Abstract: A plurality of routing entries may be stored in a routing table. Each routing entry may include information usable for routing a message through a network. As new routing entries are received or created, each new routing entry may be added to the routing table. However, if there is not sufficient memory or storage to add the new routing entry to the routing table, then the least recently used existing routing entry in the routing table may be replaced with the new routing entry. In the event that the replaced routing entry is needed later, the replaced routing entry may be re-created.

Abstract: A first node in the network may broadcast a recovery request via one or more links to one or more other nodes. The recovery request may specify a first address, where the first address is associated with one or more nodes in the network. Nodes may receive and forward the recovery request until every node with which the first address is associated receives the recovery request and returns a recovery response. The recovery responses may be used to create route information for routing a message to each node with which the first address is associated.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method related to a topology and routing model for a peer-to-peer network are disclosed. A plurality of nodes may be coupled to each other to form a peer-to-peer network. A routing table may be created on each node in the peer-to-peer network. Each node may be operable to route messages to other nodes in the peer-to-peer network using information stored in the routing table. Messages may be propagated among nodes in the peer-to-peer network in a decentralized manner. For example, the peer-to-peer network may not utilize centralized servers of any kind. Each node in the peer-to-peer network may perform substantially the same routing functionality.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method related to location-independent message addressing for a computer network are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a plurality of nodes, e.g., computer systems, may be connected to a network. The plurality of nodes may include a first node which is operable to send a message addressed using a “role”. The role may be associated with one or more other nodes coupled to the network. The message may be sent to each of the one or more nodes with which the role is associated without specifying locations of the one or more nodes. For example, the role may have an associated name, and the message may be addressed using the role name.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method related to a computer network capable of detecting and breaking cycles are disclosed. First routing information usable to send messages to a first address may be created. The first address may be associated with multiple nodes in the network. When sending a message from a first node to the first address according to the first routing information, a cycle may be detected. The first routing information may be changed to break the cycle.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method related to a topology and routing model for a peer-to-peer network are disclosed. A plurality of nodes may be coupled to each other to form a peer-to-peer network. A routing table may be created on each node in the peer-to-peer network. Each node may be operable to route messages to other nodes in the peer-to-peer network using information stored in the routing table. Messages may be propagated among nodes in the peer-to-peer network in a decentralized manner. For example, the peer-to-peer network may not utilize centralized servers of any kind. Each node in the peer-to-peer network may perform substantially the same routing functionality.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method related to location-independent message addressing for a computer network are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a plurality of nodes, e.g., computer systems, may be connected to a network. The plurality of nodes may include a first node which is operable to send a message addressed using a “role”. The role may be associated with one or more other nodes coupled to the network. The message may be sent to each of the one or more nodes with which the role is associated without specifying locations of the one or more nodes. For example, the role may have an associated name, and the message may be addressed using the role name.

Abstract: The present invention provides a means to support new and modified platforms without the need to modify the system software kernel. The invention uses an approach referred to as Platform Service Agents (PSAs). The PSA works with the bus manager of the system software for that platform variant and modifies the system resources as needed. The PSA isolates specifics of the platform, so that the bus manager need not be modified. Because the PSAs themselves are outside of the kernel, are downloadable, and easily created for platform variants, new platforms can be supported without modification or re-release of the system software kernel.

