Abstract: The use of a bi-layer thin film structure consisting of aluminum or aluminide on a refractory metal layer as a diffusion barrier to oxygen penetration at high temperatures for preventing the electrical and mechanical degradation of the refractory metal for use in applications such as a capacitor electrode for high dielectric constant materials.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a new apparatus and method for customized cooling of chips using a plurality of thermally conductive materials. More particularly, the invention encompasses an apparatus and a method that provides customized cooling of a MCM (Multi-Chip Module) by using a plurality of thermally conductive materials.

Abstract: A composition comprising an inorganic filler and binder component containing a glassy polymer and a rubbery polymer is provided. The glassy polymer contacts and encapsulates the filler. The compositions are especially useful in the fabrication of flexible magnetic recording media and abrasive articles.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for saving power dissipated during the recharge of large arrays, such a domino SRAMS, by activating only the recharge circuits for the parts of the array that was accessed during the previous cycle. This is accomplished by intercepting the recharge signals and deactivating the signals for the non-accessed portions of the array.

Abstract: A method and system for providing delta-versioning of data stored in an object-based data repository. In the preferred embodiment, delta-versioning is provided for "file" objects in a PCTE implementation in a manner which is relatively versatile for developers of PCTE compliant tools and programs and which is largely transparent to the users of those tools and programs. Further, redundant restoration of delta-versioned data is minimized and automatic removal restored data which is no longer needed is provided.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an electrically programmable fuse buried under quartz and layers of polyimide with a specific structure to enhance its "thermal" capabilities. The fuse is designed to "blow" and cool off quickly so as not to cause damage to areas above and surrounding the fuse. A passivation layer is added above the fuse to act as a heat sink and absorb and redistribute the heat generated from one localized area to a broader and cooler area. The materials used for the fuse and the heat sink are selected to be compatible with both oxide and polyimide personalization schemes. Modeling of the fuse enables optimizing the characteristics of the fuse, particularly to transmit to the surface of the passivation layer the thermal wave created during programming of the fuse.

Abstract: Simultaneous use of multiple expanded memory cards and their associated Expanded Memory Manager (EMM) device drivers in a computer system is provided. First, an expanded memory card is added and its EMM device driver will check to verify if another EMM driver is currently installed. If so, the new EMM device driver will take control of the existing EMM device driver in a master-slave relationship. The new EMM device driver (master) controls the existing EMM device driver (slave) by use of the slave's interrupt vector. That is, the master controls the slave by having an interrupt vector for the slave readdressed to be input to the master. Thereby, providing the master with the which expanded memory interrupts the slave was required to service. The master also takes control of all the slave's handles and pages by appearing as a requesting program application to the slave.

Abstract: A system for adaptively managing predictive buffer memory prefetching operations to optimize buffer memory hits in a data storage system. The arriving data access request (DAR) stream is monitored for a particular data access pattern and, when a sequential access pattern (SAP) is detected, the buffer memory prefetching storage rule is switched to a circular overwrite mode (COM) to achieve the best sequential access performance. When the sequential access pattern disappears, a nonsequential access pattern (NAP) is detected and the buffer memory prefetching storage rule is responsively switched to a non-sequential or block overwrite mode (BOM) to maximize data block "re-use" hits in the data buffer. Sequential access pattern detection is achieved using a threshold that may be adapted to the size of incoming DARs.

Abstract: An enhanced microprocessor (278) (FIG. 6) having a first portion (153) (FIG. 7) and a second portion (196) (FIG. 8) configured to eliminate prefetching of instructions from an instruction cache (102) (FIG. 6) when the required instructions are already present within a prefetch buffer (104) (FIG. 6). The first portion (153) and second portion (196) are in circuit communication with a prefetch buffer (104) (FIG. 6), branch target cache (108) (FIG. 6), control unit (110) (FIG. 6), and execution unit (112) (FIG. 6). The first portion (153) is responsive to forward or backward branch instructions that have a branch target within the same prefetch buffer, and to forward branch instructions that have a branch target within a next successive prefetch buffer. The first portion (153) is configured to inhibit prefetching of instructions when such conditions are present.

