Abstract: A handle having a handle body, a latching arm, and a pivot block is provided. The handle body has a release finger and a pivot leg. The latching arm is slideably secured to the handle body. The pivot block is connectable to a device having at least one movable component. The pivot block is also connected to a first portion of the pivot leg so as to allow the handle body to rotate in the pivot block about the first portion between a first position and a second position. The first position is a locked position and the second position is a latched position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that provide connectivity in a computer network environment that includes a plurality of nodes, interface links and at least one central electronic complex divided into one or more physical and or virtual sub-environments. A first control program is provided in the central electronic complex in order to establish a first command process layer and a first transfer process layer within this first control program for handling data. The first command process layer is then linked to the first transfer process layer in this control program. A second control program is also provided in the central electronic complex in order to establish a second command process layer and a second transfer process layer within this second control program for handling data. The second command process layer is also linked to the second transfer layer in said second control program.

Abstract: A hot docking mechanism enables a PCI type card with an edge connector to be inserted into an enclosure and docked in a card socket on the motherboard without operator access to the enclosure interior. A card holder carries the card and is supported on a card guide for sliding motion into the enclosure to a position at which the edge connector is aligned with the socket secured to the device motherboard. A camming assembly includes a cam lever extending outside the enclosure to convert horizontal or pivoting motion of the cam lever to vertical motion of the card into and out of the socket. The camming assembly, mounted above and proximate the mother board surface, increases mechanical advantage during docking and undocking. The card is supported within the card holder and the camming connection between the card and camming assembly is disposed intermediate the longitudinal ends of the socket to maximize mechanical advantage and minimize misalignment during card docking and undocking.

Abstract: An electrical connector and method for making power connections between multiple power conductors in a shielded power cord and electrical components in a metal cabinet having a panel with a receptacle therein for receiving the electrical connector. A connector core has power contacts connected to power conductors in the power cord for electrical connection with contacts in the receptacle in the metal cabinet when the connector is seated in the receptacle. A conductive foam member is provided around the front edge of said connector core for contact with the face of the panel member when the electrical connector is seated in the receptacle. A metal shield around the connector core and over said conductive foam member makes electrical contact between the conductive foam member and the metal shield for forming an electrical shield around said connector core. The metal shield is in electrical contact with the shield of the power cable.

Abstract: In a mainframe class data processing system having multiple logical partitions and a port to a network, a host-network interface is established for reducing network overhead at the multiple partitions. The host-network interface includes, for example, a host channel connection coupling the multiple partitions of the host system to a communications adapter having a network device driver for each network coupled to the adapter. The adapter also includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) cache designed to hold predetermined media headers for the clients coupled to the network(s) for use in forwarding an internet protocol (IP) datagram across the network to one of the clients from a partition of the host system. Provision is also made for partition-to-partition communication of IP datagrams by storing IP addresses of the logical partitions as HOME addresses in the ARP cache of the adapter.

Abstract: Asynchronous requests, such as input/output (I/O) requests, within a coprocessor of a computing environment are managed. The management of the asynchronous requests is based on priorities associated with the asynchronous requests. This management includes, for instance, selecting an asynchronous request to be processed using a priority scheme, and/or affording resources to the asynchronous requests using a priority scheme.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for cooling a logic module includes an evaporator housing including an evaporator block in thermal communication with the logic module. The evaporator housing includes a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity within the evaporator housing. The system further comprises a controller for controlling a refrigeration unit supplying cold refrigerant to the evaporator block in response to the operating conditions of the logic module and the temperature of the evaporator block. In another aspect of the invention, two modular refrigeration units are independently operable to cool the evaporator block, and each refrigeration unit is controllable in various modes of operation including an enabled mode in which it is ready to cool the evaporator and an on mode in which it is actively cooling the evaporator. In another aspect of the invention, the evaporator block and a heater on a reverse side of the circuit board are particularly controlled during concurrent repair operations.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for cooling a logic module includes an evaporator housing including an evaporator block in thermal communication with the logic module. The evaporator housing includes a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity within the evaporator housing. The system further comprises a controller for controlling a refrigeration unit supplying cold refrigerant to the evaporator block in response to the operating conditions of the logic module and the temperature of the evaporator block. In another aspect of the invention, two modular refrigeration units are independently operable to cool the evaporator block, and each refrigeration unit is controllable in various modes of operation including an enabled mode in which it is ready to cool the evaporator and an on mode in which it is actively cooling the evaporator. In another aspect of the invention, the evaporator block and a heater on a reverse side of the circuit board are particularly controlled during concurrent repair operations.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for cooling a logic module includes an evaporator housing including an evaporator block in thermal communication with the logic module. The evaporator housing includes a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity within the evaporator housing. The system further comprises a controller for controlling a refrigeration unit supplying cold refrigerant to the evaporator block in response to the operating conditions of the logic module and the temperature of the evaporator block. In another aspect of the invention, two modular refrigeration units are independently operable to cool the evaporator block, and each refrigeration unit is controllable in various modes of operation including an enabled mode in which it is ready to cool the evaporator and an on mode in which it is actively cooling the evaporator. In another aspect of the invention, the evaporator block and a heater on a reverse side of the circuit board are particularly controlled during concurrent repair operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining common usage of elements among at least two channels in a data processing system having an arbitrary hardware element hierarchy including multiple channel paths over which data is transmitted. An internally executed initialization program builds a bit mask for channel paths to be compared wherein the bit masks describe the hierarchy of the hardware elements in the channel paths to be compared. A compare program provides a comparison result whose value reflects the impact of the failure of hardware elements that are common to the channel path being compared. The comparison results contains multiple bits, with set bits representing each element which is common to the hardware element common to the channel paths being compared. The impact of a failure of a common hardware element is greater the more significant the bit position of that component resides in the comparison results.

