Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically configuring a unit conversion mechanism is provided. A non-executable data structure defines information, which is accessed to facilitate unit conversion. The information in the non-executable data structure is in the form of elements, which include among other things at least one measurable quantity, such as length or mass, along with a plurality of units, such as feet, meters, millimeters, pounds, and kilograms. Each of the units is associated with a measurable quantity. For example, feet, meters, and millimeters are used in measuring length. Conversion information, which includes an offset and a gain, is associated with each of the units. The plurality of units, along with the conversion information, is used to dynamically configure the unit conversion mechanism at runtime. In so doing, the unit conversion mechanism can convert from one unit to another unit for a measurable quantity.

Abstract: Techniques for generation of Java macro instructions suitable for use in Java computing environments are disclosed. As such, the techniques can be implemented in a Java virtual machine to efficiently execute Java instructions. As will be appreciated, a Java macro instruction can be substituted for two or more Java Bytecode instructions. This, in turn, reduces the number of Java instructions that are executed by the interpreter. As a result, the performance of virtual machines, especially those operating with limited resources, is improved. A Java macro instruction can be generated for conventional Java instruction sequences or sequences of Java instruction that are provided in a reduced set of instruction. In any case, sequences that are frequently encountered can be replaced by a Java macro instruction. These sequences are typically encountered when Java objects are instantiated, during programming loops, and when a local variables are assigned a value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for restoring a free physical register list to its previous state without having to physically restore any data. The method and semiconductor device utilizes sets of pointers to manage physical register pointers in the physical register list. The physical register list is able to independently track physical registers for multiple threads of a multithreading microprocessor.

Abstract: A pipelined processor includes a dependency scoreboard that tracks dependency for replay of instructions capable of executing out-of-order. Early instructions are termed “producers” that produce data for later dependent instructions. The subsequent instructions are “consumers” that consume the data produced by the producer instructions. The dependency scoreboard is a table of storage cells that tracks producers and consumers and designates whether a particular instruction is dependent on a producer. Active instructions are allocated storage elements for all active instructions. For example, a dependency scoreboard for tracking N active instructions will have N dependency storage cells for ones of the N active instructions. The storage cells for an active instruction may be set for each active instruction that is a “producer” instruction and all levels of dependency are tracked in each cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sensing an aging effect on an integrated circuit using a sensor disposed on the integrated circuit and arranged to generate an output dependent on a condition of an element within the sensor. A processor operatively connected to the sensor is arranged to indicate a code dependent the output.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for debugging an integrated circuit. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention includes steps of: (a) retrieving data from a design data base, and creating a design pattern in a pattern format, which design pattern includes stimulus data for stimuli to be applied to the integrated circuit and design response data for expected responses to the stimuli; (b) generating, responsive to the design pattern, a tester pattern and a test program for input to a tester; (c) testing the integrated circuit in the tester, responsive to the tester pattern and the test program, and generating a datalog that comprises test response data; and (d) generating a file, responsive to the datalog, wherein the test response data are reformatted into the pattern format.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for eliminating C recursion from interpreter loops are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for substantially eliminating C recursion from the execution of static initializer methods in a virtual machine environment includes rewriting native C code associated with a static initializer as a Java programming language method, and using a transition frame in a Java programming language stack to execute the Java programming language method. The method also includes using a native method to manipulate the Java programming language stack, and using a first opcode in the transition frame. In one embodiment, using the first opcode in the transition frame includes using the first opcode to determine that the transition frame is associated with the static initializer.

Abstract: Disclosed is an input/output (IO) device for transmitting an input data bit signal. In one embodiment, the IO device includes an IO device input node for receiving the input data bit signal and an IO device output node. The IO device also includes a driver coupled between the IO device input node and the IO device output node. The driver includes at least one FET that defines a gate oxide voltage limit. The driver receives a supply voltage and the input data bit signal. The driver charges and discharges the IO device output node to the supply voltage and ground, respectively, in response to driver receiving the supply voltage and the input data bit signal. The supply voltage is greater than the gate oxide voltage limit.

Abstract: A three-tiered data imaging system is used on a distributed computer system comprising hosts connected by a network. The lowest tier comprises management facade software running on each machine that converts a platform-dependent interface written with low-level kernel routines that actually implement the data imaging system to platform-independent method calls. The middle tier is a set of federated Java beans that communicate with each other, with the management facades and with the upper tier of the system. The upper tier of the inventive system comprises presentation programs that can be directly manipulated by management personnel to view and control the system. In one embodiment, the federated Java beans can run on any machine in the system and communicate, via the network. A data imaging management facade runs on selected hosts and at least one data imaging bean also runs on those hosts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved formal scan chain equivalence checking to verify the operation of components in a VLSI integrated circuit is described in connection with using symbolic simulation for verification of scan chain equivalency between different modeling representations of a circuit-under-test. The present invention enhances previous techniques by loading each scannable state-element in the circuit design with a symbolic expression that characterizes the logical location of the element and performing a scan shift operation to verify the contents of each scannable state-element at the scan-out and other primary output pins of the design.

