Abstract: A system and method for managing software upgrades in a distributed computing system. The distributed computing system may include a plurality of nodes which provide one or more fault-tolerant services. The system and method perform software upgrades in a sequential or “rolling” manner (e.g., node by node). The rolling upgrade process allows all services and data of the distributed computing system to remain operable and available throughout the upgrade process.

Abstract: A software development tool employing workflows for developing user interactive programs is described. The tool includes means for displaying a workspace on a computer screen, and means for displaying objects on the computer screen that are individually selectable to be placed and coupled together in the workspace to define a workflow for a user interactive program. Several objects have interactively alterable operation parameters. One object performs an interactively alterable switch function for directing data flow within the workflow. Another object facilitates branch processing according to a user indicated selection from displayed information generated by the user interactive program. Another object facilitates assigning a name to an input port of another object so that data may be directly provided to that input port. Another object prompts a user for input when a condition is met while executing the user interactive program.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system to optimize frequently executed code and to use compiler transformation and hardware support to handle infrequently executed code. The method includes compiling a computer program. The method further includes improving performance of the computer program by optimizing frequently executed code and using compiler transformation to handle infrequently executed code with hardware support. The method also includes storing temporarily the results produced during execution of a region to improve performance of the computer program. The method additionally includes committing the results produced when the execution of the region is completed successfully.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article manufacture of debugging code. One embodiment provides a method of debugging code, comprising displaying a user interface screen of a debugging program; and in response to an event, displaying the value of the variable and a comment associated with the variable in the user interface screen in a location other than in an original location of the comment. In one embodiment, the comment associated with the variable comprises at least one of a user-drafted comment embedded in the code being debugged, an external comment retrieved from a data source external to the code being debugged, and a machine-generated comment indicative of a manner in which the variable is used. In one embodiment, the value and the comment are displayed as fly-over text.

Abstract: Small, optimized sequences of binary 5-tuples, representing filter rules, which achieve space efficient packet filtering. A post-match procedure table allows dynamic and extensible packet processing. Packet filtering is accomplished by processing filter rule statements and procedure statements, entered by a user in a rules file, to generate 5-tuple filtering rules and a procedure table, and loading the filtering rules and procedure table into the filter interpreter. A filter interpreter then applies the resolved filtering rules for each packet received at the network adapter. When a filtered packet matches a rule, a specified function is invoked.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and apparatus for generating a destination header file based on a source header file is described. The method aspect comprises reading an entry from the source header file in a first programming language and converting the entry to a second programming language. The converted entry is then output to the destination header file.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article manufacture of debugging code. One embodiment provides a method of debugging code, comprising displaying a user interface screen of a debugging program; and in response to an event, displaying the value of the variable and a comment associated with the variable in the user interface screen in a location other than in an original location of the comment. In one embodiment, the comment associated with the variable comprises at least one of a user-drafted comment embedded in the code being debugged, an external comment retrieved from a data source external to the code being debugged, and a machine-generated comment indicative of a manner in which the variable is used. In one embodiment, the value and the comment are displayed as fly-over text.

Abstract: An automated method is described for searching through sets of software patches to select a recommended set for installation into any given system. Each patch is assigned a ranking based upon how thoroughly it has been tested. Patches that modify the same filesets are organized within a database into tree structures, with the newest patches closest to the tree's root. A recursive function examines all the patches in all the trees relevant to a given system and returns a set of patches recommended for installation.

Abstract: An installation of an application program is updated by use of a stored configuration of the application program corresponding to a particular user of the local application. In response to a user request, a determination is made that the stored configuration corresponds to the requesting user. The stored configuration is checked to determine if any items described in the stored configuration have been updated. If an item has been updated, then the updated item is retrieved, and the application program is built with the updated item. This stored configuration may also be encrypted and stored in a manifest file which may be decrypted to produce a decrypted configuration responsive to a user authentication. The decrypted configuration is checked to determine if any items described in the decrypted configuration have been updated. If an item has been updated, then the updated item is retrieved, and the application program is built with the updated item.

Abstract: A client computer requests a client-handheld conduit file from an installation server. The client computer then receives the client-handheld conduit file from the installation server and establishing a synchronization session between the client computer and a handheld computer coupled to the client computer. The client-handheld conduit file is then transmitted to the handheld computer from the client computer, and a client-handheld conduit opened between the client computer and the handheld computer using the client-handheld conduit file. A handheld file is subsequently requested from the installation server. The client computer receives the handheld file from the installation server, and transmits the handheld file from the client computer to the handheld computer for installation on the handheld computer. This entire method is performed each time a new handheld file is installed on the handheld computer. Also, all steps following the establishing step occur without any user intervention.

