Abstract: An implementation for estimating the costs attributable to software failures brought on by defects, i.e. estimating that portion of the cost of owning software products that is attributable to potential damage to the software owner resulting from potential defects in the software provided by particular software suppliers. Calculating the cost of ownership of a software product obtained from a proposed supplier, including a cost of software failure factor that is estimated as follows: predetermining the quality level of an ideal supplier of the software product and then determining the deviation in quality level of the proposed software supplier from the ideal supplier level. Then, estimating the difference in product defect rate at the quality level of the proposed supplier from the defect rate of the ideal supplier, after which the cost to compensate for the damage resulting from each defect based upon the intended use of the software product is estimated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for checking for viruses by adding a virus scanning capability to a data transfer device. In a method of the present invention a real-time virus checker is stored on a controller. The virus checker scans data as it is being written to a file. If a virus is detected, the suspected file is flagged. Anti-virus software is then invoked to perform a scan of the entire suspected file. In this manner, demands on CPU resources to perform scans will be greatly reduced as only those files marked as possibly containing a viruse need to be scanned, rather than scanning all the files on the entire data transfer device.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for comparing suppliers includes sending survey questions for receipt by supplier computer systems. Programming instructions are also sent for receipt and execution by the supplier computer systems. The programming instructions are for causing the supplier computer systems to return supplier survey answers to a server. The answers are included in responding documents and are defined in a certain format as data elements included in the responding documents. The data elements are then parsed from the responding documents responsive to predetermined programming instructions and evaluated the data elements responsive to a predetermined set of rules.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for comparing suppliers includes sending survey questions for receipt by supplier computer systems. Programming instructions are also sent for receipt and execution by the supplier computer systems, The programming instructions are for causing the supplier computer systems to return supplier survey answers to a server. The answers are included in responding documents and are defined in a certain format as data elements included in the responding documents. The data elements are then parsed from the responding documents responsive to predetermined programming instructions and evaluated the data elements responsive to a predetermined set of rules.

Abstract: A cellular telecommunications system to notify the automobile user of the triggering of his automobile alarm is a relatively inexpensive manner that enables the user to make a timely response to the condition. A wireless telephonic device in an automobile that is responsive to the triggering of the alarm audio output for sending a cellular telephonic message over the cellular network indicating the triggering of said output to a designated receiving telephone. The automobile also includes a device enabling a user to selectively designate the receiving telephone to which said telephonic message is to be sent. The receiving telephone is also likely to be a mobile wireless cellular telephone.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for comparing suppliers includes sending survey questions for receipt by supplier computer systems. Programming instructions are also sent for receipt and execution by the supplier computer systems, The programming instructions are for causing the supplier computer systems to return supplier survey answers to a server. The answers are included in responding documents and are defined in a certain format as data elements included in the responding documents. The data elements are then parsed from the responding documents responsive to predetermined programming instructions and evaluated the data elements responsive to a predetermined set of rules.

Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provides for recovery from failure of a distributed processing system process designated as a master process for at least one shared resource. The system of the invention provides for detection of the failure by one or more of the shadow processes. The detecting process tests to determine whether it has the shared write lock managed by the master process. If it does, it becomes the master process. If not, it determines from the shared control file which process holds the write lock and it communicates to that process a request to assume master process responsibilities.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a master process for control of a shared system resource. The improved system requires the master process to hold exclusive access on a shared resource control file only intermittently. The master process periodically updates the shared resource control file with a new timestamp. Processes seeking resource access read the shared control file and determine whether another process has been designated master. If the interval since the latest timestamp is greater than a preset staleness interval, the shared control file is discarded and a new one created by the accessing process.

Abstract: In a distributed data processing system or network testing a distributed processing program is achieved by a test manager and a test scenario. Functionally, the test manager reads the test scenario to identify processes of the system to be tested. The identified processes then read relevant portions of the test scenario and executes such portions. While the processes are executing the scenario portions, the test manager monitors resulting data from each process. If the resulting data does not match an expected data value, the test manager flags an error regarding the process that produced the errant data.

Abstract: Communicating the failure of a master process controlling one or more shared resources to all process sharing the resources. A shared resource control file is established that contains the identities of all sharing processes. Master process failure triggers a race to establish exclusive access over the shared control file. The new master reads shadow address data from the old shared control file, marks it as invalid and establishes a new control file based on renewed registrations from the sharing processes. The master process maintains the sharing process list as processes begin and end sharing.