Abstract: Provided are a method, computer program product and system for providing indexed queue support for efficient retrieval of messages from a queue. An index key for expediting message retrieval is assigned to a message when the operation of placing the message on a queue is committed. The index key assigned at commit time comprises an attribute (such as a message ID or correlation ID) specified by the sending application program, which placed the message on the queue. This deferred assignment of an index key until commit time means that the index key can be used to search for messages having the particular attribute without any possibility of identifying messages for retrieval before the messages have been committed. This maintains transactional requirements of a transaction-oriented messaging system which requires a message to only be made available for retrieval by receiver application programs after the sender application's put operation has committed.

Abstract: A method for optimizing package-oriented network traffic control is proposed which can involve constraints to the optimization model which emerged dynamically during the optimization period. Thus, unpredictable events can be considered amongst foreseeable events during the optimization process. For achieving this the method according to the invention uses graphs which are dynamically generated and eventually be varied during the optimization process for managing the above said complex inter-dependencies. Unexpected changes of the time and loading schedules can be balanced and their negative impact on just in-time delivery of goods can be lowered. Generally, transport costs are reduced and natural resources are saved. In a preferred embodiment of the inventional method a variable time buffer extension is introduced which is used to extend the availability of the transport vehicle's capacity.

Abstract: The invention relates to communicating message data between application programs, the message data relating to units of work performed by the application programs. A plurality of message queuing subsystems interface to the application programs and are coupled together through a coupling facility. The message data is communicated in shared queues between the message queuing subsystems by means of data structures contained in the coupling facility. The data structures include an administrative structure listing unit of work descriptors describing operations performed by the queuing subsystems on a shared queue. A connection failure between a queuing subsystem and the shared queue is notified to the remaining queuing subsystems connected to the shared queue.

Abstract: Authentication of an entity remotely managing a data processing system is enabled to allow changes by the remote entity to hard-locked critical security information normally accessible only during the POST and only to trusted entities such as the system BIOS. The remote entity builds a change request and generates a hash from the change request with a current password appended. The change request and the hash are stored in a lockable non-volatile buffer which, once locked, requires a system reset to access. During the next POST, a trusted entity such as the system BIOS reads the change request, generates an authentication hash from the change request and the current password within the hard-locked security information, and compares the buffered hash with the generated hash. If a match is determined, the security information is updated; otherwise a tamper error is reported.

Abstract: A method for providing security to a computer on a computer network is disclosed. When a network-supplied privileged-access password (PAP) is encountered during a system boot-up operation of the computer, the network-supplied PAP is compared with a system-installed PAP. The network-supplied PAP is stored in a first location of a non-volatile memory of the computer, and the system-installed PAP is stored in a second location of the non-volatile memory of the computer. The system-installed PAP is previously entered to the computer via a keyboard of the computer. If the network-supplied PAP does not match the system-installed PAP, a tamper evident mechanism within the computer is set. Otherwise, if the network-supplied PAP matches the system-installed PAP, the boot-up operation continues to be performed. After the boot-up operation has been completed, configuration of the computer is allowed to be performed remotely over the computer network.

Abstract: The capability of an assembly to transfer heat from a semiconductor package source is enhanced while a reduction in the space required for effective operation is achieved. Bodies of fins defining tubular channels are affixed to oppositely facing surfaces of a rectilinear body which is adapted to receive heat from a semiconductor package.

Abstract: An option card, the combination of the option card with a computer system, and a method by which the central processing unit of a computer system can be relieved of the burden of processing protocol bits in a bit stream passing through a digital signal network.

Abstract: In a method for adjusting the phase of a sound signal from multiple speaker units connected to a computer (e.g. a PC), a microphone is installed at a user's listening position, a reference sound is generated from a single particular speaker unit based on a reference sound data having a certain waveform, a phase difference between the reference sound data and a sound detected by the microphone is calculated for each of the speakers, an average value qF of the phase differences for front speakers and an average value qR of the phase differences for rear speakers are respectively calculated, and if |qF−qR|≧90°, phases of the sound data output to the rear speakers are inverted.

Abstract: A method for constructing the set of optimal complex node representations of a PNNI peer group based on a restrictive cost database (e.g. a cost matrix) associated with the border nodes. The resulting set of complex node representations is the optimal in that it contains all the possible complex node representations that use the minimum possible number of exception bypasses.

Abstract: A portable device has an openable cover, the cover being open in normal operation. A method is provided for automatic deactivating the portable device. When the cover is detected to be in an open position and a key operated switch is in a locked position, the portable device is deactivated. The deactivation can be by means of a fusible element or by corruption of a non-volatile storage device required for the operation of the machine, such as a hard disk storing an operating system.

Abstract: An intelligent battery pack in an electronic device such as a PC, sends such information as a voltage, a current, etc. related to power consumption to a controller via a line when the PC is driven by a battery. When the AC adapter is supplying electrical power to the device, the power source is changed to the battery pack once only during the measuring time so as to display data using both measuring and communicating functions of the battery pack. Consequently, no special electric power detector is provided in the power supply system of the AC adapter.

