Abstract: A tightly-coupled processor complex comprises two or more processors, the complex being asymmetric in that a feature available on one processor is not available on at least one other processor. A work selection mechanism selects one of a set of one or more ready work units, each capable of execution on one or more of the asymmetric processors. A processor set identification function identifies an "indirect idle" set of processors which can participate as hosts in work reassignment to make use of a previously idle processor, and identifies an "indirect bump" set of processors which can participate as hosts in work reassignment to displace a lowest priority work unit previously executing - any work reassignment being initiated by an assigner means and comprising an optimized number of work reassignment steps reassigning work among one of the processor sets to accomplish a related assignment goal (making use of a previously idle processor, or displacing a lowest priority work unit).

Abstract: The invention disclosed and claimed herein provides a method for a virtual machine, which maps to the V=R region of a host machine's address space, to resume program execution successfully when the host operating system terminates and subsequently restarts successfully after the occurrence of a system incident. The system incident brings the computer system down, but with a reasonable chance that the system will be able to bounce. A bounce occurs when the host operating system nucleus is reinitialized or refreshed. The virtual machine will be allowed to survive the system incident as long as its integrity can be maintained, i.e. as long as its status and in-progress work can be preserved.