Abstract: A method of transferring nanoparticles to a surface is provided. The method includes rotating a perimeter surface through a colloidal solution such that nanoparticles are captured by binding sites, removing liquid from the captured nanoparticles and rotating a take-up roll such that the captured nanoparticles contact a carrier surface. Moreover, the method includes removing the captured nanoparticles from the perimeter surface and transferring the nanoparticles to the carrier surface with a carrier adhesive material, rotating the carrier surface such that the transferred nanoparticles contact a target substrate, and removing the transferred nanoparticles from the carrier surface and transferring the transferred nanoparticles to the target substrate with a target substrate material.

Abstract: A method of determining optimal air conditioner control is provided that includes determining power consumptions of servers and computer room air conditioners, calculating a number of calories processed by each air conditioner and determining a total number of calories processed as a total heat processed load. Moreover, the method includes determining relevant factors between each of the servers and each of the air conditioners, calculating a percentage of the total heat processed load for each air conditioner, adjusting the corresponding percentage of the total heat processed load for each air conditioner using an operating efficiency curve, calculating a respective power to be consumed by each air conditioner, calculating an efficiency value, determining whether the efficiency value is a maximum efficiency value, and setting each air conditioner at the respective power to be consumed when the efficiency value is the maximum efficiency value.

Abstract: The state or condition of a system may be evaluated by comparing a set of selected parameter values, converted into a trial vector, with a number of model or exemplar vectors, each of which was represents a particular state or condition of a sample system. Examples of such conditions may include “good”, “marginal”, “unacceptable”, “worn”, “defective”, or other general or specific conditions. Sets of parameter values from the system are converted into input vectors. Unprocessed vectors are then processed against the input vectors in an artificial neural network to generate the exemplar vectors. The exemplar vectors are stored in a memory of an operational system. During operation of the system, the trial vector is compared with the exemplar vectors. The exemplar vector which is closest to the trial vector represents a state which most closely represents the current state of the system.

Abstract: A method, system and program product accurately model the error characteristics of a communications system, such as a tape storage system. Input parameters are entered which describe defect rates and sizes, Codeword Data Structure bytes, and any interleaving factor. Bit defects from simulated defect sources are generated, defined by the starting and ending bits of each defect within a codeword. Any codewords which are defect-free are filtered out and not processed further, thereby increasing the processing speed of the model. Within the defect streams, overlapping defects are merged, redefining defect regions by starting and ending bits. Because only the definitions are processed, not the entire length of the codewords or defects, processing efficiency is further enhanced. The number of defects that occur in each codeword is determined and the probability of the occurrence of N bytes in error per processed codeword may be computed.

Abstract: A serial SCSI (SAS) storage drive system includes a drive enclosure having a first interface card coupled to one storage controller over a single SAS path and a second interface card coupled to another storage controller over a different single SAS path. At least one disk drive within the enclosure is assigned to the first storage controller and interconnected to the storage controller through the first interface card. At least a second disk drive within the enclosure is assigned to the second storage controller and interconnected to the storage controller through the second interface card. The interface cards are selectively interconnected with each other through a crossover port. In the event of a failure in a storage controller or an interface card, the crossover port may be activated, thereby maintaining access to both sets of disk drives.

Abstract: Resynchronization of data between a primary (production) data site and a secondary (recovery) site following a failure is enhanced when the size of a data track at the production site is different from the size of a data track at the recovery site. The recovery site reads an out-of-sync (OOS) bitmap created at the production site and expands or contracts the bitmap to accommodate the size difference. The resulting production site bitmap is merged with a OOS bitmap maintained at the recovery site to indicate those tracks which are to be transferred from the recovery site to the production site. Thus, only those tracks which are required to be transferred are transferred. Buffer space may be allocated in which to expand or contract the production site OOS bitmap. Buffer space may be conserved by sequentially reading portions of the production site OOS bitmap into a small buffer.

Abstract: In a fibre channel, arbitrated loop (FC-AL) network environment, an operating speed of devices within a switch domain within the network is optimized. The FC-AL switch domain is isolated from an attached storage controller, and a first signal is transmitted to each of a plurality of storage devices within the domain. The first signal comprises a request that each storage device transmit inquiry data to a control and management node (CMN) within the domain. In response to receipt of the inquiry data from each storage device, the speeds at which each storage device is operable are identified and an operational speed is then established for the domain. The established speed may be the fastest speed at which all devices can operate. Alternatively, one or more slower devices may be bypassed and the established speed may be the fastest speed at which all remaining devices can operate.

Abstract: In a data processing environment, data is replicated to a remote or secondary storage device in a manner which reduces the adverse performance effects and inefficient bandwidth usage imposed by the conventional one-transaction-at-a-time process. Transactions to be transferred are grouped by a replication manager by selecting transactions having start times earlier than the completion time of a first transaction. Thus, no transaction in a group will be dependent upon any other transaction in the group. Once selected, all transactions in the group may then be transferred to the secondary storage device.

Abstract: A customizable cache discard policy is provided which reduces adverse consequences of conventional discard policies. In a data processing system, a cache controller invokes a cache data discard policy as the cache approaches its capacity. Using one possible policy, data having the shortest retrieval (fetch) time is discarded before data having longer retrieval times. In an alternative policy, data may be discarded based upon its source. Weightings may be applied based upon the distance from each source to the cache, may be based upon priorities assigned to each source, or may be based upon the type of each source.

