Abstract: A federation with distributed edge configuration management including multiple data centers, each including an infrastructure, at least one storage, and a configuration platform. The infrastructure includes physical resources including at least one computer server. The storage stores state information indicative of a current state of the infrastructure and configuration information of the infrastructure. The configuration information includes composed immutable content incorporating automation tasks and instructions to effectuate state changes of the infrastructure. The configuration platform includes a network interface and a configuration processor that configures the infrastructure by generating and executing a workflow that includes a sequence of operations to effectuate a change of state of the infrastructure. The composed immutable content may include catalog units of subcomponents each including one or more declarative instructions.

Abstract: A system for dynamic context automation workflow including a data center which includes an infrastructure and a configuration platform. The infrastructure includes physical resources for implementing at least one machine, and the configuration platform includes a configuration processor that coordinates automatic sequential execution of multiple tasks of a workflow by different agents each running on a different one of multiple contexts for updating a machine state controlled by the configuration processor.

Abstract: An endpoint of a distributed federation with proxy synchronization including a data center infrastructure, a storage, and an endpoint. The storage stores a state of the data infrastructure and further stores a mirrored state for each of at least one other endpoint. The endpoint includes a communication interface for communicating via a communication network, where the endpoint, in response to receiving a command via the communication interface for changing the mirrored state, forwards the command towards an endpoint that owns the mirrored state via the communication interface. Commands may be forwarded directly or indirectly via one or more intermediary endpoints. An owner endpoint receives a command, updates its local state, and sends one or more events to one or more proxy endpoints to update corresponding mirrored states. A restricted proxy endpoint may store a partial mirrored state. The federation may support bidirectional sharing, synchronization, and resource data sharing.

Abstract: A system for dynamic context automation workflow including a data center which includes an infrastructure and a configuration platform. The infrastructure includes physical resources for implementing at least one machine, and the configuration platform includes a configuration processor that coordinates automatic sequential execution of multiple tasks of a workflow by different agents each running on a different one of multiple contexts for updating a machine state controlled by the configuration processor.

Abstract: A federation with distributed edge configuration management including multiple data centers, each including an infrastructure, at least one storage, and a configuration platform. The infrastructure includes physical resources including at least one computer server. The storage stores state information indicative of a current state of the infrastructure and configuration information of the infrastructure. The configuration information includes composed immutable content incorporating automation tasks and instructions to effectuate state changes of the infrastructure. The configuration platform includes a network interface and a configuration processor that configures the infrastructure by generating and executing a workflow that includes a sequence of operations to effectuate a change of state of the infrastructure. The composed immutable content may include catalog units of subcomponents each including one or more declarative instructions.

Abstract: An endpoint of a distributed federation with proxy synchronization including a data center infrastructure, a storage, and an endpoint. The storage stores a state of the data infrastructure and further stores a mirrored state for each of at least one other endpoint. The endpoint includes a communication interface for communicating via a communication network, where the endpoint, in response to receiving a command via the communication interface for changing the mirrored state, forwards the command towards an endpoint that owns the mirrored state via the communication interface. Commands may be forwarded directly or indirectly via one or more intermediary endpoints. An owner endpoint receives a command, updates its local state, and sends one or more events to one or more proxy endpoints to update corresponding mirrored states. A restricted proxy endpoint may store a partial mirrored state. The federation may support bidirectional sharing, synchronization, and resource data sharing.

Abstract: A physical access control system is disclosed which includes a network, at least one access controller, a producer device, and a consumer device. Each access controller generates status and event information associated with a controlled physical barrier. The producer device includes producer logic which collects and stores the status and event information. The consumer device includes consumer logic which periodically polls the producer logic via the network to retrieve the status and event information from the producer device. The producer logic and the consumer logic communicate via the network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol, such as the RSS protocol or the Atom Publishing Protocol or the like. The use of a commonly accepted message syndication protocol simplifies communications, avoids proprietary configurations and facilitates integration, such as combining systems or adding new devices and the like.

Abstract: This patent application describes a kind of disc to be used when driving in a nail, the use of which makes it easier to extract the nail afterward. This disc comes in various shapes, a few of which use a specially shaped nail that is also described in this patent application.

Abstract: A method of controlling access to a restricted area including receiving location information from at least one supplemental tracking source which tracks location of an authorized user, and controlling access by the authorized user to a restricted area based on the location information. The method may further include maintaining a muster based on the location information. A physical access control system for controlling access to a restricted area including a user location information system and an access system which controls access based on the location information. The user location information system may further maintain a muster based on the location information. The user location information system receives location information indicating location of an authorized user from at least one supplemental tracking source.

Abstract: A method of partial deactivation of a personal communication device in a vehicle when the vehicle is in motion including receiving, by the personal communication device, velocity information of the vehicle, determining, by the personal communication device, whether the vehicle is in motion from the velocity information, and deactivating, by an application executing on the personal communication device, at least one function of the personal communication device when the vehicle is in motion. Deactivation may include any one or more of disabling a user interface, turning off a communication radio, muting a ringer, and activating a power saving mode. A safety system for partial deactivation of the personal communication device while a vehicle is in motion. A diagnostic audio bridge retrieves and sends velocity information. The device executes activation control code which deactivates at least one function of the personal communication device when the vehicle is in motion.

