Abstract: Approaches for protecting a component when a hard-disk drive (HDD) experiences a mechanical shock. An HDD includes a suspension comprising a load beam, a gimbal, and a flexure tongue. A component, such as a microactuator, is mounted on the suspension. The flexure tongue extends to at least the edge of the microactuator that is furthest from the gimbal. The flexure tongue prevents the microactuator from contacting the load beam when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. Alternately, the flexure tongue may comprise a tip portion that extends beyond the edge of the microactuator that is furthest from the gimbal, and the tip portion of the flexure tongue may deform to act as shock absorber when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. Alternately or additionally, a padding material may be used to prevent the microactuator or the flexure tongue from contacting the load beam when the HDD receives a mechanical shock.

Abstract: An electronic device, for example, a laptop computer includes a processor, a transceiver module, for example, a Bluetooth module and a memory. The memory includes a platform proximity agent, which may be implemented as a series of instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a Bluetooth signal from a corresponding provisioned Bluetooth device, for example, a cellular telephone. Next, determine whether the received signal exceeds both a strength threshold level and a predetermined time threshold level, where the signal strength and time threshold levels are established when the laptop and a corresponding cell phone are paired during a provisioning process. When the received signal strength and duration both exceed the corresponding policy based thresholds, the laptop enters (or remains in) a full power state with full access to the monitor and the platform.

Abstract: Approaches for inducing a magnetic bias in a magnetic recording disk. A biasing apparatus comprises a soft magnetic material member having a shape comprising two opposing recesses, denoted an upper recess and a lower recess. A first magnet is disposed within the upper recess and a second magnet disposed within the lower recess. An air gap exists between the first magnet and the second magnet. An opening in the soft magnetic material member is sized to accommodate at least a portion of the magnetic recording disk between the first magnet and the second magnet. The magnetic field produced by both the first magnetic and the second magnetic flows (a) in the same direction, and (b) perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic recording disk. Using this approach, magnetic material on the disk, such as magnetic islands of a bit pattern media, may be erased and polarized in the same direction.

Abstract: Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) baseplate comprising a recessed region that provides additional clearance for a disk. The protective enclosure of the HDD comprises a baseplate. The surface of the baseplate, which opposes a magnetic-recording disk, comprises a recessed region near the outer diameter (OD) of the magnetic-recording disk. The recessed region prevents the disk from being damaged through inadvertent physical contact with the baseplate, which may arise when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. The recessed region may be designed to minimize the damage to the disk if physical contact between the disk and the baseplate does occur. The recessed region may have a variety of shapes, such as a circular indentation or one or more non-contiguous regions in the baseplate where physical contact between the disk and the baseplate is deemed likely to occur.

Abstract: Techniques for securing a client. When a client, such as a portable computer, undergoes a change in operational state, an operating system agent sends a state message to a server. The state message describes the change in the operational state of the client. The operating system agent is one or more software modules that execute in an operating system of the client. The client receives a policy message from the server. The policy message contains policy data, which a BIOS agent stores in the BIOS of the client. The policy data identifies one or more security policies which the client should follow.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses and program products are disclosed for providing execution parallelism during the DXE phase of computer start-up. Provision is made for loading a microkernel (or other kernel program) which presents itself as though it were a DXE Driver and changes a single threaded environment into multithreaded. This is while the supervisor program continues its role as loader/initiator but remains unaware that it no longer has overarching control of Driver scheduling (which has been acquired by Kernel).

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses and program products are disclosed for providing timer use and timer based execution parallelism during the DXE phase of computer start-up. Provision is made for loading a microkernel (or other kernel program) which presents itself as though it were a DXE Driver and changes a single threaded environment into a multithreaded environment.

Abstract: A platform management device configured to control the functionality of a provisioned electronic device is disclosed. The platform management device includes a processor operative to execute commands. A memory maintains a series of instructions that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: (1) establish a connection with a corresponding electronic device; and (2) transfer operating parameters to the corresponding electronic device, such that access to and operation of the electronic device may be controlled. Examples of device control include denying access to an unauthorized user and forcing the electronic device into a disabled state by remote operation from an authorized user.

Abstract: Approaches for implementing a conductive gasket comprising carbon nanotubes for deployment within a sensitive environment, such as an environment containing equipment whose operation may be affected by airborne particles or electromagnetic energy. For example, a hard-disk drive (HDD) comprises an enclosure that is formed by coupling a first component, such as a cover, to a second component, such as a base, using one or more gaskets. The one or more gaskets may be constructed using a material that includes carbon nanotubes. The composition of the material used to construct the gaskets may be selected to achieve a desired electromagnetic conductivity for the gaskets. In this way, the gaskets of the enclosure of the HDD do not render the enclosure vulnerable to external electromagnetic energy and are constructed in a manner that does not introduce any harmful airborne contaminants within the protective enclosure of the HDD.