Abstract: A glitch protect valid cell and method for maintaining a desired logic state value in response to a glitch signal and a timing signal. The glitch protect valid cell may be integrated with a content addressable memory (CAM) array for indicating whether word data stored within the CAM is valid. The glitch protect valid cell includes a memory element, a state machine, and a glitch protect circuit each responsive to one another. The glitch protect circuit includes a propagation delay assembly and a restore assembly electrically coupled to one another. The propagation delay assembly includes a first pull down network and a NOR gate electrically coupled to one another. The restore assembly includes a second pull down network electrically coupled to the propagation delay assembly. The first pull down network is responsive to the glitch signal and the timing signal to selectively engage the NOR gate.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for presenting various levels of detail about successful error recoveries and background hardware optimizations during the recording and retrieval of digital information on magnetic tape. A first, Band Summary, report presents a high-level summary of recovery methods by data band and wrap. A second, Detail Summary, report presents a mid-level summary of recovery methods by track and longitudinal position (LPOS) region within one wrap of a band on the tape. A third, ERP Summary, report presents a low-level summary of errors and specific recovery methods and optimizations by LPOS region within each wrap. Such “telescoping” views permit pattern analysis to be performed at different resolutions. Thus, correlations of possible interactions between hardware and microcode activities that result in changes of the nominal operating point of the drive may be identified.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided to monitor and report performance data of a device such as a data storage drive. A plurality of quantitative values are obtained from feedback and measurement mechanisms in a data storage device of a first model during operation of the storage device. The plurality of quantitative values are normalized. Then, one or more qualitative values are generated from one or more normalized quantitative values and evaluated against corresponding baseline performance values established for the first model.

Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and allowing substantially all of its computing resources to be dedicated to executing the grid application. At a later time, the server directs that each client terminate the grid application and re-boot in its respective local operating system, reverting again to the client-server mode.

Abstract: A method of dynamic performance balancing in a distributed computer system including collecting average service time statistics for application requests distributed from multiple application servers and collecting application server CPU utilization statistics from multiple hosts where each host is associated with at least one of the application servers. In addition, the method includes periodically calculating scaled routing weights from the average service time and CPU utilization statistics and distributing server requests to the application servers in accordance with the scaled routing weights. Also disclosed is a distributed computer system configured to accomplish dynamic performance balancing as described above, and an article of manufacture for use in programming a distributed computer system containing instructions to accomplish dynamic performance balancing of server requests as described above.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically compressing categories in a data storage library. In one embodiment, the method includes retrieving an identification of a first category in the data storage library, the first category being a last-compressed category. Next, an identification number of a first order of the first category is retrieved, the first order being a last compressed order. Compression is resumed of orders in the first category with an order next following the first order and continued with additional orders in the first category. If a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, the identification of the first category and the identification number of the order of the first category being compressed are stored. If, however, the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed and compression of the first category is complete, compression of a second category is begun.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for copying data from a primary storage facility to a secondary storage facility which reduce the workload on the storage controller in the primary facility and minimize bandwidth usage. The primary storage facility includes a primary data replication appliance which transfers data to a secondary replication appliance. Updated data from a host is both stored through a storage controller in the primary facility and also received by the primary replication appliance. Logic in the primary replication appliance determines whether the immediately previous version of the data is in a buffer from a previous storage operation. If so, the current (updated) version of the data is compared with the previous version and the difference, such as calculated through a bit-wise exclusive-OR operation, is transferred to the secondary replication appliance.

Abstract: Policy based data shredding is provided to be executed in a storage controller. A logical volume stored on media, such as magnetic disk drives, may be assigned one or more possible shredding policies. Storing and executing the policies in the controller is more efficient than performing host-based shredding and requires the use of less valuable bandwidth between the host and the controller. In addition, the controller is aware of failures, degradation and offline status of each drive in an array, and is able to thereby terminate or modify a shredding operation if necessary. Each policy includes the number of write passes to be performed on the media location in which the volume is stored and the pattern to write on the media location. The policy may also indicate whether to update a parity area during each of a plurality of write passes or only on the first.

Abstract: A method for processing a point-in-time copy of data associated with a logical storage volume where the data to be copied is stored in a striped or parallelized fashion across more than one physical source volume. The method includes receiving a point-in-time copy command concerning a logical volume and distributing the point-in-time copy command in-band to each of the physical source volumes containing a portion of the striped data. The method also includes establishing a point-in-time copy relationship between each physical source volume and one of a corresponding set of multiple physical target volumes. The method further includes copying the data stored on each physical source volume to the corresponding physical target volume. The in-band copy command and the striped data may be distributed over I/O channels between a server and the physical storage and processed sequentially.

Abstract: A method of task management in a data processing system having a first hardware entity and a second hardware entity, the first and second hardware entities having dissimilar functional capabilities. The method includes providing a task for processing, queuing the task in a priority task queue associated with both the first hardware entity and the second hardware entity, and associating a context designation with the task. In addition, the method includes specifying the minimum hardware entity functional capability necessary to process the task, selecting which one of the hardware entities shall process the task, and submitting the task to the selected hardware entity for processing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for managing data in a hierarchal storage subsystem. A plurality of volumes is designated as a storage group for Level 0 storage; a high threshold is established for the storage group; space is allocated for a data set to a volume of the storage group, storing the data set to the volume; the high threshold is compared with a total amount of space consumed by all data sets stored to volumes in the storage group; and data sets are migrated from the storage group to a Level 1 storage if the high threshold is less than or equal to the total amount of space used by all of the data sets stored to volumes in the storage group. Optionally, high threshold are assigned to each storage group and, when the space used in a storage group reaches or exceeds the high threshold, migration of data will begin from volumes in the storage group, beginning with the volume having the least free space. Thus, contention between migration and space allocation is reduced.