Abstract: To provide an approach to software update with scaleable disturbance there is proposed a state copying method for a computation system with at least two logic partitions wherein a state of new software in a standby partition is updated to the state of old software in an executing partition while continuing execution of the old software. Data is transferred from the executing partition to the standby partition in a scaleable way and as soon as the same state is achieved for the standby partition and the executing partition the execution is switched to the new, software. This provides a scaleable degree of disturbance due to the software update.

Abstract: To achieve a highly efficient upgrade of software in computer based systems a message conversion apparatus (34) comprises an interface unit (36) for message conversion information (MCI) describing at least one message being exchanged in a software processing system before and after an upgrade of the software processing system. Also, a message conversion means (38, 40) is provided to convert the message between old and new representation for the upgraded software processing system in compliance with the specifications given in the message conversion information (MCI). Therefore, it is possible to introduce a disturbance free upgrade of software in computer based systems with minimized system downtime.

Abstract: A method and an access mechanism for determining the storage address of a predetermined data value (D1, D2, D3) in a memory device is disclosed. The data values are stored in an increasing order sequentially in a column direction according to a binary tree data structure. A new subtree root node (B(L(X)), B(R(X)), A=1 is calculated from the previous leaf node address (LN) when the data value to be searched is not located in the previous subtree. Since a new subtree root node (X1) is always calculated from a previous leaf node address and the comparison result between the searched and read out value, the number of row address changes can be kept to a minimum whilst a high speed for the subtree searching is maintained. The search method and the access means is memory efficient since no pointers are used and fast, since the address of a next memory location to be investigated can always be calculated from the previous address and the last comparison result.

Abstract: To improve the efficiency for an update process in a software processing device with a plurality of memory partitions (4,14) it is proposed to continue the execution of old software on original data stored in a first memory partition (4). In case the same state for data of old and new software is achieved (S4) an instant switch of services to the new software as far as the same state is achieved (S5) takes place. This processing is repeated (S6) until no data to be transferred remains (S6) in the first memory partition. Thus, the present invention allows for a considerable improvement of the update efficiency with reduced disturbances during data transfer.