Abstract: Improved packing density as well as improved performance and manufacturing yield is achieved in an electrically programmable memory by confining floating gate structures between isolation structures covered with a thin nitride layer. The confinement of the floating gate is achieved by planarization, preferably with a self-limiting chemical/mechanical polishing process, to the surface of the nitride layer covering the isolation structures. Gate oxide and control electrode connections can then be formed on a substantially planar surface without compromising the quality of the gate oxide or breakdown voltage the device must withstand for programming. Since severe topology is avoided over which these connections are formed, improved formation of low resistance connections, possibly including metal connections, are possible and allow scaling of transistors of the memory cells to be scaled to sizes not previously possible.

Abstract: Selectivity of SiO.sub.2 to Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 is increased with the additional of silicon rich nitride conformal layer to manufacturing of semiconductor chip. Silicon rich nitride conformal layer may be used in place of or in addition to standard nitride conformal layers in manufacture.

Abstract: Disclosed is a CPU-implemented method for logically copying partitioned datasets from a source device to a target device in a storage subsystem. The method improves performance over prior logical copy utilities by substantially decreasing the number of I/O's required for the operation. A source dataset is designated on a first storage device and members are selected for copying. A target dataset is designated on a second storage device. The target dataset may be newly created or may already exist. If the latter, existing members remain alterable by other system users during copying. All selected source members, or a subset thereof, are opened for input. An equal number of target members are created in the target dataset in a single directory write operation. All data records of the selected source members are input to the CPU's virtual storage, and then transferred to the target members via frugal use of data I/O's.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for processing input to a data processing system having a memory and an input device having a number of keys which represent associated characters and functions. According to the method of the present invention, a translation table is created within the memory for translating virtual key codes, which specify relative positions of associated keys, into corresponding input codes, which specify a character or function. The translation table enables virtual key codes to be translated into character codes independently of the operating system and input device utilized by the data processing system. In response to the detection of a selection of a key of the input device, a scan code representing the selected key is determined. The scan code representing the selected key is then converted into a virtual key code, which is translated into an input code utilizing the translation table. The input code is thereafter received for processing within the data processing system.

Abstract: The present invention constructs SCSI device support code so that it can be ported to multiple operating system environments. The present invention also allows support for a device to be coded only once, and yet be supported on multiple operating system environments. Accordingly, a method and system for supporting a plurality of devices utilized with a data processing system is disclosed. This method and system allows for a plurality of devices to be utilized on a plurality of operating system platforms. The method and system comprises receiving a request from a user for a particular device, formatting the request into at least one common packet and then providing the at least one common packet to each of the plurality of operating system platforms. In so doing, any of the plurality of operating system platforms can utilize the at least one common packet to provide a device driver for the particular device.

Abstract: In an automated information storage and retrieval library system having a single recording drive, a backup or copying operation is preferably performed in a single-threaded fashion whereas in a library having two or more drives, a multi-threaded approach is preferred. The present invention provides a library with the capability to back up information from one piece of media to another in an adaptive fashion. A determination is made whether there is one drive unit available in the library or whether at least two are available. A multi-threaded backup approach is employed if there are two available recording drives in the library and a single-threaded approach is employed if there is only one available drive. In addition to making the determination when a copy request is received, the library controller can make the determination at various stages of a copy operation and adaptively change between single-threaded and multi-threaded approaches.

Abstract: A data compression method and compression data structure are provided for a direct access storage device (DASD). The DASD is segmented into a plurality of compression groups. Each of the compression groups has a fixed logical size. A directory table is written within each of the compression groups. Each compression group has at least one compressed data region on which compressed data can be written and an exception region on which compressed data exceptions can be written. The compressed data exceptions include updated compressed data which exceeds an original storage space for corresponding original compressed data.

Abstract: A computer system is provided which has ECC, and which system has a first group of SIMMs having DRAMs thereon for storing data bits and a second group of SIMMs having DRAMs thereon for the storage of check bits. The system also has a memory controller which is programmed to operate at least about 10 nanoseconds slower than the DRAMs. During the write cycle, check bits are generated for and specific to each data byte, with the bits of the data byte being stored in the first group of SIMMs and the check bits stored in the second group of SIMMs. During the read cycle, new check bits are generated and compared with the stored check bits. Each single bit error is corrected and certain multiple bit errors are detected.

