Abstract: Primary and secondary support vendors 20 and 30 provide support for an application 15 running on a customer computer system 11. Diagnostic software 17 running on the customer computer system gathers diagnostic data, which is transmitted to the primary-support vendor's computer system 21. There, the diagnostic data is analyzed to determine whether the help of the secondary support vendor is required. If so, the diagnostic data is repackaged for transmission to the secondary support vendor. The results of the secondary analysis are returned to the primary support vendor's computer system and used to generate a proposed solution, which is made available to the customer 10.

Abstract: A system is provided in which a first storage device for managing a target to which a first physical port and a first logical volume are allocated, a second storage device for managing a second logical volume, and a computer for establishing a first communication path with the first physical port and conducting access to the target by using the communication path. The first storage device creates in the second storage devices a target holding an identifier identical to that of the aforementioned target and allocates the second logical volume and a second physical port to the target, and the computer establishes a second communication path with the second physical port and maintains the access to the target by using the second communication path.

Abstract: An electronic system interconnect. The interconnect comprises a first node and a second node coupled to the first node. The interconnect is initially configured to include the first and second nodes. A third node is added to the interconnect after the interconnect is initially configured, and the first node responds to the addition of the third node by initiating a new connect handshake with the third node. The first node begins by transmitting a first signal to the third node. The first node signals that the third node has been added to the interconnect if the third node responds to the first signal by transmitting a second signal. The first node causes the interconnect to be reconfigured if the third node transmits a third signal in response to receiving the first signal.

Abstract: A system and associated communication protocol enables network compatible applications to be integrated into any process involving concurrent operation of applications. A system for use in a first application concurrently operating together with a plurality of network compatible applications includes an entitlement processor. The entitlement processor enables user access to the first application in response to validation of user identification information. The system also includes a communication processor for intermittently communicating an activity indication to a managing application within a timeout window and the activity indication is communicated sufficiently often to prevent an inactivity timeout of the first application. The managing application receives activity indications from multiple concurrently operating applications sufficiently frequently to prevent an inactivity timeout of the individual applications and maintains corresponding activity monitoring indicators.

Abstract: A method and structure for a multi-workload storage system is disclosed that is adapted to determine if an additional workload can be placed on the storage system. The invention has storage elements and a proxy load generator connected to the storage elements. The proxy load generator is adapted to create a proxy workload based on an additional workload from a potential client. The proxy workload has a reduced duty cycle when compared to a duty cycle of said additional workload. A control server is connected to the storage elements and the proxy load generator. The control server applies the proxy workload to the storage elements during discontinuous time slices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring network fabric memberships. In one embodiment, the method comprises: 1) determining a polling list of switches; and 2) processing each switch in the polling list. The processing may include: a) obtaining a list of sister switches from the current switch; b) associating the current switch with a new kith if the current switch is not already associated with a kith; c) identifying any of the sister switches associated with different kiths and merging said different kiths with the kith of the current switch; and d) associating each of the sister switches with the kith of the current switch. (A kith is an inclusive collection of switches constructed by combining lists of sister switches from each switch in the polling list.) The method may further comprise performing a matching operation between the kiths and a set of fabrics in a model of the network.

Abstract: A communication interface between an order generating program that generates orders and an order processing program that processes orders is managed. At least one metric that is based on orders passing from the order generating program to the order processing program is monitored. The communication interface between the order generating program and the order processing program is determined to have failed based on the monitored metric. The communication interface is then restarted based on when it has been determined to have failed.

Abstract: A method and intermediate device for dynamically modifying a stateful inspection of data. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of an intermediate device such as, for example, a router. The intermediate device is adapted to perform a stateful inspection of data passing therethrough. In one approach, the intermediate device performs the stateful inspection by inspecting the data to determine state information for the data. Next, the intermediate device modifies a state graph used to perform the stateful inspection of the data based upon the state information found during the aforementioned inspection. The intermediate device then utilizes the modified state graph to perform continued stateful inspection of the data. In so doing, the present invention enables an enhanced use of Quality of Service (QoS) classification based upon the high level application of the data. The present invention further provides a classification engine which can readily be adapted to new protocols.

