Abstract: A communication system (100) includes a portal (110), a subscriber (108), a service processor (112), and a communication network (102-104, 107) for providing communication between the portal (110), the subscriber (108) and the service processor (112).

Abstract: A method of communicating with a remote user. The method can include receiving a plurality of server requests from the remote user via a communications network. The plurality of server requests can be processed in a single user session without re-authenticating the user, and can include at least one server request that includes voice data and at least one server request that includes non-audio data. A portlet can be provided to process the voice data and the non-audio data server requests. Responsive to the server requests, data can be provided to the remote user via the communications network.

Abstract: A boundary scan system for a data processing system using serial scan techniques for diagnostics comprises gated circuitry for each adapter card slot for controlling the propagation of controller generated diagnostic signals throughout the data processing system and the components included on the system's planar and each adapter card present, adapted to serially scan all present adapter cards and to provide electrical conduit to the next serially connected component in the absence of a card at an adapter slot.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for dequeuing connection requests in a data communications system comprising a calling subsystem and a called subsystem connected by a serial simplex switch. The connection requests are made by the calling subsystem to the called subsystem by sending a connect request message to the switch and queuing the connect request message in a buffer therein. The switch establishes a connection between the calling subsystem and the called subsystem by thereafter queuing the connect request message in a buffer in the called subsystem. Concurrently, the switch sends a connect request acknowledge message to the calling subsystem while the calling subsystem sends a connect request dequeue message to the switch.

Abstract: A sequencing scheme is provided for prioritizing bus operations occurring in simplex switches which interconnect subsystems in a data communications system, thereby yielding improved aggregate system data throughput. The sequencing scheme provides procedures which simultaneously accommodate (i) concurrently pending requests to a first control bus which processes only circuit switched operations and (ii) concurrently pending requests to a second control bus which processes only packet switched operations, in an order which optimizes link level control message throughput of the simplex switch. The control messages which are coordinated by the sequencing scheme include connect and disconnect requests, connect and disconnect request acknowledgments, and data acknowledgments.

Abstract: A serial simplex switch design is provided which includes I/O ports each of which is configurable specifically for attachment to a data communications subsystem or, alternatively, for cascaded connection to a similarly configured I/O port on another switch. The switch provides a packet routing function including input and output buffers for each of its I/O ports wherein packets of control messages sent by one subsystem are temporarily stored prior to being delivered to the appropriate destination subsystem. When configured to be directly attached to a subsystem, the I/O ports separate control messages from incoming integrated data and control message strings. In a cascade configuration, however, a mechanism is provided wherein data and control messages are separated into two physical paths to eliminate the delays associated with integrated data and control message flow through the cascaded I/O port.

Abstract: A method of operating a digital data processor includes the supplying to the digital data processor of a branch and return on address (BAROA) instruction having an operation code field, a memory entry address field and a memory exit address field. This method also includes for such branch and return on address instruction the steps of loading the operation code field into an instruction register, loading the memory exit address field into an address register and loading the memory entry address field into a program counter. This method further includes storing the next sequential address following the address of the current BAROA instruction into a register stack, and then fetching from memory and executing a sequence of instructions starting with the instruction residing at the memory entry address provided by the branch and return on address instruction. The program counter is incremented each time an instruction is executed.