Abstract: A method for implementing a software application by shifting all the definition of an application into data, which need not be translated to code to be run, which is run by code which remains the same from application to application.

Abstract: A database system including a query mechanism for accessing data stored in the database. The database system includes classes comprising stored code enabling User generated database queries comprise data indicating one or more addresses at which the desired data resides. The query mechanism parses a query in to a plurality of query components. A query class in the query system instantiates a query component object for each of the query components. The query component objects are chained together to form query chains that enable message passing between the query component objects.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method which functions to restrain over-eager load boosting in an out-of-order processor through the implementation of a special "coloring" mechanism that colors dependent load and store instructions to ensure recognition of a dependency based on the assignment of a common multi-bit "color" scheme. In an exemplary embodiment, two bits of color are assigned to load and store instructions. These color bits are stored in a special array and are read when the load or store is read from the instruction cache ("I$"). The encoding of "00" for a load, for example, may indicate no coloring dependency for the load. Any encoding other than a "00" is utilized to indicate a store-load dependence for a store and load of the same color. The color bits for the load and store instructions are updated when a read-after-write ("RAW") hazard is detected by the memory disambiguation buffer ("MDB") for a store-load pair.

Abstract: Information is extracted in text form from a graphically oriented application program by commands originating in a test program module. The application module is configured compatibly with the test program module so that it responds with the requested information through the use of a hidden field or window embedded in the application module. The hidden field facilitates communication between the test program and application modules so that the exchanges are transparent to the application user.

Abstract: A non-intrusive power control for a fault tolerant computer system which uses redundant voting at the hardware clock level. The computer includes three or more commercial central processing units (CPUs) operating synchronously. Outputs to system memory and system bus are voted by a radiation tolerant gate array which may be implemented in a custom integrated circuit. An interface control coupled to the voter can remove or connect power from a CPU and adjust CPU inputs, preventing damage to the components without terminating an operating program. The inputs and outputs at each write to and read from system memory are voted at each CPU clock cycle. A vote status and control circuit "reads" the status of the vote and controls the state of the CPUs using hardware and software. The system logic selects the best chance of recovering from a detected fault by re-synchronizing all CPUs, powering down a faulty CPU, or switching to a spare computer, resetting and re-booting the substituted CPU.

Abstract: A configurable input device for an integrated circuit having a plurality of input pads, the input device including a plurality of buffers, where each buffer is associated with one of the input pads. Each buffer receives a mode select signal and the buffer is responsive to the mode select signal to place the buffer in an enabled mode or a disabled mode. A receiver portion within each buffer is coupled to the associated input pad. The receiver portion pulls the associated input pad to a preselected logic state while the buffer is in the disabled mode. An output driver within each buffer generates an output signal responsive to a signal on the associated input pad while the buffer is in the enable mode and provides a high impedance while the buffer is in the disabled mode. An output node is coupled to the output drivers of the plurality of buffers.

Abstract: The present invention is a fiber channel switch employing a distributed queuing algorithm for interconnecting a plurality of devices (workstations, supercomputer, peripherals) through their associated node ports (N.sub.-- ports) and employs a fabric having a shared memory coupled to a plurality of fabric ports (F.sub.-- ports) through a bi-directional bus over which memory addresses, frame data and communications commands are transmitted. Each F.sub.-- port includes a port controller employing a distributed queuing algorithm associated with a control network for communicating commands between the ports related to when and where frame transfers should be made, wherein the bi-directional bus provides an independent data network for access to the shared memory such that frames can be transferred to and from the shared memory in response to port controller commands.

Abstract: A system and method for demodulation of an RF signal on a transmission channel is provided. The RF signal is demodulated to baseband as an in-phase (I) data signal and a quadrature (Q) data signal. A first block of I data is captured and a first block of Q data is captured. A time domain guard interval is provided in the captured first blocks of I and Q data. A complex discrete Fourier transform is performed on the captured first I and Q data blocks. An inverse frequency response for the transmission channel is determined. The inverse frequency response is multiplied by the complex discrete Fourier transform of the guard-interval protected first I and Q data blocks to generate a frequency domain product signal. An inverse Fourier transform on the product of the multiplying step is performed to generate a first equalized time domain signal. In a preferred embodiment, the method also includes using an overlapped Fourier transform and discarding a first portion of each equalized time domain signal.

Abstract: A single transaction technique for a journaling file system of a computer operating system in which a single file system transaction is opened for accumulating a plurality of current synchronous file system operations. The plurality of current synchronous file system operations are then performed and the single file system transaction closed upon completion of the last of the file system operations. The single file system operation is then committed to a computer mass storage device in a single write operation without the necessity of committing each of the separate synchronous file system operations with individual writes to the storage device thereby significantly increasing overall sytem performance. The technique disclosed is of especial utility in conjunction with UNIX System V based or other journaling operating systems.

Abstract: A process for making a magnetic head including the steps of forming a first pole piece comprising magnetic material and depositing a gap-forming layer comprising nonmagnetic material over the first pole piece. A first patterned layer of uncrosslinked polymer is formed on the gap-forming layer. The first patterned layer is cured by electron irradiation at a temperature less than about 175 C. to crosslink the polymer. A conductive coil is formed on the cured first patterned layer and a second patterned layer of uncrosslinked polymer is formed over the conductive coil. The second patterned layer is cured by electron irradiation at a temperature less than about 175 C. to crosslink the polymer. A second pole piece layer of magnetic material is formed to complete the magnetic head.

