Abstract: A method of managing a packet administration map for data packets to be received via a network. A receiver in the network monitors sequence numbers and stores missing sequence numbers within an internal data structure, called a packet administration map. A reversed keying is used which means that the upper limit of the range of contiguous missing data packets is used as the key entry in the administration map.

Abstract: The invention comprises an application for recording and the playback of MPEG-2 transport-streams transmitted via DVB-systems with optical discs. Apart from audio- and video-signals, additional information (which describe the content of the DVB-multiplex) will also be transmitted in DVB-SI descriptors. These descriptors correspond to the incoming transport-stream-packets and can be used for comfortable features, like event-triggered start of a recording or automatic generation of play-lists.

Abstract: In the method for operating a multi-port bridge for the routing, differentiated in accordance with traffic classes, of data packets which are subdivided into different priority classes in accordance with the IEEE802.1D standard, an additional traffic class “isochronous channel” is introduced. The multi-port bridge is configured in such a manner that at least one predetermined port in the case of unidirectional transmission and at least one predetermined port pair in the case of bidirectional transmission is operated in the “forwarding” state in which the predetermined port or the predetermined port pair forwards data packets of the additional traffic class IC from a queue. During the forwarding, all ports are deactivated with the exception of the predetermined port or port pair. The isochronous data stream is not restricted to one port or port pair but can be executed several times in dependence on the data rate of the transmission channel.

Abstract: Networks may be implemented using peer-to-peer technology. A plurality of peers may form a peer-group, having a unique group label. To relieve the user from administrative tasks, some configuration routines for such networks may be automated. A peer-group may select one of its peers as negotiation peer, having the task to communicate with other peers, e.g. negotiation peers from other peer-groups. When merging or splitting peer-groups, the group label is usually modified. But it may be advantageous to keep the group label. If a new peer-group in a peer-to-peer network is created by merging or splitting of peer-groups, a method for selecting a group label for the new peer-group comprises determining a negotiation peer, exchanging information between the negotiation peers in the case of merging, comparing features of the two peer-groups and assigning the label of one of the peer-groups to the new peer-group.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for file access in a storage access network (SAN) wherein a portion of a first file is accessed and an access rate computed based on time and amount of data accessed. If the computed access rate is less than an expected rate, a problem is identified and analysis performed. A first analysis accesses the first file through a second link to determine if the link is the problem. If the first file is accessed at an expected rate, the first link is identified as the problem and the file is accessed through an alternate link. A second analysis accesses a second file through the first link. If the second file is accessed at an expected rate, the first file is identified as the problem and the second file is accessed through the first link.

Abstract: It is desired to link photo data and video data taken by a digital camcorder. Therefore, there is provided a device and method for linking multimedia data, wherein linking information is formed on the basis of first and/or second multimedia data. The linking information is stored on a recording medium together with the first multimedia data. The second multimedia data may be stored together with respective linking information to the first multimedia data on a second recording medium. Thus, a camera-man while recording is able to set up logo or index pictures for a video film.

Abstract: In the method for management of data transmissions in a network, switching means are provided, by means of which a change can be carried out between a first data transmission type and a second data transmission type, as alternative data transmission types between a transmitter and a receiver. The change is carried out on the basis of at least one respectively predetermined criterion. The first data transmission type corresponds to a transport protocol based on rate-based overload control. The second data transmission type corresponds to a transport protocol based on RTT-based overload control.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for managing network resources in a network with a network management device (M), a network component (A), and a further network component (B), and a network management device (M), the method comprising the following steps: transmitting a request for an advance reservation of a network resource by the network component (A) to the network management device (M), wherein the request includes information regarding a reservation start time and a reservation end time; transmitting a request for an ad-hoc reservation of a further network resource by the further network component (B) to the network management device (M); allocating the further network resource to the further network component (B) by the network management device (M); and allocating the network resource to the network component (A) by the network management device (M) at the reservation start time, wherein the network resource comprises a part or all of the further network resource.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for synchronizing a clock of a network component with a clock of a further network component communicatively connected to the network component in a network and a network component, whereby the method comprises the following steps: determining a set of forward transition delays for transmission of messages from the network component to the further network component and a set of corresponding backward transition delays for transmission of messages from the further network component to the network component, selecting a minimum forward transition delay from the set of forward transition delays, selecting a minimum backward transition delay from the set of backward transition delays, deriving an estimated value for an offset between the clock of the network component and the clock of the further network component from the selected minimum forward transition delay and minimum backward transition delay, and adjusting the clock of the network component in accordance with the estima

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a network subnet manager, in particular Infiniband network subnet manager in a subnet of a network. The subnet manager is a software entity with the task of managing, for example Infiniband subnet and can reside on any one node. The subnet manager discovers the topology of the subnet that it manages, assigns a subnet ID to each port, assigns an address to each port in the subnet, establishes the possible path between all end nodes in the subnet, sets QoS parameters and sweeps the subnet on a regular basis looking for topology changes. Only one subnet manager entity can be master within a subnet. A problem related with this specification is that a specific vendor implementation may exist with many features and internal functionality that are not specified in the network specification.

