Abstract: A device and method for cutting forage and lading the fresh cut forage onto a conveyor belt. The conveyer belt transports the fresh cut forage into a vehicle to transport the forage. The forage goes directly into the transport vehicle without being placed on the ground eliminating the need for additional runs to recover the forage.

Abstract: A system of high availablity synchronous bandwidth allocation comprising an FDDI segment to which are connected a first device for allocating synchronous bandwidth over the FDDI segment to any requesting device, and at least a second device for requesting synchronous bandwidth over the FDDI segment. The first device and a third device also connected to said FDDI segment, are capable of a exchanging information regarding the allocation of synchronous bandwidth to at least the second device, the third device can take over for the first device as synchronous bandwidth allocator, if the first device fails.

Abstract: To solve the problem raised by the allocation of synchronous bandwidth on a FDDI segment when this allocation is done by a centralized Allocator in an interconnected LAN domain, a Third Party Requestor receives from Quality of Service Allocator all information that it needs to ask for bandwidth reservation on the FDDI segment. Following the Station Management standard, the Third Party Requestor is able to act on behalf of the FDDI station that will submit synchronous traffic and ask for bandwidth allocation to a Synchronous Bandwidth Allocator. According to the Synchronous Bandwidth Allocator decision, the Third Party Requestor will then answer to the Quality of Service Allocator which will grant or deny the allocation over the whole path.

Abstract: An LAN management facility for monitoring and managing errors on the physical links connecting the stations of a LAN. The facility includes, in part, an Enhanced Link Error Monitor (LEM). The Enhanced LEM continuously determines a Link Error Rate (LER) estimate as a function of time based upon the errors seen on the physical links. The enhanced LEM applies a link specific characteristic function to the LER estimate in order to determine an Adjusted LER Estimate. The link specific characteristic function takes into account the particular characteristics of the link experiencing the errors and is used to alter the station's responsiveness to these errors. The Adjusted LER Estimate is compared to alarm and cutoff thresholds in order to determine the appropriate action to take with respect to the link.