Abstract: A message-driven application is converted to an Application Programming Interface-driven application while retaining the same functionality in a windowing graphical user interface that is inherently message-driven. At minimal application coding expense, an application that send messages to control its windows can be converted such that APIs are called instead to perform the exact same result.

Abstract: A method for deriving physical properties of a workpiece. The method comprises the steps of sampling an electromagnetic wave packet representative of workpiece properties and comprising encoded scattered wave information derivable from a multi-pole interactive coupling between a probe tip and the workpiece; decoding said electromagnetic wave packet by interrogating at least one of its phase and amplitude information; and, correlating this information to referent physical-chemical properties of the workpiece.

Abstract: For concurrent access by a plurality of users to a data set in a memory, a computer system first searches for a write lock on a first portion of the data set which the user wishes to access. For no write lock detected, the request is granted by allowing write access to the first portion. A write lock is placed on the first portion of the data set to prevent other users from changing it, while allowing other users read access to the first portion. If a second user wants write access to a second not interesting portion of the data set, the process is similar. A search for a write lock on a second portion of the data set is conducted. If not found, the second user's request for write access to the second portion is granted. A write lock on the second portion is placed to prevent other users from changing the second portion while allowing read access.

Abstract: In a multiprocessor system having a plurality of bus devices coupled to a storage device via a bus, wherein the plurality of bus devices have a snoop capability, and wherein the plurality of bus devices have first and second caches, and wherein the plurality of bus devices utilize a modified MESI data coherency protocol, the system provides for reading of a data portion from the storage device into one of the plurality of bus devices, wherein the first cache associated with the one of the plurality of bus devices associates a special exclusive state with the data portion, and wherein the second cache associated with the one of the plurality of bus devices associates an exclusive state with the data portion, initiating, by the one of the plurality of bus devices, a write-back operation with respect to the data portion, determining if there are any pending snoops in the second cache, and changing the special exclusive state to a modified state if there are no pending snoops in the second cache.

Abstract: Method, with structure, of production of precision head/disk interfaces for near contact recording in a low viscosity liquid lubricant film. Triangular shaped bearing pads in an assembled hard drive are brought to bear upon a rotating lubricated disk to dislodge, smooth and polish any residing asperity. The triangular shape of the bearing pads sweeps away and directs to the outer edge of the disk any of the remaining fine carbon sputtering debris which is loosened as the bearing pads are drawn from the inner dimension to the outer dimension of the disk.

Abstract: A system having an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus with a 24-bit memory addressing capacity and a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) bus with a 32-bit memory addressing capacity, is provided with a bridge coupled between the ISA and PCI buses. The bridge has a direct memory access (DMA) controller circuit that generates 32-bit memory addresses for DMA transfer operations over the PCI bus. The DMA controller circuit includes a pair of cascaded DMA controllers that generate the 16 least significant bits of the 32-bit memory addresses, and address extension logic having a low page register that provides the 8 next most significant bits of the 32-bit memory addresses, and a high page register that provides the 8 most significant bits of the 32-bit memory addresses. The 16 bits provided by the low and high page registers are concatenated with the lower 16 bits to form the 32-bit addresses.

Abstract: An apparatus suitable for providing near-field measurements of a workpiece. The apparatus comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation for generating an incident wave; means for directing at least a portion of the incident wave to the workpiece; a probe tip acting as an antenna and capable of re-radiating a signal wave, said signal wave developing as an interactive coupling between said workpiece and said probe tip; means for creating an interference signal based on the signal wave and a reference wave; and a detector for interrogating at least one of the phase and amplitude of the interference signal.

Abstract: A composite containing an integrated circuit chip having conductive site thereon and electrically conductive leads that are interconnected to the conductive site by electrically conductive wire; wherein the wire is coated with a dielectric material. Also, a method for fabricating the composite is provided.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display with an array of pixels comprises a liquid crystal layer having transparent electrodes on either side thereof with an alignment layer disposed on each of the electrodes and in contact with opposite surfaces of the liquid crystal layer. The alignment layers are capable of inducing a predetermined pre-tilt angle on the molecules of the liquid crystal. The pre-tilt angle inducing ability of at least one of the alignment layers, which is formed with only one alignment direction, has been selectively altered so that pre-tilt angle inducing ability in the altered area differs in the magnitude of the angle from the pre-tilt angle inducing ability of the unaltered area. With the liquid crystal molecules having at least two different pre-tilt angles, more than one domain is created when voltage is applied across the electrodes. The change in the pre-tilt angle inducing ability in the altered areas is achieved by exposure to a beam, such as ultra violet light, of sufficient energy.

