Abstract: A method, computer program product, and data processing system for managing a input/output buffer cache for prevention of deadlocks are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, automatic buffer cache resizing is performed whenever the number of free buffers in the buffer cache diminishes to below a pre-defined threshold. This resizing adds a pre-defined number of additional buffers to the buffer cache, up to a pre-defined absolute maximum buffer cache size. To prevent deadlocks, an absolute minimum number of free buffers are reserved to ensure that sufficient free buffers for performing a buffer cache resize are always available. In the event that the buffer cache becomes congested and cannot be resized further, threads whose buffer demands cannot be immediately satisfied are blocked until sufficient free buffers become available.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for preserving critical inputs. According to an embodiments of the present invention, an initial design including one or more primary inputs which cannot be eliminated, one or more primary inputs which can be eliminated, one or more targets, and one or more state elements are received. A cut of said initial design including one or more cut gates is identified, and a relation of one or more values producible to said one or more cut gates in terms of said one or more primary inputs which cannot be eliminated, said one or more primary inputs which can be eliminated and said one or more state elements is computed. Said relation is synthesized to form a gate set, and an abstracted design is formed from said gate set. Verification is performed on said abstracted design to generate verification results.

Abstract: A technique of operating a wireless communication system includes determining respective geometries of multiple subscriber stations, which include a first subscriber station and a second subscriber station, with respect to a serving base station. Respective channel sounding bandwidths for sounding the channel between the multiple subscriber stations and the serving base station are then scheduled, based on the respective geometries. The respective channel sounding bandwidths include a first channel sounding bandwidth (associated with the first subscriber station) and a second channel sounding bandwidth (associated with the second subscriber station). The first channel sounding bandwidth is greater than or equal to the second channel sounding bandwidth and the first subscriber station has a lower geometry than the second subscriber station.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for reducing subexpressions in structural design representations containing AND and OR gates are disclosed. The method comprises receiving an initial design, in which the initial design represents an electronic circuit, containing an AND gate. A first simplification mode for the initial design from a set of applicable simplification modes is selected, wherein said simplification mode is an AND/OR simplification mode, and a simplification of the initial design according to the first simplification mode is performed to generate a reduced design. Whether a size of the reduced design is less than a size of the initial design is determined and, in response to determining that the size of the reduced design is less than the size of the initial design, the initial design is replaced with the reduced design.

Abstract: A modular computing housing includes a housing structure having a plurality of component slots that each can receive one of a plurality of components, where at least one of the components includes a processor having an operating frequency. A cooling system provides airflow through each of the component slots. A thermal control system can be communicably connected to each of the component slots and each of the received component processors. The thermal control system receives configuration data from each of the component slots, retrieves throttle data corresponding to the configuration data, and directs at least one received component processors to reduce its operating frequency in accordance with the throttle data.

Abstract: A method and a data processing system for completing checkpoint processing of a distributed job with local tasks communicating with other remote tasks via a host fabric interface (HFI) and assigned HFI window. Each HFI window has a send count and a receive count, which tracks GSM messages that are sent from and received at the HFI window. When a checkpoint is initiated by a master task, each local task forwards the send count and the receive count to the master task. The master task sums the respective counts and then compares the totals to each other. When the send count total is equal to the receive count total, the tasks are permitted to continue processing. However, when the send count total is not equal to the receive count total, the master task notifies each task of the job to rollback to a previous checkpoint or kill the job execution.

Abstract: A last router in the route of a packet determines when a packet is at the last hop prior to reaching its destination, based on information conveyed in the routing table that the destination is a directly-connected host, and can then convey that information to the host by setting the TTL to zero in the packet being forwarded to its final destination. The host, being so informed that the packet is destined for its IP address, can thereby eliminate the IP address table search for the destination IP address of the incoming packet against the list of its allocated IP addresses to determine if the packet is destined for that host, thereby providing significant performance enhancements to the network system by enabling a receiving host to skip the IP address lookup process and immediately consume the received packet.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for assigning reply status to an outgoing electronic mail (e-mail) message. While creating an e-mail message, an interface is provided for granularly assigning or denying reply privileges to recipients of an outgoing e-mail message. Reply status is assigned by selecting a subset of recipients by name, e-mail address, and/or e-mail group who may reply to the e-mail. As the recipient's reply status is modified, the outgoing e-mail is updated, revising the reply e-mail address for each recipient. When the recipient is granted reply status, the e-mail address of the original sender is provided as the reply e-mail address. However, in the event the recipient is not granted reply status, the e-mail address of an automated, unmanned e-mail account is provided as the reply e-mail address.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a processor includes at least one execution unit that executes instructions and instruction sequencing logic, coupled to the at least one execution unit, that fetches instructions from a memory system for execution by the at least one execution unit. The instruction sequencing logic including branch target address prediction circuitry that stores a branch target address prediction associating a first instruction fetch address with a branch target address to be used as a second instruction fetch address. The branch target address prediction circuitry includes delay logic that, in response to at least a tag portion of a third instruction fetch address matching the first instruction fetch address, delays access to the memory system utilizing the second instruction fetch address if no branch target address prediction was made in an immediately previous cycle of operation.

