Abstract: In an interactive display interface, an implementation for highlighting all icons in any set of a plurality of the icons, wherein each icon in the set is within a predetermined distance of an approaching pointer or cursor. In other words, the point of the pointer or cursor may be considered to be surrounded by a circular halo with a radius of said predetermined distance. The user moves the cursor in a standard manner. However, if the icons that the moving cursor is approaching are so densely spaced that more than one icon comes within the halo, then all of the icons within this set of the plurality of icons is highlighted to give the user a more distinct choice. The highlighting of each of the highlighted icons is ended when the pointer moves outside of the predetermined distance or halo radius.

Abstract: Minimizing the effects that repetitive failures to access requested documents or files will have on the user requesting the files through a receiving network or World Wide Web (Web) station. When there is a network, e.g. Web failure in the access of a requested document, the system will retry to access. However, when the failed retries reaches a selected number, the system will then continue to try to access the requested document and, when that document is finally accessed, the system will automatically store the document in an appropriate cache associated with the requesting receiving station. Documents related to this initial document will also be automatically accessed from the Web and stored at the receiving station together with the initial document. Note, these related documents may be documents accessed through hyperlinks in the initial document.

Abstract: The user receiving a World Wide Web (Web) page is provided with an implementation for predetermining subject matter, terms and words for which the user desires to have hyperlinks in a received web document. It further provides for displaying in the received web document multiple hyperlinks for each predetermined term of interest to thereby substantially reduce the user browsing through several levels of web documents in pursuit of topics of interest. Search engines for locating web documents related to the defined words are provided together with implementations for creating hyperlinks from the received web document to at least some of the located web documents. The system may be implemented by highlighting the defined words in the received web document, and responsive to a user interactive selection of a highlighted defined word in the received document, displaying a menu of a plurality of hyperlinks to the located web documents related to the selected highlighted defined word.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for storing data into two incompatibly formatted storage systems are provided. When a data is to be stored, it is first determined whether the data is to be stored into the two incompatibly formatted storage systems which are each being managed by a logical volume manager (LVM). If so, the data is forwarded to the two storage systems. In a particular embodiment, when the data is to be stored, one of the two LVMs determines whether the data is to be stored into the two storage systems. If so determined, the LVM that has made the determination passes a copy of the data to the other LVM. The two LVMs then ensure that the data is appropriately stored. When data is to be read from an incompatible storage system, the first LVM will request the data from the second LVM, when the data is received, the first LVM converts the data into an understandable format before the data is used.

Abstract: A path control module manages a set of primary paths and a set of standby paths for a target device. When a path in the set of primary paths fails, the path control module may failover to the set of standby paths. Alternatively, when a path in the set of primary paths fails, the path control module may failover that path to a single path from the set of standby paths. The sets of primary paths and standby paths may be set by an administrator to control load balancing of resources in the storage area network. The primary set of paths for a first disk may be the standby set of paths for a second disk. Similarly, the primary set of paths for the second disk may be the standby set of paths for the first disk.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for maintaining quota information in extended attributes associated with a quota data file. A quota data file includes file control information, including attributes such as a file name. The quota data file control information includes a reference to an extended attributes directory. Each user record is stored as an extended attribute in the extended attributes directory. Each extended attribute also has file control data. The quota information for a user is stored in-line in the file control data.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a point in time backup is presented. A backup application initiates a point in time backup whereupon a backup tracker monitors write requests during the point in time backup. The backup tracker logs data block locations that have already been backed up whose content changes in response to a write request. After a first pass of backing up data blocks, the backup application backs up the changed data blocks. During the changed data block backup procedure, the backup application invokes a copy on write command for particular changed data blocks that receive write requests prior to their content being backed up. The copy on write command stores the particular changed data block's content in a temporary storage area in which the backup application retrieves when the backup application is ready to backup the particular changed data blocks.

Abstract: Files, such as HTML files, are managed managed by performing a permitted command or action initiated on a current file on all its co-requisite files as identified in an extended attribute field stored within the current file. Thus, when an HTML file is emailed or transferred, all requisite files necessary to properly render the web page at the client are assured to be sent. The extended attribute field indicates the parent-child relationship of the co-requisite the co-requisite files and only performs the action on child files. The extended attribute field within the current file also indicates the actions that can be performed on each of its co-requisite files.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing a point-in-time image of a file system utilized within a data storage system employing logical volumes mapped across physical volumes. The point-in-time backup process begins with receipt of a file system backup request. In response to receiving the file system backup request, buffered file system data is written or flushed to the logical volumes. Specifically, in response to the file system backup request, buffered user data is written to the logical volumes, buffered meta data associated with the buffered user data is written to a file system backup log within the logical volumes, and the buffered meta data is written to the logical volumes. A disk copy of the designated physical volumes is initiated in response to the writing of the buffered file system data to the logical volumes.

