Abstract: A method, apparatus, and virtual computer system for testing application software. A first operating system of a first operating type is run on a first processor of a first processor type in a physical computer system. A virtual machine that emulates a second processor of a second processor type is run on the first processor. A second operating system of a second operating type is run on the virtual machine with the virtual machine running on the first processor. The first processor running the first operating system and the virtual machine running the second operating system together form the virtual computer system. A tool qualifier module performs verification of an application testing tool on the virtual machine using tool qualification data to qualify the application testing tool before the application testing tool is run using the second operating system on the virtual machine to test an application program.

Abstract: A system onboard a vehicle may include a vehicle management system (VMS) and a mission management system (MMS). The VMS may include a plurality of VMS nodes for controlling operation of the vehicle. The MMS may include a plurality of MMS nodes for controlling equipment associated with a mission of the vehicle. The system may also include a flexible deterministic communications network. The flexible deterministic communication network may be configurable for communications between each of the VMS nodes, between each of the MMS nodes and between the VMS nodes and the MMS nodes. The VMS nodes communicate using static, deterministic messages and the MMS nodes communicate using dynamic, non-deterministic messages.

Abstract: A method for managing data transfer for a plurality of processors. Transfer messages exchanged between processor units and an external node in an integrity manager located in hardware in communication with the processor units and the external node are received. An exchange of the transfer messages is managed by the processor units with the external node based on a selected mode in mixed integrity modes such that redundantly calculated outputs from the processor units in a high integrity mode match.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing processor units. An external synchronizer is communicated with to determine whether an undesired amount of skew is present between a first processor unit and a second processor unit in communication with a synchronization system. The first processor unit is selectively directed to perform an action without generating a needed result such that the undesired amount of skew between the first processor unit and the second processor unit is reduced when the undesired amount of skew is present in the first processor unit. The first processor unit and the second processor unit are associated with each other for a high integrity mode in which integrity checks are performed on corresponding messages generated by the first processor unit and the second processor unit.

Abstract: A method for managing data transfer for a plurality of processors. Transfer messages exchanged between processor units and an external node in an integrity manager located in hardware in communication with the processor units and the external node are received. An exchange of the transfer messages is managed by the processor units with the external node based on a selected mode in mixed integrity modes such that redundantly calculated outputs from the processor units in a high integrity mode match.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing processor units. An external synchronizer is communicated with to determine whether an undesired amount of skew is present between a first processor unit and a second processor unit in communication with a synchronization system. The first processor unit is selectively directed to perform an action without generating a needed result such that the undesired amount of skew between the first processor unit and the second processor unit is reduced when the undesired amount of skew is present in the first processor unit. The first processor unit and the second processor unit are associated with each other for a high integrity mode in which integrity checks are performed on corresponding messages generated by the first processor unit and the second processor unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing application software for installation on hardware platforms. A software tool is verified using a tool qualifier module running on a physical computer system that has a processor of a first processor type and an operating system of a first operating type. A benchmark performance is established for the physical computer system. A virtual machine in a virtual computer system is verified using a qualifier module to determine whether its performance is consistent with the benchmark performance to form a qualified virtual machine. The virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a processor of a second type; an operating system of a second operating type; the virtual machine emulating the processor of the first processor type; and an operating system of the first operating type. The software tool can be transferred from the physical computer system to the qualified virtual machine without requiring requalification.

Abstract: An onboard system for controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The system comprises: a flight management system configured for controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a mission control module configured to send commands to the flight management system for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a mission; a safety module configured to communicate commands to the flight management system for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly in a safe mode; a communication control component which is switchable between a mission state in which the flight management system receives commands from the mission control module and a safety state in which the flight management system receives commands from the safety module; and a monitor module configured to determine whether a trigger condition warranting a change in mode is present or not and to cause the communication control component to switch from the mission state to the safety state when the trigger condition is present.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing application software for installation on hardware platforms. A software tool is qualified using a tool qualifier module running on a first virtual computer system having a configuration that comprises a processor of first processor type and a first virtual machine emulating a processor of second processor type. A benchmark performance is established for the first virtual machine. A second virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a processor of third type and a second virtual machine emulating the processor of the second processor type. The second virtual machine is verified using a qualifier module to determine whether its performance is consistent with the benchmark performance to form a qualified second virtual machine. After the tool has been qualified, the tool is transferred from the first virtual machine to the qualified second virtual machine without needing to be requalified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing application software for installation on hardware platforms. A software tool is verified using a tool qualifier module running on a physical computer system that has a processor of a first processor type and an operating system of a first operating type. A benchmark performance is established for the physical computer system. A virtual machine in a virtual computer system is verified using a qualifier module to determine whether its performance is consistent with the benchmark performance to form a qualified virtual machine. The virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a processor of a second type; an operating system of a second operating type; the virtual machine emulating the processor of the first processor type; and an operating system of the first operating type. The software tool can be transferred from the physical computer system to the qualified virtual machine without requiring requalification.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing application software for installation on hardware platforms. A software tool is qualified using a tool qualifier module running on a first virtual computer system having a configuration that comprises a processor of first processor type and a first virtual machine emulating a processor of second processor type. A benchmark performance is established for the first virtual machine. A second virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a processor of third type and a second virtual machine emulating the processor of the second processor type. The second virtual machine is verified using a qualifier module to determine whether its performance is consistent with the benchmark performance to form a qualified second virtual machine. After the tool has been qualified, the tool is transferred from the first virtual machine to the qualified second virtual machine without needing to be requalified.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and virtual computer system for testing application software. A first operating system of a first operating type is run on a first processor of a first processor type in a physical computer system. A virtual machine that emulates a second processor of a second processor type is run on the first processor. A second operating system of a second operating type is run on the virtual machine with the virtual machine running on the first processor. The first processor running the first operating system and the virtual machine running the second operating system together form the virtual computer system. A tool qualifier module performs verification of an application testing tool on the virtual machine using tool qualification data to qualify the application testing tool before the application testing tool is run using the second operating system on the virtual machine to test an application program.

