International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Ronald D Martin

John G Stevenson

Gary Roy Shippy

Charles H Jolissaint

Kian-Bon K Sy

Stephen Anton Owen

Raymond C Williams

Barbara Ann Smith

Curtis J Frantz

Rodney A Bell

William C Schaal

Christopher P Ballard

William G Kreps, Iii

Marshall E Sprague

William V Evans, Jr

John D Hajian

James B Staton, Iii

Petre N Turcu

A network has a plurality of devices connected together in pairs. When a physical connection between a pair of devices is initiated, the devices exchange information regarding a unique device identifier, and details of the physical connection. This information is provided in a report to a network manager. When a failure occurs on the network, the connection information is used to locate the failure.

Network device information exchange

Data communications neworks may be composed of many different physical devices linked together in various layers and using various protocols for communication. The multiple physical elements that make up such communication networks or links are often supplied by diverse vendors. As a result, isolation and diagnosis of communication failures becomes an extremely difficult and cumbersome process. The present system and method simplify the process greatly by premitting a system control operator or control application program to issue generic, non-device-specific problem isolation, control or diagnostic commands to the communication neetwork by identifying the link and target node for which problem isolation and diagnosis is required. The non-device-specific commands are received first at an intermediate translation facility which retrieves communication link physical configuration data and identifies the physical components and characteristics thereof that make up that communication link to the identified target node. The translation facility then issues one or more device-specific problem determination commands on the communication link directed toward said node. It receives one or more device-specific responses from one or more physcial devices in the communication link and, responsive thereto, either issues further device-specific commands on the communication link to complete the diagnosis or issues generic, non-device-specific problem identification results as responses to the requesting control nodes' initial request.

Method and apparatus for diagnosing problems in data communication

A wall or table-mounted cream or paste dispensing device which includes a mounting base and a cooperating brush holder and cover and further characterized by a travelling carriage which is fitted with a roller to effect collapse of a toothpaste or other cream-containing tube, which roller is constrained to move downwardly against the tube in discrete increments by activation of a lever and pull chain combination. The carriage travels on the chain responsive to manipulation of the lever, and paste or cream is dispensed in controlled quantities from a nozzle communicating with the compressed tube.

Dispensing device

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Durham, NC, United States of America

Ronald D Martin