International Business Machines Corporation

Francis Daniel Lawlor

Charles Rudolph Schmitt

Timothy John Guenthner

Dah-Haur H Lin

Hovey Raymond Strong

David B Rolfe

James W Arendt

Brian Eldridge Clark

George D Timms, Jr

Jerald E Leitherer

Terrence James Stewart

Thomas M Spence

Werner E Schmidt-Stumpf

A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects. The set of server resource objects are distributed in a non-homogeneous manner across the server pool. According to the method, each incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object is targeted to a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports. Based on the port on which an incoming client request is received, the request is mapped to one of the server resource objects. The router then selects the &ldquo;best provider&rdquo; and redirects or forwards the request to that server. The routing and redirection is based upon the port for the incoming request.

Mapping web server objects to TCP/IP ports

A method of dynamically generating a Web page at a Web server in response to an HTTP request from a Web client in a computer network. The Web page has a hypertext reference identifying a linked page supported on each of a set of other servers in the computer network. In response to the request, a given one of the set of other servers is identified based on some given criteria, e.g., shortest access time, lightest current load, or the like. Information identifying a path to the identified other server is then inserted into the hypertext reference as the Web page (including the hypertext reference) is returned to the Web client in response to the request. Thus, if the hypertext reference is later activated by the user browsing the returned Web page, the linked page is preferentially served from the identified other server.

Generation of smart HTML anchors in dynamic web page creation

One or more policies are implemented at a Web browser to enhance access to Web servers that host content requested by the browser. When the browser issues a request, a name service returns a list of IP addresses that may service that request. The list is configured as 'random' or 'ordered' according to a given naming convention or other local policy, and IP addresses are selected from the list at random or in order (as the case may be) until a connection to an appropriate server is obtained. The browser remembers (for a given time period) which IP addresses have failed so that those addresses are not repeatedly tried. The browser's 'timeout' period is also selectively varied depending on the type of list returned from the name service.

High availability web browser access to servers

A method and apparatus that automatically generates and maintains resource groups for a clustered computer network configuration. Resource groups are said to be generated 'automatically' because the system administrator preferably is not directly involved with defining what resources go within a particular group. Rather, the administrator merely identifies a set of resources that must be collocated with a given application in the event of a failure of a computer on which the application is then executing. One or more resource groups are then automatically generated using a set of collocation 'constraints' or rules. A first collocation constraint preferably enforces any user-defined collocations for a given application, and a second constraint collocates disk partition resources residing on the same physical disk. A resource group generated is this manner ensures effective fault-tolerant operation.

Automatic resource group formation and maintenance in a high

An architecture uses a process, termed 'encapsulation', by which queues and counters are only accessed through a special memory operand called 'object storage'. The system alone is in control of the object storage, and the user cannot access it directly at any time. If the user needs to access a queue, the user must request it from the system. The system will in turn provide such access by issuing the user a 'token'. This token is the only means of communication between the user and the requested queue. By providing threads to be dispatched to real processors without large operating overhead, through object storage, the operating systems do not need to wait for the system's dispatching process to complete. Operating systems can signal the system through the use of object storage that they are authorized to access the processor when needed and thus forego the long dispatching process. In addition, since real processors are not dedicated, they can execute other programs when not needed. Since the state of threads is unknown to the operating system and the object dispatcher is in charge, operating support is kept at a minimum, which in itself is an important advantage of the invention. The encapsulation process along with the queuing system used in the architecture lead to finer granularity.

Architectural enhancements for parallel computer systems utilizing

A retargetable data generation method for a compiler program which may be executed on a general purpose information handling system such as an IBM System 370 includes the following steps, ordering the data according to a storage class, mapping the ordered data into sections in accordance with established criteria, ordering the sections into a number of parcels in accordance with one or more data attributes, determining format for an item in a parcel, and formatting each such item in each such parcel according to the determined format.

Compiler including retargetable data generation

A storage management mechanism distributes parity blocks corresponding to multiple data blocks substantially equally among a set of storage devices. N storage units in a set are divided into a multiple of equally sized address blocks, each containing a plurality of records. Blocks from each storage unit having the same address ranges form a stripe of blocks. Each stripe has a block on one storage device containing parity for the remaining blocks of the stripe. Further stripes also have parity blocks, which are distributed on different storage units. Parity updating activity associated with every change to a data record is therefore distributed over the different storage units, enhancing access characteristics of the set of storage devices. The parity updating activity also includes the use of an independent version number stored with each data record and corresponding version numbers stored with the parity record. Each time a data record is changed, its version number is incremented and the corresponding version number in the parity record is incremented with the parity record update.

Parity spreading to enhance storage access

In a data processing system allocation of excessive main/working storage space to sequential input records (input blocks) of indeterminate length frequently results in wasteful fragmentation. This is avoided by the present invention. An input-output channel of conventional construction is modified so that in chaining mode it (the channel) can operate optionally to: (1) transfer sequential input data blocks of unspecified length into contiguous positions in main storage, and (2) without CPU interruption/intervention store delimiting information, in storage locations containing Channel Command Words (CCW's) designating respective transfers, which effectively distinguishes storage boundaries between adjacent blocks. The storage of delimiting information effectively relieves the control and application programs of the central system of responsibility for analyzing the information context of the data in each block for 'possibly obscure' delimiting intelligence. The foregoing routing and delimiting operations may be made entirely transparent to the peripheral attachment interface of the channel so that peripheral attachment is not complicated.

Buffer chaining

Provides apparatus for partitioning page frame hardware components of a main store into four partitions. The apparatus can pack small fixed size segments into each of the four partitions and can pack the first part of a large segment, or a varying-size segment into the last partition of a page frame. Hardware is disclosed for executing a create segment instruction which will pack its created segment into the same page frame with a specified existing segment. The apparatus also generates and updates a header for any page frame which is to contain a plurality of segments. The embodiment comprises comparators, registers, and their connecting gating hardware for generating the electrical signals which create the segments and page frame headers. Other hardware modifies each address in order for it to access a required partition with a selected page frame. Still other apparatus checks the upper bound of a partition containing the pertinent segment to determine that the address will not access into the next partition in the page frame, prior to the address accessing of main store. An error condition is generated if the address exceeds its segment's partition.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Francis Daniel Lawlor