Abstract: A processor including at least one execution unit generating out-of-order results and out-of-order condition codes. Precise architectural state of the processor is maintained by providing a results buffer having a number of slots and providing a condition code buffer having the same number of slots as the results buffer, each slot in the condition code buffer in one-to-one correspondence with a slot in the results buffer. Each live instruction in the processor is assigned a slot in the results buffer and the condition code buffer. Each speculative result produced by the execution units is stored in the assigned slot in the results buffer. When an instruction is retired, the results for that instruction are transferred to an architectural result register and any condition codes generated by that instruction are transferred to an architectural condition code register.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the synchronization of an F.sub.-- port receiver on a Fibre Channel switch with an external N.sub.-- port to ensure the reception of a stream of transmission characters including four byte ordered sets having a comma character positioned as the left most byte in the ordered set in accordance with the Fibre Channel standard.

Abstract: A device input/output ("I/O") monitoring mechanism serving as an interface between a computer operating system kernel and a device driver which obviates the necessity of implementing specific pseudo-device drivers for various peripheral devices and provides a standard interface between, for example, computer mass storage devices and a computer operating system. The I/O monitoring mechanism disclosed is of especial utility in the measurement of general storage device I/O performance and allows I/O statistics to be presented to application-level software operating in conjunction with a computer operating system which facilitates the identification of storage device "hot spots" within metadevices and sub-metadevices. The mechanism of the present invention is usable across a wide range of storage device peripheral hardware and device drivers and allows user-level program code to readily determine the associated physical sub-component.

Abstract: A non-volatile caching system and a method for implement such a system is disclosed. The system is particularly applicable to rotating magnetic media such as hard disk drives. The system retains data even in the event of system shut-down and re-boot. The system is capable of rapidly caching data from large, randomly accessed files, such as databases, in a space-efficient manner. The cached data can be stored in nearly any standard or non-standard format on the magnetic media. A conversion routine converts CD-ROM file names or network file names to local hard disk drive file names and back. A mini-database is created for each cached file on the hard disk drive. The mini-data base maps randomly-accessed blocks of data within the cached file on the local hard disk drive.

Abstract: A cache only client-server configuration which provides the performance benefits of "dataless" client operation with the administrative efficiencies of a "diskless" client-server configuration. Utilizing cache only clients, the performance of stand-alone systems can be approximated utilizing a relatively small disk drive as a local data cache. The cache only clients may be considered as interchangeable units in that they hold no critical data and any data held on the local disk is a "clone" of the master copy held on the server. System configuration, administration and maintenance costs are dramatically reduced since software installation, distribution and backup may be managed at the server.

Abstract: A metadisk driver functionally intermediate a computer operating system and one or more metadrivers and underlying layered drivers provides a driver rename/exchange function which does not depend on any particular driver having knowledge of the private data structures of any of the other drivers. The rename/exchange technique implemented thereby may be conducted while the underlying devices are on-line and comprise atomic operations which are, therefore, recoverable inasmuch as the operation will have either been completed or will not be committed in the event of any interruption.

Abstract: A multi-tier cache system and a method for implementing the multi-tier cache system is disclosed. The multi-tier cache system has a small cache in random access memory (RAM) that is managed in a Least Recent Used (LRU) fashion. The RAM cache is a subset of a much larger non-volatile cache on rotating magnetic media (e.g., a hard disk drive). The non-volatile cache is, in turn a subset of a local CD-ROM or of a CD-ROM or mass storage device controlled by a server system. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a heuristic technique is employed to establish a RAM cache of optimum size within the system memory. Also in a preferred embodiment, the RAM cache is made up of multiple identically-sized sub-blocks. A small amount of RAM is utilized to maintain a table which implements a Least Recently Used (LRU) RAM cache purging scheme. A hashing mechanism is employed to search for the "bucket" within the RAM cache in which the requested data may be located.

Abstract: A transaction device driver that exports a transaction interface tailored to the requirements of conventional journaling file systems. The operating system file system informs the transaction device driver when a file system operation begins and ends and also informs the transaction driver about important data updates which have occurred since the beginning of the file system operation. The transaction device driver logs the updates as the data appears through the normal read/write/strategy entry points into the driver and, should the system fail while there are outstanding operations, ensures that either all of the changes for the operation will appear in the file system or that none of the changes will appear.

Abstract: A system and method for file system fix-on-panic for a computer operating system which comprises an enhancement to the UNIX.RTM. File System ("UFS") that increases total system availability by detecting file system errors and determining whether on-line repair is possible and then locking, repairing and unlocking the failed file system. Availability of the entire computer system is increased since the mean time to failure for independent threads is increased by the amount of time up to the next failure and the mean time to repair for dependent threads is reduced to only the amount of time necessary for the repair. The system and method disclosed allows for repairs to be made during use, may be called from the user level and allows for blocking of only particular threads.