Abstract: Apparatus and methods of evaluating an IT project within an organization is described herein. Evaluation of an IT project is undertaken by receiving a first set of data representative of financial information about the organization and future assumptions about the organization, receiving a second set of data representative of characteristics of the first IT project, and automatically generating a first set of indices based at least in part on the first and the second set of data.

Abstract: A network management system includes a domain administrating server (DAS) that stores a virtual catalog representing an overview of all files distributively stored across a network domain currently or in the past. The current and historical file information is used for assisting in auditing or locating files located anywhere in the domain. The current file information is used for assisting in transferring files across the domain. The domain administrating server (DAS) also includes a rule-base driven artificial administrator for monitoring and reacting to domain-wide alert reports and for detecting problematic trends in domain-wide performance based on information collected from the network domain.

Abstract: A network management system includes a domain administrating server (DAS) that stores a virtual catalog representing an overview of all files distributively stored across a network domain currently or in the past. The current and historical file information is used for assisting in auditing or locating files located anywhere in the domain. The current file information is used for assisting in transferring files across the domain. The domain administrating server (DAS) also includes a rule-base driven artificial administrator for monitoring and reacting to domain-wide alert reports and for detecting problematic trends in domain-wide performance based on information collected from the network domain.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interfacing a SCSI device directly to an Ethernet network utilizes a single board converter for translating information packets in Ethernet format to a SCSI format. In reverse, the same converter translates information from a SCSI device into a format suitable for transmission on an Ethernet bus. The method defines a procedure for receiving, recognizing and translating data bi-directionally between the bus and the SCSI device.

Abstract: A method of emulating a sequential data storage device on a random access device to permit the transfer of information in a sequential format between a host computer and a random access storage media. Commands for storing information in the sequential format from the host are transformed into commands to store data on the random access media. Commands for retrieving information in a sequential format are provided by the host to retrieve the stored information from the random access media. The commands for retrieving information are transformed into commands that retrieve the data on the random access media. Once the data is retrieved, it is then provided to the host.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for specifying subsets and orders of processing of a set of target media elements utilized with a shared data transfer element in the backup of computer data to a data storage target device. Names assigned to selected target media configurations are used to designate logical groupings for storage and recall. In a described embodiment, a selected target configuration, chosen by name, is used to control the robotics of a tape cartridge backup system in coordination with the transfer of data to a tape drive read/write head, to automatically load tapes from user-designated slots of a tape magazine, in user-specified order, into the drive.