Abstract: A system for routing an "object" (in the sense that object means an abstraction that encapsulates data in a known way, with a known list of operations or methods to access the data, and the object has a unique identity, is mobile, and possibly persistent). The "object" is routed in a distributed computing system along an action path (itself an "object") which defines the logical path to be traversed by the object. The action path consists of action stops naming or describing functionally principals (people or automated mechanisms) required to act upon the routed object in a prescribed order. The object routing system propagates the object along this action path, and monitors and controls its progress until it completes the path. The system includes mechanisms of dispatching the routed object between principals, finding the principals required to act on the routed object, notifying the principals in turn of their required action, and potentially relocating the routed object to the nodes of the principals.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatically closing gaps prior to painting a cel in a vector-based computer-aided drawing system. A drawing is processed, as it is entered by a user, to generate a stored planar map containing geometric and topological characteristics of the drawing. The planar map is searched to identify gaps and updated to store synthesized gap-closing vectors for those gaps smaller than a selectable size. The gaps are closed before the painting of the cel, or coloring of the drawing, so as to prevent unintended spill-over of the color into adjacent regions.

Abstract: A selective multilevel caching method and system including a main memory and a plurality of cache memories are disclosed. The main memory and cache memories are arranged in a multilevel hierarchy: the main memory is at the lowest hierarchical level; the cache memory that is coupled directly to the central processing unit (CPU) is at the highest hierarchical level; and the remaining cache memories are coupled in the hierarchy at intermediate hierarchical levels therebetween. Each hierarchical level contains cache logic as well as a cache memory. Each cache logic responds to a cache level code that is associated with an address specified in each CPU read or write data request. The cache level code specifies the highest hierarchical level at which data associated with the data request may be written. Each cache logic uses the cache level code to determine if data will be written to the cache memory at the same hierarchical level as that cache logic. Each CPU write request further includes a cache control code.

Abstract: In a distributed interactive multimedia service system, a client application of a set-top box located at a customer premises generates an attach request. A session manager, in response to receiving the attach request via a network, generates an allocation request and a create request. A resource manager, in response to the allocation request, allocates resources of a plurality of multimedia servers. The resources can include processor, memory, disk, and network resources. A media stream manager, in response to the create request, creates a multimedia stream. The session manager, in response to the resources being allocated, and the multimedia stream being created, launches a selected one of a plurality of multimedia services in the plurality of multimedia servers. The selected service provides multimedia information to the set-top box via the multimedia stream.

Abstract: A system for displaying documents on a computer controlled display device is disclosed. The system displays documents either in a completely free-form, user controlled configuration or as strands, such that documents in a strand follow a strand path. The strand path is a two dimensional line through a three dimensional display space. The documents displayed on the strand are known as child documents, and each strand also has a parent document. Various constraints defining the strand are associated with the parent document, including a strand function defining the strand path, minimum and maximum separation constraints defining the distance between the child documents on the strand, and an origin constraint defining the positional relationship of the strand path to the screen object of the parent document.

Abstract: A communications network has a plurality of users connected by virtual circuits to a plurality of service providers. A server has the plurality of users connected thereto. A node provides the plurality of service providers. Both the server and the node are connected to the network. A first session is established between one user and the server, and a second session is established between the node and a selected one of the service providers. A virtual circuit is established linking the first service session and the second service session to establish message transmission between the one user and the selected service provider. A message sent between the user and the service provider is sent over the network, and the message identifies the virtual circuit. Messages between a server and a node are multiplexed by having slots, and a slot contains a message from a sending session to a receiving session.

Abstract: A computer controlled information management system is disclosed, including one or more documents. Documents in the system consist of attributes, each attribute having a name and a value. Attributes that are permanently stored with a document are permanent attributes. Attributes which are created only when a document is currently being displayed are ephemeral attributes. Ephemeral attributes store information regarding the visual display of the documents. Ephemeral attributes may be converted into permanent attributes and stored with the documents after the user is done referencing or modifying them. Ephemeral attributes may also be transferred between multiple simultaneous users of a common document through system communications channels. Documents are stored in repositories for long term storage, and are only sent to a client user interface when needed. The repositories are typically on server devices or secondary storage, but may also be in the same unit as the server.

