Abstract: A computer system includes a processing unit, a system memory, and a memory controller coupled to the processing unit and the system memory. According to the present invention, the memory controller accesses the system memory to obtain prefetch data and transmits the prefetch data to the processing unit in a prefetch write operation specifying the processing unit in a destination field. In one embodiment, the memory controller transmits the prefetch write operation in response to receipt of a prefetch hint from the processing unit, which may accompany a read-type request by the processing unit. This prefetch methodology may advantageously be implemented imprecisely, with the memory controller responding to the prefetch hint only if a prefetch queue is available and ignoring the prefetch hint otherwise. The processing unit may similarly ignore the prefetch write operation if no snoop queue is available.

Abstract: A brace assembly provides support to a railroad rail, such as for a switch. The rail is supported on a tie plate. A wedge block is secured to the tie plate adjacent the rail. A groove is located in the inner wall of the wedge block. The groove extends longitudinally between the side walls and is spaced between the upper and lower sides of the wedge block. A brace has a tapered upper edge and a tapered lower edge that engage the rail. The brace has a tongue that extends outward from the base into the groove. The tongue and groove have widths that decrease from one side to the other. Moving the brace longitudinally relative to the wedge block enables the brace to be wedged between the wedge block and the rail. A spring clip secures the brace to the wedge block.

Abstract: A pipe connector has a rigid seal/support ring mounted on its pin. The pin has a nose and external threads extending rearward from the nose. The rigid seal/support ring is fixedly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin farther from the pin nose than the pin threads. The rigid seal/support ring is installed by a shrink- or press-fit and has a tapered exterior seal surface. The box has a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads. The box has a seal surface for engaging the seal surface of the rigid seal/support ring to form an external seal. The box also has a seal surface to form an internal seal with the nose of the pin.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly having first and second components that are coupled together has a removable externally splined sleeve. A key is located in the keyway between the shaft sleeve and the shaft for transmitting torque. A threaded fastener secures to a threaded hole extending inward from an end face of the shaft end coaxial with an axis of the shaft end. The fastener has a head that engages an outward facing shoulder of the shaft sleeve to releasably secure the shaft sleeve to the shaft. A coupling sleeve has internal splines that engage the external splined section of the shaft sleeve. The coupling sleeve is in engagement with a shaft end assembly of the second component for transmitting torque between the shafts of the first and second components. The head that of the fastener transmits axial loads between the shafts of the first and second components.

Abstract: A tape transport servo system and method that do not make use of tachometers and/or encoders to derive tape velocity and position are provided. The tape transport servo system and method derive velocity and position of the tape from a primary and direct manner and also a secondary or alternative manner, especially when the primary or direct manner cannot be used. The tape transport servo system and method control a tape drive and moves a tape between one reel driven by one motor to another reel driven by another motor. The tape is read by a recording head composed of data readers, data writers and a dedicated set of servo read elements. A position and a velocity of the tape are determined from a primary velocity source when the tape is being read by the head. The position and the velocity of the tape are determined from a secondary velocity source when the tape is not being read by the head. The velocity of the tape is compared to a desired programmed reference velocity for the tape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an access mechanism within a disk drive are disclosed. A servo apparatus comprises a first detection module for discretely detecting a displacement value of an access mechanism from a target position at predetermined time intervals, a first feedback module for calculating a first feedback value on the basis of the detected displacement value, a second detection module for discretely detecting a physical value, including the speed of the access mechanism, at least once at each of the predetermined time intervals, a second feedback module for calculating a second feedback value on the basis of the physical value, including the speed, and a motor driving module for driving a motor according to the first feedback value and the second feedback value.

Abstract: A non-uniform memory access (NUMA) computer system includes a first node and a second node coupled by a node interconnect. The second node includes a local interconnect, a node controller coupled between the local interconnect and the node interconnect, and a controller coupled to the local interconnect. In response to snooping an operation from the first node issued on the local interconnect by the node controller, the controller signals acceptance of responsibility for coherency management activities related to the operation in the second node, performs coherency management activities in the second node required by the operation, and thereafter provides notification of performance of the coherency management activities.