Abstract: An object-oriented interrupt processing system in a computer system creates a system database including a device namespace containing an entry for each device in the computer system and an interrupt namespace containing an entry for each interrupt source, arranged as an Interrupt Source Tree. Each entry in the Interrupt Source Tree is cross-referenced to a corresponding entry in the namespace and contains a reference to an interrupt handler for the corresponding interrupt source. When an interrupt occurs, a single interrupt dispatcher is invoked, to access the Interrupt Source Tree and cause execution of the corresponding interrupt handler.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing a core application programming interface which is a part of more than one application programming interface are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a class structure in an object based system is arranged to provide application programming interfaces which enable access to a system database. The class structure includes a first set of classes that define a core application programming interface, a second set of classes that define a client application programming interface, and a third set of classes that define a server application programming interface. The second set of classes includes the first set of classes, and the third set of classes includes the second set of classes. In one embodiment, the first set of classes includes interfaces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing memory functionality to object-oriented client software components of a computer system having a CPU using a first set of memory classes, each class of the first set being platform-independent; a second set of memory classes, each class of the second set being a subclass of a class of the first set and being platform-dependent; and performing client component memory functions by accessing only objects of classes of the first set. Descriptions of the classes and methods are provided, enabling platform-independent device drivers to be implemented.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for allocating securely memory resources to a platform-independent device driver is described. In one embodiment, a device driver generates a request for memory allocation in terms of an abstract memory address space. The driver forwards the request to the bus manager. An inner class representation of the bus manager is generated and the identity of the driver is determined. The inner class representation handles the request from the device driver using the same procedures as the bus manager, and appears to the driver as the bus manager itself. Thus, a memory request from a platform-independent device driver can be made in a secure manner.

Abstract: Innovative managers of persistent data are provided. As an example, in a client/server environment, a persistent manager object may be initialized on both the client and server subsystems. The persistent manager objects may be instances of the same persistent manager class. The persistent manager object on the client subsystem may receive a request to store persistent data and the persistent manager object on the client sends the request to the persistent manager object on the server subsystem. The persistent manager object on the server subsystem may then store the persistent data to make it subsequently be available for the client subsystem.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing a persistent storage interface that may be used to store entries into a variety of different storage subsystems are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an object-based system which is arranged to store and to retrieve configuration information includes a server and a client that is in communication with the server. The client communicates with the server using a client/server protocol. The system also includes at least one persistent agent that is arranged to store persistent entries, as well as a persistent storage application programming interface that allows the server to communicate with the at least one persistent agent. The persistent storage application programming interface is arranged to support multiple persistent agents such that different persistent agents may be used with respect to the system. In one embodiment, the object-based system is a Java System Database.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for allocating memory resources to a device driver is described. In one embodiment, a device driver generates a request for memory allocation in terms of an abstract memory address space. This abstract memory address space is also used by a bus manager to manage the allocation of memory. The driver forwards the request to the bus manager which can then allocate memory or translate the request to a second abstract memory address space used by a second bus manager. When the request is passed to a platform manager, real memory is allocated and the requested memory is passed back to the driver. Thus, by making a memory request in terms of a bus manager's abstract memory address space, the necessity of coding the driver to request real addresses (a platform-specific operation) is avoided.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and software for endianness checking for platform-independent device drivers is described. According to one embodiment, the method of the invention includes generating a memory allocation request from a platform-independent device driver. The driver instantiates a memory constraints object that is configured to report the endianness of the driver. The request is received by a bus manger that is configured to process memory allocation requests from the device driver and has an endianness independent of the device driver. If the endianness of the bus manager and device driver is inconsistent, then the memory constraints object is transformed to be consistent with the bus manager's endianness.

Abstract: An object-oriented interrupt processing system in a computer system creates a system database including a device namespace containing an entry for each device in the computer system and an interrupt namespace containing each entry in the interrupt source, arranged as an Interrupt Source Tree. Each entry in the Interrupt Source Tree is cross-referenced to a corresponding entry in the device namespace and contains a reference to an interrupt handler for the corresponding interrupt source. When an interrupt occurs, a single interrupt dispatcher is invoked, to access the Interrupt Source Tree and cause execution of the corresponding interrupt handler.

Abstract: A method for securely accessing a peripheral device at an absolute address is disclosed. A computer program is executed to request from an operating system a memory access object including a procedure executable to address the peripheral device at the absolute address. An operating system procedure is executed to provide the memory access object to the computer program if a value associated with the computer program indicates that the computer program is trusted to perform absolute addressing. If the operating system procedure provides the memory access object to the computer program, the computer program is executed invoke the memory access object procedure to address the peripheral device at the absolute address.