Abstract: A distributed fault detection system and method for diagnosing a storage network fault in a data storage network having plural network access nodes connected to plural logical storage units. When a fault is detected, the node that detects it (designated the primary detecting node) issues a fault information broadcast advising one or more other access nodes (peer nodes) of the fault. The primary detecting node also sends a fault report pertaining to the fault to a fault diagnosis node. When the peer nodes receive the fault information broadcast, they attempt to recreate the fault. Each peer node that successfully recreates the fault (designated a secondary detecting node) sends its own fault report pertaining to said fault to the fault diagnosis node. The fault diagnosis node performs fault diagnosis based on all of the fault reports.

Abstract: A method and system for processing Service Level Agreement (SLA) terms in a caching component in a storage system. The method can include monitoring cache performance for groups of data in the cache, each the group having a corresponding SLA. Overfunded SLAs can be identified according to the monitored cache performance. In consequence, an entry can be evicted from among one of the groups which correspond to an identified one of the overfunded SLAs. In one aspect of the present invention, the most overfunded SLA can be identified, and an entry can be evicted from among the group which corresponds to the most overfunded SLA.

Abstract: Storage-Assisted QoS. To provide storage-assisted QoS, a discriminatory storage system able to enforce a service discrimination policy within the storage system can include re-writable media; a storage system controller; a cache; and, a QoS enforcement processor configured to selectively evict entries in the cache according QoS terms propagated into the storage system through the storage system controller.

Abstract: CDNs and inexpensive and available local (client) storage are combined to increase the efficiency of content delivery and improve the user experience. A large-content element, such as a video file, is stored in segments on one or more servers, allowing clients to make simultaneous requests for segments of the content in parallel. A CDN responds to these requests, optimizing the use of the resources on the CDN nodes. The responses from the CDN are cached during an intermediate process and then delivered, in proper order, to the requesting client. By requesting segments of the content element from multiple locations in parallel rather than requesting a single file containing the entire content element, the burden on the CDN nodes is reduced. Further, since the segments are requested in parallel, cost-of-delivery issues can be factored into the delivery schedule more easily (e.g., bandwidth, time of delivery, whether data is cached), thereby making the delivery process smoother and more economical.

Abstract: Problems are resolved in an application program that runs on an Information Technology (IT) infrastructure that includes IT components. A symptom is generated that identifies a problem in the application program. Selected IT components in the IT infrastructure that may cause the problem in the application program are identified, based on the symptom. Status of the selected IT components is obtained by obtaining a respective situation for a respective IT component. The respective situation is one of a set of component-independent predefined situation categories that is associated with a respective selected IT component. The respective situations provide the status of the selected IT components in a common situation format that includes the associated one of the component-independent predefined situation categories. The respective situations that are obtained are analyzed to identify at least one problem in the selected IT components that may cause the problem in the application program.

Abstract: Problems are resolved in a business process that includes application programs that run on an Information Technology (IT) infrastructure having IT components. A symptom is generated that identifies a problem in the business process. Selected application programs and/or IT components in the IT infrastructure that may cause the problem in the business process are identified, based on the symptom. A respective situation for a respective selected application program and/or IT component is obtained. The respective situation is one of a set of component-independent predefined situation categories that is associated with a respective selected application program and/or IT component. The respective situations provide the status of the selected application programs and/or IT components in a common situation format that includes the associated one of the component-independent predefined situation categories.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for managing network connectivity between a plurality of nodes and a network resource. The network resource includes a primary path to the nodes and at least one redundant path. A detecting module is configured to determine if the primary path is unavailable to at least one affected node belonging to the plurality of nodes. A switching module is configured to presumptively switch the affected node to the redundant path if the primary path is unavailable. An initiating module configured to initiate a voting procedure among the plurality of nodes to select a new path to the network resource, wherein data flow at the affected node through the redundant path continues during the voting procedure.

Abstract: A system for matching nearest contacts in a logical contact hierarchy can include a logical contact hierarchy disposed in a database; and, a hierarchical query processor coupled to the logical contact hierarchy. The hierarchical query processor can be configured to produce a closest matching contact from among contacts in the logical contact hierarchy based upon a specified anchor contact in the logical contact hierarchy. A boolean operator further can be programmed to select a closest matching contact based upon a boolean expression operating upon multiple closest matching contacts produced by the hierarchical query processor.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer code for administrating a data mirroring relationship between a first node and a second node. The invention includes an event coordinator configured to receive a notification from the first node when an event that may potentially affect the mirroring relationship has occurred, and to perform a predetermined task in response to the notification. The predetermined task may include logging the event that occurred at the first node, notifying the second node that the event occurred at the first node, and notifying a system administrator that the event occurred at the first node.

Abstract: CDNs and inexpensive and available local (client) storage are combined to increase the efficiency of content delivery and improve the user experience. A large-content element, such as a video file, is stored in segments on one or more servers, allowing clients to make simultaneous requests for segments of the content in parallel. A CDN responds to these requests, optimizing the use of the resources on the CDN nodes. The responses from the CDN are cached during an intermediate process and then delivered, in proper order, to the requesting client. By requesting segments of the content element from multiple locations in parallel rather than requesting a single file containing the entire content element, the burden on the CDN nodes is reduced. Further, since the segments are requested in parallel, cost-of-delivery issues can be factored into the delivery schedule more easily (e.g., bandwidth, time of delivery, whether data is cached), thereby making the delivery process smoother and more economical.

