Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing requests for data by processes in a data processing system. Requests for data from the processes in slave mode are tracked. Data received by a device driver is stored, wherein the data may originate from multiple masters. The data is sent to the processes, wherein the device driver is not required to handle requests for the processes in slave mode.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transferring data from a master to a set of applications executing on a slave. Data is received from a master at a device driver in the slave. The data is parsed for an identifier by a virtual hub in the slave, wherein the identifier is associated with the data by the master. The data is sent to an application within the set of applications based on the identifier.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-usable medium for coupling a collection of redundant, same-address slave devices via an interconnect. If a substitution among the collection of redundant, same-address slave devices is desired, a determination of whether the activity on the interconnect has become idle is made. If the activity on the interconnect is determined to be idle, access to the interconnect is restricted and the switch between redundant, same-address slave devices is made. After the substitution among the redundant, same-address slave devices has been made, access to the interconnect is released.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-usable medium for coupling a collection of master devices on an Inter-Integrated Circuit (IIC) bus, where the collection of master devices includes at least one resident master device, generating a periodic, fixed interval tenure on the IIC bus, synchronizing at least one additional master device with the periodic, fixed interval tenure to enable the at least one additional master device to communicate on the IIC bus, and tuning a period value corresponding to a frequency of the periodic, fixed interval tenure to optimize the synchronizing.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-usable medium for coupling a collection of redundant, same-address slave devices via an interconnect. If a substitution among the collection of redundant, same-address slave devices is desired, a determination of whether the activity on the interconnect has become idle is made. If the activity on the interconnect is determined to be idle, access to the interconnect is restricted and the switch between redundant, same-address slave devices is made. After the substitution among the redundant, same-address slave devices has been made, access to the interconnect is released.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for locking an end device for the period of time that the device is needed, thus disabling access by any other application or process. Having the device locked, rather than the bus, allows other applications to use the bus to access other devices at the same time. This is achieved by providing a virtual bus arbitration, which arbitrates applications' use of the physical bus. The virtual bus arbitration algorithms allow bus operations from different applications to overlap on the physical bus as long as their target devices and associated bus locks are on different end devices.