Abstract: Method, system and program storage device are provided for implementing a register pipe between processing engines of a multiprocessor computing system. A register pipe includes at least one first register of a first processing engine and at least one second register of a second processing engine. Data is transferred between the first processing engine and the second processing engine through the register pipe without passing through memory. In one embodiment, general purpose registers within the first processing engine and within the second processing engine are employed to implement the register pipe. A control mechanism is provided within each processing engine to dynamically enable or disable the register pipe coupling any two processing engines of the multiprocessor computer system. A technique for broadcasting to multiple register pipes and for implementing barrier synchronization using a register pipe addressed to a processing engine itself are also provided.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment is a system and method for a device reliability test circuit. The method includes applying a DC voltage across the device for a period, wherein the DC voltage is less than the rated voltage of said device, and determining a failure point of the device based on applying the DC voltage.

Abstract: A mechanism and method for seating and unseating a module in a rack having a floor with slidable engagement with the module. The mechanism includes a linear stop for stopping the movement of the module into the rack. A camming foot is provided for coacting with a hole in the floor of the rack for seating and unseating the module in the rack. An adjustment device provides for moving the linear stop from an inmost position to an outmost position, and simultaneously lowering the camming foot into the hole in the floor and moving the camming foot to urge the module into a fully seated position wherein the module is moved against the linear stop when the linear stop is in its outmost position.

Abstract: A job scheduler module for a distributed processing system is provided with capability to protect jobs from planned or unplanned subsystem downtimes. The approach includes determining a downtime for a subsystem of the distributed processing system, determining at least one of a start time and an end time of a job to be executed using the subsystem, determining whether the start time or the end time of the job is within the downtime, and if not, placing the job in an eligible job list. The scheduler then makes a decision whether to start the job using the eligible job list. A downtime protection flag can be associated with each job, thereby allowing a user to indicate whether the job is to receive subsystem downtime protection. If not, then the job is placed directly in the eligible job list for scheduler execution irrespective of subsystem downtime.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing vibration testing of fiber optic components is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a base member and a mounting assembly for holding a plurality of connectors therein, The plurality of connectors optically couple a plurality of fiber optic cables with one another in a serial configuration. In addition, a securing mechanism for adjustably secures the mounting assembly in a selected axial orientation with respect to the base member, wherein the mounting assembly allows simultaneous vibration testing of each of the plurality of connectors.

Abstract: A coupling facility is coupled to one or more other coupling facilities via one or more peer links. The coupling of the facilities enables various functions to be supported, including the duplexing of structures of the coupling facilities. Duplexing is performed on a structure basis, and thus, a coupling facility may include duplexed structures, as well as non-duplexed or simplexed structures.

Abstract: Synchronization “states” of programmable length imposed on processing nodes are disclosed, the last of which contains an event requiring action by fully synchronized nodes. The nodes are shifted between the states using a shared timing source to ensure synchronization for the event. The first state is a “non-impending event” state where the nodes continue their routine processing; the second state is an “impending event state” closer to the event, and within which nodes “wait” for the event by suspending their routine processing. In the third state, immediately preceding the final, event state, any non-waiting nodes are interrupted for the impending event. The present invention therefore allows some node autonomy during the first state within which the nodes poll at their leisure, and during the second, “wait” state, but during the third, interrupt state, any nodes not yet arriving by polling are interrupted.

Abstract: A docking apparatus for printed circuit boards including a cassette housing, having a housing base, a housing cover and a housing wall, wherein the housing base and the housing wall are disposed relative to each other so as to define a housing cavity for containing a printed circuit board and wherein the housing wall includes a cable opening disposed so as to be communicated with the housing cavity, a linkage mechanism, wherein the linkage mechanism includes an engagement configuration and a disengagement configuration and wherein the linkage mechanism is disposed so as to be associated with the cassette housing and a housing bezel, wherein the housing bezel is disposed relative to the cassette housing so as to be associated with the cable opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides fibre channel networks the ability to use extended link service commands, previously confined to networks including a fabric controller, in a direct attach, point-to-point configuration.

Abstract: A central queue-based packet switch contains multiple input ports and multiple output ports coupled by a central queue path and a bypass path. The central queue has only shared memory and processing dynamically switches from transfer of message portions across the central queue path to the bypass path whenever a next message portion is identified by an output port as a critical portion. Upon transfer of message forwarding to the bypass path, subsequent message portions are forwarded across the bypass path unless the output port signals for transfer of the message portions back through the central queue path. Dynamic switching of message transfer from the central queue path to the bypass path is accomplished irrespective of whether contention exists for the output port.