Abstract: Various techniques for automatically administering software systems using composites of atomic operations are disclosed. One method, which can be performed by an automation server, involves accessing information representing an activity that includes a first operation and a second operation. The information indicates that the second operation processes a value that is generated by the first operation. The method generates a sequence number as well as an output structure, which associates the sequence number with an output value generated by the first operation, and an input structure, which associates the sequence number with an input value consumed by the second operation. The method sends a message, via a network, to an automation agent implemented on a computing device. The computing device implements a software target of the first operation. The message includes information identifying the first operation as well as the output structure.

Abstract: An optimized backup image of a virtual machine is generated. The virtual machine is associated with a virtual disk. The virtual disk includes one or more virtual volumes. Generating the optimized backup image includes excluding one or more invalid sectors of the virtual disk from the optimized backup image.

Abstract: A method for receiving packet data at a communication channel and transmitting the packet data over serial links of the communication channel. The packet data is sliced into n-bit data portions which are concatenated with a header prior to transmitting an n-bit portion across one of the serial links of the communication channel. The header includes a CRC to provide improved error detection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous data protection is provided. In one embodiment, the method for continuous data protection comprises receiving a write request for writing at least one data segment to storage; computing, using at least one processor, a signature for the at least one segment; comparing, using at least one processor, the signature that is associated with the at least one segment with a plurality of data signatures for previously stored data segments; and processing the data segment in a manner dependent upon whether the signature matches any one of the plurality of data signatures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing high availability of a database. A first front end server is coupled to a first back end server, and a second front end server is coupled to a second back end server. The second front end server provides redundancy to the first front end server and the second back end server provides redundancy to the first back end server. The front end servers function as a gateway into the database and comprise protocol services for processing input/output requests to the gateway. The back end servers comprise database protocol services and interface directly to the gateway to retrieve information requested by the processed database requests received from the front end servers.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for automatically obtaining documents that are referenced by an electronic communication, such as an email or instant message, for archival are disclosed. One method involves searching at least a portion (e.g., the header and/or body) of an electronic communication for a reference to a document and, in response to detecting the reference, automatically obtaining an electronic copy of the document. The electronic copy of the document can then be archived.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for scoring applications are disclosed. One method involves generating a baseline measuring a parameter of a computer system. The parameter is related, directly or indirectly, to the energy consumption of the computer system. The method next involves installing and running an application on the computer system. The previously measured parameter is measured with the application running. Next, a score is calculated for the application based on the two measurements. This score indicates how green the application is.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for automatically restoring links to a directory service's object when that object is restored from backup are disclosed. One method involves receiving user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from backup; restoring the directory service object from the backup; and automatically creating a forward link to the directory service object from a source object. The need to restore the forward link can be detected by either finding the forward link in a copy of the link table within the backup or finding a corresponding backward link in an attribute of a backed-up copy of the directory service object.

Abstract: A channel synchronization method in which local serializers serially transmits first n-bit codes, respectively, to remote deserializers, respectively. Also local deserializers serially receive first n-bit codes, respectively, from remote serializers, respectively. One of the first n-bit codes transmitted to one of the remote serializers indicates one of the local deserializers is not link aligned.

Abstract: A localized digital telephone network may automatically contact a centralized server to identify telephone numbers that connect the local network to a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The server may be a remote identification server that receives calls from local networks, and informs the local networks of the telephone numbers being used by the local networks. The server may capture caller-ID information of the incoming calls, and may return the calls with the captured information encoded in caller-ID signals of the return calls. A method for automated detection may include acts in which a local network generates an outgoing call to a server on a communications port, and then detects an incoming call from the server on the communications port. The local network may determine a caller identifier from the incoming call, and may map the caller identifier to the communications port.

Abstract: A mechanism to evaluate the value of employee competencies across a business entity is provided. Managers provide raw interpretations of employee competencies in a variety of selected competency areas. The raw evaluations of employee competencies are weighted and stored according to an organizational utility of each competency to the business entity, arriving at an adjusted competency value for each competency. Depth of an employee's competency in a particular area is evaluated by selecting the highest adjusted competency value for an employee and then compressing that highest adjusted competency value in order to level initial assessments of an employee's strongest skill. This compressed value is augmented by one or more accelerators based upon the assessments of the employee's other competencies. The result is an overall domain competency rating for the employee that can then be used for comparison against other employees in the business entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing information to mitigate a current failure in a datacenter is described. The method comprises processing historical data regarding at least one failure. The historical data includes at least one action related to the at least one failure. The method further includes determining information for mitigating the current failure based on the historical data.

Abstract: A method for receiving packet data at a communication channel and transmitting the packet data over serial links of the communication channel. The packet data is sliced into n-bit data portions which are concatenated with a header prior to transmitting an n-bit portion across one of the serial links of the communication channel. The header includes a CRC to provide improved error detection.

Abstract: A first write operation is intercepted. The first write operation is a write from a virtual machine to a virtual disk. The first write operation is a change to a first data location. The change to the first data location is recorded. The recording creates a first change record. The first change record is stored separately from the first data location. A first backup operation is performed. The first backup operation, the intercepting, and the recording are performed by an application executing on a host of the virtual machine. The first backup operation includes a read request for the first data location. The read request for the first data location is fulfilled based on the first change record.

Abstract: Procedures and systems may be used for assigning data partitions to data-processing host computers, for example, to initially assign data partitions at the outset of a large data-processing job or during failover measures taken in response to a failed host in a share-nothing database management system (SN-DBMS). In one implementation, a method of managing exclusive access to a data partition within a database system assesses a first host and a second host that have exclusive access to a first and second data partition, respectively, within a database system. The method assigns exclusive access of the data partition to one of the first and second hosts based on factors that may include the processing powers of first and second the hosts, and on processing requirements (such as data quantity and data criticalness) for data on the first and second data partitions.

Abstract: A facility for screening service requests for requesting assistance is described. The facility receives from a user a service request that requests assistance with solving a problem associated with a system accessible to the user and includes information related to the system. The facility searches a collection of system status information for at least one entry that corresponds with the received information related to the system. Where a corresponding entry is found, the facility provides to the user an indication of the correspondence and an opportunity to cancel the service request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing granular restoration from machine images stored on sequential backup media is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for performing granular restoration from machine images stored on sequential backup media includes processing at least one machine image file to identify at least one database file and at least one data object that is arranged within the at least one database file and generating mapping information regarding the at least one data object within the at least one machine image file, wherein the at least one machine image is to be stored on the sequential backup media.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing a de-duplication rate for backup streams is described. In one embodiment, the method for optimizing data de-duplication using an extent mapping of a backup stream includes processing a backup stream to access an extent mapping associated with a plurality of data files, wherein the plurality of the data files are arranged within the backup stream and examining the extent mapping to identify at least one extent group within the backup stream, wherein the plurality of the data files are de-duplicated using at least one location of the at least one extent group.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and software can implement clusterizing processes on existing standalone server application installations. A server computer system on which a server application resides is renamed from its original name. Cluster software is installed on the server computer system. A virtual server is created to represent the server application to client applications and users. The virtual server is given the original server computer system name and can also be given the server computer system's network address. Cluster functionality can further be extended to allow a virtual server to failover to any other node available in a cluster.

Abstract: A method can include obtaining a voltage across a first transistor as an obtained voltage. The method can also include multiplying the obtained voltage by a predetermined multiple M to yield a multiplied voltage. The method can further include applying the multiplied voltage to a second transistor, wherein the second transistor is N times smaller than the first transistor. The method can additionally include providing an output current of the second transistor as an M/N scaled estimate of an output current of the first transistor.