Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively restricting access to a shared memory is presented in a computer network system having at least one bus capable of attaching a plurality of units to a shared memory. A first adapter unit is attached to the bus initiating a first address on the bus to access the shared memory and the adapter unit establishes control over the bus. An ID circuit is also provided that is in processing communication with the adapter and the bus for associating an adapter address to a unit id, where the circuit id is capable of detecting when a first ID belongs to the first adapter that has been given control of said bus. A memory control unit is attached to the bus for utilizing the first address for accessing said shared memory. An address checker circuit is in processing communication with the bus and is provided. The checker circuit is capable of associating a second address with a second adapter ID.

Abstract: An inflatable sealing system and method are provided for a low temperature electronic device such as a cooled multichip integrated circuit module. The inflatable sealing system includes a flexible bladder configured to engage at least one surface of the low temperature electronic module. Thermal insulation is disposed within the flexible bladder and a retention cover is provided to hold the flexible bladder against the electronic module. When disposed on a printed circuit board, the electronic module and printed circuit board can be surrounded by one or more inflatable bladders to prevent air from reaching multiple surfaces of the device.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling an electronic device, and a resultant fluid-cooled electronic apparatus are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a heat sink member with a surface for making thermal contact with the electronic device. The heat sink member has a plurality of channels for carrying coolant fluid. The plurality of channels are positioned in a first group and a second group such that coolant flow alternates across the member. At least one cross-flow opening is provided between at least some adjacent channels of the plurality of channels so that coolant flow can flow within the member between the first group of channels and the second group of channels.

Abstract: Object-code instruction traces are employed to analyze selected instructions of an application program for possible failure when confronted by a year-2000 date. The analysis includes directly identifying one or more instructions of the application program that may fail, as well as identifying whether the one or more instructions have a characteristic of a predefined false-positive failure pattern. A failure-pattern descriptor is assigned to each examined instruction which is indicative of whether the instruction may fail when confronted by a date in the year-2000 range, and whether the instruction is a possible false-positive failing instruction. The analysis employs user-specifiable run-control values, as well as predetermined filter-specification values in comparing traces of each selected object-code instruction to predefined instruction failure patterns.

Abstract: The frequency at which a multisystem log stream is compressed by a system of a multisystem environment is adjusted in real-time. The rate at which the multisystem log stream is compressed by the system is ascertained. That rate is relative to how frequently the multisystem log stream is compressed by other systems of the multisystem environment. The frequency with which the system compresses the multisystem log stream is then adjusted in real-time. Thus, the frequency at which one system of the multisystem environment compresses the log stream is relative to the frequency at which other systems of the multisystem environment are compressing the log stream.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling an electronic device, and a resultant fluid-cooled electronic apparatus are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a heat sink member with a surface for making thermal contact with the electronic device. The heat sink member has a plurality of channels for carrying coolant fluid. The plurality of channels are positioned in a first group and a second group such that coolant flow alternates across the member. At least one channel of the plurality of channels has a fluid flow cross-section that varies over a length thereof to selectively enhance a heat transfer coefficient of the coolant fluid within the channel and thereby produce a more uniform temperature at the surface of the heat sink member when making thermal contact with the electronic device.

Abstract: In a network computing environment having a plurality of central processing units, a high performance locking facility coupled to said plurality of central processing units comprising: a processing means for processing multiple requests for locking operations simultaneously and a lock table for creating entries including lock names and lock states. A high-speed searching mechanism for searching any particular lock entry in the table is also provided, as well as means for altering and modifying said table accordingly depending upon any lock status that is being processed. Finally a response and status generator is provided for providing an appropriate response and status of any lock state to other requestors requesting a particular lock.

Abstract: Object-code instruction traces are employed to analyze selected instructions of an application program for possible failure when confronted by a year-2000 date. The analysis includes directly identifying one or more instructions of the application program that may fail, as well as identifying whether the one or more instructions have a characteristic of a predefined false-positive failure pattern. A failure-pattern descriptor is assigned to each examined instruction which is indicative of whether the instruction may fail when confronted by a date in the year-2000 range, and whether the instruction is a possible false-positive failing instruction. The analysis employs user-specifiable run-control values, as well as predetermined filter-specification values in comparing traces of each selected object-code instruction to predefined instruction failure patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of transferring information in a network computing system environment. At first multiple packets of data are concurrently received data from an information transfer interface mechanism capable of coupling to a plurality of input-output devices. At the same time data is stored concurrently including multiple packets of data in a main storage element in processing communication to the interface mechanism.

Abstract: A technique is provided for resynchronizing message traffic in a communication network following network component failure. A failing component, upon restart, retrieves stored control information including a SYNC number and byte sequence number (BSN) from external memory. The SYNC number is then incremented by a predetermined amount to obtain a new SYNC number, with the predetermined amount being sufficient to ensure that the new SYNC number comprises a current SYNC number. Assuming that the failure occurs at a first data processing system in the network, a status request message is sent from the first data processing system to a second data processing system across the logical connection. The status request includes the new SYNC number, and the BSN read from the external memory. The first data processing system waits for a response message to its status request message. The response message contains a BSN of a next piece of data that the second data processing system is expecting.

