Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques allow computer systems to create and exchange uniquely identified shared objects. Using this invention, a client computer system can operate client software to generate local object definitions in a local object specification. To assure that the local object definitions created by the client are uniquely identifiable by this client, as well as by a server and possibly other clients which may require access to such object definitions (e.g., other clients in a collaboration software system), the invention allows the client to send the local object specification to the server for unique identification of the object definitions. The server receives the local object specification containing the local object definitions created by the client and can convert each local object definition within the local object specification to a global object definition in a global object specification.

Abstract: A system provides mechanisms and techniques to retrieve trace data from a trace buffer residing in a data storage system. The software program operating on a processor within the data storage system operates in trace mode to produce trace data in the trace buffer upon occurrence of trace events. An event trace routine operates in response to a system call to access the trace buffer and return either a current value of a trace buffer pointer or the current trace buffer pointer as well as trace data read from the trace buffer beginning at a location and in an amount as specified in the system call to the event trace routine. The trace capture process can operate either within the data storage system or preferably on a remote host computer system to access trace data in the trace buffer in the data storage system by using the event trace routine.

Abstract: A method and system for interactive message communication, including the steps of receiving a marked up e-mail by an interactive voice response system, the marked up e-mail containing a menu, converting the menu from text speech, producing a speech menu, reading the speech menu from the interactive voice response system to a telephone unit, and transmitting a response to the marked up e-mail based on the speech menu.

Abstract: Database performance assessment typically entails logging and capturing utilities which tend to gather large quantities of unwieldy data leading to a cumbersome and indefinite analysis. A system and method for database performance analysis includes periodic sampling of pending database requests, rather than exhaustive monitoring and capturing all database access traffic, to identify areas of contention. A database access queue is periodically sampled, or scanned, to gather a snapshot of pending requests of database transactions. Pending requests are aggregated by an aggregating process which aggregates, the samples with previous samples corresponding to the same transaction. Correlating the aggregated samples identifies transactions which have been pending the longest and identifies tables and segments in the database which have a relatively high number of pending transactions.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus are disclosed for generating a test signal by selecting a set of frequencies for the test signal and selecting frequency sub-groups from the set of frequencies. The system generates a respective sub-group composite signal for each frequency sub-group selected from the set of frequencies and time shifts each respective sub-group composite signal in relation to other sub-group composite signals. The system then generates the test signal by summing each respective time shifted sub-group composite signal to produce the test signal. The system of the invention can be used to develop test signals for input into xDSL devices under test, and in particular, is highly beneficial when performing missing tone testing of xDSL devices.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques operate in a computerized device to execute critical code without interference from interruptions. Critical code is registered for invocation of a critical execution manager in the event of an interruption to the critical code. The critical code is then executed until an interruption to the critical code occurs. After handling the interruption, a critical execution manager is invoked and the critical execution manager detects if an interference signal indicates a reset value. If the interference signal indicates the reset value, the critical execution manager performs a reset operation on the critical code to reset a current state of the critical code to allow execution of the critical code while avoiding interference from handling the interruption and returns to execution of the critical code using the current state of the critical code.

Abstract: The system of the invention provides a unique address assignment mechanism and technique that allows an address server such as a DHCP server to receive requests for network addresses from computer systems or other requesting devices. Based on an identity of the requesting computer system, or on another criteria, the address server can select an address for use on the network from either a set of local addresses or one or more sets of guest addresses. If the address server identifies the requesting computer system as a guest computer system, then a guest address selected from at least one set of guest addresses is assigned and provided to that computer system, whereas if the address server identifies the requesting computer system a local computer system then the address server selects and assigns a local address (from the set of local addresses) to the requesting local computer system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided which enable a data communications device to be programmed to automatically and dynamically modify allocation of resources upon the occurrence of specific events or times without have to break active sessions of data communications. Resource allocations can be made by bandwidth reservations provided to a data communications device via a network policy or via individual bandwidth reservation messages. The bandwidth allocation information can specify a session of data communication and future bandwidth modification information, such as a time or event, that will cause the data communications device to modify an amount of bandwidth reserved for the specified session of data communications. In operation, a data communications device receives bandwidth allocation information indicating future bandwidth allocation modification information associated with a session of data communication.

Abstract: A system for facilitating thread-safe message passing communications among threads in respective processes includes arrangements for coordinating collective communication operations, as between collective and non-collective communication operations, and as among threads in a process receiving messages contemporaneously. For collective communication operations, a master thread is provided and each process is provided with a slave thread. When a user thread in a process is to engage in a collective operation, it notifies its process's slave thread, which notifies the master process. When the master process has received notifications the slave threads of all of the processes which have user threads that are to engage in the collective operation, it notifies the slave threads that the collective operation is to proceed.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques disclose a system that provides access to data using a two part cache. The system receives a data access request containing a first data reference, such as an open systems request to access data. The system then obtains a history cache entry from a history cache based on the first data reference and obtains a partition cache entry from a partition cache based on the first data reference. Cache entries contain mappings between open systems reference locations and non-open systems references to locations in the data to be accessed. The system then performs a data access operation as specified by the data access request using a second data reference based upon either the history cache entry or the partition cache entry. Upon performance of the data access operation, the system then updates the history and partition caches with new cache entries and can resize the partition and history caches as needed.

