International Business Machines Corporation

Klaus Meissner

Charles W Gainey, Jr

Damian Leo Osisek

Johann Greschner

Klaus Werner

Ronald Morton Smith, Sr

Thomas Bayer

Eberhard Engler

Mark S Farrell

Mark Anthony Check

Werner Zapka

Samuel Kalt

Peter Grimm Sutton

Yves Corfield Martin

Phil C Yeh

Bernd Nerz

Hans C Pfeiffer

Michael James Kelly

Johann W Bartha

Helga Weiss

Roland R Stoehr

Werner Steiner

Hans-Joachim Trumpp

Reinhold Muhl

Otto Koblinger

Karl Asch

Volkhard Wolf

Joachim H Keyser

Evangelyn K Smith, Legal Representative

Rudolf Paul

Interruption facility for adjunct processor queues. In response to a queue transitioning from a no replies pending state to a reply pending state, an interruption is initiated. This interruption signals to a processor that a reply to a request is waiting on the queue. In order for the queue to take advantage of the interruption capability, it is enabled for interruptions.

Interruption facility for adjunct processor queues

Protection of cryptographic keys is converted between one level of security and another level of security. The one level of security is different from the another level of security, and the another level of security includes the components of the one level of security.

Conversion of cryptographic key protection

A system, method and computer program product for steering a time-of-day (TOD) clock for a computer system having a physical clock providing a time base for executing operations that is stepped to a common oscillator. The method includes receiving, at a processing unit, a request to change a clock steering rate used to control a TOD-clock offset value for the processing unit, the TOD-clock offset defined as a function of a start time (s), a base offset (b), and a steering rate (r). The unit schedules a next episode start time with which to update the TOD-clock offset value. After updating TOD-clock offset value (d) at the scheduled time, TOD-clock offset value is added to a physical-clock value (Tr) value to obtain a logical TOD-clock value (Tb), where the logical TOD-clock value is adjustable without adjusting a stepping rate of the oscillator.

Performing a perform timing facility function instruction for synchronizing TOD clocks

A system, method and computer program product for performing a Perform Timing Facility (PTFF) instruction for steering a Time of Day (TOD) clock of the computer system for synchronizing the TOD clock with TOD clocks of other computer systems. The computer system comprises a memory; and, a processor in communications with the computer memory. The processor is capable of performing a PTFF instruction comprising: obtaining a function code specified in a first general register, the function code for identifying any one of a query function or a control function to be performed; obtaining, from a second general register, a memory address of a parameter block; responsive to the function code specifying a query function, storing timing information of the computer system in the parameter block according to the specified query function; responsive to the function code specifying a control function, using timing information obtained from the parameter block to perform the specified control function; and setting a condition code value indicating an outcome of the specified function.

Performing a perform timing facility function instruction for sychronizing TOD clocks

The management of data access is facilitated. A loop only if changed locking facility is provided, in which reads and updates of the data being managed are permitted, unless an update to the data completes during the execution of the read or update routine. As long as an update to the data has not completed during a processor's execution of the read or update routine, access is permitted.

Managing data access via a loop only if changed locking facility

A system, method and computer program product for steering a time-of-day (TOD) clock for a computer system having a physical clock providing a time base for executing operations that is stepped to a common oscillator. The method includes computing a TOD-clock offset value (d) to be added to a physical-clock value (Tr) value to obtain a logical TOD-clock value (Tb), where the logical TOD-clock value is adjustable without adjusting a stepping rate of the oscillator.

Apparatus and computer program product for TOD-clock steering

Method and apparatus for adjusting a time of day clock without adjusting the stepping rate of an oscillator

The invention relates to a contact probe arrangement for electrically connecting a test system with contact pads of a device to be tested. The contact probes are located in guide grooves. The guide grooves as well as areas are provided in a plane parallel to the surface of a guide plate and are covered by a protective plate. The contact probes may bend out laterally into the respective areas. This assures a very dense contact probe array. Contact probe arrays of this type may be used, for example, for detecting opens and shorts in integrated circuits or semiconductor chips. The invention overcomes the problem of adjusting for height differences in the contact pads caused by an uneven surface of the device to be tested.

Contact probe arrangement

The invention relates to calibration standards which are used chiefly for the calibration of profilometers and in atomic force- and scanning probe microscopes. The calibration standard has one step of defined height H or a multi-step system formed of several steps of the same step-height H and consisting of exactly one material. The manufacturing procedure for the calibration standard requires only a single masking layer for each of the different versions in the form of a one-step standard or a multi-step system.

Calibration standard for profilometers and manufacturing procedure

Growing community of inventors

Herrenberg, Germany

Klaus Meissner