Abstract: A distributed database system has multiple compute nodes each running an instance of a database management system (DBMS) program that accesses database records in a local buffer cache. Records are persistently stored in distributed flash memory on multiple storage nodes. A Sharing Data Fabric (SDF) is a middleware layer between the DBMS programs and the storage nodes and has API functions called by the DBMS programs when a requested record is not present in the local buffer cache. The SDF fetches the requested record from flash memory and loads a copy into the local buffer cache. The SDF has threads on a home storage node that locate database records using a node map. A global cache directory locks and pins records to local buffer caches for updating by a node's DBMS program. DBMS operations are grouped into transactions that are committed or aborted together as a unit.

Abstract: A shared file system may be updated by a non-native operating system writing information to a change file, while a native operating system is in a suspend or hibernation mode; after writing, the non-native operating system is placed in a suspend or hibernation mode and the native system activates and then retrieves the updated information from the change file and writes the updated information to a shared file system. The native operating system returns to a suspend or hibernate state before the non-native operating resumes operation. The updated information may be written as provided by the non-native operating system, or further updated by the native operating system before being written to the shared file system. The change file is created by the native operating system, and may be a reserved portion of the shared file system or may be a separate portion of non-volatile memory.

Abstract: Approaches for a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system for use within a hard-disk drive. A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system may comprise an upper conical bearing and a lower conical bearing that are both disposed along a stationary shaft on which a magnetic-recording disk is rotatably mounted. The upper conical bearing and the lower conical bearing may have different cone angles, diameters, and/or lubricants to produce a desired difference in stiffness between the first conical bearing and the second conical bearing. By adjusting characteristics of the fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system to achieve the desired bearing stiffness ratio, the tendency for the magnetic-recording disks to experience a sustained vibration when the hard-disk drive receives a mechanical shock is reduced. By preventing the magnetic-recording disks from sustained vibration after a mechanical shock, data may be written to and read from the magnetic-recording disks with greater reliability.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to achieve a solder joining structure having high reliability, in which even if a componential material of a flange of a feed-through of a sealed magnetic disk drive is an iron-based material such as Kovar™, and a componential material of a base of the drive is an aluminum-based alloy, leakage of low-density gas is dramatically reduced. According to one embodiment, a base has a stepped portion in the inside of a periphery of an opening, and an inclined surface extending to the outside of the base is formed at an edge of a surface of the stepped portion, on which a flange of a feed-through is placed, thereby when the stepped portion of the base is joined by soldering with the flange of the feed-through, a solder fillet is formed not only in the inside of the base, but also in the outside thereof.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses and program products are disclosed for communications such as may be used for debugging computers and similar electronic products at a level suitable for low level firmware. This may find application, for example, in environments after cache initialization around the time of memory bring up or motherboard device enumeration but including durability into and beyond software loading. GPIO (General Purpose input/output) connections may be used for communication that may, for some purposes, be regarded as half-duplex but without necessarily being anisochronous.

Abstract: Approaches for determining the likelihood that a hard-disk drive (HDD) will experience an imminent error in operation, and preventing the same, using an atmospheric pressure sensor are provided. The HDD comprises an atmospheric pressure sensor capable of determining the altitude at which the HDD is currently located. The HDD also comprises a risk assessment component capable of (a) determining an expression of how likely it is that the HDD will experience an imminent error in operation based, at least in part, upon the current altitude of the HDD, and (b) communicating the expression to a user of the HDD. The HDD may optionally comprise one or more of a particle counter, differential pressure sensor, and a chemical vapor sensor for use by the risk assessment component. If the HDD is above a particular altitude, the Thermal Fly-Height control settings of the heads may be adjusted to reduce risk of error.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent dropout of a head slider from an micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) and damage of the MEMS. In an embodiment of the present invention, a suspension for a slider dynamic electric test (DET) comprises an MEMS for supporting a head slider. The MEMS has a clamper for holding a head slider and the clamper moved by an external force can attach or detach a head slider. The suspension comprises limiters for limiting the clamper's lateral movement. The limiters limit the clamper's undesirable movement, which prevents the clamper's lateral movement in attaching a head slider, a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage caused by a contact with a magnetic disk, or a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage in handling.