Abstract: A system and method for managing multiple proxy servers by a client computer. In one embodiment, the client computer's configuration is set to the fastest proxy server available. In another embodiment, a proxy table is accessed by the client computer to determine which proxy to use for a given web address. When a web address is included in the table, the corresponding proxy server is used to request the contents of the web address. If the web address is not included in the table, a default proxy server is used to request the information. In another embodiment, a periodic test is made to determine the speed of the current proxy server. If the speed is less than a predetermined threshold, the available proxy servers are all tested and the best-performing proxy server is selected. In another embodiment, aspects of each of the above-described embodiments are combined to provide a proxy server to a client computer based upon either a given web address (URL) or the fastest current proxy server.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable instructions for executing a file with a file format is provided. An attempt is made to execute the file with a first computer application within a plurality of computer applications. Responsive to the first computer application being unable to recognize the file format of the file, a second computer application within the plurality of computer applications is selected to execute the file. The file is then executed using the selected second computer application.

Abstract: A security protocol that dynamically implements enhanced mount security of a filesystem when access to sensitive files on a networked filesystem is requested. When the user of a client system attempts to access a specially-tagged sensitive file, the server hosting the filesystem executes a software code that terminates the current mount and re-configures the server ports to accept a re-mount from the client via a more secure port. The server re-configured server port is provided the IP address of the client and matches the IP address during the re-mount operation. The switch to a secure mount is completed in a seamless manner so that authorized users are allowed to access sensitive files without bogging down the server with costly encryption and other resource-intensive security features. No significant delay is experienced by the user, while the sensitive file is shielded from un-authorized capture during transmission to the client system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for creating and monitoring network connections of prioritized users in a wireless hub. All users of a wireless hub are assigned priorities for their connections to the wireless hub. These priorities may be based on categories, such as for example, fees paid, importance of traffic, amount of traffic, type of work, alternate physical connection availability, and job level. When a user logs onto a wireless hub with a network card, the IP address or port is logged. The user may be identified through their MAC address. Performance thresholds for a network may be used to determine whether or not the performance level of the network is acceptable. If the performance level of the network reaches a specified unfavorable threshold, then the connection of non-priority and lower prioritized users may be dropped.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically integrating a site specific search engine. In one embodiment, a hidden HTML tag is used on web pages to identify the site specific search engine for the web site. When a user requests a site specific search engine from the user's web browser, the HTML tag is located and the corresponding web page containing the site specific search engine is opened. In another embodiment, if the HTML tag identifying the site specific search engine is not found, an analysis of the web site's root node is made to identify a site specific search engine. If a site specific search engine is identified through the analysis, the search engine web page is opened. In yet another embodiment, if the site specific search engine is not found through either a hidden HTML tag or by analyzing the web site's root node, a generic site specific search routine is invoked.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for cascading backup mirrors are provided. A mirroring map is created. The mirroring map includes at least three mirrors. A first mirror of the three mirrors is set to synchronize to a second mirror and a third mirror is set to synchronize to the first mirror. The first and the third mirror are backup mirrors and the second mirror is a working mirror. One of the backup mirrors is located remotely and the other locally.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling communication utilizing a pool of communication devices each capable of communicating at one or more multiple diverse predetermined data rates. Identifying indicia for each remote communication device attempting communication is stored in association with preferred data rate or range of data rates. Thereafter, subsequent attempts at communication by such remote communication devices are automatically coupled to a specific communication device within the pool having a compatible communications data rate.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for bookmarking a path to a presently displayed Web page are provided. The path is made of a plurality of web pages that have previously been accessed and from which the presently displayed Web page emanates. When a user wants to bookmark the presently displayed Web page, the user is given an option to choose all the Web pages that were previously accessed. If the user so chooses, all the Web pages are bookmarked at once. When the bookmark folder is accessed anytime thereafter, the bookmarked Web pages are displayed as a chain of bookmarked Web pages and in the order they were accessed.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus and computer program product for reducing the number of physical storage systems needed for a volume group to remain active are provided. This is accomplished by creating mirroring sets out of the physical storage systems in the volume group and by setting up a policy that so long as one mirror out of each mirror set is available, the volume group should be allowed to remain active. To activate a volume group (i.e., when the computer system is turned or reset), there have to be at least one full mirror set and at least one mirror out of each remaining mirror set available. These two policies guarantee that there will always be valid metadata in the system.

Abstract: A system and method for recovering from a failure in a clustered environment sharing a common nonvolatile storage device. The first computer reserves the device by identifying itself in a reservation key associated with the device. The first device sends a signal to one or more backup computers informing the backup computers that the first computer is operational. When the first computer fails to operate, one of the backup computers breaks the first computer's reservation to the storage device and writes a new reservation key to the reservation storage area identifying the backup computer as the reservation holder of the storage device. When the first computer is reinitialized, it reads the reservation storage area and does not attempt to break the reservation made by the backup computer. One embodiment provides for the first computer to request control from the backup computer upon being reinitialized whereupon the backup computer releases its reservation and relinquishes control.

Abstract: A data processing system for efficiently attaching files to electronic mail message. In a multi-level hierarchical file storage system within the data processing system wherein one or more files may be active, only those files, which are active, are initially proffered as candidates for attachment in response to a user's indicated desire to attach a file to an electronic mail message. If the user fails to select an active file for attachment, the user is prompted to select a file from the multi-level hierarchical file storage system for attachment. After attachment, the electronic mail message and attachment are transmitted.