Abstract: An information management system and method reduces the amount of data generated and transmitted for analysis and observation over a first network. An information management sub-system, includes a manager that analyzes or observes data, which is collected by multiple agents connected therewith through the first network. A sub-manager is connected with the agents via a second network, and manages data for the targets of management (such as, various kinds of information data collected by the agents, programs for collecting/analyzing the collected data, and data of analysis results thereof) in a storage, which is also connected with the second network, and which is used commonly between the sub-manager and the agents.

Abstract: Monitoring site access via an intervening control layer within a client is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a computerized system includes a plurality of sites, a monitoring server, and a client. Each site has content referenced be addresses. The monitoring server maintains a database of permissible content on at least one of the plurality of sites, where the permissible content is also referenced by addresses. The client has an intervening control layer within an otherwise standard mechanism by which programs running on the client access the content on the plurality of sites. The intervening control layer polls the monitoring server to determine whether a program attempting to access content on one of the sites as referenced by an address should be permitted to do so.

Abstract: Services are provided in an architecture utilizing a framework of standardized interconnection mechanisms that allow for the dynamic addition of new services that meet rules for the distributed services network. Likewise, new agents may readily be added to the network. The network architecture is composed of agent software at the broadband subscriber endpoint in conversation with server software at the service provider location. Under the present architecture, certain minimum service functionality is provided to any subscriber by way of a registration service for new subscribers, a login service for existing subscribers, subscriber profile services, connection services and plug-in management services. Through this network, a subscriber can access these services as well as additional services that are dynamically added to the network.

Abstract: Techniques for forming a rule to respond dynamically to requests for one or more resources on a network include providing, to a resource administrator, an interface for specifying the rule. The interface includes a first presentation area that displays data defining request information items associated with a request for the resource. The interface also includes a second presentation area that displays data defining access information items used to cause a server to respond to the request. The interface also includes a first input area for receiving commands from the resource administrator for deriving a value for at least one of the access information items. Code, which can be executed to apply the rule specified in the interface, is automatically generated. The code is automatically retrieved and executed when a request is received with a particular value for at least one particular request information item.

Abstract: Two processors are provided within a radio communication unit and linked together by a connection internal to the unit comprises. A process is effectuated for detecting transmission errors between the two processors. Codes transmitted between the processors are apportioned into frames which include indicators written by the processor sending the frames. On reception of the frames, the indicators are used by the receiving processor to validate the frames received. The codes transmitted may correspond to information contained in packets. The information of a packet that is intended to be transmitted via the internal connection may be placed in a single frame associated with the packet.

Abstract: An improved vehicle communications interface (VCI) is both economical and readily adaptable for running new software. The improved VCI includes a server coupled to a bank of processors. The server can communicate with a host, and the processors can communicate with different vehicle networks. Each processor includes a state machine and a media access controller for a particular vehicle network. The state machine identifies incoming messages that require real time responses and provides the requisite responses directly back to the network, without involvement of the server. Real time requirements of the server are thus relieved, allowing the server to run a non-real time, mainstream operating system for which new product software is readily available.

Abstract: Methods and structures for managing connection requests within a SAS controller operating as an initiator device. A SAS initiator device maintains a table of information regarding known SAS devices in the SAS domain. An index value is used by each of a plurality of link layer processing elements in the SAS controller to access information in the table. The index value is fewer bits than the complete eight byte SAS address and the logic to manipulate and compare the index value is therefore simpler than that required to directly manipulate a full SAS address. Further, the information table is shared by each of the link layer processing elements to further reduce complexity from replication of circuits and logic in the SAS controller.