Abstract: A method and system for implementing a transportable operating system boot environment on a computer system. The method includes the step of accessing a stored operating system environment coupled to the computer system. An identity object is then accessed, wherein the identity object includes hardware and software configuration information regarding the computer system. The hardware and software configuration information of the identity object is then impressed onto the stored operating system environment to update the stored operating system environment in accordance with the computer system. The computer system is then booted using the updated stored operating system environment. The stored operating system environment can be coupled to the computer system using a removable media. The identity object can be impressed onto the stored operating system environment by using an agent running on the computer system.

Abstract: A system for generating profiled test execution data using a plurality of test suite output files is provided. The system includes a plurality of test suites and a report tool engine. The plurality of test suites is executed creating a plurality of respective test suite output files. The report tool engine is configured to automatically transform each of the plurality of test suite output files to a standardized test execution results file. Each standardized test execution results file has an identical file format. The report tool engine is further configured to profile each of the standardized test execution results file in accordance with a user profile setting, generating a profiled data file.

Abstract: A computer system including a memory controller configured to perform pre-fetch operations. A computer system includes a first system memory, a second system memory and a first and a second memory controller which are coupled to the first and second system memories, respectively. Each system memory may include at least one memory module including volatile storage. The first memory controller may be configured read data from the first system memory corresponding to an address of a current memory request. Further the second memory controller may be configured to selectively pre-fetch data from the second system memory depending upon selected address bits of the address of the current memory request.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates modeling the effects of overlapping of memory references in a queueing system model. The system receives a memory reference during execution of a queueing system model. Upon receiving the memory reference, the system determines if the memory reference generates a cache miss. If so, the system models the cache miss in a manner that accounts for possible overlapping of the cache miss with other memory references and other processor operations.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that replaces an attachment to an email message with a reference to a location where the attachment is stored. Upon receiving the email message, the system examines the email message to determine if the email message includes an attachment. If the email message includes the attachment, the system stores the attachment at a location on a communication network from which the attachment can be retrieved. The system also modifies the email message by replacing the attachment with a reference specifying the location of the attachment, and sends the modified email message to a recipient of the email message. In one embodiment of the present invention, the recipient receives the modified email message and uses the reference specifying the location of the attachment to retrieve the attachment across the communication network.

Abstract: A method of modifying a metrics feedback icon for a software component involves displaying the metrics feedback icon for the software component, generating a user prompt if a user selects the software component, obtaining an approval response to the user prompt, and modifying the metrics feedback icon if a value of the approval response equals a predetermined value.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates interactions between different versions of software that support remote object invocations. During operation, the system receives a reference to an object that is implemented on a server. Next, the system identifies one or more versions of the object supported by the reference, wherein each successive version of the object inherits methods from a preceding version of the object. The system then invokes a method on the object that is supported by the one or more versions of the object.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing efficient association traversal operations in a Common Information Model (CIM) implemented environment. A CIM Object Manager creates and defines instance objects and corresponding association objects in a repository. The CIM Object Manager creates wrappers for each object that include reverse links that show the relationship from an object to any corresponding association objects. When a relationship request for a selected object is received by the CIM Object Manager, it performs an association traversal operation using the reverse links stored in the repository. The CIM Object Manager locates the target object's wrapper in the repository, and collects relationship information from the reverse links included within the wrapper. The collected relationship information is then passed to the entity that initiated the request. Accordingly, efficient association traversals may be performed, without having to traverse each instance of defined association objects.

Abstract: A processor having a floating point execution unit with improved parallelism in the adder (add/subtract) unit is disclosed. A preferred aspect of the invention is a new use of the compare logic in the floating point execution unit, coupled with an end-around-carry bit value calculator, to allow the correct rounding choice of the operands to be made before the mantissa portions of the operands are subtracted (added) rather than after.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for mapping memory addresses to cache entries. The system operates by first receiving a memory request at the cache memory, wherein the memory request includes a memory address. The system then partitions the memory address into a set of word offset bits and a set of higher-order bits. Next, the system maps the memory address to a cache entry by computing a modulo operation on the higher-order bits with respect to an integer and using the result as the cache index.