Abstract: An onboard system for controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The system comprises: a flight management system configured for controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a mission control module configured to send commands to the flight management system for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a mission; a safety module configured to communicate commands to the flight management system for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly in a safe mode; a communication control component which is switchable between a mission state in which the flight management system receives commands from the mission control module and a safety state in which the flight management system receives commands from the safety module; and a monitor module configured to determine whether a trigger condition warranting a change in mode is present or not and to cause the communication control component to switch from the mission state to the safety state when the trigger condition is present.

Abstract: A system onboard a vehicle may include a vehicle management system (VMS) and a mission management system (MMS). The VMS may include a plurality of VMS nodes for controlling operation of the vehicle. The MMS may include a plurality of MMS nodes for controlling equipment associated with a mission of the vehicle. The system may also include a flexible deterministic communications network. The flexible deterministic communication network may be configurable for communications between each of the VMS nodes, between each of the MMS nodes and between the VMS nodes and the MMS nodes. The VMS nodes communicate using static, deterministic messages and the MMS nodes communicate using dynamic, non-deterministic messages.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems directed to reducing network traffic and processing overhead associated with directory refresh operations in wide area network file systems. In a particular implementation, the frequency of synchronization of certain directory contents information, such as security attribute information, that changes less frequently is reduced relative to other types of directory contents information that changes more frequently, such as file and folder names, last modified times, and the like. Other implementations reduce garbage collection overhead for a cached file system by deferring deletion of invalidated objects in a directory until a client application specifically identified the directory.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide improved systems and methods for processing multiple tasks. In one embodiment a method comprises: selecting a processing unit as a master processing unit from a processing cluster comprising multiple processing units, the master processing unit selected to execute master instruction entities; reading a master instruction entity from memory; scheduling the master instruction entity to execute on the master processing unit; identifying an execution group containing the master instruction entity, the execution group defining a set of related entities; when the execution group contains at least one slave instruction entity, scheduling the at least one slave instruction entity to execute on a processing unit other than the master processing unit during the execution of the master instruction entity; and terminating execution of instruction entities related by the execution group when a master instruction entity is executed that is not a member of the execution group.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide improved systems and methods for processing multiple tasks. In one embodiment a method comprises: selecting a processing unit as a master processing unit from a processing cluster comprising multiple processing units, the master processing unit selected to execute master instruction entities; reading a master instruction entity from memory; scheduling the master instruction entity to execute on the master processing unit; identifying an execution group containing the master instruction entity, the execution group defining a set of related entities; when the execution group contains at least one slave instruction entity, scheduling the at least one slave instruction entity to execute on a processing unit other than the master processing unit during the execution of the master instruction entity; and terminating execution of instruction entities related by the execution group when a master instruction entity is executed that is not a member of the execution group.

Abstract: The present invention, in particular embodiments, provides methods, apparatuses and systems directed to providing a mechanism by which clients can transparently access remote file server appliances. Due to this, clients do not need to modify the pathnames in order to access the file servers.

Abstract: One example is directed to a method of generating a set of schedules for use by a partitioning kernel to execute a plurality of partitions on a plurality of processor cores included in a multi-core processor unit. The method includes determining a duration to execute each of the plurality of partitions without interference and generating a candidate set of schedules using the respective duration for each of the plurality of partitions. The method further includes estimating how much interference occurs for each partition when the partitions are executed on the multi-core processor unit using the candidate set of schedules and generating a final set of schedules by, for at least one of the partitions, scaling the respective duration in order to account for the interference for that partition. The method further includes configuring the multi-core processor unit to use the final set of schedules to control the execution of the partitions using at least two of the cores.

Abstract: The present invention, in particular embodiments, is directed to methods, apparatuses and systems that provide an efficient compression technique for data streams transmitted to storage devices or over networks to remote hosts. Local storage as well as network transmission of streams is made more efficient by awareness and utilization of repeated sequences of data blocks. Such data blocks can be placed in a dictionary on persistent storage and shared across all streams. The dictionary is hierarchically indexed (two or more levels of indexing) to combine high efficiency search with efficient access to the stored data blocks. Additionally, data blocks, in particular implementations, are stored sequentially in order to improve overall performance.