Abstract: Plug-ins for instant messaging (IM) systems are described. By using plug-ins in conjunction with IM systems, the functionality of IM systems may be greatly extended. Specifically, in business applications, such as workflow processes, IM provides a more reliable approach to determining actual delivery of messages.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for call and/or connection acceptance control and the optimal delivery of multimedia (audio/video) data over networks. This method involves the establishment and monitoring of certain criteria which may be used to maximize the number of simultaneous clients without sacrificing quality-of-service for already-connected clients. Methods are disclosed for maximizing total throughput as well as maximum charge models for different levels of service. The disclosed methods solve these optimization problems by expanding on linear-program techniques in manners geared towards multimedia content delivery over networks and many variations suitable for varying business models are disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method allocates ranges of addresses that are reachable by more than one border router to one of the border routers capable of reaching those ranges of addresses and advertises those addresses as being reachable only by the border router to which each such range of addresses were assigned.

Abstract: A method for routing Fibre Channel frames in a Fibre Channel system is provided. The method compares a cost associated with a pre-programmed preferred route when the pre-programmed preferred route has been pre-programmed to route Fibre Channel frames between a source Fibre Channel port and a destination Fibre Channel port; with a cost of at least one route for routing Fibre channel frames between the source Fibre Channel port and the destination port determined by using a standard Fibre Channel Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) protocol, and using the pre-programmed-preferred route to route Fibre Channel frames if the cost associated with the pre-programmed preferred route is lower than the cost associated with the at least one route determined by the standard Fibre Channel FSPF protocol.

Abstract: Method and system for efficiently handling hub and spoke area topologies in a data network under Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol which provides selective blocking of Link State Advertisements (LSAs) includes selectively blocking the broadcast or flooding of LSAs from spoke routers to other respective spoke routers in the hub and spoke area unless route leaking is permitted for a particular spoke router, or the particular spoke router has a backdoor connection, in which case, a full shortest path first (SPF) run may be scheduled for the particular spoke router such that the amount of protocol traffic may be minimized and the SPF runs in the hub and spoke area may be reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for fast route table updates. A route table entry is identified, and a subsequent route table entry is located using the identified route table entry. All subsequent route table entries are identified using the previous route table entry until all route table entries associated with a predetermined characteristic are identified. The identified entries may be purged or transferred from one route table to another. The predetermined characteristic may be that the route table entries where discovered by a common routing protocol. Route table entries associated with a common routing protocol that is inoperative for a predetermined period are purged.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for performing network address translation (NAT) in a fully connected mesh with NAT virtual interface (NVI). In general terms, mechanisms (e.g., within a combination router/NAT device) are provided for translating network addresses of traffic going between two private domains or realms. These mechanisms may also be used to translate traffic going between a private and public domain. When a particular private address is translated into a public address, a binding is formed between the pre-translation address, the post-translation address, and the interface associated with the private or public address (e.g., an interface of the router/NAT device). Since bindings of different interfaces are tracked, a private address and its associated particular interface may be associated with a particular public address.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for initiating a tailored voice application according to an embodiment. First, a voice application is installed at a server. A request to instantiate the voice application is received from a user. User-specific configuration parameters are also received. An instance of the voice application is instantiated in a modified form based on the user-specific configuration parameters. A system, method and computer program product provide a voice-based interface according to one embodiment. A voice application is provided for verbally outputting content to a user. An instance of the voice application is instantiated. Content is selected for output. The content is output verbally using the voice application. The instance of the voice application pauses the output and resumes the output. A method for providing a voice habitat is also provided according to one embodiment. An interface to a habitat is provided.

Abstract: A data distribution system that includes a distribution center apparatus for dividing digital content data into segments of multiple frequency bands, and converting the segments of digital content data into encoded data having compressed blocks, each block having a predetermined length unit and constituted by at least bit distribution information, normalized data and quantized data. The encoded data is transmitted so as to superimpose, if an empty portion exists in each of the blocks, a part or all of an identifier for identifying a provider of the digital content data onto the empty portion.

