International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

James T Hanna

Bruce James Wilkie

Daniel N De Araujo

James O Nicholson

Ronald Xavier Arroyo

Richard Alan Dayan

Michael Norman Day

Andrew Gregory Kegel

Steven A Bade

Steven T Pancoast

Gary T Hunt

Jimmie Darius Edrington

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed for clock signal synchronization among computers in a network, including designating, as a primary clock signal for all the computers in a network, a clock signal from one of the computers in the network; providing the primary clock signal, simultaneously and in parallel, from the computer whose clock signal is designated as the primary clock signal to all the other computers in the network; and providing the primary clock signal, simultaneously and in parallel, from each computer in the network to all computers in the network through multiplexers and phase locked loops, with the primary clock signal locked in phase across all the computers by a phase locked loop on each computer.

Clock signal synchronization among computers in a network

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to trusted platform module (TPM) unification in a trusted computing environment and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for trusted platform module data harmonization. In one embodiment of the invention, a TPM log harmonization method can include designating both a single master TPM for a master node among multiple nodes, and also a multiplicity of subsidiary TPMs for remaining ones of the nodes. The method further can include extending the single master TPM with a measurement representing a rendezvous operation for the nodes.

Trusted platform module data harmonization during trusted server rendevous

A clocking circuit connected to a processor for regulating processor operation and including a control circuit that produces a clock signal at a first frequency or for producing a clock signal at a designated one of a plurality of other selectable frequencies in response to a change signal from the processor. The control circuit is connected to a designating circuit that provides a signal to the control circuit to designate one of the selectable frequencies. In the preferred embodiment, the clocking circuit includes a register addressable by the processor and a frequency generator that generates several signals having unique frequencies. The processor may designate one of the frequencies as the clocking frequency by providing the appropriate data to the register. Upon the occurrence of an external event such as a DMA request or an interrupt, the control circuit will provide the clocking signal at a predetermined frequency.

Multi-frequency clock generation with low state coincidence upon latching

A method and apparatus for powering down a computer system while saving the state of the system at power down is disclosed. The system maintains the capability to suspend the execution of an application program operating on the system at any point and resuming execution of the application program at that same point at a later time. The time at which the system may be powered down and then powered back up again is totally arbitrary and depends only upon the user of the system. At the time the system is powered off, the contents of all active registers as well as the states of all I/O devices in the system are stored in a special save area of system memory. This special save area is provided with power during the suspended time in order to retain the state of the system at the time it was powered down. By using this special save suspend area, the main memory area of the system is available to any application programs independently of the system save memory requirements. Additionally, the system may be powered on and off under software control thereby providing the capability for unattended system operation using an alarm function.

Apparatus and method for suspending and resuming software applications

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College Station, TX, United States of America

James T Hanna