Abstract: An autonomic component installation system. The system can include a catalog of host components installed within a computing system and an autonomic installer coupled to the catalog and programmed to determine, when installing an upgraded component, whether the upgraded component provides component capabilities required by the host components in the catalog. The catalog can include both host components and respective publicly accessible data, method implementations and method prototypes provided by the host components. Consequently, the autonomic installer can determine whether the upgraded component will have access to required publicly accessible data and method implementations. The autonomic installer further can be configured to determine whether modifications included in the upgraded component have caused changes in associated method prototypes which differ from the method prototypes in the catalog.

Abstract: Under the present invention, the performance of a set of system resources is monitored in response to incoming request traffic. When a system resource is approaching an overload condition, a corrective action is identified and implemented. Overload thresholds for each system resource and appropriate corrective actions are contained within a management policy. Based on a performance history of the corrective actions, the management policy can be changed/revised.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for server failure diagnosis and self-healing in a server farm. An autonomic server farm which has been configured in accordance with the inventive arrangements can include a multiplicity of servers enabled to respond to requests received from clients which are external to the server farm. A resource director such as an IP sprayer or a network dispatcher can be configured to route requests to selected ones of the servers, in accordance with resource allocation algorithms such as random, round-robin and least recently used. Significantly, unlike conventional server farms whose management of failure diagnosis and self-healing relies exclusively upon the capabilities of the resource director, in the present invention, client-assisted failure detection logic can be coupled to the resource director so as to provide client-assisted management of failure diagnosis and self-healing.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business for improving communication, whereby message content is routed efficiently while allowing different recipients to receive different versions of the content. A portion of the electronic conversation in an instant messaging session (or of messages in other messaging systems) can be identified as being relevant to a third party (or parties), and information can be specified for routing the relevant information to that third party. A variety of delivery mechanisms may be used. Approval may be obtained prior to routing an annotated message. The recipients of annotated message may be human users and/or automated processes. The message author may also be a human or an automated process.

Abstract: A flexible data mirroring system and method are adapted for use in a data processing system having first and second data storage devices. Upon receiving notification of a file update to be written to the first data storage device a mirror mode and mirror event associated with the updated file are determined from mirror information that has been provisioned on a per-file, per-directory or per-volume, etc. basis. The file update is mirrored to the second data storage device according to the provisioned mirror mode and mirror event. If the mirror mode is continuous, the mirror operation proceeds immediately. If the mirror mode is discrete, the file update is noted and the mirror operation proceeds following occurrence of the file's mirror event.

Abstract: A method and system for processing Service Level Agreement (SLA) terms in a caching component in a storage system. The method can include monitoring cache performance for groups of data in the cache, each the group having a corresponding SLA. Overfunded SLAs can be identified according to the monitored cache performance. In consequence, an entry can be evicted from among one of the groups which correspond to an identified one of the overfunded SLAs. In one aspect of the present invention, the most overfunded SLA can be identified, and an entry can be evicted from among the group which corresponds to the most overfunded SLA.

Abstract: Storage-Assisted QoS. To provide storage-assisted QoS, a discriminatory storage system able to enforce a service discrimination policy within the storage system can include re-writable media; a storage system controller; a cache; and, a QoS enforcement processor configured to selectively evict entries in the cache according QoS terms propagated into the storage system through the storage system controller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for using calendar events for users of electronic calendaring systems to prepare customized responses to incoming events (such as incoming electronic mail, voice calls, instant messages, etc.), where the response supplies information pertaining to the user. Electronic calendars are analyzed, and information from this analysis is stored in advance of detecting an incoming message. The stored information can then be used to quickly generate a response when a message does arrive. A multi-level hierarchy of calendar events is used, where a top level of the hierarchy is used for context events which have a relatively long duration and a lower level of the hierarchy is used for specific events which occur during context events. The calendar user may specify attribute values such as how the user can be reached; whether, and how often, the user checks his e-mail or voice mail; etc. Attribute values are hierarchically coalesced.

Abstract: A distributed fault detection system and method for diagnosing a storage network fault in a data storage network having plural network access nodes connected to plural logical storage units. When a fault is detected, the node that detects it (designated the primary detecting node) issues a fault information broadcast advising one or more other access nodes (peer nodes) of the fault. The primary detecting node also sends a fault report pertaining to the fault to a fault diagnosis node. When the peer nodes receive the fault information broadcast, they attempt to recreate the fault. Each peer node that successfully recreates the fault (designated a secondary detecting node) sends its own fault report pertaining to said fault to the fault diagnosis node. The fault diagnosis node performs fault diagnosis based on all of the fault reports.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for improving the serving of large objects (equivalently, large files) in distributed computing networks which include network-attached storage (“NAS”). Existing features of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) and of Web server implementations are leveraged to achieve performance improvements in a novel way, and thereby greatly facilitate introduction of the present invention into existing networking environments. In particular, objects meeting certain criteria may be served using “redirect files” in which a redirect status code is used to cause content retrieval requests to be automatically redirected from the requesting client device to the NAS, such that the requested content is served from the NAS rather than through a Web server from a Web server farm.