Abstract: A hard disk controller (HDC) chip has interchangeable “A” and “B” ports of differential connector element pairs, with one connector element of each pair being disposed closest to the edge of the chip and with the other element inboard of it to facilitate connection to more than one printed circuit board (PCB) serial interface pinout without crossing traces of a pair and with maintaining traces of a pair parallel and on the same PCB level.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting a state of a disc drive. A cable select signal is input from a host and is gated to determine the state of the disc drive when a jumper is set to indicate that the disc drive is in a cable select state or when the jumper is missing. The cable select signal is prevented from determining the state of the disc drive when the jumper is present and is set to indicate that the disc drive is in the master state or the slave state. Additionally, the cable select signal dictates the state of the disc drive when the jumper is present and is set to indicate that the disc drive is in the cable select state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting a connection associated with a display and a system having a first and second video output port. Data channel information associated with the first video output port and the second video output port are read using DDC instructions and the absence of a connection between the display and the first video output port is detected. Information associated with the absence of the connection is transferred to the display which is connected to the second video output port such that the transferred information associated with the absence of the connection can be displayed to a user in the form of an error message.

Abstract: When activities are operated in parallel, and there is only one status display, an ordered list is implemented with three methods of access: insertion at the top, removal from anywhere, and read of the top item. Items kept on this list are the status codes or words for the activities that are currently in progress. When a new activity begins, its status code or word is inserted at the top of the list. Whenever an activity completes, its code or word is removed from the list regardless of its location in the list, and in such a way as to preserve the order of the remaining entries in the list. Whenever the top entry in the list changes (whether through an insertion or removal), the single status display is updated to show the new top value.

Abstract: System, apparatus and method for controlling the movement of data in a data processing system. The apparatus receives commands from at least one protocol engine and generates contexts representing the commands. The contexts are a data structure representing information for programming data transfers pursuant to the commands. Instruction requests based on the contexts are issued to the at least one protocol engine and to at least one DMA to efficiently control the movement of data to/from the at least one protocol engine from/to a local memory. The functions within the system are partitioned in a way that allows functions to be scaled for better performance and/or to support different protocols.

Abstract: A video device is provided that reduces an original frame rate of video frames by grabbing only every nth video frame and substantially restoring the original video frame rate by reproducing a video frame up to n times or increasing the video frame rate by reproducing a video frame more than n times. In this way, the original frame rate is reduced without compression of the video data, and a higher frame rate may be restored without decompression.

Abstract: A file input/output control device for dividing a file into a plurality of fragments which are distributed to a plurality of storage devices. The file input/output control device 200, upon receiving a file from a client, constructs a plurality of fragments from a file with reference to a predetermined number of divisions and redundancy. The file input/output control device allows the fragments to be stored on a single storage device, but distributes fragments to the storage devices to avoid sending a single type of fragment to any one storage device, and to avoid sending all types of fragments to any one storage device, thereby ensuring security.

Abstract: Multiple burst memory access handling protocols may be implemented at the hardware level or evaluated and selected during design of the hardware. The appropriate burst protocol may be selectable based on burst characteristics such as burst types and the identity of the current bus master. This allows, for example, the ability for a slave to support multiple error protocols in a multi-master system on a chip (SoC), or to design slaves capable of interfacing with a variety of masters which use different burst handling protocols. Inputs such as a programmable control register or configuration pins or variables may be provided to as part of the slave or slave interface block (e.g., a memory controller) to facilitate the implementation of alternate burst protocols. When a burst request is received from a master, a burst characteristic corresponding to the requested burst is determined and one of a plurality of burst error protocols is selected based on the burst characteristic.

Abstract: A JTAG-compliant device is configured to receive data through the control (TMS) line in addition to being configured to receive data through the input (TDI) line. A burst-write instruction is made the active instruction, extending the capability of the test access protocol (TAP) controller such that the TAP controller can receive data into a data register while the TAP controller is in certain states. In some states, the TAP controller receives and stores a bit only from the input line. In other states, the TAP controller receives and stores a bit from the input line, and in addition, the TAP controller receives and stores a bit from the control line. The TAP controller may store the received bits by shifting the received bits into the least significant bit of a data register.