Abstract: A system for retrieval of documents in a client-server environment is disclosed. The system provides compatibility between an attribute based document display system and diverse query languages within remote document repositories. The system includes a local process running on a client module, and a remote process running within each document repository. Each remote process is designed for the particular model of computer used for the server. Each remote process executes a System Query Language (SQL) used by a particular database program running on the server. A particular server may have several database programs implemented thereon, and each database program has a dedicated remote process, where the remote process is matched to the particular database program. The local process on the user's workstation launches inquiries in a first format on the network. Each remote process receiving an inquiry translates the received inquiry into the System Query Language required by its server and its database program.

Abstract: A backplane wiring scheme is provided for use in a hub of a packet data communications system. Line cards are connected to the backplane wiring arrangement in the hub, where each line card is a coupling to a network segment, a station or a to a bridge to other stations or segments. The connection is usually in either a ring or a bus topology, and increased flexibility, reduced power consumption, and easier implementation are provided by a unique wiring scheme. Each line card has a number of receive ports (e.g., N-1) and has two transmit ports, the transmit ports including a transmit-left port and a transmit-tight port. The receive ports and transmit ports are arranged in a regular linear pattern on an edge of each of said line cards.

Abstract: A forwarding information management system for a bridge or router is disclosed, including a method and apparatus for merging free space segments in a forwarding table. The forwarding table is allocated into forwarding entry sets and free space queues. Each forwarding entry set must be within a single contiguous block of the forwarding table memory. A set of free queues is used to manage the free space segments in the forwarding table that are not allocated into forwarding entries. Each free queue maintains pointers to free space segments of a particular size. The forwarding table becomes fragmented as forwarding entries are added. A table packing process is triggered by a predetermined trigger to merge small areas of free space into large areas of free space, making consecutive forwarding entry sets contiguous in order to combine small areas of free space into larger ones.

Abstract: The following is a method and apparatus for administering an operation specified for performance on a set of independently managed hosts. The operation is received initially by one of a plurality of management servers in a managed host system. The operation, specifying a group object, is transferred to the management server designated by the system to administer the operation specified on the group object. The designated management server thereafter decomposes the group object into constituent objects which may be host objects or additional group objects. Next, the locally administered objects are scheduled for execution on the hosts administered by the designated management server. The non-locally administered objects are transferred to the management servers identified in a database for administering the objects. After executing the operation on the host objects, the host objects and group objects return status information back to the designated management server.

Abstract: A document management apparatus minimizes the busy time of a cursor by using asynchronous servicing of responses from repositories, and by executing the cursor control process during time intervals between receiving responses. Also during these time intervals, other processes can be launched in response to actions using the cursor and commands initiated by the user. The apparatus has a find tool to transmit a first search request for a category of documents; processing a first response to the first request, the first response having a list of documents found in the category; and transmitting a search request for selected attribute value pairs for each document in the list. The apparatus has a display comprising: a document display for displaying a blank document screen object for each document in the list; updating a screen object corresponding to a document whose attribute is received by the apparatus, the update occurring in response to receipt of a message carrying the attribute and corresponding value.

Abstract: In accordance with principles of the invention, a frame removal mechanism for token ring networks is disclosed. The disclosed system uses strip delimiter frames. The system transmits one or more information frames onto a computer network. The system further transmits one or more strip delimiter frames onto the computer network after the information frame transmission. The system detects strip delimiter frames on the computer network, and strips information frames received from the computer network after the information frame transmission is begun and until one of the strip delimiter frames is detected.

