Abstract: A computer including a microprocessor, a memory system, a bus system, and a single point indicator. The memory system includes an operating system stored therein. The bus system couples the memory system to the microprocessor. The single point indicator is coupled to the microprocessor and is capable of emitting a single point of light of substantially any wavelength in a visible spectrum. The computer also includes logic that determines a level of a selected operational parameter of the computer and logic that generates a corresponding wavelength of light emitted from the single point indicator. The corresponding wavelength of light corresponds to the level of the selected operational parameter. A method for indicating a level of a selected operational parameter of a computer is also disclosed.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that performs stores in a memory system. During operation, the system performs a store for a first thread, which involves creating an entry for the store in a store queue for the first thread. It also involves attempting to store-mark a corresponding cache line for the first thread by sending a store-mark request for the first thread to the memory system, wherein a store-mark on the cache line indicates that one or more store queue entries are waiting to be committed to the cache line. If the attempt to store-mark the cache line fails because a second thread holds a store-mark on the cache line, and if obtaining the store-mark will ensure forward progress for the first thread, the system forces the second thread to release the store-mark, so the first thread can acquire a store-mark for the cache line.

Abstract: In a method for interacting with a system that includes physical devices that are interfaced with computer software, a graphical representation of a physical device that can be graphically interconnected with a graphical representation of a software module is generated. The graphical representation of the physical device is capable of being represented as either a graphical copy mode representation or a graphical ghost mode representation. On-screen interaction with functionality of the physical device is enabled when the graphical representation of the physical device is in the graphical copy mode representation. A true physical state of the physical device is tracked when the graphical representation of the physical device is in the graphical ghost mode representation. The tracking of the true physical state of the physical device disables on-screen interaction with functionality of the physical device. A dual-mode graphical user interface element for interfacing with a physical device also is described.

Abstract: In a computer communication network, affinity between a client and server is established dynamically. The client desiring affinity sends a request to establish affinity to an available server. The server can then respond by sending the client a redirect to an elected server, with which the client already has affinity. If there is no such elected server, the server establishes affinity between itself and the client.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes a response of a component in a computer system to vibrations generated by the computer system. First, the system measures the response of the component to vibrations in a frequency range while the component is located outside of the computer system. The system also measures vibrations generated by the computer system in the frequency range during operation of the computer system, wherein the vibrations are measured at a location in the computer system which is configured to receive the component. The system then characterizes the response of the component to vibrations generated by the computer system based on the measured response of the component to vibrations in the frequency range and the measured vibrations in the frequency range at the location.

Abstract: A system, comprising a compute node and coupled network adapter (NA), that supports improved data transfer request buffering and a more efficient method of determining the completion status of data transfer requests. Transfer requests received by the NA are stored in a first buffer then transmitted on a network interface. When significant network delays are detected and the first buffer is full, the NA sets a flag to stop software issuing transfer requests. Compliant software checks this flag before sending requests and does not issue further requests. A second NA buffer stores additional received transfer requests that were perhaps in-transit. When conditions improve the flag is cleared and the first buffer used again. Completion status is efficiently determined by grouping network transfer requests. The NA counts received requests and completed network requests for each group. Software determines if a group of requests is complete by reading a count value.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that characterizes content in object code. During operation, the system receives the source code of a program. The system also receives one or more pieces of object code of the program, or creates one or more pieces of object code from the source code. Next, the system identifies a construct in the object code. The system then determines whether the construct is physically present in the source code. If the construct is not physically present, the system determines whether the construct is logically present in the source code, wherein a construct is logically present if it is required by the programming language. If so, the system sets a construct flag to indicate that the construct is “synthesized.” However, if not, the system sets the construct flag to indicate that the construct is “synthetic.” Finally, the construct flag is made available to a reflective API.

Abstract: A method for specifying the layout of computing system resources includes receiving a request for a virtual machine, the request comprising a processor requirement and a memory requirement, gathering resource groupings, each resource grouping comprising a latency penalty between a processor and at least a memory. The method further includes calculating a proportionality for each resource grouping, wherein the proportionality comprises a minimum of: an amount of the processor requirement the resource grouping can satisfy and an amount of the memory requirement the resource grouping can satisfy, sorting the resource groupings based on at least the proportionality for each resource grouping to create an ordered list and binding, based on the ordered list, at least one resource group to the virtual machine, wherein the at least one resource group satisfies the processor requirement and the memory requirement.

Abstract: A method and system of avoiding silent data corruption in a request-response messaging system where a requester relies on tags to match request messages with response messages. The silent data corruption occurring if the requester process a response message after a tag used with the response message was reused with another request message.