Abstract: A network appliance is capable of remote booting and obtaining its configuration information from a source located far away. The network appliance can be shipped to a business location or office environment without requiring a local boot server in that location or environment and without requiring the presence of a person who is familiar with and highly skilled in configuring the appliance. The invention allows for booting and the obtaining of configuration information, and therefore allows for the functioning of the appliance, regardless of whether there is a local server in the local network environment, such as a DHCP server or a boot server, that has been set up and configured to provide to the appliance the booting and configuration information it requires.

Abstract: The invention provides unique mechanisms and techniques for a computing device to perform various tasks in a multi-tasking or time sliced environment. A general task scheduling algorithm can select various time slices or priorities for task performance. However, in a dedicated device such as a data communications device, a primary task such as a data transfer task may be so heavily favored by the general task scheduling algorithm, such as in heavy network traffic conditions, that other tasks may be starved of processor time. As such, the system of the invention allows the primary task, to track a first time period Y, and upon expiration of this time period Y, to generate a yield signal to a yielding scheduler. The yielding scheduler can then disable performance of the primary task(s) and track a second time period X during which other tasks may be performed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described whereby Internet content is coordinated with audio communications, such that two or more parties can view the same media content on the Internet while also simultaneously communicating over a traditional telephony network or by using voice over network implementations. The visual interaction is achieved by having a user computer display shared content that corresponds to a second computer's display, such that both parties will be viewing a copy containing the same content on each of their browsers. The visual interaction further provides a method for allowing either of the parties to update the visual content of their browsers.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for communicating messages between windows or frames in a computer display. A computer system suited for use with the invention includes a computer display providing a source window and a target window, as well as respective source display code and target display code associated with each window. A messaging module coordinates the communication of messages and supports a database of target identifiers that identify windows, functions, and message handlers associated with the windows. The source display code originates a message with selection information and provides the message to the messaging module, which uses the selection information to determine which window to send the message to based on the target identifiers in the database.

Abstract: A telecommunications system uses software applications called user agents, that are preferably Internet-based and that operate on behalf of users in a telecommunications hosting server to control call connections under control of a telecommunications network server that interfaces with the telecommunications hosting server as well as a connection-based public-telephone network. The telecommunications hosting server operates on a computer network on behalf of the user agents to provide call signaling in support of many advanced calling and telecommunications services. The functionality and, performance (e.g., execution) of the user agent(s) preferably takes place primarily within the telecommunications hosting server, though user client computers can provide some and possibly all of the user agent functionality, depending upon the particular implementation chosen.

Abstract: The system of the invention provides a collaboration adapter which can be integrated into a web server or a web/application server to allow multiple computer user participants to access a single shared session to an application in a collaborative manner. The system of the invention allows a participant to create a shared session and to associate a participant identity to the shared session as the shared session owner. From thereon, participants can join the shared session and submit requests for application response information to the web server containing the collaboration adapter. In cases where the application response information must be obtained from the application, the invention substitutes participant session identification information in an original participant request with shared session identification information to create an altered request and then forwards the altered request to the application.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques allow a host computer system to control caching operations within a data storage system. In a typical implementation, the system of the invention operates within a host computer system to intercept requests for access to data stored within a data storage system that originate from applications, programs or other processes that perform (e.g., execute) on the host computer system or another computer system. Once intercepted, the host computer can examine such a request for access to data to determine if the request matches any prefetch criteria defined within a prefetch database provided by the system of the invention. As an example, prefetch criteria defined in a prefetch database can specify various requestors (e.g., applications, programs, processes, users, or the like) that can access data (e.g., specific files, databases, volumes, data types or the like) stored within the data storage system according to various data access techniques (e.g.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for preventing secondary ischemic injury in the brain. The apparatus includes an interstitial brain-cooling probe that is placed into an ischemic region of the brain by stereotaxic surgical technique, and a control console. The control console provides a source of cooling fluid to the interstitial brain-cooling probe, and controls the flow of cooling fluid according to signals received from a temperature sensor mounted on the interstitial brain-cooling probe. The interstitial brain-cooling probe cools an ischemic region of the brain from within the ischemic region, and cooling is substantially limited to the ischemic region. Cooling is provided for a period of time greater than one hour.

Abstract: The system of the invention is a data server that can provide access to data, such as mainframe data, by open systems platforms. The system includes a shared storage interface coupling a first computing system to a shared storage device in which the shared data is maintained by a second computing system in a manner that is not natively compatible to the first computing system. The computing system further includes a data access server which executes on the processor in the first computing system. When executing, the data access server receives, via the network interface, a client message to access data on the shared storage device and in response to receiving the client message, retrieves, via the network interface, data storage information provided from the second computing system coupled to the first computing system.

Abstract: A mutual exclusion arrangement is disclosed for use in connection with a computer, the computer being configured to execute at least one program having at least one thread in a series of time slots. The mutual exclusion arrangement includes, associated with the computer, a signal generator and, associated with the at least one thread, a signal handler. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal for provision to the at least one thread when the computer initiates processing of the at least one thread in one of the time slots. The signal handler is configured to, in response to the signal, determine whether the thread, when it begins execution in the time slot, will be executing a section of code that is to be executed in an atomic manner, and, if so, enable the thread to begin execution at a beginning of the section, and otherwise enable the thread to begin execution subsequent to previously-executed code.