Abstract: A method for private personal identification number (PIN) management includes receiving a first PIN, receiving a first key used to scramble a second PIN that has been validated, receiving a first scrambled PIN comprising the second PIN scrambled with the first key, scrambling the first PIN with the first key to create a second scrambled PIN and validating the first PIN based at least in part on whether the first scrambled PIN matches the second scrambled PIN.

Abstract: A method for private personal identification number (PIN) management comprises ascertaining a first delay period of a preceding PIN. The first delay period is greater than zero if the preceding PIN does not match a validated PIN and the first delay period equals zero if the preceding PIN matches the validated PIN. The method also includes receiving a current PIN after at least the first delay period and delaying for a second delay period if the current PIN does not match the validated PIN. The second delay period is greater than the first delay period.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a timing value of a timing-sensitive digital logic circuit includes (a) setting a set of input signal parameters such that the transition edge of an input signal is placed a selected time interval from an active edge of a clock signal, (b) conducting a circuit simulation, (c) observing an output signal and determining validity thereof, (d) shifting the transition edge by a window having a given time width, (e) simulating the circuit so as to determine the validity of the output signal, (f) iterating the shifting and the simulating by doubling the time width of the window for each iteration unless the doubled time width exceeds half the clock cycle and until the validity of the output signal changes, and (g) defining a solution window between the transition edge yielding the last valid output signal and the transition edge yielding the last invalid output signal.

Abstract: The analysis of the lifetime of objects in a garbage-collected system may be accomplished quickly and effectively using reference counts and cyclic garbage analysis. A reference count is maintained for each of the objects to indicate the number of incoming pointers. Each time the graph structure is altered, the reference counts are updated. Timestamps are recorded each time the reference count for objects change. If a reference count goes to zero, the corresponding object may be indicated as dead. A garbage collection need only be run once (perhaps at the end), and after it is run the system may indicate which objects are cyclic garbage. The timestamps for objects which are cyclic garbage are then reviewed in reverse chronological order. For each timestamp found, the corresponding object and any object reachable from the corresponding object are indicated as dead. These objects are then removed from the set of cyclic garbage.

Abstract: A centralized database and test coverage framework tools are provided to allow developers to conduct sophisticated test coverage analysis. When testing of application code occurs, information regarding line execution by each of the tests is stored in a database file unique to the corresponding test. The information contains details on how many times each line was executed during the corresponding test. The database files each may be stored in a unique subdirectory and may be grouped in clusters specified by a developer. The storing may include executing a general purpose data collector with a database location and a cluster name as parameters. Then, test coverage results may be displayed to a user by presenting the application code. A corresponding number of executions for any line in the application code which is clicked on by a user may be displayed. This allows for dynamic source code navigation.

Abstract: In order to diagnose applications, a specialized knowledge base may be created that is static upon creation but may become dynamic when traversed. The knowledge base may be defined as a decision tree having one or more diagnosis nodes, one or more analysis nodes, and one or more symptom branches. The diagnosis nodes are leaf nodes and indicate proposed diagnoses and/or proposed remedies for an application. The symptom branches may connect analysis nodes to other analysis nodes or analysis nodes to diagnosis nodes, and may indicate possible symptoms of the application. The analysis nodes may be non-leaf nodes and indicate information required to determine which symptom branches to follow during traversal. Additionally, the analysis nodes may indicate additional information required from a collector agent before traversal can be continued. This allows the knowledge base to be utilized dynamically, improving performance and reliability.

Abstract: A method for portable device memory management includes determining an operational mode of a program configured to execute on the portable device based on validating the presence of one or more memory markers in the memory. The one or more memory marker includes a memory line having a predetermined length and including a data portion and a tag. The method also includes allowing one or more commands based on the operational mode and terminating execution of the program if at least one but less than a predetermined number of memory markers are validly present in the memory.

Abstract: A method for dynamic personal identification number (PIN) management includes selecting a PIN comprising at least one picture category ID, determining a correspondence between at least one entry token and the at least one picture category ID and creating a picture category ID list in response to an access request. The picture category ID list includes the at least one picture category ID. The method also includes providing the picture category ID list for displaying a composite image including pictures based on the picture category ID list, receiving an entry token list in response to the providing and granting access to the service based upon whether at least one entry token in the entry token list corresponds to the at least one picture category ID. According to one aspect, the method also includes providing instructions to the user regarding which pictures are based on the PIN.

Abstract: Versioning may be utilized in a knowledge base decision tree in order to provide several useful features. To accomplish this, when a decision tree is traversed, the decision tree representing a knowledge base and having non-leaf nodes with one or more branches representing possible symptoms, and leaf nodes with no branches, branches may be followed corresponding to symptoms experience by the application until a leaf node is reached. This traversal may be recorded as a version, with subsequent traversals having a different version. This allows a user to rerun performance tuning either from the beginning or from an earlier node without having to re-enter information already provided. It also allows a user to resume the performance tuning should he be interrupted in the middle, such as by a crash or by having to halt a long traversal.