Abstract: A method of gas plasma treating a workpiece in a process chamber having RF coil outside the chamber, a flat dielectric window, and a electrically conducting shield, adapted to be located between the RF coil and the dielectric window. The shield comprises a planar body section having a periphery, central opening, and outer gaps forming a substantially continuous opening about the periphery. A uniform magnetic field, inductively coupled with the plasma, is formed by routing the flux lines of the magnetic field through the central opening and outer gaps of the shield. Contamination from sputtering is substantially eliminated by reducing the capacitive electric fields generated by the coil that interfere with the inductive coupling between the coil and the gas plasma.

Abstract: Methods for recording information onto CD-Recordable and CD-Erasable optical disks are provided. In a first embodiment, after a session or packet of data is recorded, it is verified to detect unrecoverable errors. If no such errors are present, the session or packet is fixed and recording ends. If an unrecoverable error is detected, the session or packet is re-recorded in an area of the disk immediately following the originally recorded area. When the recorded data is verified as being readable, the session or packet is fixed by recording lead-in and lead-out areas on the disk and by updating a table of contents with the location of the verified data and not the originally recorded data. In a second embodiment, the data is checked as it is recorded. If a defect is suspected, recording halts and the presence of the defect is verified. If a defect is present, the data is re-recorded in an area of the disk immediately following the originally recorded area.

Abstract: Triazine polymers obtained by reacting (a) monocyanate; and (b) dicyanate and/or prepolymers thereof are used in forming interconnection structures for bonding an integrated semiconductor device to a carrier substrate.

Abstract: A data processing system includes one or more processing units, a memory subsystem, and one or more input/output channel controllers, wherein each of the input/output channel controllers include the capability of speculative input/output execution. The speculative I/O execution technique according to the present invention may include several options. The speculative execution in the IOCC begins after receiving a raw address even though the operation can still be remotely retried. The programmed I/O latency time is reduced significantly due to the early speculative commencement of the IOCC operation. The IOCC may have to abort the speculative operation if a remote flow control retry is received. If, however, no retry is received then significant time is saved because the speculative operation proceeds.

Abstract: A data processing system having a language independent context management facility, implements scripting related functions by providing abstract classes. Scripting related objects in a visual builder are: script action objects; script development environments (support object-oriented and procedural scripting languages) and action objects and script debuggers. Abstract classes such as extension language, extension method, and extension activation are used to implement the script-related objects listed above. To support a specific scripting language, a language specific implementation is generated by creating subclasses for the extension language, extension method, and extension activation classes.

Abstract: To allow concurrent operation with more than one facility through the same standard programming interface, a data processing system is disclosed in which an application program can communicate with two or more system facilities via a programming interface common to the facilities, the system comprising a look-up table relating each of the facilities to corresponding entry point information for an implementation therefor of the programming interface, whereby an application program can select at any particular time which of the facilities to communicate with using the interface by extracting from the look-up table the entry point information corresponding to the implementation of the programming interface for the selected facility.

Abstract: Processing of an asynchronous signal directed to a thread comprising a software routine executing in a computer system such that data consistency is maintained is discussed. Such processing proceeds by determining whether the routine is signal safe such that processing of the routine may be interrupted in order to process the signal without possibly causing inconsistency of data. The routine is asynchronously interrupted and the signal is processed immediately if the routine is signal safe. If the routine is not signal safe, then the routine is not asynchronously interrupted and processing of the signal is deferred to a time when the signal may be processed without possibly causing inconsistency of data.

Abstract: A procedure for the optimal processing of variable-cost actions such as encountered in the storage reclamation procedures for a multivolume data library. The procedure introduces a temporary processing queue to minimize idle processing capacity during the scanning and sorting of a large plurality of variable-cost actions such as the recycling of a plurality of data storage volumes each having a variable recycle processing cost related to the action of valid data remaining on the volume. Volumes (actions) are selected for the immediate queue according to a dynamically-adjusted threshold test for the processing cost. This processing cost threshold is dynamically adjusted to optimize the immediate queue in relation to the available processing capacity. After scanning and sorting all volumes according to recycle processing cost, the temporary (immediate) queue is updated to a final recycle processing queue by appending a sorted deferred queue to the remainder of the immediate queue.

