Abstract: The present invention relates to managing defunct processes. A parent process that does not collect exit information associated with a child process may leave a defunct child process. A defunct child process is identified. The parent process of the defunct child process is modified. The parent process can be modified by changing an existing thread or instantiating a new thread to collect exit information associated with the child process. Collecting exit information causes the removal of the defunct child process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an enhanced CRL. In response to a request containing an identifier of the most recently owned CRL stored by the requested, a certificate authority generates a CRL spanning from the most recently owned CRL to the current CRL. This CRL is formatted as a delta CRL and transmitted as a reply to the requester. This has the advantage of not requiring transmission of the full CRL even though more than one generation of CRL has occurred since the most recently owned CRL by the requester.

Abstract: A computer system is provided having at least one processing resource, at least one power resource and at least one redundant power resource. The at least one processing resource is operable to exploit a greater level of power than is provided by the at least one power resource. The at least one processing resource is configured to exploit power provided by both the at least one power resource and the at least one redundant power resource, at a time when both the at least one power resource and the at least one redundant power resource are both operable to provide power.

Abstract: A fault tolerant computing system is provided comprising two or more processing sets that operate in synchronism with one another. The two processing sets are joined by a bridge, and there is a communications link for each processing set for transmitting data from the processing set to the bridge. Data transmissions are initiated in synchronism with one another from the respective processing sets to the bridge but are then subject to variable delay over the communications link. Accordingly, a buffer is included in the bridge for storing the data transmissions received from the processing sets for long enough to compensate for the variable delay. The data transmissions can then be fed out from the buffer to a comparator that verifies that the data transmissions received from the two or more processing sets properly match each other. Likewise, a buffer is included in each processing set for storing the data transmissions received from the bridge for long enough to compensate for the variable delay.

Abstract: A system and method for eliminating static initialization overhead by memory space cloning of a master runtime system process is presented. A master runtime system process is executed. One or more static initialization methods are identified. Each static initialization method is uniquely associated with a class provided in a runtime system and specifies a source definition provided as object-oriented program code. At least one static initialization method is executed in a memory space of the master runtime system process. The memory space is cloned as a child runtime system process responsive to a process request. The child runtime system process is executed. In one embodiment, a full garbage collection is performed by promoting objects created during static initialization into the older generation.

Abstract: Techniques for increasing the performance of virtual machines are disclosed. It can be determined whether a program instruction which is to be executed by the virtual machine is a branch instruction, and whether a basic block of code is present in a code cache. If so, the basic block of code can be executed. The basic block includes code that can be executed for the program instruction. A cache can be used to store the basic block for program instructions that are executed by the virtual machine. The program instruction may be a bytecode and the code cache can be implemented as a native code cache.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs voltage sampling over an extended voltage range on a semiconductor chip. During operation, the system receives an input voltage at a node within the semiconductor chip. The system samples the input voltage through a first sampling pathway using NMOS pass gates, which latch the input voltage to produce a first output signal. This first output signal tracks the input voltage from ground up to a cut-off voltage for the nMOS pass gates. The system also samples the input voltage through a second sampling pathway using nMOS pass gates, which latch the input voltage to produce a second output signal. Prior to the NMOS pass gates along the second sampling pathway, the input voltage passes through a source-follower gate, which translates the input voltage down, so that the second output signal tracks the input voltage from a turn-on voltage of the source-follower gate up to Vdd.

Abstract: A thin-client device broadcasts a configuration request message over a network. In response to the configuration request message, the thin-client device receives a configuration response message including a first set of configuration information. The thin-client device determines if the configuration response message includes a second set of configuration information. If the configuration response message does not include the second set of configuration information, the thin-client device broadcasts a status message over a network. In response to the status message, the thin-client device receives a status response message with the second set of configuration information.

Abstract: A plurality of on-chip temperature sensors are selectively distributed across an integrated circuit. The temperature sensors generate signals indicative of operating temperatures experienced by the portions of the integrated circuit on which the temperature sensors are disposed. Based on the temperatures of the portions of the integrated circuit, operation of particular circuitry of the integrated circuit is dynamically adjusted to counteract the effects of undesirable or unexpected operating temperatures.

Abstract: A method for precognitive fetching, involving receiving an original request, performing pre-fetching analysis using the original request to obtain a pre-fetch request, forwarding the pre-fetch request to a storage subsystem, and receiving a response to the pre-fetch request from the storage subsystem.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing vertical multi-threading in a microprocessor without implementing additional signal wires in the processor has been developed. The method uses a pre-existing signal to serve as a multi-function signal such that the multi-function signal can be used for clock enable, clock disable, and scan enable functions. The single multi-function signal exhibits multiple functionalities as needed by a flip-flop to operate in a plurality of modes. The method allows for the use of a pre-existing signal wire to be used as a process thread switch signal that would otherwise have to be explicitly hard-wired in the absence of the multi-functioning signal. The method further includes allowing multiple-bit flip-flops to be placed at sequential stages in a pipeline in order to facilitate vertical multi-threading and, in effect, increase processor performance. The apparatus provides means for distinguishing between specific characteristics exhibited by the multi-function signal.