Abstract: An external security device is provided in the communication path between devices of different security levels. A higher security device needs only to trust the security of the external device, rather than relying on operating system and file system software that cannot be assured. The external security device blocks access requests that may be using covert channels, but returns status information that indicates that the request is successful. The external security device may then audit access requests to provide a higher level of accountability. The external security device also handles data duplication to prevent or significantly reduce the threat of traffic analysis.

Abstract: A processor including instruction support for implementing hash algorithms may issue, for execution, programmer-selectable hash instructions from a defined instruction set architecture (ISA). The processor may include a cryptographic unit that may receive instructions for execution. The instructions include hash instructions defined within the ISA. In addition, the hash instructions may be executable by the cryptographic unit to implement a hash that is compliant with one or more respective hash algorithm specifications. In response to receiving a particular hash instruction defined within the ISA, the cryptographic unit may retrieve a set of input data blocks from a predetermined set of architectural registers of the processor, and generate a hash value of the set of input data blocks according to a hash algorithm that corresponds to the particular hash instruction.

Abstract: One particular implementation takes the form of an apparatus or method for parallelizing a sequential power simulation of an integrated circuit device. The implementation may temporally divide the simulation so that separate time segments of the simulation can be run at the same time, thereby reducing he required time necessary to perform the power simulation. More particularly, a logic simulation may be performed on the integrated circuit and snapshots of the logic devices of the integrated circuit may be taken at a specified period. The separate time segments of the simulation may then be simulated in a parallel manner to simulate power consumption of the integrated circuit. Performing the power simulation on the separate time segments may reduce the required time of a typical power consumption simulation of an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A garbage collection process performs garbage collection operations in an object-based memory system associated with a processing environment. The garbage collection process receives, at a first garbage collection unit, object references derived from root data from a processor associated with the first garbage collection unit. In addition, the garbage collection process processes, at the first garbage collection unit, the root data received from the processor associated with the first garbage collection unit. The garbage collection process also determines which object references derived from the root data are associated with a second garbage collection unit. Upon determining that an object reference is associated with a second garbage collection unit, the garbage collection process communicates information representative of the object reference to the second garbage collection unit associated with the object reference.

Abstract: A system, including a computing device, performs a method for communicating with a message service via a file system interface. A file system driver receives a file system call from an application program executing on the computing device. The file system driver converts the received file system call into a message service request. The file system driver transmits the message service request to a message service server. The message service server processes the message service request and generates a response to the message service request. The message service server then sends the message service response to the file system driver. The file system driver converts the received message service response into a file system call response. The file system driver may return the file system call response to the application program or may store the file system call response as a file system file in a file system.

Abstract: A cluster of computers including a plurality of processing nodes, a command network connecting to each of the processor nodes, and circuitry for addressing each of the processor nodes on the command network based on a position of the processor node on the command network.

Abstract: A method of sampling instructions executing in a multi-threaded processor which includes selecting an instruction for sampling, storing information relating to the instruction, determining whether the instruction includes an event of interest, and reporting the instruction if the instruction includes an event of interest on a per-thread basis. The event of interest includes information relating to a thread to which the instruction is bound.

Abstract: A method for arbitration in an arbitration domain. The method includes: receiving, by each node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, an arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, where the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain each use a shared data channel to send data to a set of receiving nodes; assigning, by each node in the arbitration domain, consecutive time slots to each sending node based on a plurality of priorities assigned to the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain; for each time slot: sending, from the arbitration domain, a switch request to a receiving node designated by the sending node, where the receiving node is in the set of receiving nodes; and sending, by the sending node, data to the receiving node via the shared data channel during the time slot.

Abstract: A memory system that interleaves storage of data across and within a plurality memory modules is described. The memory system includes a hybrid interleaving mechanism which maps physical addresses to locations within memory modules and ranks so that physical addresses for a given page all map to the same memory module, and physical addresses for the given page are interleaved across the plurality of ranks which comprise the same memory module.

Abstract: A method for automating provisioning of services in a target computer system. The method includes providing a set of provisioning adaptors each defining an interface to a provisioning application and receiving a provisioning request from a user interface. The method further includes identifying one of the provisioning applications for completing a provisioning operation based on the received provisioning request, and then, invoking the identified one of the provisioning applications using one of the interfaces defined by one of the provisioning adaptors associated with the provisioning tool or application. The method includes providing agents on the components of the target computer system collecting configuration regarding the components from the provisioning agents, and using the collected data during identifying provisioning applications and invoking the identified applications.

Abstract: A message generation mechanism for a network interface is provided. The message generation mechanism is operable to generate a message which includes data for signing and authentication procedure instructions. The message is for conveying information to a user device for presentation to a user via a user interface of the user device. The data is arranged in the message in a manner which permits the user device to utilize the data in an automated signing procedure. The automated signing procedure may be a digital signing procedure. The data for signing may be random data, pseudo-random data or secure random data and may be arranged in the message in a manner which avoids presentation to the user.