Abstract: A method for controlling the different power states of a ClientBlade™ from a remote desktop environment is described. A remote user is permitted to control the different power states of the ClientBlade™ remotely via a remote client having an operating system or a thin client (or decompression brick) with no operating system. Administered authentication of the remote user is required before access is granted to the management module in the BladeCenter™ environment to enable the changes to the power state of the ClientBlade™.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium for detecting errors on a network. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a network error manager retrieves a network topology from a master subnet manager, wherein the network includes a collection of devices coupled by a first interconnect type. When a connectivity failure is detected in the first interconnect type, the network error manager receives from the master subnet manager at least one event notification via a second interconnect type. An error log analysis component identifies at least one device among the collection of devices as a possible cause of the connectivity failure in the first interconnect type. The network error manager retrieves events from at least one device among the collection of devices that can influence a state of the first interconnect type.

Abstract: A host fabric interface (HFI) enables debugging of global shared memory (GSM) operations received at a local node from a network fabric. The local node has a memory management unit (MMU), which provides an effective address to real address (EA-to-RA) translation table that is utilized by the HFI to evaluate when EAs of GSM operations/data from a received GSM packet is memory-mapped to RAs of the local memory. The HFI retrieves the EA associated with a GSM operation/data within a received GSM packet. The HFI forwards the EA to the MMU, which determines when the EA is mapped to RAs within the local memory for the local task. The HFI processing logic enables processing of the GSM packet only when the EA of the GSM operation/data within the GSM packet is an EA that has a local RA translation. Non-matching EAs result in an error condition that requires debugging.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing storage control in a network of storage controllers is disclosed. The apparatus includes an owner storage controller; an I/O performing component, an ownership assignment component, a lock manager and a messaging component. The ownership assignment component assigns ownership of metadata for data to an owner storage controller. The lock manager controls the locking of metadata during I/O. The messaging component passes messages among storage controllers to request metadata state, to grant locks, to request release of locks, and to signal lock release. The I/O is performed on data whose metadata is owned by an owner storage controller, subject to compliance with metadata lock protocols controlled by the owner storage controller, and any copy of the data held from time to time is maintained in a coherency relation with the data.

Abstract: A system and method of improved handling of large pages in a virtual memory system. A data memory management unit (DMMU) detects sequential access of a first sub-page and a second sub-page out of a set of sub-pages that comprise a same large page. Then, the DMMU receives a request for the first sub-page and in response to such a request, the DMMU instructs a pre-fetch engine to pre-fetch at least the second sub-page if the number of detected sequential accesses equals or exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for private information exchange in smart card commerce is disclosed. The method includes, in response to determining that an item of biometric data received on a biometric reader corresponds to an authorized user, unlocking a communication channel on a communication port, exchanging public keys between the user and authorized point of sale, receiving an information request from an external point of sale machine across the communication channel, decrypting an information request and parsing a data token.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing device characterization Logic Built-In Self-Test (LBIST) in an IC device. Test parameters of the LBIST are saved in a memory of the IC device, and nominal operational parameters of the IC device are used to define a signature of the LBIST. A determination whether the LBIST is passed or failed is made within the characterized IC device.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium with executable code for enhancing real-time performance of a client device connected to a java virtual machine by incorporating a java proxy server. Java routing logic of a java proxy server is used to receive a request from a client device to access a java virtual machine. The java proxy server may use the java routing logic to select a java virtual machine from among multiple accessible java virtual machines. The java proxy server selects the java virtual machine that has the greatest amount of free memory, and is not performing a garbage collection operation. Once a java virtual machine is chosen, incoming client device connections are routed to a chosen java virtual machine. Additionally, the java routing logic may instruct one or more of the multiple java virtual machines to only perform garbage collection operations when idle, and when no other java virtual machines are performing garbage collection operations.

Abstract: A method of regulating electronic message traffic is proposed. The method comprises sending an electronic message as part of a thread, receiving a response to the message, and tabulating said response in a counter. A data processing system compares the counter to a threshold and, in response to the comparing step, designates the thread as off-topic.

Abstract: A Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is tracked using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. A bulk load of GMOs, which is intended for consumption by livestock only, is laced with RFID tags at or near a time of harvest. If the RFID tags appear in a product that is intended for human consumption, then the product is pulled from distribution, since it contains GMOs that are potentially harmful to humans if eaten.

Abstract: A cluster system is treated as a set of resource groups, each resource group including a highly available application and the resources upon which it depends. A resource group may have between 2 and M data processing systems, where M is small relative to the cluster size N of the total cluster. Configuration and status information for the resource group is fully replicated only on those data processing systems which are members of the resource group. A configuration object/database record for the resource group has an associated owner list identifying the data processing systems which are members of the resource group and which may therefore manage the application.