Abstract: A child detection system for a vehicle having an on-board diagnostics and a car seat, including a seat sensor, a detection system, and a monitor system. The seat sensor indicates whether the car seat is occupied. The detection system retrieves ignition information from the on-board diagnostic system and detects whether the car seat is occupied. The monitor system activates when an ignition is on and the car seat is occupied, and indicates an alert when activated and when the car seat remains occupied when the ignition is turned off. The monitor system may be provided within a dedicated diagnostic device, or within a personal communication device of the driver. The dedicated diagnostic device may have a separate internal or external alarm. The personal communication device provides any one of several alert mechanisms, such as a visual mechanism, a vibration mechanism, an audible mechanism, or a send message mechanism.

Abstract: This invention uses information obtained from a vehicle's on-board diagnostic (OBD) system to interact with networked systems via a smart phone to track online presence and status. The purpose of the invention is to automate status updates to networked services. These updates allow external services or individuals to remotely monitor a driver's status. Based on driver status, services including telephone and text messaging may change how they interact with the driver or the driver's device.

Abstract: An integration between data from the on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle and the sensors contained in a personal communication device or smart phone. The data integration enables improved diagnostic information to be provided to the driver. In addition, data can be distributed to remote systems using the device's network connection for additional analysis and comparison. Remote data can be used in aggregate by 3rd parties or sent back to the driver to further inform her driving choices.

Abstract: The present invention aims at avoiding fragmentation during transmission of a structured document (10). This is achieved by a method of progressive transmission for a structured document (10), the structured document (10) comprising sub-documents (12, 14, 16, . . . ) with related relevance weightings. In particular, a fragmentation measure is determined according to the transmission sequence in an automatic manner using a formal expression of fragmentation. After comparison the fragmentation measure with a predetermined threshold value the transmission sequence is modified to reduce fragmentation when the fragmentation measure exceeds the threshold value.

Abstract: A computer system of a federation coupled to a network including a server having an internal address associated with a first subnet and a network abstraction and isolation layer rules-based federation and masquerading (NAIL RBFM) interface that interfaces the server with the network. The NAIL RBFM interface transforms the internal address between the first subnet and a second subnet for intra-federation communications. The NAIL RBFM interface performs transform and inverse transform operations to convert between internal and external addresses of intra-federation network traffic. The operations may be performed on source and destination addresses, and may be configured in any of several manners, such as modifying at least one bit of an address, replacing at least one octet of an IP address, substituting a prefix of an address, replacing an entire address, etc.

Abstract: A server cloud manager (SCM) for controlling logical servers and physical resources that form a virtualized logical server cloud. The SCM includes multiple core components and one or more interface components. The core components serve as a shared foundation to collectively manage events, validate and authorize server cloud users and agents, enforce predetermined requirements and rules and store operation data. The one or more interface components enable communication with external entities and includes an SCM proxy manager that enables communication with one or more SCMs of other server clouds. A server cloud system including a first server cloud that includes a first server cloud manager (SCM) and a first logical server, and a second server cloud that includes a second SCM. The first and second SCMs are configured to cooperate to manage operation of the first logical server.

Abstract: A shared-nothing virtual cluster including multiple virtual servers located on a corresponding number of physical servers linked together via a network. The virtual servers collectively form an active/passive (A/P) cluster including an active virtual server and at least one passive server. The shared-nothing virtual cluster further includes an interlink and multiple virtual drives located on the physical servers. The active virtual server handles a cluster load and executes a first operating system that operates the virtual drives in a data redundant configuration that collectively stores a data set for the cluster. Each passive virtual server, when activated, is coupled to a sufficient number of the virtual drives with redundant information to recover the data set for the cluster. The interlink is operatively configured to detect failure of the active server and to initiate promotion of a virtual server to active status to resume handling the cluster load after failover.

Abstract: A virtual hard drive (VHD) file manager system for a virtualized logical server cloud including a master repository and a VHD file manager. The VHD interfaces virtualization software and a server cloud manager to manage VHDs for logical servers of the server cloud. The master repository stores multiple master component files associated with the stored VHDs. The master component files include at least one core file and at least one delta file. The VHD file manager enables copying of the master component files to deploy VHDs in the server cloud, manages creation and storing of new delta files and corresponding VHDs in the master repository, and generates and maintains meta information to maintain file relationship integrity.

Abstract: The present invention aims at avoiding fragmentation during transmission of a structured document (10). This is achieved by a method of progressive transmission for a structured document (10). the structured document (10) comprising sub-documents (12, 14, 16, . . . ) with related relevance weightings. In particular, a fragmentation measure is determined according to the transmission sequence in an automatic manner using a formal expression of fragmentation. After comparison the fragmentation measure with a predetermined threshold value the transmission sequence is modified to reduce fragmentation when the fragmentation measure exceeds the threshold value.

Abstract: A dynamic state manager (DSM) for a server cloud manager (SCM) of a virtualized logical server cloud including a resource definition, a rules module and a state manager engine. The resource definition incorporates information of the available physical and logical resources of the server cloud, including cost, priority, usage and demand information of the resources. The resource definition further incorporates dependencies and relationships between physical and logical resources. The rules module includes predetermined behavioral rules based on demand, usage, priority and cost information. The behavioral rules define optimized resource utilization of the resources of the server cloud. The state manager engine is linked to the resource definition and the rules module and cooperates with the SCM to apply the behavioral rules to achieve optimized resource utilization.