Abstract: A system and method for accessing a cache memory having a redundant array without displacing a cache line in a main array are described. Redundant rows of a cache memory array are used as extra cache lines for the cache memory array. Operations can be performed on these extra cache lines without effecting previous cache line values which have been brought into the cache memory array. These extra cache lines thus provide for temporary cache storage without causing a cache line reloaded into the cache memory array. This selective access of memory without disturbing the current contents of the cache memory array increases system throughput by minimizing the number of times that a cache memory might have to be reloaded.

Abstract: A wear bushing has a lower portion that is landed on a casing hanger in a wellhead housing. An upper portion of the wear bushing has a shear ring in a locking profile that locks the wear bushing to the casing hanger. A locking ring resides in a bore of the wear bushing and has passages for fluid flow. The inner surface of the locking ring has teeth for engaging the teeth of a running tool when the tool is moved upward relative to the wear bushing. A plurality of locking keys extend radially inward through the bore of the wear bushing beneath the locking ring. A beveled ridge on the tool mates with the locking ring. The wear bushing is mounted to the tool which is joined to a drill string. With the locking keys locked on the tool, the wear bushing is lowered down the well into the wellhead housing. The wear bushing is landed on the casing hanger and the locking pins are pressed upward as they contact a seal assembly. The wear bushing is rotated until the locking pins align and fall into slots.

Abstract: An integrated suspension for a hard disk drive is formed as a single-piece flat assembly. The design eliminates the need for mechanical reinforcement such as flange forming, and requires no additional weld processing to form the functional portion of the assembly. A partial etch process is used to reduce local thicknesses in the gimbal and hinge areas to reduce the overall stiffness of the suspension. The proximal end structure of the suspension is also built by partial etching to achieve higher natural frequencies. The suspension design also incorporates built-in load/unload features and two-sided, opposite-facing limiters to limit excessive slider displacement during the manufacturing process, loading/unloading, and non-operational shock environments.

Abstract: A method of storing values in a sliced cache by providing separate, but coordinated, reservation units for each cache slice. When a load-with-reserve (larx) operation is issued from the processor core as part of an atomic read-modify-write sequence, a message is broadcast to each of the cache slices to clear reservation flags in the slices; a reservation flag is also set in the target cache slice, and a memory address associated with the load-with-reserve operation is loaded into a reservation unit of the target cache slice. When a conditional store operation is issued from the core to complete the atomic read-modify-write sequence, a second message is broadcast to any non-target cache slice of the processing unit to clear reservation flags in the non-target cache slice(s).

Abstract: A system, method, and program for managing users, groups, servers, and resources in a heterogeneous network environment are disclosed. The network environment includes a configuration server coupled to a number of deployment servers, which each operates under a specific platform. In response to receipt of a generic command for management of a user, group, server, or resource by the configuration server, a determination is made based on pre-assignment as to which one of the deployment servers is the appropriate deployment server that is to receive the generic command. The generic command is mapped to a specific-platform command executable under the respective specific platform of the appropriate deployment server. The specific-platform command is executed by the appropriate deployment server to complete a task for performing the generic command. In a preferred embodiment, a set of generic commands for managing the users, groups, servers, and resources in the heterogeneous networked environment is defined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing path delays in a high-speed boundary scan implementation overcomes limitations imposed by pipelined high-speed clocking architectures used in integrated circuits. A special phase hold circuit provides a mechanism for clocking circuits undergoing dynamic tests, permitting the dynamic test to produce proper results when the integrated circuit under test is clocked with a high-speed distributed clock. The functional logic clock enable is pipelined to synchronize the functional mode clock with the test mode clock when the tester mode is switched.

