Abstract: A method for structuring an insurance transaction. The method includes providing insurance coverage to reimburse an insured entity in the event that the insured entity incurs a loss based on the occurrence of one or more defined events, designating an insurance premium amount to be paid by the insured entity as an insurance premium. The method further includes requiring that the insurance premium amount be paid, at least in part, by a transfer of intellectual property assets, each intellectual property asset including a plurality of intellectual property rights.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for making a computational service highly available in a multiple server computer environment. In the thin client computing paradigm, end user terminals rely on remote server computers for operation of most functions traditionally associated with personal computing. If the remote server computer fails, all of the users' computers will likewise fail. The present invention provides a solution by implementing a redundant server strategy and a redirection process. One or more servers hosting a communication to the terminal do not contain the only copy of permanent user data. This makes all session hosting servers interchangeable. If a server fails, the failure is detected and the terminal switches to another host server.

Abstract: A cluster implements a virtual disk system that provides each node of the cluster access to each storage device of the cluster. The virtual disk system provides high availability such that a storage device may be accessed and data access requests are reliably completed even in the presence of a failure. To ensure consistent mapping and file permission data among the nodes, data are stored in a highly available cluster database. Because the cluster database provides consistent data to the nodes even in the presence of a failure, each node will have consistent mapping and file permission data. A cluster transport interface is provided that establishes links between the nodes and manages the links. Messages received by the cluster transports interface are conveyed to the destination node via one or more links. The configuration of a cluster may be modified during operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for distributing load in a multiple server computer environment. In one embodiment, a group manager process on each server periodically determines the server's capacity and load (i.e., utilization) with respect to multiple resources. The capacity and load information is broadcast to the other servers in the group, so that each server has a global view of every server's capacity and current load. When a given terminal authenticates to a server to start or resume one or more sessions, the group manager process of that server first determines whether one of the servers in the group already is hosting a session for that user. If that is the case, one embodiment of the present invention redirects the desktop unit to that server and the load-balancing strategy is not employed. Otherwise, for each resource and server, the proper load balancing strategies are performed to identify which server is best able to handle that particular session.

Abstract: A cluster implements a virtual disk system that provides each node of the cluster access to each storage device of the cluster. The virtual disk system provides high availability such that a storage device may be accessed and data access requests are reliably completed even in the presence of a failure. To ensure consistent mapping and file permission data among the nodes, data are stored in a highly available cluster database. Because the cluster database provides consistent data to the nodes even in the presence of a failure, each node will have consistent mapping and file permission data. A cluster transport interface is provided that establishes links between the nodes and manages the links. Messages received by the cluster transports interface are conveyed to the destination node via one or more links. The configuration of a cluster may be modified during operation.

Abstract: The cluster configuration database is a distributed configuration database wherein a consistent copy of the configuration database is maintained on each active node of the cluster. Each node in the cluster maintains its own copy of the configuration database and configuration database operations can be performed from any node. Configuration database updates are automatically propagated to each node in a lock-step manner. If any node experiences a failure, the configuration database uses a reconfiguration protocol to insure consistent data in each node of the cluster. The cluster configuration database uses a two-level consistency update framework to insure consistent data among the nodes. Each local configuration database uses a self-contained consistency record to uniquely identify and stamp each copy of the configuration database. The consistency of each individual copy of the configuration database can be verified from the consistency record.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method of producing molten iron and steel from iron ore wherein the iron ore is charged to a shaft furnace along with coke and limestone and the mixture is blasted with a heated gas so that the iron ore is reduced to pig iron. By the present invention, at least a portion of the furnace residue gas stream containing carbon monoxide is oxidized so that a heated gas stream is produced and oxygen is combined therewith. The resulting heated oxygen enriched gas stream is recycled into the furnace as blast gas.