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: A system and method of accessing remote services through a network including generating a message within a local computer system using a process having a specified type and version. The message is associated with the specified type and version and transported to an remote service provider system. The remote service provider system parses the message to identify the type and version information, then passes the message to a particular process that corresponds to the process used to generate the message based upon the type and version information.

Abstract: A method for securely accessing an executable file object includes a step in which a request from the target process to access the executable file object is received by an operating system component, and the object is examined for validity before access is allowed. For objects that cannot be validated, the process is run with privileges bounded by the privilege cap, if the privilege cap permits execution of the object.

Abstract: A statistic tool is provided for use in relation with a group of nodes in which each node has a statistic server configured to maintain application-related statistical data on local execution in the node. The statistic tool comprises a statistic manager for storing centralized statistical data obtained from the nodes and an intermediary server for processing a request from another computer system concerning the execution of an application by gathering statistical data received from those of the nodes that intervene in the execution of the application.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for an external, self-initializing FIFO containing indexes of free CAM memory locations is presented. When data is sent to the CAM for a lookup, this external FIFO provides the CAM with the index of a free memory location within the CAM so that if the data word is not found in the CAM (i.e. a CAM miss), the data can be written to the designated available free entry in the CAM. Thus, if the same data word is searched in the CAM in the following cycle it will result in a hit.

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 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: 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: 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 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: 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 method for queuing thread update buffers to enhance garbage collection. The method includes providing a global update buffer queue and a global array with slots for storing pointers to filled update buffers. The method includes with an application thread writing to the update buffer and, when filled, attempting to write the pointer for the update buffer to the global array. The array slot may be selected randomly or by use of a hash function. When the writing fails due to a non-null slot, the method includes operating the application thread to add the filled update buffer to the global update buffer queue. The method includes, with a garbage collector thread, inspecting the global array for non-null entries and, upon locating a pointer, claiming the filled update buffer. The method includes using the garbage collector thread to claim and process buffers added to the global update buffer queue.

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: 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 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 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.