Abstract: A method for reducing dynamic memory allocation includes designing a software program using a memory allocation module for allocating memory, analyzing the software program to determine a bound on dynamic memory allocation and modifying the program based on the analyzing. According to one aspect, the program is modified to use static memory allocation in lieu of dynamic memory allocation based on the analyzing. According to another aspect, the program is modified to reduce the amount of dynamically allocated memory based on the analyzing.

Abstract: A method for statically allocating a procedure return address includes separating a software program including multiple procedures into a cyclic part and an acyclic part, allocating a static address for the return address of a procedure in the acyclic part and modifying at least one of the procedures to refer to the static address for the procedure return address.

Abstract: A server has a memory and an analyzer. The memory stores a library of symptom descriptions, a library of corresponding diagnoses, a library of corresponding remedies, and a library of corresponding probes. The analyzer is coupled to the memory and has an identifier, a comparator, and a reiterater. The identifier identifies at least one symptom of an application to be probed based on an input. That input can either be a user input describing the symptoms of the application or symptoms previously already identified. The comparator compares the symptoms of the application with the library of symptom descriptions. The reiterator reiteravely operates the identifier on the comparator until the symptoms correspond with a diagnosis from the library of corresponding diagnoses.

Abstract: A method for designing a software program including multiple modules includes defining an initialization sequence wherein each of the modules is initialized according to a predetermined order. The method also includes defining calling order constraints wherein a first module may call a second module if the first module succeeds the second module in the allowed order. The method also includes creating a program specification for the software program. The program specification includes a module specification for each of the modules and each module specification indicates other modules called by an implementation of the module. According to one aspect, one of a plurality of initialization sequences is selected based upon the presence of one or more markers in a memory.

Abstract: Less data to transmit from a server to a virtual machine on a client is achieved by transmitting only those methods of classes that the executed application actually requires. This is accomplished by taking the classes of the targeted application and statically determining which methods of these classes, as well as of the library classes, can actually be used by the application. A method usage map of usable methods for each class is saved in a file. When the request to download is received from the client, the server consults this map and selectively transmits only those methods that are in it. This saves download time and memory space in the virtual machine and speeds up execution.

Abstract: A smaller footprint is loaded into the virtual machine by loading only those methods of library classes that the executed application actually requires. This is accomplished by taking the classes of the targeted application and statically determining which methods of these classes, as well as of the library classes, can actually be used by the application. A generated method usage map of usable methods for each class are saved in a file. At runtime, the virtual machine consults this file and selectively loads into memory only those classes listed in the file. This saves memory space in the virtual machine and speeds execution.

Abstract: In a software development environment, a method for deploying version control system server software having a remote access capability, includes (a) providing a functional software unit implementing version control system server functionality, (b) providing a deployment descriptor for directing a deployment tool to deploy the module, (c) packaging the functional software unit with the deployment descriptor into a Web module for deployment, and (d) deploying the Web module onto a Web server platform using the deployment tool of the software development environment. The deployment tool includes a server plug-in provided by a provider of the hosting server software of the Web server platform. The server plug-in automatically installs a Web module on a corresponding server platform when the Web module complies with the component-based platform-independent specification.

Abstract: A versioning Application Programming Interface (API) is provided for a software platform based on an object-oriented platform-independent programming language. The versioning API includes (a) main interfaces defining versioning functionality, the main interfaces allowing access to the versioning functionality, (b) a functional implementation of the main interfaces, the functional implementation including classes and libraries implementing the versioning functionality, the classes including a reference to a program module to perform a requested versioning function, and (c) a user interface for using the versioning functionality. The versioning API may further include native programming interfaces allowing code written in the object-oriented platform-independent language to operate with code written in a native language other than the object-oriented platform-independent language. The classes and some libraries are written in an object-oriented platform-independent programming language.

Abstract: Management of lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) service may be accomplished through the use of remote mirroring and a unique application program interface (API). Both a primary and a secondary LDAP server are maintained. Any modification to the primary LDAP server is then mirrored on the secondary LDAP server. When a call is attempted on the primary server, if it fails, the call is retried on the secondary LDAP server. The API allows for specialized grammar for commands that permits the system to handle primary (and secondary) LDAP server failure.

Abstract: A method for enhanced privacy protection in identification in a data communications network includes enrolling for a service on the data communications network, receiving a randomized identifier (ID) in response to the enrolling, storing the randomized ID and using the randomized ID to obtain services on the data communications network. An apparatus for obtaining a service on a data communications network includes an enrollment authority configured to accept an enrollment request. The enrollment authority is further configured to return enrollment results in response to the enrollment request. The enrollment results include user data and the enrollment results may be used obtaining a service from a service provider.

Abstract: Improved transposition of a matrix in a computer system may be accomplished while utilizing at most a single permutation vector. This greatly improves the speed and parallelability of the transpose operation. For a standard rectangular matrix having M rows and N columns and a size M×N, first n and q are determined, wherein N=n*q, and wherein M×q represents a block size and wherein N is evenly divisible by p. Then, the matrix is partitioned into n columns of size M×q. Then for each column n, elements are sequentially read within the column row-wise and sequentially written into a cache, then sequentially read from the cache and sequentially written row-wise back into the matrix in a memory in a column of size q×M. A permutation vector may then be applied to the matrix to arrive at the transpose. This method may be modified for special cases, such as square matrices, to further improve efficiency.