Abstract: Disclosed are interface buses that facilitate communications among two or more electronic devices in standard mode and burst mode, and bus bridges from such buses to a memory unit of such a device. In one aspect, interface buses group the data lines according to groups of bits, and include group-enable lines to convey a representation of which groups of data lines are active for each data transfer operation. In another aspect, exemplary interface buses include burst-length lines to convey a representation of the number of data bursts in a burst sequence, thereby obviating the need to provide sequential addresses over the bus. Exemplary bus bridges are capable of interpreting the signals on the interface bus and transferring data bursts between the interface bus and one or more memory units within the device.

Abstract: A method and mechanism for modifying computing resources in response to application behavior. A computing system includes a replication component configured to replicate data storage from a first data volume to a second data volume. In addition, the replication component is configured to monitor application I/O characteristics and store related statistics. I/O characteristics may include size, concurrency, locality, and frequency. I/O characteristics which are stored, and guidelines for modifying system resources based on those characteristics, may be displayed for use by an administrator in tuning system resources. Periodically, or in response to detecting an event, the replication component may automatically access the statistics and modify the system resources used by the replication system to better accommodate the application's behavior.

Abstract: A method for accessing digital data information is used for reducing accessing time when a processor accesses digital data from a register. The method comprises the steps of accessing data from a register with a processor, continuously accessing data from the register with the processor if the data in the register is valid, enabling an identifier register with the processor if the data in the register is invalid, transmitting an interrupt signal to the processor, disabling the identifier register with the processor, and accessing the data from the register with the processor.

Abstract: An application server blade for an embedded storage appliance is disclosed. The blade includes a printed circuit board (PCB) with a connector for connecting to a chassis backplane including a local bus. Affixed on the PCB is a server, a portion of a storage controller, and an I/O link coupling the server and storage controller portion. The server transmits packets on the I/O link to the storage controller portion. The packets include commands to transfer data to a storage device controlled by the storage controller. The storage controller portion receives the packets from the server on the I/O link and forwards the commands on the backplane local bus to another portion of the storage controller affixed on a separate PCB also enclosed in the chassis. The blade also includes a removal mechanism for hot-replacement of the blade in the chassis. The blade architecture facilitates software reuse.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and circuit for synchronizing dual data buses. In one embodiment, the method includes a receiving circuit receiving first and second streams of multibit data portions transmitted via first and second parallel data buses, respectively, coupled thereto. The receiving circuit compares first-stream multibit data portions with a first predefined multibit data portion to identify a first-stream multibit data portion that matches the first predefined multibit data portion. The receiving circuit stores into a first FIFO, all first-stream multibit data portions that follow the identified first-stream multibit data portion. The receiving circuit also compares second-stream multibit data portions with a second predefined multibit data portion to identify a second-stream multibit data portion that matches the second predefined multibit data portion.

Abstract: A computer system providing endian information and a method of data transmission thereof are disclosed. The method of data transmission in the computer system of the present invention comprises: reading endian information stored in a base address register of peripheral devices; deciding whether the endian information of the computer system is identical with endian information of the peripheral devices; byte-swapping data of the peripheral devices when the endian information of the computer system is different from the endian information of the peripheral devices, and transmitting the byte-swapped data to a system bus of the computer system; and transmitting the data of the peripheral devices to the system bus when the endian information of the computer system is identical with the endian information of the peripheral devices.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a wall-mountable, programmable controller having control keys (e.g., less than eight keys or another small number of keys), a subassembly including circuitry, and a control key insert removably mountable to the subassembly and including at least one of the control keys. The controller can have first and second key sets in distinct regions of the controller's surface and programmable switches that are actuatable by pressing control keys in the key sets. At least one switch actuatable by pressing a key of the first key set is programmed to perform a control operation of a first type (e.g., a power control operation), at least one switch actuatable by pressing a key of the second key set is programmed to perform a control operation of a second type (e.g.

Abstract: A physical layer device (PLD), comprising: a first serializer-deserializer (SERDES) device having a first parallel port; a second SERDES device having a second parallel port; a third SERDES device having a third parallel port; and a path selector being selectively configurable to provide either (i) a first signal path between the first and second parallel ports, or (ii) a second signal path between the first and third parallel ports.

