The present invention provides for automatically installing software on heterogeneous computer systems. In a distributed system having heterogeneous computer systems having dissimilar hardware or software components or dissimilar configuration information, such as different natural languages, different operating system types, different network operating system types, and different processor types, the present invention automatically installs the appropriate edition of software on computers. The present invention installs an edition of software appropriate for use with a specific operating system type, appropriate for execution on a particular processor type and in a particular natural language by utilizing commands specific to an operating system and network operating system type. The present invention automatically installs software in response to user input, the addition of a new computer to the distributed system, or upon the availability of a new version of the software.

Automatic software installation on heterogeneous networked computer systems

The present invention is directed to a high speed packet switching network and, in particular to a method and system for minimizing the time to establish a connection between an origin and a destination node. Due to high dynamicity of the traffic on transmission links, it is important to select a routing path according to a fully up-to-date information on all network resources. The simpler approach is to calculate a new path for each new connection request. This solution may be very time consuming because there are as many path selection operations as connection set up operations. On another hand, the calculation of paths based on an exhaustive exploration of the network topology, is a complex operation which may also take an inordinate amount of resources in large networks. Many of connections originated from a network node flow to the same destination network node. It is therefore possible to take a serious benefit in reusing the same already calculated paths for several connections towards the same node. The path calculated at the time the connection is requested is recorded in a Routing Database and updated each time a modification occurs in the network. Furthermore, alternate paths for supporting non-disruptive path switch on failure or preemption, and new paths towards potential destination nodes can be calculated and stored when the connection set up process is idle. These last operations are executed in background with a low processing priority and in absence of connection request.

Method and system for minimizing the connection set up time in high speed packet switching networks

A communication server maintains profile information on twisted pair lines in a profile table. This profile information may be generated in a training session and then retrieved to train a modem or transceiver unit to communicate data over the associated twisted pair line using XDSL communication techniques.

Communication server apparatus and method

Disclosed is a method for creating a real-time search engine over the Internet which provides a search response containing data object descriptions and server descriptions of data objects that are currently available for transfer from a provider server directly to a recipient client in response to a recipient client search request The method comprises the provider server connecting to a Real-time search engine through the Internet, the provider server providing the Real-time search engine with data object descriptions of data objects residing on the provider server, and the Real-time search engine indexing data object descriptions associated with the data object of the provider server, wherein the data object descriptions provided by the provider server are purged from the Real-time search engine when the provider server is disconnected from the Real-time search engine

Real-time search engine

Multiple instances of operating systems execute cooperatively in a single multiprocessor computer wherein all processors and resources are electrically connected together. The single physical machine with multiple physical processors and resources is subdivided by software into multiple partitions, each running a distinct copy, or instance, of an operating system. Each of the partitions has access to its own physical resources plus resources designated as shared. The partitioning is performed by assigning all resources with a configuration tree. None, some, or all, resources may be designated as shared among multiple partitions. Each individual operating instance will generally be assigned the resources it needs to execute independently and these resources will be designated as “private.” Other resources, particularly memory, can be assigned to more than one instance and shared. Shared memory is cache coherent so that instances may be tightly coupled, and may share resources that are normally allocated to a single instance. This allows previously distributed user or operating system applications which usually must pass messages via an external interconnect to operate cooperatively in the shared memory without the need for either an external interconnect or message passing. Examples of application that could take advantage of this capability include distributed lock managers and cluster interconnects. Newly-added resources, such as CPUs and memory, can be dynamically assigned to different partitions and used by instances of operating systems running within the machine by modifying the configuration.

Software partitioned multi-processor system with flexible resource sharing levels

The present invention relates to disbributed computing systems and is more particularly directed to an architecture and implementation of a scalable distributed computing environment which facilitates communication between independently operating nodes on a single network or on interconnected networks, which may be either homogeneous or heterogeneous. The present invention is a dynamic, symmetrical, distributed, real-time, peer-to-peer system comprised of an arbitrary number of identical (semantically equivalent) instances, i.e., kernels, that together form a logical tree. The kernels exhibit unified and consistent behavior at run time through a self-configuring and self-maintaining logical view of the network. Each kernel resides at a network node that has one or more resources associated with it. The kernels dynamically locate one another in real-time to form and maintain a hierarchical structure that supports a virtually unlimited number of independently running kernels. The system maintains its logical view of the network and user-developed programmatic resources regardless of the number and combinations of transport protocols and underlying mix of physical topologies. The system's communications services utilize a dynamic context bridge to communicate between end nodes that may not share a common transport protocol stack, thereby allowing applications residing on different stacks to communicate with one another automatically and transparently.

Scalable distributed computing environment

A method for independently executing software components in a node of a network containing many nodes. The method including generating a logical hierarchy of the roles of the nodes where any node can assume one or multiple roles; and negotiating the role of the nodes when there is a change in the configuration of the network. Another technique locates resources requested by a node in a scalable system interconnecting many nodes in a network. The technique includes identifying resources that join the network by switching from an inactive to an active state; and informing the requester the availability of the requested resource. A further technique determines routing paths in a context bridge which is able to route packets between nodes. The technique includes setting up a list of context bridges; listening for routing information packets which are periodically broadcast by other context bridges; and updating the database using the information contained in the received routing information packets. One more technique is on routing packets from a source node to a destination node using a context bridge. The technique includes determining whether the destination node has a routable protocol; if it does not have, then routing the packet using a source route containing the address of the context bridges from the source to the destination; and if it has, then routing the packet through at least one context bridge containing routable protocols.

Node management in scalable distributed computing enviroment

Methods for routing packets from a source node to a destination node using at least one context bridge. Each node has a routing protocol, with the context bridge being one of many context bridges in a heterogeneous network having many nodes. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of receiving a packet at the source node, and determining whether the destination node of the packet has a routable protocol. If the destination has no routable protocol, a route discovery packet is sent to discover one or more context bridges so as to automatically route the packet from the source to the destination node. Based on the discovery, the packet is routed to the destination through one or more context bridges. If the destination has a routable protocol, the packet is routed from the source to the destination using the routable protocol. In another embodiment, the method includes the steps of setting up a list of context bridges and the communication protocols handled by each context bridge in the list, and listening for routing information packets, which are periodically broadcast by other context bridges informing recipients of the communication protocols handled by the broadcasting context bridge. Based on the broadcast, the list is updated using the information contained in the received routing information packets.

Routing method in scalable distributed computing environment

A method for finding a resource requested by a node in a scalable system. The system interconnects a plurality of nodes, with at least one node being associated with at least one resource. Each resource has an active state, in which the resource is available to other nodes, and an inactive state, in which the resource is not available. The method includes automatically identifying resources which become available by switching from the inactive to the active state. The method also includes automatically informing the requesting node that the requested resource has become available.

Ian F. Wallis

Papers

Scalable distributed computing environment

Node management in scalable distributed computing enviroment

Routing method in scalable distributed computing environment

Method for finding a resource in a scalable distributed computing environment