Abstract: An enhancement and preprocessor to native file tailoring functions such as ISPF's File Tailor utilities. A set of control parameters and input data is processed according to specified options to prepare one or more tables of data compatible with the native file tailoring functions, and the native file tailoring functions are called one or more times to achieve the desired tailored files. Use of the invention obviates the need for custom programming or manual file editing to format source data into one or more tables which are compatible with the input requirements of the native file tailoring functions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) card is presented comprising an input/output (I/O) interface and a smart card development interface (SCDI), coupled to the I/O interface, to receive and identify debug frames interlaced within a normal communication flow between the IC card and a host system.

Abstract: A system for testing middleware of applications in the N-tiered model. The test system contains test code generators, test engines to execute multiple copies of the test code and a data analyzer to analyze and present the results to a human user. The system is able to automatically generate test code to exercise components of the middleware using information about these components that would otherwise be available to the application under test. Multiple copies of the test code are executed in a synchronized fashion. Execution times of multiple events are recorded and then presented in one of several formats. With the system, an application developer can identify components that represent performance bottlenecks or can gather information on deployment properties of individual components that can be used to enhance the performance of the application under test.

Abstract: A computer system has one or more program classes loaded in it. Each class includes a constant pool which is used for storing data items related to the program class. At least some of these data items need to undergo a resolution before they can be used, which transforms them from their initially loaded value into a usable value. In accordance with the invention, the system maintains both the unresolved value and the resolved value in the constant pool entry for a resolved data item. This allows the resolution process to be performed without using locks, thereby avoiding potential system delays due to contention for locks.

Abstract: A middleware schema for describing message transactions is provided, including a structured framework of commands and attributes to be employed by technical personnel in order to develop messages that comply with a target API. The invention applies the middleware schema to interpret the functionality of a source document, and generates high level program source code that formats data messages to comply with a target API.

Abstract: A method of forming an executable program from a plurality of object code modules, each object code module comprising section data and relaxation instructions, at least one of said object code modules comprising a library module of predefined section data and relaxation instructions, the executable program to be run on a target processor having a selected endianness, the method comprising in response to a relaxation instruction, loading a library module into temporary storage; retrieving the value of a first variable, said first variable denoting the selected endianness of the target processor; comparing the value of said first variable with the endianness of the section data and relaxation instructions of the library module; in response to the result of the comparing step not being a match, converting the endianness of the section data of the library module to that of said first variable; processing the relaxation instructions and converted section data to form part of the executable program.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for inserting spill code optimized for a complex instruction set computing (CISC) two-address machine, such as a machine utilizing an 80x86 processor is described. The spill code is generated in a single pass. Copy propagation and dead-code elimination are performed to remove unnecessary loads and stores from the stack. Instructions contained within the code block are processed in reverse order. Temporary variables are not extended to the point that they may become spilled by a register allocation procedure. A store to a stack location is inserted if the stack location is not dead, saving the use of a register. Memory operands are substituted when possible in place of load and store instructions on CISC machines.

Abstract: An embedded pre-processor having dynamic macro types is disclosed. After a lexer receives an identifier token from source code, the lexer compares the identifier token with the macro names stored in the symbol table. If the identifier token matches a macro name stored in the symbol table, the lexer replaces the identifier token with a macro form token. The lexer then sends the macro form token to a glue routine. The glue routine invokes a macro invocation parser. The lexer continues to transfer tokens to the macro invocation parser via the glue routine until the completion of the macro invocation. The macro invocation parser subsequently sends a macro body definition of the macro to the lexer.

Abstract: Presented is a system and a method for installing a suite of application programs that uses a common structure of a wizard page returned from a procedure exported from a dynamic link library (DLL) or executable (EXE) file. In this way, component writers are able to write their UI in a separate DLL or executable (EXE) file for their component. This improves portability of the UI as the writers are now able to take this file and copy it from version to version without needing to rewrite or port the code in any way. Further, the system and method allow for the usage of a number of default or template UI screens. Modification of the display order, including insertion and deletion of UI screens as well as reordering of the screens is also provided by the system and method of the invention. This functionality is provided through a textural setup database file that includes a textural listing of the UI screens to be utilized. A suite integration toolkit (SIT) utilizes this text file to coordinate the UI display.

Abstract: A method of optimizing the operation of a computer system in running application programs in accordance with system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program. More specifically, with this invention, an optimizing program gathers information on the system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program to maximize the operation of the application program or computer system. Further, user selected rules of operation can be selected by dragging rule icons to target optimizer icon.