Abstract: A method for restoring a virtual path, provisioned between a source and a target node, in a zoned mesh optical network is described. The method, in one embodiment, allocates a primary and a secondary physical path to the virtual path. The two physical paths are network element and link disjoint. In case of a failure in one physical path, the end nodes switch the virtual path to the other physical path.

Abstract: A distributed storage management platform (DSMP) architecture is disclosed. Such a DSMP architecture includes a number of storage routers. Each one of the storage routers comprises a number of interface controllers. One of the interface controllers of each one of the storage routers is communicatively coupled to one of the interface controllers of at least one other of the storage routers.

Abstract: A method may involve replicating a first change made to a primary volume. The first change is replicated to a secondary volume. A second change made to the primary volume is also replicated to the secondary volume. The second change is caused by a restore operation. Replicating the second change to the secondary volume involves recording an order of the second change relative to the first change.

Abstract: A new network traffic data collection technique is presented. A group of information is received, and a determination is made whether to process the group of information for network data collection according to a sample mode and a sample rate. If the determination is to process the group of information, the group of information is processed for network data collection. The group of information is forwarded according to its destination address. The group of information can be an IP packet and the sample mode can be, for example, one of linear, exponential, natural log, burst and traffic attribute. To process the group of information, a determination is made whether the group of information is part of one or more recorded traffic flows. If not, a new entry in a table is created. If so, a field in an existing entry in the table is incremented. In addition, a traffic information packet is created and transmitted to a network traffic data collection application.

Abstract: A system for providing access to data via a voice interface. In one embodiment, the system includes a voice recognition unit and a speech processing server that work together to enable users to interact with the system using voice commands guided by navigation context sensitive voice prompts, and provide user-requested data in a verbalized format back to the users. Digitized voice waveform data are processed to determine the voice commands of the user. The system also uses a “grammar” that enables users to retrieve data using intuitive natural language speech queries. In response to such a query, a corresponding data query is generated by the system to retrieve one or more data sets corresponding to the query. The user is then enabled to browse the data that are returned through voice command navigation, wherein the system “reads” the data back to the user using text-to-speech (TTS) conversion and system prompts.

Abstract: A method and system of providing periodic replication is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises creating a storage object corresponding to a data volume, wherein the storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of the data volume and a data volume map; and replicating the data volume utilizing the storage object.

Abstract: A selectable source input power supply is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a power supply is provided comprising an input stage including an input connector to couple the power supply to either of an AC input voltage or a DC input voltage, and an actuatable input switch to determine which of the AC input voltage and the DC input voltage is coupled to the power supply, to couple the input stage to an alternating current path in response to a determination that the AC input voltage is coupled to the power supply, and to couple the input stage to a direct current path in response to a determination that the DC input voltage is coupled to the power supply.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for performing periodic replication using a log and a change map. According to one embodiment, a first region and a second region of a primary data volume are identified and a plurality of write operations to the primary data volume are tracked by tracking write operations to the first region utilizing a storage replication log and tracking write operations to the second region utilizing a storage replication change map. Thereafter, data associated with the plurality of write operations is replicated from the primary data volume to a secondary data volume utilizing at least one of the storage replication log and the storage replication change map.

Abstract: Hologram production techniques can combine source data representing realistic information describing an environment with source data providing representational information describing a feature of the environment and/or some object interacting with the environment. The combined data is used to produce holograms, and particularly holographic stereograms including features that enhance the visualization of the environment depicted in hologram. A haptic interface can be used in conjunction with such holograms to further aid use of the hologram, and to provide an interface to secondary information provided by a computer and related to the images depicted in the hologram.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for replicating a data volume using a network appliance. In one embodiment, a first node transmits a first write-data transaction to a first data storage system and to the network appliance. A second node transmits a second write-data transaction to the first data storage device and to the network appliance. The network appliance transmits the first and second write-data transactions to a third node via a communication link for updating a replica of a data volume. The data volume is stored in the first data storage system and is updated with first and second data contained in the first and second write-data transactions, respectively. The replica of the data volume is stored in a second data storage system and is updated with the first and second data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for balancing loads in a switching fabric. The switching fabric comprises a plurality of data ports through which data frames enter or exit the switching fabric. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a buffer and a routing data generation circuit. The buffer receives a data frame to be transmitted to a destination device via the switching fabric. The routing data generation circuit is coupled to the buffer. The routing data generation circuit generates and adds routing data to the data frame received by the buffer. The routing data identifies one of the plurality of data ports through which the data frame will exit the switching fabric to reach the destination device. After the routing data is added to the data frame, the buffer transmits the data frame to the switching system.