Abstract: For using a plurality of files contained in one logical device with a plurality of processing systems, sharing of a data storage unit among the plurality of processing systems is realized without need for a host processing system to check use states of the files in a server storage unit. Information concerning extent (extent range) of an input/output processing request issued by a host processor is stored in a control memory incorporated in a control unit for allowing the control unit to make decision as to overlap of the extents of the input/output processings to thereby effectuate exclusive control on an extent-by-extent basis.

Abstract: Multiple memory channels of a multi-channel memory architecture are effectively bridged together to enable data traffic associated with various nodes in daisy chain arrangement to be communicated over both memory channels. For example, a daisy chain arrangement of nodes, such as FB-DIMM memory modules disposed in a first memory channel may be coupled to a second memory channel, with support for communicating data associated with one of the nodes over either or both of the first and second memory channels.

Abstract: A PCI-Express compatible switch is provided with two or more, internal virtual buses. In one embodiment, at least one of the plural virtual buses is designated as a special bus that is limited to having no more than 16 devices on it even though the protocol allows for more. In a supplemental or alternate embodiment, at least one virtual bus is limited to having no devices on it. A non-transparent bridge is provided on at least one of the special buses for providing cross-border routing of packets from one root domain to another root domain. The number-of-devices limitation placed on the special bus reduces the number of bits needed in a corresponding Device identifying field of a destination ID Tag to 4 or less, this integer number being smaller than the prescribed 5 bits called for by the PCI-Express standard for addressing the maximum of 32 devices per bus.

Abstract: A wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB) device enumerates one or more real or virtual hubs that support transmission of USB data over a wireless network. The number of virtual hubs presented to a USB host can be varied dynamically according to monitored characteristics of the wireless network, such as the propagation delay, Bit Error Rate, or USB configuration of the peripheral device. Another aspect of the wireless system varies a USB transmission rate according to the amount of bandwidth available on the wireless network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bridge for interfacing buses within an embedded system. There is provided a method of interfacing a first bus and a second bus operating at different speeds, the method includes counting a match value assigned to a predetermined peripheral device among peripheral devices connected to the second bus for each cycle of a clock signal received from the first bus, and keeping a read state or a write state for the predetermined peripheral device by continuously outputting a read signal or a write signal for the predetermined peripheral device to the second bus, during the counting of the match value. According to the present invention, it is not necessary to operate depending on a peripheral device operating at the lowest speed among peripheral devices, and not necessary to add wrappers to the peripheral devices, by employing the AHB-to-ISA bridge variably adjusting the output times of output signals to an ISA bus.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring information in a multi-channel, point-to-point environment are described. In one embodiment, a number of processing chips are connected to a bridge bus. A bridge is connected to the bridge bus and to a system bus. In addition, a memory is connected to the bridge.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for processing a transmission from a first device to a second device. An identification transmission is received including an interface address from the first device. A determination is made as to whether the identification transmission indicates a recognized vendor identifier. An interface address of a third device is returned to the first device in response to determining that the identification transmission includes one recognized vendor identifier, wherein the third device relays transmissions between the first and second devices.

Abstract: A method of sharing pages between virtual machines in a multiple virtual machine environment includes initially allocating a temporary guest physical address range of a first virtual machine for sharing pages with a second virtual machine. The temporary range is within a guest physical address space of the first virtual machine. An access request, such as with a DMA request, from a second virtual machine for pages available to the first virtual machine is received. A reference count of pending accesses to the pages is incremented to indicate a pending access and the ages are mapped into the temporary guest physical address range. The pages are accessed and the reference count is decremented. The mapping in the temporary guest physical address range is then removed if the reference count is zero.

Abstract: Enhanced functionality is provided in memory devices by enhancing the control logic to recognize predetermined data sequences. Standard (legacy) device operations are used to communicate the predetermined data sequences, thereby allowing existing device drivers to be used with the enhanced devices.