1. A scheduling method comprising:
determining whether priority of an application to be activated is of a given priority, the determining being performed by a first data processing apparatus that is included in a first group having at least one data processing apparatus;
transferring to a second data processing apparatus that is included in any one among a second group and the first group, a predetermined function of the first data processing apparatus so as to execute the application by the first data processing apparatus, the transferring being performed when the priority of the application is of the given priority, and the first and the second groups being among a plurality of groups that each includes at least one data processing apparatus; and
placing the application in an execution queue of the first data processing apparatus, when the priority of the application is not the given priority.
2. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
deleting data that is stored in a first area of the first data processing apparatus and shared between data processing apparatuses of the first group and the groups; and
saving data that is stored in a second area of the first data processing apparatus and shared between data processing apparatuses of the second group.
3. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
assigning the application to a third data processing apparatus included in any one among the first group and the groups, when the priority of the application is not the given priority and a load amount of the first data processing apparatus exceeds a threshold value.
4. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
giving to a predetermined data processing apparatus of each of the groups, notification of a transfer of the predetermined function from the first data processing apparatus to the second data processing apparatus.
5. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
selecting from the groups, groups that include a data processing apparatus that has a load amount that is at most a predetermined value; and
selecting as the second group and from among the selected groups, a group having a highest communication speed.
6. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising;
selecting from among the groups and based on a request for scheduling from one group of the groups, groups that include a data processing apparatus that has a load amount that is at most a predetermined value, the selecting being performed by the first data processing apparatus; and
requesting a group having the highest communication speed among the selected groups to perform the scheduling, the requesting being performed by the first data processing apparatus.
7. The scheduling method according to claim 1, wherein
the transferring includes transferring the predetermined function of the first data processing apparatus to a fourth processing apparatus that is included in any one among the first group and the groups, the transferring being performed based on a comparison result of a threshold value and any one among communication signal strength with a base station and a remaining battery amount of the first data processing apparatus.
8. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
excluding the first data processing apparatus from the first group, based on a comparison result of a threshold value and any one among communication signal strength with a base station and a remaining battery amount of the first data processing apparatus.
9. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
analyzing by the first data processing apparatus, load amounts of the data processing apparatuses in the first group based on a request for scheduling from one data processing apparatus of the first group; and
requesting a predetermined data processing apparatus of one group of the groups to perform the scheduling, the first data processing apparatus requesting the scheduling when the load amounts exceed a threshold value.
10. The scheduling method according to claim 1, comprising
selecting based on a request for transfer of data from one data processing apparatus of the first group, a data processing apparatus that is to transfer the data, the data processing apparatus being selected based on any one among a remaining battery amount of another data processing apparatus of the first group, communication signal strength with a base station, and a size of an area shared between data processing apparatuses of the first group.
11. The scheduling method according to claim 10, comprising
requesting based on a dependence relationship between the data and data related to a process executed by a data processing apparatus of the first group, transfer any one among the data and the related data, a data processing apparatus of one group of the groups being requested to transfer any one among the data and the related data.
12. A scheduling system comprising:
a first data processing apparatus that is included in a first group; and
a second data processing apparatus that is included in a second group, wherein
the first data processing apparatus includes
a processor that is configured to:
determine whether priority of an application to be activated is of a given priority,
select based on the priority of the application, a data processing apparatus to which a predetermined function of the first data processing apparatus is to be transferred, and
place the application into an execution queue, based on the priority of the application.
13. The scheduling system according to claim 12, wherein
the processor is configured to analyze load amounts of data processing apparatuses included in the first group and the second group.
14. The scheduling system according to claim 12, wherein
the first data processing apparatus includes memory that has a first area for storing data shared between data processing apparatuses of the first group and the second group and a second area for storing data shared between data processing apparatuses of the first group, and
the second data processing apparatus includes memory that has a first area for storing data shared between the data processing apparatuses of the first group and the second group and a second area for storing data shared between data processing apparatuses of the second group.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A storage device including a trusted clock, a memory, a time-stamper and a digital signer, the device being adapted in use to store to said memory data that has been time-stamped by said time-stamper, with a time obtained from said trusted clock, and digitally signed with a digital signature by said digital signer.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory comprises either of the following: a disc, a tape drive.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory is a long term storage medium.
4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory is removable from the storage device.
5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device comprises a part of any one of the following: a disc drive, a tape drive, a disc array, a disc sub-system, a tape library, an optical jukebox, a disaggregated storage network, a storage area network, network attached storage.
6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said trusted clock is provided by a card adapted to be plugged into said device.
7. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said trusted clock is an encapsulated hardwired component.
8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is a controller, with associated controller logic, said controller logic being protected by a trusted mechanism to prevent unauthorised and unnoticed alteration of said controller logic.
9. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device has a controller adapted to do at least one of the following: identify whether data received by said device has a flag indicative as a command to time-stamp flagged data, identify whether command language used to control operation of said device has a marker indicative as a command to time-stamp selected data, check whether the time-stamper is set to a time-stamp mode to time-stamp received data, or not, so set so as not to time-stamp data.
10. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a clock-correcting input adapted to input a trusted correction signal to said trusted clock to correct said clock.
11. A device as claimed in claim 1 which has no significant functional capability beyond that claimed in claim 1 and which is incapable of general computational activities.
12. A storage device including a trusted clock; a long term memory device; a time-stamper; a digital signing unit; and a controller, with associated controller logic: said device being adapted, in use, to store to said memory device data that has been time-stamped by said time-stamper with a time obtained from said trusted clock and digitally signed with a digital signature by said digital signing unit, and said controller logic being protected by a trusted mechanism to prevent, in use, unauthorised alteration of said controller logic.
13. A storage device including trusted clock means for non-repudiably measuring time, data storage means for storing data, time-stamping means for stamping data with a non-repudiable time supplied by said trusted clock means, digital signing means for signing data digitally such that said data storage means stores data that has been time-stamped by said time-stamping means and signed with a digital signature by said digital signing means, in use.
14. A method of storing secure time-stamped data comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a data storage device;
(ii) providing a trusted clock at said data storage device;
(iii) time-stamping data at said data storage device;
(iv) creating a digital signature dependent upon content of said data and time-stamp; and
(v) storing said data and associated said signature on a recording medium of said data storage device.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said data storage device comprises a long-term data storage medium and wherein time-stamped, signed data is stored on said long-term data storage medium.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein a controller is used to control operations (iii) to (v), and wherein said controller is controlled by control logic, and wherein said control logic is protected by a trusted mechanism which ensures that said control logic has not been modified from what it should be.
17. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein data received by said data storage device is checked for a flag indicative of instructions to time-stamp all of or a selected part of said data, and said data, or the part of said data, is time-stamped accordingly.
18. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein a command language of a controller is checked for instructions to time-stamp all, or a selected part, or parts, of said data.
19. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said device is controlled by a controller which has a time-stamp setting in which the time-stamper time-stamps said data and a non time-stamping setting in which the time-stamper does not time-stamp said data, and in which a check is made as to the setting of said controller prior to said time-stamping, or not, of received said data.
20. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising transmitting said data to said device over the Internet or other public network, and time-stamping and signing said data, and storing said time-stamped signed data, within said data storage device without transmitting said signed data back over the Internet or other public network.
21. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said data that is time-stamped is a digest of a larger data record.
22. A method of storing secure time-stamped data comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a data storage device having a long term data storage medium;
(ii) providing a trusted clock at said data storage device;
(iii) providing a controller at said storage device, with associated control logic that is protected by a trusted mechanism;
(iv) time-stamping said data at said data storage device, under the control of said controller;
(v) creating a digital signature dependent upon content of said data and time-stamp, under the control of said controller; and
(vi) storing said data and associated signature on said long term data storage medium of the data storage device, under the control of said controller.
23. A network having a data storage device adapted to time-stamp and store data that it receives from said network without transmitting time-stamped data across said network.
24. Software, firmware or a computer readable medium having a program recorded thereupon which, in use, causes a processor of a data storage device running a program to execute a process comprising the steps of:
i) time-stamping data at said data storage device;
ii) creating a digital signature dependent upon content of said data and time-stamp; and
iii) storing said data and associated said signature on a recording medium of said data storage device.
25. Software, firmware or a computer readable medium having a program recorded thereupon which when operable upon a control processor of a data storage device causes the device to operate as a device including a trusted clock, a memory, a time-stamper and a digital signer, the device being adapted, in use, to store to said memory data that has been time-stamped by said time-stamper, with a time obtained from said trusted clock and digitally signed with a digital signature by said digital signer.
26. A method of storing time-stamper data on a network comprising transmitting the data from a first, remote, network-attached device to a data storage device, the data storage device including a trusted clock a memory, a time-stamper and a digital signer, the device being adapted, in use, to store to said memory data that has been time-stamped by said time-stamper, with a time obtained from said trusted clock and digitally signed with a digital signature by said digital signer, in the absence of transmitting time-stamped data back to said remote device for storage.