Abstract: A data processing system includes: a plurality of resources including a processor, a memory, and an operating system; a mechanism for generating one or more software partitions in addition to an administrative partition; and a global accounting engine which enables monitoring and recording of resource usage at both a global-level and a partition-level. Partition-level accounting data is returned for selected resources being utilized within a software partition. The data processing system also includes a first software partition, which utilizes one or more of the first plurality of resources and which includes a first partition-level accounting engine. The partition-level accounting engine provides monitoring and recording of resource usage within the first software partition and stores first partition usage data within a first partition accounting buffer.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for enabling network statistics to be collected per software partition. When an incoming data packet is received at the Internet Protocol (IP) layer of an operating system, the IP address in the incoming data packet is identified. The IP address in the incoming data packet is then compared against IP addresses stored in a hash table, wherein the hash table maps each IP address in the hash table to a software partition of the operating system. If an IP address in the hash table matches the IP address in the data packet, the software partition mapped to the located IP address in the hash table is identified. Network statistics collected for the incoming data packet are then associated with the software partition.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing state data in a workload partitioned environment. Process state data for a process in a workload partition is saved. Process state data is used to restore the process to a given state. State data associated with open sockets and open files bound to the first process is saved. In response to a determination that the process is associated with a domain socket that is bound to a socket file, an absolute pathname for the socket file is saved. A domain socket associated with a connecting process in the workload partition uses the socket file to connect to a domain socket associated with a listening process in the same workload partition to enable the two processes to communicate with each other.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for enabling the restoration of in-flight file descriptors during a checkpoint operation. Responsive to a checkpoint operation being initiated on a process in a workload partition, in-flight file pointers in an in-flight file queue on a socket bound to the process are identified. A file descriptor is instantiated in the process file table of the process for each identified in-flight file pointer in the in-flight file queue. After completion of the checkpoint operation, the in-flight file queue on the socket may be reconstructed in a restore operation using the instantiated file descriptors.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for storage pools with write atomicity. An abstraction manager enforces write atomicity and disallows options which are inconsistent with write atomicity. The abstraction manager constructs through a physical device interface a logical continuous view of a storage pool in a manner consistent with write atomicity. Applications collect information specific to write atomicity from the abstraction manager through an application interface.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing a software partition in logical partitioned data processing system. A virtual root process is created for the software partition, wherein the virtual root process functions as a root process for the software partition. The set of child processes is re-parented to the virtual root process in response to termination of a process having a set of child processes.

Abstract: Automated or autonomic techniques for managing deployment of one or more resources in a computing environment based on varying workload levels. The automated techniques may comprise predicting a future workload level based on data associated with the computing environment. Then, an estimation is performed to determine whether a current resource deployment is insufficient, sufficient, or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Then, one or more actions are caused to be taken when the current resource deployment is estimated to be insufficient or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Actions may comprise resource provisioning, resource tuning and/or admission control.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for storage pools with write atomicity. An abstraction manager enforces write atomicity and disallows options which are inconsistent with write atomicity. The abstraction manager constructs through a physical device interface a logical continuous view of a storage pool in a manner consistent with write atomicity. Applications collect information specific to write atomicity from the abstraction manager through an application interface.

Abstract: Automated or autonomic techniques for managing deployment of one or more resources in a computing environment based on varying workload levels. The automated techniques may comprise predicting a future workload level based on data associated with the computing environment. Then, an estimation is performed to determine whether a current resource deployment is insufficient, sufficient, or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Then, one or more actions are caused to be taken when the current resource deployment is estimated to be insufficient or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Actions may comprise resource provisioning, resource tuning and/or admission control.

Abstract: A method and system for managing workloads in an autonomic computer system based on feedback and feed-forward performance information. The method establishes a performance objective for the system, determines a measure of instantaneous demand in the system, continuously tracks the objective with respect to the measure, forecast a future demand based on an autoregressive time series of the system, and adjusts the control parameters of the system to meet the objective. The performance objective is associated with a confidence level and typically includes a desired system response time. The tracking step includes obtaining performance data on the system and storing the performance data in a persistent data store. The demand forecasting uses a Spectral Forecasting procedure to forecast a future workload from a present workload.

Abstract: A method and implementing apparatus is provided for transferring data from memory to a file decoder which is effective to decode the file for further processing. In an illustrated example, a video file is decoded for presentation on a display device. The methodology includes enabling a plurality of control functions for access by a user or a user system in controlling the identity, sequence and flow of file transfers in order to optimize transfer efficiency in a data transfer transaction. Application programming interface (API) calls are provided by which playlists are constructed for transfer to the decoder. Further API calls are provided to enable pause and seek functions to be activated during a file transfer. A registration methodology is also provided by which predetermined processing events may be selected and recorded as they occur.

