Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for managing related drivers associated with a bus driver. In one embodiment, the apparatus may comprise a physical device object table configured to contain a plurality of entries, a child device associated with each of the plurality of entries, each of the child devices configured to have a name associated therewith, the name configured to provide information about the child device sufficient to allow user environment applications an doperating system drivers to directly access the child device, and a virtual bus driver configured to interface between the child devices and an adapter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed configuration of one or more network interface cards (NICs) are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises issuing a request frame including at least a current configuration generation for the NICs from a host computing device to a network device. The method also comprises returning at least one configuration frame including a newer network configuration for the NICs from the network device to the host computing device. The method also comprises configuring the NICs at the host computing device with the newer network configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed configuration of one or more network interface cards (NICs) are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises issuing a request frame including at least a current configuration generation for the NICs from a host computing device to a network device. The method also comprises returning at least one configuration frame including a newer network configuration for the NICs from the network device to the host computing device. The method also comprises configuring the NICs at the host computing device with the newer network configuration.

Abstract: A layered block device driver for accessing a storage device coupled to a computer system having a platform on which a disk fault prediction application operates. The layered block device driver includes a file system driver coupled to the computer system, at least one upper level driver coupled to the file system driver, an intermediate driver having a first coupling with the upper level driver for the exchange of messages between the intermediate driver and the upper level driver and a second coupling with the application which controls the exchange of messages between the application and the storage device, and a port driver coupled to the intermediate driver and the storage device.

Abstract: A layered block device driver for accessing a storage device coupled to a computer system having a platform on which a disk fault prediction application operates. The layered block device driver includes a file system driver coupled to the computer system, at least one upper level driver coupled to the file system driver, an intermediate driver having a first coupling with the upper level driver for the exchange of messages between the intermediate driver and the upper level driver and a second coupling with the application which controls the exchange of messages between the application and the storage device, and a port driver coupled to the intermediate driver and the storage device.

Abstract: A computer system with a digitizer based screen display in which the digitizer data is buffered through a first-in first-out memory (FIFO). The processor is only interrupted when a full digitizer data packet is available in the FIFO, rather than being interrupted on each data byte available in the FIFO. The FIFO can hold multiple digitizer data packets, so that data is not lost should the processor in the computer system be unable to immediately handle these digitizer data packets. The system also provides a filter in a separate controller that examines each digitizer data packet to determine if the pen is in a predefined screen location that performs a prespecified function. If so, rather than pass the digitizer data packet to the system processor through the FIFO, the command is passed through a separate register to the processor based on the "hotspot" touched on the screen.

Abstract: A protocol for local data transfers between a system manager for a computer system and a network operating system associated with the computer system and a method for exchanging command and response messages between the system manager and the network operating system using a bus master interface provided between the two. Various ones of the interface registers are reserved by the side transferring information, command written to the interface registers and the other side notified of the information transferred to the interface and the reservation released. The interface is also used to transfer responses to the side originating the command.