Abstract: A system for checking the integrity of data transfer in a switching element in a high speed packet switching network node where multicasting is performed by simultaneously shifting data from a first shift register into the targeted device shift registers. The outputs of the device registers are fed back into the first shift register. The checking system includes a device select circuit for selecting the targeted via a set of select lines and a negative OR gate circuit. The select line signals and the first register output are inputs to the OR gate, the output of which is fed back to the first register. A comparator circuit has inputs supplied by the device select lines and the outputs of the device registers. A processor compares the contents of the first register to the outputs from the logic comparator circuit to test whether the data has been properly multicast to the targeted.

Abstract: A unitary personal computer system in information handling elements of the system such as the central processor, associated memory, drives and options such as modems or network interface cards are housed in a common housing with the display or monitor. Provision is made for access to the information handling elements of the system by release of manually actuable latches and the like and for mounting of the information handling elements in ways which facilitate orderly and attractive use, such as by providing smooth transitions between stowed and active positions and ready adjustment of positions.

Abstract: To change the frequency of a video clock without adversely affecting a display quality. To lower the frequency of a video clock, following steps are executed, detecting an opportunity which causes the reduction of the frequency of the video clock; lowering the frequency of the video clock in a frequency range within which a circuit employing the video clock (for example, a PLL (Phase Lock Loop) circuit) can follow a change in the frequency; and iterating the step of lowering the frequency of the video clock until a predetermined frequency is attained. In addition, the following steps are also performed, detecting an opportunity which causes the reduction of the frequency of the video clock; lowering the frequency of the video clock to a predetermined frequency during a vertical blanking interval of a display device that employs the video clock; and maintaining the predetermined frequency of the video clock until change of the frequency is required.

Abstract: A CPU cooler is provided for effectively cooling, for example, a CPU chip mounted in a notebook-sized personal computer. An aluminum die casting is equipped with a right portion for covering a CPU package, and a left portion which is coplanar with the right portion and continuous to the right portion, thus forming a fan disposing space. A flat heat pipe is mounted on a bottom surface of the right and left portions and extends linearly. A copper plate is equipped with a first horizontal plate portion for covering the bottom surface of the right portion and the flat heat pipe, and a second horizontal plate portion which faces a second top surface in a height direction and defines the bottom side of a fan disposing space.

Abstract: Scheme for the computation of a restrictive cost between pairs of border nodes of a PNNI peer group. A list of said links sorted according to their restrictive cost C is maintained. Logical sets of nodes are formed by taking one link after the other from said list starting with the cheapest cost C and assigning an identifier to the two nodes connected by the respective link, whereby the nodes of a set of nodes carry a dominant unique identifier if a border node is a member of the respective set, or a unique identifier if there is no border node being a member of the respective set. Sets are united if a link connects a node of a first set and a node of a second set, by assigning a dominant unique identifier to all nodes of both sets if either nodes of the first or the nodes of the second set carry a dominant unique identifier, or by assigning a unique identifier to all nodes of both sets if neither the nodes of the first nor the nodes of the second set carry a dominant unique identifier.

Abstract: A method and system for eliminating peripheral device conflicts in a multibus data-processing system which includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) plus having multiple slots for interconnecting peripheral devices in an automatically derived configuration and an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus having multiple slots for interconnecting peripheral devices in a user-selected configuration. Each slot included within the ISA bus includes a reset line for temporarily disabling an associated slot in response to an application of electrical power to the data-processing system in order to prevent power transition problems. In response to an existing or potential device conflict brought about by a user-selected configuration, a control signal is selectively applied to the reset line for one or more slots included within the ISA bus, temporarily disabling those slots during normal operation of the data-processing system.

Abstract: Network management information stored by network devices in a switched network is obtained at a network management workstation. This is information that relates to the activity of the network devices on the network, such as the logical address of the network devices in communication with other devices. For TCP/IP networks utilizing the NMP protocol, this information is stored in the MIB or the RMON matrix group variables. This information feeds a neural network. The output of the neural network is a list of network devices grouped in virtual LANs (VLANs) such that network devices communicating, or having recently communicated, are grouped in the same VLAN. The network management information is periodically updated so the VLAN grouping can also be periodically refreshed to reflect current network device activity and thus optimize the network bandwidth.

Abstract: An apparatus for broadcasting optical signals within an optoelectric computer network is disclosed. The optoelectric computer network includes multiple computers. Each of the computers includes a first fiber optic cable for sending optical signal beams and a second fiber optic cable for receiving optical signal beams. The apparatus for broadcasting optical signals within the optoelectric computer network includes a lens and a mirror array. The lens is capable of splitting an optical signal beam received from a first fiber optic cable of one of the computers into multiple optical signal beams. The mirror array, which is formed by an array of deformable mirrors, then individually directs each of the split optical signal beams to a respective second fiber optic cable of the selected remaining computers within the optoelectric computer network.