plate and with an intermediate plate in positive engagement with the driven plate.

Abstract: A method of assinging software resources such as files and programs to memory devices is disclosed which uses first storage for storing therein the access frequency to a memory device for causing each type of service request to utilize each of software resources and second storage for storing therein the processing speed, allowable utilization and storage capacity of each of memory devices and in which the allocation of each of said software resources to the memory devices is determined on the basis of information stored in the first and second storages so that a total time taken to access the memory devices is minimized while being restricted by the allowable utilization and storage capacity of each memory device.

Abstract: A distributed processing system having a plurality of processors and/or terminals at a plurality of locations is provided with a processing request allocator which includes a device for storing the waiting time at each processor or terminal for beginning the execution of a service request as well as a device for storing the delay in communication from each location of a processor or terminal to each other processor or terminal in the system. The processing request allocator has a device for calculating the sums of the waiting time and delay for each route through the system where a processing request from a first location is executed by a predetermined processor and the processing result is sent to a second location within the system, and a device is provided for determining the minimum value of these sums to identify the processor or terminal to which the service request is to be allocated.

Abstract: A device to be connected between the engine and power train of a construction vehicle or the like for damping the fluctuations of the engine output torque. The damper comprises a housing having a drive plate, and a driven plate coaxially mounted in the housing for angular displacement within limits. Mounted between the housing and the driven plate are two friction drive mechanisms for frictionally transmitting the rotation of the housing to the driven plate. A plurality of torsional or compression springs are mounted to the driven plate so as to laterally project out of windows in the housing, so that when a slip occurs in the friction drive mechanisms, the housing acts endwise on the springs to cause their compression. Variable spacings are provided between the ends of the springs and the opposed edges of the housing bounding the windows.