Abstract: A technique is provided for resynchronizing message traffic in a communication network following network component failure. A failing component, upon restart, retrieves stored control information including a SYNC number and byte sequence number (BSN) from external memory. The SYNC number is then incremented by a predetermined amount to obtain a new SYNC number, with the predetermined amount being sufficient to ensure that the new SYNC number comprises a current SYNC number. Assuming that the failure occurs at a first data processing system in the network, a status request message is sent from the first data processing system to a second data processing system across the logical connection. The status request includes the new SYNC number, and the BSN read from the external memory. The first data processing system waits for a response message to its status request message. The response message contains a BSN of a next piece of data that the second data processing system is expecting.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment. The apparatus comprises of a main storage and an information transfer interface mechanism in processing communication with the main storage. The interface mechanism is capable of coupling to a plurality of input/output devices. The apparatus also comprises of means for transferring a packet of data between the interface mechanism and the main storage and means for concurrently transferring and processing a plurality of other packets of data between the interface mechanism and said main storage.

Abstract: A thermosyphon system is employed in conjunction with compact and/or dense configurations of electrical and/or electronic components to provide cooling. The thermosyphon cooling system is particularly advantageous in those systems in which the compact arrangement of circuit modules precludes the use of direct air cooling. The thermosyphon cooling system repositions the air cooling aspect of its cooling function to an exterior cabinet location distant from the circuit modules which can therefore be placed more closely together to shorten signal paths.

Abstract: A debugging apparatus for debugging a particular application, session or transaction in a computer network environment. The environment includes a plurality of clients in processing communication with one another. The apparatus comprises identifying means for identifying a debugging mechanism to the computing environment, a debug table accessible to the debugging apparatus for storing any pertinent information relating to said debugging apparatus, identifying means for identifying at least one client present in the environment. The debug table stores any and all pertinent information about any identified clients as well as whether or not a particular application, session or transaction needs to be debugged. A determining means is also provided for determining if a particular application, session or transaction needs debugging so that debugging operation can be started accordingly.

Abstract: A computer program device and a computer program product are introduced comprising a computer storage debugging device readable by a digital processing apparatus; and a debugging program means is introduced. The debugging program means is to be used with the program storage device and includes instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method steps for debugging a particular transaction in a computer network environment, where the environment includes a plurality of clients in processing communication with one another. The method steps comprise: identifying at least one client present in said environment and storing pertinent information about any identified clients; providing information about whether or not a particular session needs to be debugged; and determining if a particular session needs debugging so that debugging operation can be started accordingly.

Abstract: A d.c. motor together with a hot gas bypass valve is incorporated into a cooling system specifically designed for removing heat from a computer system. Unlike typical refrigeration systems, the cooling system herein runs continuously and responds to changes in thermal load. This allows the unit to operate within a wide range of ambient conditions and at various thermal load levels unlike other systems which were capable of operation only at a single, pre-designed load level. The cooling system is modular and is easily added to or removed from a redundant system which includes a single evaporator with multiple refrigerant loops which provides yet another aspect of continuous operation due to the inherent redundancy thus provided. In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a refrigeration cooled cold plate thermally coupled to an electronic module of a computer system, and an auxiliary air cooled heat sink thermally coupled to the refrigeration cooled cold plate.

Abstract: Redundant humidity control mechanisms are provided for electronic systems which are cooled to temperatures below the dew point temperature of the ambient environment in which the systems are present. In particular, system environment is controlled in an overall fashion by providing a thermally insulating and substantially sealed enclosure for containing both air coolable and refrigerant coolable components. Humidity control and cooling are both provided in a redundant fashion to ensure reliability of service and availability of the components which are being cooled. Both desiccant-based and refrigeration-based humidity control mechanisms are provided. The present invention also includes embodiments in which multiple heat exchange fluids are employed.

Abstract: A method for debugging of a particular application, session or transaction in a computer network environment. The environment includes a plurality of clients in processing communication with one another. The method comprises of the steps of identifying a debugging mechanism to the computing environment, identifying any particular client and storing its pertinent information in a debugging table accessible by said debugging mechanism, and accessing said debug table at a later time when necessary to determine if a particular application, session or transaction running on a particular client needs to be debugged and recover the characteristic of the particular client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of assigning and releasing locks, in a network computing environment having a plurality of central processing units coupled to a high performance locking facility. The method comprises of the steps of first receiving and processing a lock operation synchronous to any requesting central processor unit requesting a lock and then recording lock names and lock states in entry records of a lock table based on the requests. When a request is being processed, providing high-speed searching to search any particular lock entry in the table and altering and modifying the table accordingly. Finally an appropriate response and the status of the lock state will be generated and sent to other requesters requesting the lock.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing communication between a first initiating host and a second communicating host in a computing environment having a gateway device. The gateway device is electronically connected from one side to a plurality of initiating hosts and on another side to at least one local area network, further connecting a plurality of receiving hosts to said gateway device. During an initialization step, all connected hosts and the local area network(s) is identified and their addresses and information obtained and stored in a port-sharing table in a memory location accessible to the gateway device. Upon receipt of a special command for establishing communication between a first initiating host and a second receiving host, all information required for establishing of a successful communication between the two hosts is then obtained from the port-sharing table.