Abstract: A printed circuit board includes a rectangular array of substantially equally spaced rows and columns of surface mount connectors which are fixedly held to the board by means of cross-shaped connector holders which are disposed at the intersections of the rows and columns. In this fashion, there is achieved a substantial reduction in the number of holes which must be provided in the printed circuit board for connector attachment. This greatly facilitates wiring placement on printed circuit boards, particularly multi-layer boards.

Abstract: The present invention relates to event synchronization in asynchronous remote data duplexing, the synchronization being non-disruptive to application execution at a host device and to data copying at a remote site. The event sequence is characterized by embedding labeled tokens of write operations including addresses and periodic checkpoint lists there establishing a total ordering. Event synchronization is achieved by embedding at the host a synchronization request having a higher sequence number than that of some prior predetermined event and generating a responsive synchronization reply from the remote site to the host. The present invention finds use in the communication and remote duplex recording of financial events such as the rare event transfer of large monetary sums in a population of transfers of small sums.

Abstract: There is disclosed a planar antenna for very low frequencies. The antenna has a high impedance and can be matched to 50 ohm or higher impedance stages. The antenna may be used for applications which require a short range such as a wireless peripheral. The antenna operates only in its near-field and does not require a complex lossy impedance matching network, since the input impedance is large.

Abstract: A method of determining quantitatively the exposure levels for photoresists in semiconductor photolithography employs a specially designed grating pattern on a mask. The mask is first used to expose a series of LIM image gratings of different dosages. Then a normal plane wave at a longer wavelength is incident on these gratings one by one, and some nonzero order diffraction efficiency of the grating is measured to determine quantitatively the correct dosage to be used. This method can make a determination of exposure dosage, without knowledge of underlying film thickness and refractive index, and handle either resist thickness change or underlying film thickness/refractive index change or both.

Abstract: An optical system is described consisting of reflection birefringent light valves, polarizing beam splitter, color image combining prisms, illumination system having a light tunnel, projection lens, filters for color and contrast control, and screen placed in a configuration offering advantages for a high resolution color display.

Abstract: First and second shield layers of a read head are constructed of a lamination of NiMn and Fe-based layers to improve the performance of the shield layers when they are subjected to high external fields, such as from the pole tips of a write head combined therewith. Without lamination with one or more NiMn layers, many shield materials do not return to the same domain configuration after excitation from an external field. The result is that the Fe-based material assumes a different domain configuration after each excitation which changes the bias point of the MR sensor of the read head. By laminating with NiMn, the uniaxial anisotropy of the material can be increased to provide uniform domain configuration and exchange pinning between shield material NiMn returns the material to the same configuration after each external field excitation.

Abstract: A range check instruction sequence, which performs a logical comparison between two 32-bit values and updates the condition code as a result. It operates identically to the ESA/390 instruction compare logical (CLR) except for the way in which the condition code is set. The new condition code is a function of both the comparison result and the previous condition code. If the first operand is greater than the second operand, the condition code remains unchanged. If the first operand is less than or equal to the second operand, the condition code is set to 2 if it was previously 0 or 1, and is set to 3 if it was previously 2 or 3. This may be understood as advancing the state of the condition code among the groups (0,1), 2, and 3 if the first operand is not greater than the second operand.

Abstract: Multiple reads are made from an array of single-read port memory cells. An array of single-read port memory cells is provided with "steering" devices located between a column of cells and the output drivers for the array. The steering devices are controlled by the read pointers such that the steering signal for a given output configuration is active only when read pointers for that output configuration are active. To complete the function, the read pointers are fed to OR gates, one per row, so that a given pointer will activate the read port of a plurality of consecutive memory cells. The read pointers represent the decoded read address and only one is active at a time.

