Abstract: A group communication mechanism for optimized reliable non-member group communication through write-only membership is disclosed. The group communication mechanism comprises two or more group member processes that receive all messages that are sent to a group. The group communication mechanism further comprises a non-group member process that has a “write-only” group membership status and does not receive any messages that are sent to the group. The non-group member process is configured to send (a) one or more messages to the group, and (b) in connection with each message that it sends to the group, a different sequence value. Each sequence value identifies an order of a message relative to other messages that the non-group member process sends to the group.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing likely updates to views of group members in unstable group communication systems. A group message is received from a sender associated with a sending node in a network. The group message includes a message view having a counter and an acknowledgment set. The acknowledgment set identifies one or more receiving nodes to which the group message is directed. Issuance of an acknowledgment of the group message to the sending node is deferred. The group message is delivered to the receiving nodes. An acknowledgment of the message is received from one of the receiving nodes. The message view is updated by removing each receiving node that issues an acknowledgment from the acknowledgement set. The updated message view is provided to the sender.

Abstract: A method of allocating memory for a file includes determining a size of the file and searching a memory segment list to determine whether the file can be stored in one of a plurality of memory segments catalogued in the memory segment list. The memory segment list includes a plurality of entries, each one of the plurality of entries being associated with one of the plurality of memory segments and indicating whether the associated one of the plurality of memory segments includes a hole that is unoccupied, where each of the corresponding ones of the plurality of entries are adapted for identifying the hole and a hole size associated with the hole that identifies an amount of memory within the memory segment that is unoccupied.

Abstract: A technique reuses addresses in a computer that includes a memory and a translation lookaside buffer having entries for storing address mappings for address translation. The technique involves selecting an address range from a set of address ranges in response to a request to allocate a portion of the memory of the computer, and to generate an address mapping which maps that address range to the portion of the memory. The technique further involves accessing at least one but less than all of the entries of the translation lookaside buffer in response to the request, and later deallocating the portion of the memory. The steps of selecting, accessing and deallocating are repeated such that, when a repeated step of selecting selects a previously selected address range, previous successive steps of accessing ensure that any address mapping, which maps that previously selected address range and which resides in an entry of the translation lookaside buffer, is unavailable for a subsequent address translation.