Abstract: A method of formatting a computer-readable document including a plurality of objects having directly-assigned attributes includes detecting the objects having directly-assigned attributes, creating a conversion style element for every detected combination of directly-assigned attributes, and replacing the directly-assigned attributes by a reference to the corresponding conversion style element. A change of a particular attribute throughout the entire document can thus be carried out simply by changing the conversion style elements in which this attribute appears.

Abstract: A program authoring system, prior to distributing a program, preprocesses the program to verify the integrity of the program. The program is written in a language that uses a restricted set of data type specific instructions. The program preprocessor, upon verification of the program's integrity, generates a modified version of the program containing an array of supplemental information. The supplemental information consists of data type snapshots of the program stack and local variables immediately prior to execution of each of a set of identified target instructions, which are successors of conditional jump, unconditional jump, branch and flow control instructions, if any, in the program. In client devices that receive programs, a program verifier verifies the integrity of each received program. The instructions of the program are emulated to determine whether any instruction in the program would violate the data type restrictions for that instruction.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques operate in a computerized device to provide a network analyzer that identifies a useable network configuration in an existing network configuration. The network analyzer receives a preferred network configuration defining a preferred network topology and analyzes an existing network configuration to produce an existing network topology. The network analyzer then compares the preferred network topology to the existing network topology, for example using a graph matching technique, to identify a useable network configuration within the existing network configuration that most closely supports operation of the preferred network configuration.

Abstract: In a method for handling queue overflow in an in-cache garbage collection process, a first object cache is scanned to identify live objects. If the identified live objects reside in the first object cache, then the object identifiers (OIDs) for the identified live objects are stored in a first broadcast queue associated with the first object cache. For live objects that were not processed due to an overflow of the first broadcast queue, bits are set in a register to identify portions of the first object cache that include live objects that were not processed. To locate the unprocessed live objects for processing, the first object cache is rescanned, but only the portions of the first object cache that are identified by the bits set in register are rescanned. A system for managing queue overflow in an in-cache garbage collection process carried out in a multi-processor environment also is described.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for performing automated management on a system. The method includes providing a fault tree representation of the system. The fault tree specifies propagations of errors generated in the system by problems to produce error reports. The method further includes receiving one or more error reports which are analyzed using the fault tree representation to determine one or more suspected problems. The suspected problems represent those problems that could have generated errors to produce the received error reports compatible with the propagations in the fault tree. The method further includes deconfiguring or reconfiguring one or more components in the system in response to the determination of the suspected problems.

Abstract: A transformation document generation mechanism (TDGM) for automatically generating a transformation document given a source document and a target document is disclosed. The TDGM analyzes each document and builds a pattern dictionary for each that records the patterns found in that document. Thereafter, the TDGM processes the pattern dictionaries to automatically generate the transformation document. In doing so, the TDGM automatically generates pattern creation templates in the transformation document. These templates (when invoked by a transformation processor at a later time while processing a source document with the transformation document) will cause particular patterns to be created in a result document. In addition, the TDGM generates zero or more copy templates in the transformation document to copy identical elements, if any, from the source document to the result document. Once that is done, the transformation document is created and may be refined by a user.

Abstract: A computer system includes a system memory and a plurality of active devices configured to access data associated with the system memory through an address network and a data network. Each of the active devices may be configured to cache data, and may include a promise array. Transitions in ownership of the given block may occur at a different time than the time at which the access right to the given block is changed. The promise array of an active device is provided to store information identifying an unreceived data packet to be conveyed to another device in response to a pending transaction to a cache block for which the active device is an owner. Each active device may be configured to have at most one outstanding transaction for each cache block.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for managing a configuration file including device parameters that define attributes of the device accessed by a device driver executing in a computer. The device driver uses the device parameters to control one or more devices in communication with the computer. A determination is made of device parameters provided with the device driver for a device, wherein the device parameters are maintained external to the configuration file. User selection of at least one of the determined device parameters is received and a parameter code for each selected device parameter is written to the configuration file.

Abstract: A method and device for off-loading from an application program the calculation of a data-integrity-checking value for specified data in a computer system. The data may be included in a message together with the integrity-checking value or may be in a portion of a memory window for direct memory access. The method includes communicating a selected data-integrity-checking scheme from a specified set of schemes to another processor to off-load calculation of the data-integrity-checking value. A related method associates a message to be received with a data-integrity-checking scheme, so that a receiving processor can calculate the data-integrity-checking value and transmit both the value and the message to another processor.