Abstract: A method of processing data is proposed. In response to determining that a reconfiguration of a data processing system has occurred, one or more system items are surveyed to identify a change to the data processing system. One or more requests for status instructions for the one or more system items are generated, and the status instructions are compiled into a data structure. In response to determining that a status instruction is present in the data structure for which no status data has been collected, a method of collection for the instruction is determined, the collection is performed according to the method to obtain the status data, and the status data is compiled in a dump data structure.

Abstract: In a method of data processing, a binary system configuration file is interpreted by reference to a value set of at least one system-level variable in response to a configuration event. The binary system configuration file contains a binary representation of a plurality of system configuration statements specifying a plurality of different alternative configurations of a data processing system in terms of the at least one system-level variable. In response to interpreting the binary system configuration file, the data processing system is configured for operation by setting one or more configuration latches within the data processing system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of coupling a peripheral to a computer system, with the peripheral having a non-volatile memory for storing data representing information describing the peripheral. The method includes the steps of reading the data from the non-volatile memory by the computer system by means of a predefined communication protocol and instantiating a driver object for the computer system on the basis of this data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining connections among functional components within a computer system are disclosed. A rule table for describing all interconnections among the components within a computer system is initially constructed. The rule table includes a source functional unit column and a destination functional unit column. A row within the rule table is interrogated to determine if the computer system contains an actual source functional component and an actual destination functional component, according to the respective entries stored within the row. In response to the computer system contains an actual source functional component and an actual destination functional component, a source functional component object is logically connected to a destination functional component object within a hardware object table.

Abstract: An object-oriented framework is introduced for coupling device drivers to an application program. Two class trees are introduced: the first class tree comprises the device drivers. The device drivers actually exchange messages with the IO devices. They depend on the protocol used, on the IO interface, and on the operating system. The second class tree comprises the so-called physical objects. Their task is to define parameters that are necessary to describe what an IO device is supposed to do. The parameters only depend on the device's functionality, but not on the protocol, the IO interface or the operating system. In order to couple a physical object with a device driver, the physical object holds a pointer to its device driver. The connection is an “object reference,” and therefore, the active device driver may be changed at runtime.