Abstract: A font server communicates with workstations and printers, i.e., clients, on a network and provides them with font-specific information that allow them to select a licensed font and to specify how to customize the font. The font server responds to a client's printing or display requests regarding a specific font or printing or display features, such as letter height, orientation, writing mode. The font server may customize a font by remapping glyphs, rotating or scaling characters and symbols, or adding special kerning pairs or ligatures. The font server then performs all the necessary rendering calculations and manipulations using the font, and produces the bit maps or outlines required for displaying or printing the desired characters and symbols. The font server translates fonts into a format that is compatible with the client's text processing application and operating system. To minimize traffic on the network, the font server and client use name-identifiers to communicate.

Abstract: A scheduler with admissions control in a continuous media file server is presented. The scheduler supports multiple classes of tasks with diverse performance requirements. The scheduler is based on a combination of rate-monotonic and weighted round-robin scheduling schemes. Scheduling is accomplished in a hierarchical manner. Isochronous tasks have the highest priority and are scheduled first followed by real-time and general-purpose tasks. Isochronous tasks run periodically and are invoked by a timer interrupt set for each task. After scheduling the isochronous tasks, the scheduler alternates between the real-time tasks and the general-purpose tasks using a weighted round-robin scheme.

Abstract: An information processing system is disclosed, having documents consisting of attributes. Each attribute contains a name and a value. The value of an attribute may be executable script. When a specified event occurs, an interpreter evaluates the script and executes the resulting object code on a microprocessor. Examples of the specified event are the document being referenced by a user or the document being received by a remote node. The script itself within the value of an attribute may be written by the user, or selected by the user from a pre-packaged system library of script routines. When the script is executed, it causes certain events to occur.

Abstract: A multicast connection arrangement is provided by which a source node may establish multicast virtual circuits to a group of destination nodes of an arbitrary-topology network using a single procedure, and may subsequently modify those circuits, i.e., add or delete destination nodes, with a single, related procedure. The arrangement includes a multicast setup packet for opening the multicast virtual circuits, the packet containing a multicast identifier field, a virtual circuit field and a destination field identifying a list of desired destination node addresses. The multicast setup packet may be also used to add destination nodes to the circuits while a multicast delete packet is used to delete nodes from the circuits. When adding nodes to the multicast virtual circuits, a topology analysis process is provided to prevent the formation of an unstable network topology.

Abstract: An apparatus for forwarding a data packet from a first link to a second link is disclosed. The apparatus is coupled with a plurality of computer networks through ports on the apparatus. The apparatus maintains a spanning tree list indicating which of the apparatus ports are active. The apparatus receives a packet, and determines if the packet was received from a port that is active. If the packet was received from a port that is not active, the packet is discarded. If the packet is not discarded, the data link source address of the packet is stored in a database within the apparatus for the computer network coupled with the port from which the packet was received. The apparatus then decides, responsive to a contents of a data link destination address field in the packet, whether to forward the packet as a bridge or to forward the packet as a router.

Abstract: A system for displaying documents on a computer controlled display device is disclosed. The system displays documents either in a completely free-form, user controlled configuration or as strands, such that documents in a strand follow a strand path. The strand path is a two dimensional line through a three dimensional display space. The documents displayed on the strand are known as child documents, and each strand also has a parent document. Various constraints defining the strand are associated with the parent document, including a strand function defining the strand path, minimum and maximum separation constraints defining the distance between the child documents on the strand, and an origin constraint defining the positional relationship of the strand path to the screen object of the parent document.

Abstract: An improved security system inhibits eavesdropping, dictionary attacks, and intrusion into stored password lists. In one implementation, the user provides a workstation with a "password", and a "token" obtained from a passive authentication token generator. The workstation calculates a "transmission code" by performing a first hashing algorithm upon the password and token. The workstation sends the transmission code to the server. Then, the server attempts to reproduce the transmission code by combining passwords from a stored list with tokens generated by a second identical passive authentication token generator just prior to receipt of the transmission code. If any password/token combination yields the transmission code, the workstation is provided with a message useful in communicating with a desired computing system; the message is encrypted with a session code calculated by applying a different hashing algorithm to the password and token.