International Business Machines Corporation

Other

John Matthew Landry

Eric Richard Kern

Sumeet Kochar

Theodore Brian Vojnovich

Scott Neil Dunham

Marshall Allen Dawson, Iii

Paul L Ravenna

Dwayne T Crump, Deceased

Carl Leland Mohre, Ii

Eric Francis Robinson

Steven T Pancoast

Michael Thano Matthews

Dwayne T Crump

Duane Edward Norris

Paul H Benson, Iv

William James Sommerville

Chris Alan Nevitt

Kelvin Craig Hawkins

A method and system for emulating a hardware Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) Host Bus Adapter (HBA) without risking an interruption of communication between a computer and a remote secondary storage device is presented. During normal operations, a (hardware emulating) software HBA drives a Network Interface Card (NIC) to afford communication between the computer and the remote secondary storage. If an operating system (OS) anomaly occurs in the computer, the NIC is normally disconnected by the OS. To maintain communication between the computer and the secondary storage device if such an event occurs, a failover network device is called up by the computer's System Management Memory (SMM) Basic Input Output System (BIOS), which allows uninterrupted communication to continue between the computer and remote secondary storage device.

Internet SCSI communication via UNDI services

A method and system for emulating a hardware Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) Host Bus Adapter (HBA) without risking an interruption of communication between a computer and a remote secondary storage device is presented. During normal operations, a (hardware emulating) software iSCSI HBA drives a Network Interface Card (NIC) to afford communication between the computer and the remote secondary storage. If an operating system (OS) anomaly occurs in the computer, the NIC is normally disconnected by the OS. To maintain communication between the computer and the secondary storage device if such an event occurs, a failover network device is called up by the computer's System Management Memory (SMM) Basic Input Output System (BIOS), which allows uninterrupted communication to continue between the computer and remote secondary storage device.

A method and system in a computer having a primary video controller for dynamically selecting an alternative video controller present within the computer. Initially, a diagnostic is performed to determine if alternative video controllers are connected to the computer system. A user is thereafter prompted to select an alternative video controller, if at least one alternative video controller is detected. The primary video controller is then temporarily disabled, in response to a selection of an alternative video controller. The alternative video controller is then automatically designated as the primary video controller, in response to the disabling of the primary video controller, such that the alternative video controller may be temporarily utilized as a primary video controller without altering internal computer system hardware settings or power cycling the computer system. The primary video controller may be implemented initially as an on-board video controller, while the alternative video controllers may be connected to the computer via adapter peripheral cards and slots.

Method and system for dynamically selecting video controllers present within a computer system

A method and system are disclosed for configuring PnP devices for a computer operating system by initiating a power on self test (POST) within a computer system for configuring PnP and PCI devices. During the process of configuring PnP and PCI devices, a list is composed of devices that are not absolutely necessary for booting the system (e.g. modem or ethernet controller). While the PCI devices are configured, if the system has no usable IRQ's, POST takes one from a nonessential PnP ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) device in the list, and gives it to the PCI device. The POST operation searches for the presence of a PnP operating system option while progressing through the startup sequence (of bootable media), and activates or deactivates all devices, depending on the type of media being attempted. If the medium is the hard disk (where the PnP operating system option resides), all of the PnP devices in the list are deactivated. If the medium is any other type (where a PnP operating system option is not likely to reside) the devices are activated.

Method and system for configuring plug and play devices for a computer

A method and system for managing resources required by peripheral devices present within a computer system, the resources selected from a group of resources required for audio, video, pointing device, input, output, memory, and modem devices. A nominal selection of resources is initially associated with a peripheral device present within the computer system. Next, a minimal amount of resources required by the peripheral device to function normally within the computer system is determined, in response to associating the nominal selection of resources with the peripheral device. Finally, the computer system is automatically reconfigured, in response to user input, such that the peripheral device functions normally within the computer system utilizing a minimal amount of resources without inadvertently utilizing resources not required by the peripheral device during a particular operation of the peripheral device, thereby providing relief to a resource constrained computer system, wherein a multitude of peripheral devices function. Thereafter, a particular operation of the peripheral device is initiated, and the peripheral device operates in association with utilization of minimal resources required by the peripheral device to function normally within said computer system.

Method and system for managing resource allocation for plug and play

Described is a personal computer system that includes a first housing coupled to a second housing with a multi-conductor cable. The first housing includes an IDE direct access storage device having an opening for receiving a removable storage medium. The second housing is separate from the first housing and includes a microprocessor coupled to a local bus and an expansion bus, a first IDE controller, a non-volatile storage device coupled to the local bus and a power supply. The cable is coupled to the first and second housings for electrically connecting devices in the first housing to devices in the second housing. The second housing has a first interface coupled to the expansion bus, the first IDE controller and the cable. The first housing includes a second interface coupled to the cable and the IDE device. The first interface is operative to (1) determine when a bus cycle initiated by a device in the second housing is directed to the IDE device in the first housing and (2) transfer data from the IDE controller to the IDE device via the cable and the second interface when a bus cycle is directed to the IDE device.

Local bus IDE architecture for a split computer system

Disclosed is a split computer system that includes a first housing coupled to a second housing with a multi-conductor cable. The first housing includes a first direct access storage device (DASD) having an opening for receiving a removable storage medium. The second housing is separate from the first housing and includes a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a local bus and an expansion bus, a non-volatile storage device coupled to the local bus, a second DASD coupled to the local bus and a power supply. The system further includes first and second DASD controllers coupled to the first and second DASDs respectively. The cable has one end coupled to the first housing and another end coupled to the second housing for electrically connecting devices in the first housing to devices in the second housing. The second housing has a first interface coupled to the expansion bus and the cable. The first housing also includes a second interface coupled to the cable and the first DASD. The system is operative to detect an access to either the first or second DASD controller and disable a current DASD controller and enable the other DASD controller.

System and method for controlling device which is present in media

A computer system having a CPU, a non-volatile storage device, a power management processor having a volatile power management configuration, and a power supply in circuit communication. The power management processor controls the regulation of power to the CPU by the power supply. Prior to causing the power supply to cease providing regulated power to the CPU, the power management processor interrupts the CPU via a system management interrupt. Responsive to being interrupted via the system management interrupt, the CPU performs tasks associated with the power supply imminently ceasing to provide regulated power to the CPU. Such tasks include writing data to non-volatile memory and refreshing an alarm value in the power management processor. The CPU can extend the period of time before the power management processor causes the power supply to cease providing regulated power to the CPU while the CPU performs the necessary tasks.

Performing system tasks at power-off using system management interrupt

This invention is a nautical chart intended primarily for small craft navigation. The nautical chart includes a representation of a shoreline on at least one side of a single sheet of flexible material. The representation of the shoreline includes at least one small scale chart and a plurality of large scale charts. Both large scale and small scale charts are suitable for piloting. A substantially continuous shoreline is represented by a combination of the plurality of large scale charts. The large scale charts can be an extension of the shoreline of the small scale chart, overlap the shoreline of the small scale charts, or both.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

John Matthew Landry