Abstract: A computer system having a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) bus and an industry standard architecture (ISA), with ISA compatible devices coupled to the ISA bus, is provided with a first bridge coupled between the PCI and ISA buses. The first bridge has a first direct memory access (DMA) control circuit for controlling DMA transfers with the ISA devices. In order to achieve expanded compatibility with other types of devices, the system is also provided with an expansion bus, such as a Microchannel bus, with Microchannel compatible devices coupled to the Microchannel bus. A second bridge is coupled between the PCI and the Microchannel buses. This second bridge has a second DMA control circuit that controls DMA transfers with the ISA devices and with the Microchannel devices. Software disables the first DMA control circuit such that only the second DMA control circuit controls DMA transfers within the computer system.

Abstract: An optical disk player reads either thin-substrate disks or thick-substrate disks. The disk players optical system is designed for reading the thin-substrate optical disks and has an effective numerical aperture. Thick-substrate optical disks having a thicker substrate than the thin-substrate optical disk result in the laser beam reading such thick-substrate optical disks having spherical aberration sufficient to prevent reliable data detection. When thick-substrate optical disks are being read, the read portion of the optical system is automatically changed to accommodate the undesired spherical aberration. The thick-substrate disk reflected laser beam is subjected to annular filtering that reduces spherical aberration sufficiently for enabling data and servo signal detection. Annular filtering is provided in an optical read path by an effective opaque or translucent disk centrally located in a pupil of the laser beam optical filter disposed in the read portion.

Abstract: Automatic navigation to a window which contained a user specified search criteria at some time in history. A user may invoke a number of application programs which display various windows, panels, icons, full screen sessions, and other objects onto a multitasking windowing desktop environment. A service is provided which allows the user to specify a search criteria. The service searches desktop sessions and objects until finding an occurrence that satisfies the criteria in historical data associated with the desktop sessions and objects. Upon finding the occurrence, the service automatically pops the window or full screen session having historical data containing the search string into focus.

Abstract: A method is provided for defining a minimally sized set of industrial process experiments which are sufficient to identify optimal levels for factors which go into the process. The method defines levels for the factors for the experiments in terms of a symmetric orthogonal array, which represents a valid Galois field for a number of levels for each factor equal to a prime number. The factors are divided into first and second groups. In accordance with Galois field theory, the required number of experiments is a number sufficient to provide a complete set of permutations of levels for the first group of factors. For each experiment, the levels for the second group of factors are determined based on the levels of the first group of factors. In a preferred embodiment, level symbols which are consecutive integers ranging upward from zero are assigned to the levels for each factor.

Abstract: A general approach is provided for the combined use of several sources of information in the automatic recognition of a consistent message. For each message unit (e.g., word) the total likelihood score is assumed to be the weighted sum of the likelihood scores resulting from the separate evaluation of each information source. Emphasis is placed on the estimation of weighing factors used in forming this total likelihood. This method can be applied, for example, to the decoding of a consistent message using both handwriting and speech recognition. The present invention includes three procedures which provide the optimal weighing coefficients.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a new apparatus and method for removing solid material and liquid material that may contain solid material from a substrate. More particularly, the invention encompasses an apparatus and method for removing molten solder which may contain solid particles and solder balls or columns from a substrate using a unique squeegee. Also, disclosed is a method for removing solder balls or columns from a substrate using a backer having an adhesive thereon.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for arbitration to enable split transaction bus protocols provides for a slave to assert a mask signal that sets a mask bit in a mask register when the slave is not ready to complete a requested transaction. A requesting master is forced off the bus and prevented from re-arbitrating while the mask bit is set in the register. When the slave is ready to complete the transaction, a release master signal is asserted which causes the bit in the shift register to be reset. The requesting master is then able to re-arbitrate for use of the bus to complete the transaction. The usable bandwidth of the bus is increased since other masters are able to arbitrate and use the bus until the slave is ready to complete the transaction with the first requesting master.

Abstract: A pseudo or virtual LAN system is formed from point-to-point communications links and dynamic configurable nodes. In each node, commands from upper layer applications are processed in Logical Link Control sub-layer station component to generate LCC data transfer requests, which are in turn converted to Data Link Control Layer data transfer requests in a LAN simulator. DLC data transfer requests are then transferred through point-to-point communication links to other one or more nodes. Asynchronously, with the above processes, a network layer manager maintains the data on the physical formation of nodes participating in the pseudo LAN system according to connection/disconnection between the node concerned and other one or more nodes.