Abstract: A facility for preparing content for display is described. The facility includes a publishing subsystem that, when applied to content, publishes the content. The facility further includes a rendering subsystem that is distinct from the publishing subsystem and that, when applied to content, renders the content.

Abstract: A first read request is received from a computer system. Data from one mirror of a data volume is returned to the computer system in response to receiving the first read request. The computer system may check the returned data to determine whether it is corrupted. If corrupted, the computer system sends a second read request for the same data. Rather than returning the same corrupted data stored in the one mirror, a copy of the requested data is returned from an alternate mirror of the data volume.

Abstract: A pipelined linecard architecture for receiving, modifying, switching, buffering, queuing and dequeuing packets for transmission in a communications network. The linecard has two paths: the receive path, which carries packets into the switch device from the network, and the transmit path, which carries packets from the switch to the network. In the receive path, received packets are processed and switched in a multi-stage pipeline utilizing programmable data structures for fast table lookup and linked list traversal. The pipelined switch operates on several packets in parallel while determining each packet's routing destination. Once that determination is made, each packet is modified to contain new routing information as well as additional header data to help speed it through the switch. Using bandwidth management techniques, each packet is then buffered and enqueued for transmission over the switching fabric to the linecard attached to the proper destination port.

Abstract: A flowchart-based tool can be used to build a logical structure. In the context of a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the logical structure can comprise an ordered set of questions and branching logic that are presented to a customer of the business when the customer contacts the business with an inquiry, such as for a sale or service inquiry or other interaction. An engine can run a session associated with the logical structure, with the session presenting questions, text, graphics, and the like dynamically to customer across a network, such as the Internet and a web site. Branching logic determines the appropriate information to present to the user based on answers to previous questions. The engine allows presentation of the information to the user/customer, by generating hypertext markup language (HTML) files to display the questions or other elements of the logical structure as part of a user interface on a client terminal of the customer.

Abstract: A method for a communications network with a protect channel transmitting protect channel data and working channel transmitting working channel data includes transmitting the working channel data via the protect channel upon a disruption in the working channel, and restoring the transmitting of protect channel data, wherein the restoring includes applying a mesh restoration protocol to the communications network to restore the transmittal of the protect channel data. The restoring includes finding one or more alternate channels to transmit the protect channel data, the one or more alternate channels including connected working and protect channels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for joining a meet-me conference call includes but is not limited to presenting an option to specify a quorum associated with a meet-me conference call, in response to user input to an application program co-resident with a terminal. In one embodiment, the user input includes but is not limited to an indication that the user is requesting to join a meet-me conference call. In one embodiment, the presenting an option to specify a quorum is done in response to the user input includes but is not limited to an indication that the user is requesting to specify a quorum either at the time at which a meet-me call is being scheduled, or at a time prior to a time at which a meet-me conference call is to transpire.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for adaptively implementing capabilities of a logical volume. If a particular capability is an inherent attribute of an existing storage device, the existing storage device is chosen to implement the volume. If the particular capability is not an inherent attribute of an existing storage device, one or more storage devices are selected and configured to provide the capability. If a capacity is requested for the logical volume and a storage device provides only a portion of the capacity, multiple storage devices having the capability are combined to provide the requested capability and capacity.

Abstract: A method of modifying the error detection code (EDC) generation and verification logic at both ends of a communications link in a data communications device or system so that user packets and control packets use different EDC algorithms to protect the communications device from control packet spoofing and interference by randomly-generated test data. Data packets are transmitted internally with a standard cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or other error detection coding scheme while control packets are given a different “control” EDC. At the receiving end of the link, the received packet is tested to determine whether the EDC matches the standard or control forms. If the EDC complies with neither of these two requirements, then the packet is discarded. If, however, the packet matches the control EDC but not the standard EDC, it is checked to see if the header is in the expected control format. If the control EDC is present but the header is incorrect, the packet is discarded.

Abstract: A method, system, language, and computer program product to enable a user to provide a high-level specification of storage requirements without having detailed knowledge of the underlying vendor-specific APIs and command line utilities for each possible storage device used to meet the storage requirements. The user does not specify how to implement the storage requirements. The system implements the high-level specification in hardware and/or software without further direction from the user.