Abstract: A method and system for handing-off TCP states in a communication network. Specifically, the present invention discloses allows for transferring TCP states between front-end node and a plurality of back-end web servers. The handoff occurs between dynamically loadable modules that wrap around the TCP/IP stack located at a front-end node and a selected back-end web server. A handoff protocol implemented by the loadable modules works within the kernel level of the existing TCP/IP code. As such, no changes to the existing TCP/IP code is necessary. The loadable modules at the front-end are able to select a back-end web server depending on the HTTP request, coordinate handing off TCP states, and forward packets to the back-end web server. Loadable modules at the selected back-end modify response packets going out to reflect the proper TCP state of the front-end node.

Abstract: A method and system for handing-off TCP states in a communication network. Specifically, the present invention allows for handing-off TCP states between nodes in an associated network that is optimized for rare handoff of TCP states. The handoff occurs between dynamically loadable modules that wrap around the TCP/IP stack located at a front-end node and a selected back-end web server. A handoff protocol implemented by the loadable modules works within the kernel level of the existing TCP/IP code. As such, no changes to the existing TCP/IP code is necessary. The loadable modules at the front-end are able to select a back-end web server depending on the content of the web request, coordinate handing off TCP states, and forward packets to the back-end web server. Loadable modules at the selected back-end modify response packets going out to reflect the proper TCP state of the front-end node.

Abstract: A method and implementing apparatus is provided for transferring data from memory to a file decoder which is effective to decode the file for further processing. In an illustrated example, a video file is decoded for presentation on a display device. The methodology includes enabling a plurality of control functions for access by a user or a user system in controlling the identity, sequence and flow of file transfers in order to optimize transfer efficiency in a data transfer transaction. Application programming interface (API) calls are provided by which playlists are constructed for transfer to the decoder. Further API calls are provided to enable pause and seek functions to be activated during a file transfer. A registration methodology is also provided by which predetermined processing events may be selected and recorded as they occur.

Abstract: A method and implementing apparatus is provided for transferring data from a first device to a second device through a system coupling call. The coupling methodology is implemented to effect a direct coupling between a data producing device and a data receiving device such that data transfers between devices is passed more directly between devices with only minimal copying of the data during the transfer process. The coupling subsystem enables the construction of coupling modules which provide services and afford the opportunity to optimize the transference of data between two devices and permit the dynamic construction of coupling modules to provide coupling service between any pair of devices. In one example, video calls have been created to interface within the new data coupling environment.

Abstract: A method and implementing apparatus is provided for transferring data from memory to a file decoder which is effective to decode the file for further processing. In an illustrated example, a video file is decoded for presentation on a display device. The methodology includes enabling a plurality of control functions for access by a user or a user system in controlling the identity, sequence and flow of file transfers in order to optimize transfer efficiency in a data transfer transaction. Application programming interface (API) calls are provided by which playlists are constructed for transfer to the decoder. Further API calls are provided to enable pause and seek functions to be activated during a file transfer. A registration methodology is also provided by which predetermined processing events may be selected and recorded as they occur.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program are provided for a control server in a client/server environment wherein an API framework facilitates scalable, network transparent, integrated multimedia content loading and data streaming. Concurrent real time content loading and data streaming are possible and techniques are included for admitting new streams only when they can be serviced without negatively affecting current system performance.

Abstract: A local system issues an ICMP echo request packet with a size based on an initial PMTU value corresponding to that of the local system's interface MTU. When an ICMP needfrag error packet is received by the local system, this signifies that the initial PMTU value was too large for packets of corresponding size to be transmitted through the Internet without fragmentation. The value is accordingly decreased by the local system and a next ICMP echo request packet transmitted through the Internet. The process iterates until an ICMP echo request packet is successfully transmitted through the Internet to a target system. In response thereto, the target system transmits an ICMP echo response packet back through the Internet to the local system, thereby indicating that the last-sent ICMP echo request packet from the local system had the correct PMTU value which is thereafter assumed to be the correct PMTU.

Abstract: A method of delivering data in an on-time manner across a communicating environment, such as multimedia data in a network or broadcast environment. The data is transmitted from a data pump at a revised transmission time which is a function of a base transmission time and a delay value. The delay value is calibrated by monitoring one or more processes between the data pump and an associated controller which receives requests from clients. The controller may include an application server which handles the requests, and a control server which processes commands from the application server and provides corresponding control functions to the data pump.

Abstract: A local system issues an ICMP echo request packet with a size based on an initial PMTU value corresponding to that of the local system's interface MTU. When an ICMP needfrag error packet is received by the local system, this signifies that the initial PMTU value was too large for packets of corresponding size to be transmitted through the Internet without fragmentation. The value is accordingly decreased by the local system and a next ICMP echo request packet transmitted through the Internet. The process iterates until an ICMP echo request packet is successfully transmitted through the Internet to a target system. In response thereto, the target system transmits an ICMP echo response packet back through the Internet to the local system, thereby indicating that the last-sent ICMP echo request packet from the local system had the correct PMTU value which is thereafter assumed to be the correct PMTU.