Abstract: Epoch numbers are maintained in a pair wise fashion at a plurality of communication endpoints to provide communication consistency and recovery from a range of failure conditions including total or partial node failure and subsequent recovery. Once an epoch state inconsistency is recognized, negotiation procedures provide an effective mechanism to reestablish valid communication links without the need to employ global variables which inherently possess greater transmission and overhead requirements needed to maintain communications. Renegotiation of recognizably valid epoch numbers occurs on a pair wise basis.

Abstract: A protocol interface is provided for an active message protocol of a computing environment and a client process employing the active message protocol. The protocol interface includes an interface to a header handler function associated with the client process. The interface to the header handler function has parameters to be passed by and a parameter to be returned to the active message protocol when processing a message received through the active message protocol. The parameters to be passed include current message state information and current message type information for the received message. These parameters facilitate message-specific decisions by the header handler function about processing data of the message by the active message protocol. The parameter to be returned to the active message protocol instructs the active message protocol how to process the received message other than just where to store the message.

Abstract: Epoch numbers are maintained in a pair wise fashion at a plurality of communication endpoints to provide communication consistency and recovery from a range of failure conditions including total or partial node failure and subsequent recovery. Once an epoch state inconsistency is recognized, negotiation procedures provide an effective mechanism to reestablish valid communication links without the need to employ global variables which inherently possess greater transmission and overhead requirements needed to maintain communications. Renegotiation of recognizably valid epoch numbers occurs on a pair wise basis.

Abstract: Epoch numbers are maintained in a pair wise fashion at a plurality of communication endpoints to provide communication consistency and recovery from a range of failure conditions including total or partial node failure and subsequent recovery. Once an epoch state inconsistency is recognized, negotiation procedures provide an effective mechanism to reestablish valid communication links without the need to employ global variables which inherently possess greater transmission and overhead requirements needed to maintain communications. Renegotiation of recognizably valid epoch numbers occurs on a pair wise basis.

Abstract: Epoch numbers are maintained in a pair wise fashion at a plurality of communication endpoints to provide communication consistency and recovery from a range of failure conditions including total or partial node failure and subsequent recovery. Once an epoch state inconsistency is recognized, negotiation procedures provide an effective mechanism to reestablish valid communication links without the need to employ global variables which inherently possess greater transmission and overhead requirements needed to maintain communications. Renegotiation of recognizably valid epoch numbers occurs on a pair wise basis.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing information or data from distributed databases is disclosed. Generally, the method includes the steps of receiving an unstructured query from a user, generalizing the query to expand the query, receiving from the user selected terms of the expanded query, searching a directory for database tables and/or attributes matching the selected terms, and generating a pictorial query using database tables suggested as relevant by the search. Thereafter, an SQL query may be generated to retrieve the relevant data from the actual distributed databases.