Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing verification are disclosed. The method includes creating and designating as a current abstraction a first abstraction of an initial design netlist containing a first target and unfolding the current abstraction by a selectable depth. A composite target is verified, using a satisfiability solver and, in response to determining that the verifying step has hit the composite target, a counterexample is examined to identify one or more reasons for the first target to be asserted. One or more refinement pairs are built by examining the counterexample and a second abstraction is built by composing the refinement pairs. A new target is built over one or more cutpoints in the first abstraction that is asserted when the one or more cutpoints assume values in the counterexample, and the new target is verified with the satisfiability solver.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-usable medium for sending a first notification message to a credit card agency alerting the credit card agency of a misplaced credit card, an identification of a credit card owner, and a location of the misplaced credit card; in response to receiving the first notification message, sending a second notification message to the credit card owner corresponding to the misplaced credit card; and in response to receiving the second notification message, specifying a procedure for returning the misplaced credit card to the credit card owner.

Abstract: A design structure for tuning an integrated circuit design holds a reference clock signal constant across the integrated circuit design and, while the reference clock signal is held constant, optimizes transistors forming a register within the integrated circuit design and thereafter optimizes transistors forming one or more clock buffers coupled to the reference clock signal.

Abstract: According to a method of data processing, a data set including at least one entry specifying a signal group by a predetermined signal group name is received by a data processing system. In response to receipt of the data set, the entry in the data set is processed to identify the signal group name. Signal group information associated with an event trace file containing simulation results is accessed to determine signal names of multiple signals that are members of the signal group. Simulation results from the event trace file that are associated with instances of said multiple signals are then included within a presentation of simulation results.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for updating distributed applications in a multiple application-server environment, in which at least one server receives updates later than another server and update delivery is tracked by an update tracker in the form of a message history, is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, an application will be distributed across multiple servers and will receive updates from a central repository across a network or other communication fabric. Responsive to starting an application server in the data processing system, a messaging system is contacted over a secure connection to determine whether an application update distribution occurred while the application server was unavailable to update applications, and, responsive to a determination that the application update distribution occurred, an application is received.

Abstract: A method for providing audio-guided deployment of a data processing system is disclosed. An unpack instruction related to a data processing system in a first container for audio presentation is designated, and one or more position sensors in the first container are queried to determine whether the position sensors are spatially configured for audible presentation of the unpack instruction. In response to determining that the position sensors are not spatially configured for the audible presentation of the unpack instruction, a position sensor error message is audibly presented. One or more radio frequency sensors associated with the first container are queried to determine whether the first container contents are ready for audible presentation of the instruction, and in response to determining that the first container contents are not ready for audible presentation of the unpack instruction, a radio-frequency sensor error message is audibly presented.

Abstract: A system and method of utilizing a network to correct flawed media data. The media device includes a processor, a memory, a network adapter, a removable media interface, an error-correction module, and a communication module. The network device enables the media device to connect to the network and server. The removable media interface enables a user to couple a removable medium to the media device. After a user inserts a removable medium into the removable media interface, the processor and error-correction module examines the removable medium for physical errors. If the number of detected errors exceeds a predetermined threshold, the media device, via the network adapter and the communication module, queries a server for correction data. This correction data may be utilized by the media device to enable successful processing of the data stored on the removable medium.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a plurality of processing units coupled by a plurality of communication links for point-to-point communication such that at least some of the communication between multiple different ones of the processing units is transmitted via intermediate processing units among the plurality of processing units. The communication includes operations having a request and a combined response representing a system response to the request.

Abstract: An electronic assembly is provided that that includes a printed circuit board, an electrical connector attached to the printed circuit board, and a wire. A first end of the wire is attached to a signal pathway of one of the wafer modules of the electrical connector so as to electrically connect the wire and the signal pathway. The wire passes through a through-hole on the printed circuit board that corresponds to the signal pathway, and a second end of the wire is electrically connected to the printed circuit board or another of the wafer modules of the electrical connector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for real-time thermal characterization of a fully operating cooling device (1002). A heat source (1004) is applied to one or more areas on a cooling device (1002) to produce non-uniform heating of the cooling device. Infrared (IR) temperature imaging (1006) detects and measures the thermal distribution of the heat source (1004) on the cooling device (1002) to develop a thermal characterization of the cooling device (1002).

Abstract: What is disclosed is an apparatus for determining the cooling characteristics of a cooling device used for transferring heat from an electronic device. The apparatus comprising a cooling device thermally coupled to a heat pipe. The heat pipe having an exposed surface for the selective application of heat thereon. A localized heat source is selectively applied to at least one region of the exposed surface. The heat source preferably capable of being varied both positionally relative to the exposed surface and in heat intensity. A heat shield is preferably positioned around the exposed surface of the heat pipe to isolate the operational cooling device from the localized heat source. A temperature detector repeatedly measures a temperature distribution across the exposed surface while the cooling device is in a heat transfer mode. The temperature distribution is then used to thermally characterize the cooling device.