Abstract: A logical quality-of-service management method for peer-to-peer networks uses a special group service for QoS management within peer-groups. This group service determines and assigns a budget per time unit for each peer. Such time unit may be in the range of milliseconds or few seconds. It may also determine a group budget for the peer-group. While a peer uses bandwidth, i.e. while it sends or receives data, its budget is decreased. When a peer has exhausted its budget, it has to lower its priority for transferring or receiving data. Each peer is responsible for keeping its own budget. If a peer does not keep the conditions, other peers may have the right to deny the data transfer from that peer. The QoS service function is advertised in peer-group advertisement messages.

Abstract: The handling of large amounts of data on storing media shall be simplified. Therefore, a method for maintaining a storage media by generating, editing or reading log data related to the content and usage of a data item stored or to be stored on a storage medium is provided. Data items are deleted or recommendations for deletion are provided on the basis of the log data from the storage medium. Thus, the user is relieved from the unpleasant and time-consuming task of deleting data items from recording media.

Abstract: The handling of metadata being provided in different formats shall be simplified. Therefore, it is suggested to provide metadata in a first metadata structure having a first format and providing a second metadata structure having a first format and providing a second metadata structure having a second format, wherein link data are deposited in the second metadata structure. The link data point to metadata in the first metadata structure. Thus, it is possible to trealize synchronous and automatic editing of metadata and its mirror metadata.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new type of quality of service architecture for a network assembly and a corresponding computer network system. The Internet technology as approved by the IETF organization has defined different services. One is the integrated services (IntServ) and the other the differentiated services (DiffServ) architecture. Another is the RSVP Protocol according to which Quality of Service can be implemented with accuracy and richer functionality. The invention shows a way how less sophisticated QoS managers inside the network with only DiffServ or Intserv capability, can be used for enhancing the QoS functionality based on so-called RSVP shadowing messages, and easy to implement RSVP shadowing stacks.

Abstract: The resistance against recording defects of a write-once optical disk is enhanced allowing realtime recording and playback of data streams with a single speed disk drive. A data stream is recorded in data blocks on the optical disk. An error correction block for one or more data blocks is generated and written on the same optical disk during recording. A spare data area is kept blank on the storage medium and used for storing a defect data block reconstructed by using the error correction block.

Abstract: Modern computers (10, 20) come with different timers having different attributes like time resolution, supported time range and time reference. Some are local timers, representing relative time values like the TSC counter (11, 21) counting CPU cycles from the power on or reset of the computer. Some are global timers, representing an absolute or real time. Having different classes of timers in the computer (10, 20), a number of computations need to be performed to tie the different timers to each other. It is the idea of the invention to define a single high resolution timer structure wherein the time value is represented with a digital number and a flag clarifies whether the timer is a global timer or local timer. The invention enables a much faster processing of the time values. The global time, tied to a high-resolution timer can be tracked much faster. This means better precision of scheduling of time critical jobs, like packet scheduling for data transport.

Abstract: The invention relates to the updating of a local copy of metadata. First change history data of metadata are read from an optical storage medium. Second change history data of the metadata are read from a local storage of an optical storage medium playback and/or recording device. If the first and second change history data are different a change attribute is read a from the optical storage medium and an update operation of the metadata stored in the local storage or an update operation in the optical storage medium is determined depending on the change attribute.

Abstract: The use of disk-assisted, dynamic databases is to be optimized. To this end, provision is made for new data intended to update an old stock of data to have a second index, relating to the new data, generated for them, and for said second index to be stored on the disk storage medium as a supplement to the first index relating to the old stock of data. This allows the number of write access operations to the disk storage medium to be reduced. This is particularly advantageous for optical media, whose useful life can be increased as a result.

Abstract: For the creation and self-organization of peer-groups the JXTA protocol may be used, which includes messages such as peer or peer-group advertisements and services such as the discovery service. Conventional peer-groups of this type are static and need restart after any modification, e.g. a new service. A method for dynamically managing hardware and/or software elements, e.g. services, utilized and/or offered by such peer-groups comprises detecting a change within a peer-group, creating a new peer-group identifier, publishing within the peer-group a first peer-group advertisement message that includes the current and the new peer-group identifier and pointers to current services including the detected modification, accepting the new peer-group identifier by the other peer-group members, and publishing a second peer-group advertisement message in the superordinate peer-group, wherein both advertisement messages may be identical.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for managing network resources in a network with a network management device (M), a network component (A), and a further network component (B), and a network management device (M), the method comprising the following steps: transmitting a request for an advance reservation of a network resource by the network component (A) to the network management device (M), wherein the request includes information regarding a reservation start time and a reservation end time; transmitting a request for an ad-hoc reservation of a further network resource by the further network component (B) to the network management device (M); allocating the further network resource to the further network component (B) by the network management device (M); and allocating the network resource to the network component (A) by the network management device (M) at the reservation start time, wherein the network resource comprises a part or all of the further network resource.