Abstract: Keel joint assemblies are described that permit a degree of rotational movement of a riser within the keel of a floating vessel and greatly reduce the amount of stress and strain that is placed upon the riser, as well. Keel joint assemblies described provide a limiting joint between the riser and the keel opening that permits some angular rotation of the riser with respect to the floating vessel. Additionally, the limiting joint permits the riser to move upwardly and downwardly within the keel opening, but centralizes the riser with respect to the keel opening so that the riser cannot move horizontally with respect to the keel opening. In described embodiments, the limiting joint is provided by a single annular joint that allows that riser to move angularly with respect to the can. In some embodiments, the keel joint assembly incorporates a cylindrical stiffening can that radially surrounds a portion of the riser and is disposed within the keel opening.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processor, which reduces issuing of unnecessary barrier operations during instruction processing. The processor comprises an instruction sequencing unit and a load store unit (LSU) that issues a group of memory access requests that precede a barrier instruction in an instruction sequence. The processor also includes a controller, which in response to a determination that all of the memory access requests hit in a cache affiliated with the processor, withholds issuing on an interconnect a barrier operation associated with the barrier instruction. The controller further directs the load store unit to ignore the barrier instruction and complete processing of a next group of memory access requests following the barrier instruction in the instruction sequence without receiving an acknowledgment.

Abstract: A method for managing allocation of network resources within the distributed computer system is provided. Specifically, the network traversal time and the end node response time for requests and/or packets being routed in a switch-connected system area network are utilized to determine the total round trip time for completion of the particular network operation. The sum of the timeout values for all switches that participate in routing the request from a requester (source) to the receptor node (target) is provided to the requester's channel adapter (CA). The time-out values are provided by the switch manufacturer and are sent to a network Subnet Manager (SM) via SM packets (SMP). The timeout values added together represent the SubnetTimeout. The time-out value of the target channel adapter (CA), the ResponseTime, is also provided to the requester. The requester then utilizes one of two timeout equations to calculate the overall response time required for the request to be completed.

Abstract: In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, at least one type of exercise indicator signal associated with exercise performed by a particular user is received from a particular exercise machine in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system provided the particular user. Cumulative fitness activity is computed and stored for the particular user at the portable computer system utilizing the at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously accumulated fitness activity data at the portable computer system, such that an independent portable computer system associated with the particular user monitors the real-time cumulative fitness activity of the particular user from at least one type of exercise indicator signal received from at least one exercise machine over a period of time.

Abstract: A disk drive has a data recording medium such as a disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, disk rotation speed controlling logics for supplying a spindle current to the above described spindle motor to rotate the disk at a constant speed, a head unit for accessing the disk, an actuator for moving the head unit, and head position controlling logics for driving the actuator and controlling the position of the head unit. The head position controlling logic obtains the value of the spindle current and controls the position of the head unit on the basis of the above described spindle current value by using the fact that the spindle current varies according to variations in the position of the head unit.

Abstract: A shared memory multiprocessor (SMP) data processing system includes a store buffer implemented in a memory controller for temporarily storing recently accessed memory data within the data processing system. The memory controller includes control logic for maintaining coherency between the memory controller's store buffer and memory. The memory controller's store buffer is configured into one or more arrays sufficiently mapped to handle I/O and CPU bandwidth requirements. The combination of the store buffer and the control logic operates as a front end within the memory controller in that all memory requests are first processed by the control logic/store buffer combination for reducing memory latency and increasing effective memory bandwidth by eliminating certain memory read and write operations.

Abstract: An electrically powered vehicle transportation system utilizes a guideway with parallel enclosed rails. Each enclosed rail has an electrical bus bar for supplying power to vehicles on the guideway. The guideway will accommodate dual-mode vehicles that are capable of usage on conventional streets as well as on the guideway. The guideway also accommodates conventional vehicles and ferries that operate only on the guideway. The dual-mode vehicle has a body with axles that are extensible. The axles move from a retracted position, with the wheels recessed within the wheel wells, to an extended position. In the extended position, the wheels locate within the enclosed rails. Conventional vehicles and freight are carried on ferries that move along the guideways.