Abstract: A system for allocating resources which are anticipated to be available in an on-demand computing at some time in the future, wherein a producer trending agent (PTA) lists resources according to a trend prediction of resource availability in the past, a consumer trending agent (CTA) places bids for listed resources according to previous resource usage trends, and an arbitration system (REAS) matches the bids with the listings to determine if a match exists. If so, a binding contract for consumption of the matched listed resources is established. The PTA also produce tier-based dynamic incentive (TDI) schema which divides potential bidders into tiers, and offers additional resource incentives according to the tiers. Both PTA and CTA dynamically update their available/usage trends, listings and bids, over time.

Abstract: A power gated semiconductor integrated circuit comprises: (1) logic circuit to be power gated, said logic circuit having a virtual ground rail; (2) footer device disposed between said virtual ground rail and a ground rail for reducing power consumption of said logic circuit; and (3) virtual rail voltage clamp disposed electrically in parallel with said footer device for limiting the voltage at the virtual ground rail, the virtual rail voltage clamp comprising at least one NFET. A total of Nf NFETs are connected to the virtual ground rail of the integrated circuit for use as both virtual rail voltage clamps and footer devices. A quantity of Nmax-VC NFETs are scanned and perform the function of voltage clamps and the remaining (Nf-Nmax-VC) NFETs perform power gating. Manufacturing variability immunity and tuning of the variability immunity is achieved by adjusting the quantity Nmax-VC based upon testing of the manufactured integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate on a ceramic substrate heater in a process chamber. The method includes forming a protective coating on the ceramic substrate heater in the process chamber and processing a substrate on the coated substrate heater. The processing can include providing a substrate to be processed on the coated ceramic substrate heater, performing a process on the substrate by exposing the substrate to a process gas, and removing the processed substrate from the process chamber.

Abstract: A method and computer readable medium for automatic replacement of object classes in a library with custom classes to improve program efficiency. The method begins with static analysis preformed on a program containing a plurality of objects in order to determine type-correctness constraints and to detect unused functionality in one or more of the objects to be replaced. The plurality of objects is instrumented to detect usage patterns of functionality in one or more objects. Customized classes are generated based upon the static analysis and usage patterns detected. Bytecode is rewritten which is used for generating classes. The present invention provides transparency in the replacement of the objects.

Abstract: A system and computer program product for establishing multi-party VoIP conference audio calls in a distributed, peer-to-peer network where any number of nodes are able to arbitrarily and asynchronously start or stop producing audio output to be mixed into a single composite audio stream that is distributed to all nodes. A single distribution tree is used that has optimal communications characteristics to distribute the composite audio signal to all nodes. An audio mixing tree is established and maintained by adaptively and dynamically adding and merging intermediate mixing nodes operating between user nodes and the root of the single distribution tree. The intermediate mixing nodes and the root of the single distribution tree are all hosted, in an exemplary embodiment, on user nodes that are endpoints of the distribution tree.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product to make query processing more robust in the face of optimization errors. The invention validates the statistics and assumptions used for compiling a query as the query is executed and, when necessary, progressively re-optimizes the query in mid-execution based on the knowledge learned during its partial execution. The invention selectively places a number of CHECK operators in a query execution plan to validate the optimizer's cardinality estimates against actual cardinalities. Errors beyond a threshold trigger re-optimization, and the optimizer decides whether the old plan is still optimal and whether to re-use previously computed results. The invention addresses arbitrary SQL queries whose plans can contain sub-queries, updates, trigger checking, and view maintenance operations.

Abstract: In a computer network, user input is used to control the bandwidth used by particular applications. Data is sent from either a data source computer or an intermediate computer (e.g. dial-up server) to a client computer according to the user input. The allocation of bandwidth may be managed from the client computer, data source computer, or intermediate computer. The user may set a limit on the baud rate used by particular applications.

Abstract: Disclosed are an information processing system and computer readable medium for performing a system test on a program. A test plan associated with a system test is created. The system test is for testing a program within an environment. At least one test trigger to be monitored for during the system test is defined within the test plan. Execution of the system test on a system under test for the at least one test trigger is monitored. An occurrence of the at least one test trigger is determined. The test plan is modified to take into account the occurrence of the at least one test trigger in response to determining the occurrence. Execution of the system test is continued based on the modified test plan.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method includes detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device. A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold is also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.