Abstract: A technique electronically controls commitment of a change to stored information. The technique involves accessing a reviewer database to ascertain a set of reviewers assigned to review proposed changes to the stored information. The technique further involves electronically notifying the set of reviewers to review a particular proposed change to the stored information after the set of reviewers is ascertained. Each reviewer is able to electronically approve or reject the particular proposed change to the stored information. The technique further involves (i) electronically preventing commitment of the particular proposed change to the stored information while less than a predefined number of electronic approvals has been received from the set of reviewers and (ii) electronically enabling commitment of the particular proposed change to the stored information upon receipt of the predefined number of electronic approvals from the set of reviewers.

Abstract: A method is provided for providing, with a GPU, selective cryptographic assist to data storage operations. The method is performed by a computer, the computer having a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) and a special-purpose processor optimized for performing vector-based calculations. The method includes (a) calculating a processing load value on the CPU as the CPU performs a set of data storage operations, (b) comparing the calculated processing load value to a threshold value, (c) if the threshold value exceeds the calculated processing load, then performing cryptographic operations related to a data storage operation of the set of data storage operations on the CPU to the exclusion of the special-purpose processor, and (d) otherwise, performing the cryptographic operations related to the data storage operation on the special-purpose processor to the exclusion of the CPU. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for non-disruptive upgrade by redirecting I/O operations. With this arrangement, a driver upgrade does not require restarting an application. In one embodiment, a method includes installing on a computer a legacy upgrade module in a kernel having a legacy driver with first and second loadable extensions for handling input/output operations for applications to and from devices, retrieving and storing static configuration data from the legacy driver, transferring the stored static configuration data to a new driver, obtaining runtime device configuration data from the devices and transferring the runtime device configuration data to the new driver, and filtering device input/output operations such that prior to cutover input/output operations are directed by the LUM through device stacks for the legacy driver and after cutover input/output operations are directed to the new driver.