Abstract: Semiconductor structures, such as, for example, field effect transistors (FETs) and/or metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAPs), are provided in which the workfunction of a conductive electrode stack is changed by introducing metal impurities into a metal-containing material layer which, together with a conductive electrode, is present in the electrode stack. The choice of metal impurities depends on whether the electrode is to have an n-type workfunction or a p-type workfunction. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such semiconductor structures.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for evaluating the test effort to be provided for functional testing during an application development project is disclosed. The major influencing parameters within testing applications in complex systems are used to compute a test case management effort and a defect effort, those parameters being scope, duration and product quality related, or organization related. A test effort consolidated measurement is generated and provided as a final summary report in a user-friendly format suitable for management analysis.

Abstract: Air moving device (AMD) packaging apparatus includes an AMD carriage structure and an associated frame receiving the AMD carriage structure. The AMD carriage structure includes an AMD holder section pivotally connected to a driver section. The associated frame is mounted in a housing of a system to be cooled and includes elongated slots defining cooperating tracks for receiving the AMD carriage structure. The AMD holder section and the driver section include outwardly extending protrusions or posts slideably received within the cooperating tracks in the associated frame to position an AMD contained within the AMD holder section in an operating position within the associated frame.

Abstract: A method (and system) of requesting help includes connecting a user to a help request generator, accessing, by the help request generator, a database including a list of helpers, selecting at least one helper from the list of helpers, and transmitting a help request from the help request generator to the at least one helper

Abstract: Caching where portions of data are stored in slower main memory and are transferred to faster memory between one or more processors and the main memory. The cache is such that an individual cache system must communicate to other associated cache systems, or check with such cache systems, to determine if they contain a copy of a given cached location prior to or upon modification or appropriation of data at a given cached location. The cache further includes provisions for determining when the data stored in a particular memory location may be replaced.

Abstract: An annotation service that is functionally deployed between a web browser and a web server, and in communication with at least the web browser. The annotation service provides tools, methods, and infrastructure to permit existing unmodified web content published via any URL as static or dynamic web pages to be displayed and annotated in existing browsers, with the annotation data being stored on the network relative to the web page.

Abstract: A data warehouse having an operational layer is provided. The data warehouse stores historical data in an historical format that is based on operational data for an organization. The operational layer enables access to the historical data in an operational format that is used to store the operational data on which the historical data is based. The invention further provides a solution for managing the data warehouse with the operational layer. The operational layer can be incorporated in various solutions. To this extent, the invention further provides a solution for developing an application using the operational layer of the data warehouse.

Abstract: A method of testing changes to externalized rules is provided. The method comprises using a rules change management engine and receiving from it a test request for a rules change for a rule. Further, the method comprises providing regression test buckets for testing a version of a rule against each of a plurality of exploiting systems that exploits the rule, and determining for the test request for the rules change received, which of the regression test buckets should be executed against which of the plurality of exploiting systems that exploits the rule and running, using a test rules management system, the regression test buckets that are determined should be executed. The method further comprises reporting results of the regression test buckets that are run to the rules change management engine, such that the rules change management engine is able to determine whether or not to implement the rules change.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for evaluating a performance of an object customer support resource in providing a customer support service is disclosed. A peer group of customer support resources that are expected to behave comparably as the object customer support resource is established to determine a normal behavior that the object customer support resource is supposed to act consistent with in providing the customer support service. A behavior of the object customer support resource is compared to the normal behavior to evaluate a performance of the object customer support resource in providing the customer support service. Real time assignment of the customer support service is performed based on a result of the evaluation.

Abstract: Methods of forming, and the intermediate substrate products formed, are disclosed whereby a via is formed in the substrate, followed by a second via. The second via is formed such that it overlap the first via, and may remove a first portion of any via distortion residing within the first via. A third via is then formed in the substrate to at least overlap the first via. The third via may remove a second portion of any via distortion within the first via. The second and third vias are formed on opposite sides of the first via, such that the first, second and third vias together form a symmetrically extended via within the substrate. Optionally, a rigid support film may be provided under the substrate prior to forming the extended via.

Abstract: Discloses are a method of and system for allocating resources in an enterprise. The method comprises the steps of identifying a number of areas of the enterprise that need resources, and determining an initial allocation of resources to each of said areas. The method comprises the further steps of establishing an algorithm to assign weights to said initial allocations, using said algorithm to determine weighted allocations of resources for each of said areas, and keeping said weighted allocations for a given time period. As resources become available during said defined time period, said available resources are assigned to said areas based on said weighted allocations.

Abstract: A method comprises estimating a performance of a processing system using queueing theory wherein the processing system comprises a network that accepts at least one input message stream from a plurality of publishing clients, transforms the at least one input message stream into at least one output message stream utilizing the plurality of transforms distributed in a first assignment among the plurality of brokers, and delivers the at least one output message stream to at least one of the plurality of subscribing clients, performing optimization upon the assignment of the plurality of transforms using the estimated performance to produce a second assignment, and reassigning the plurality of transforms in accordance with the second assignment.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus is semiconductor device that includes (1) a shallow trench isolation (STI) oxide region; (2) a first metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) coupled to a first side of the STI oxide region; (3) a second MOSFET coupled to a second side of the STI oxide region, wherein portions of the first and second MOSFETs form first and second bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) which are coupled into a loop; and (4) a dopant-implanted region below the STI oxide region, wherein the dopant-implanted region forms a portion of the BJT loop and is adapted to reduce a gain of the loop. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for connecting electronic devices having a flexible cable bus housing containing a plurality of same or different communication and power channels extending along a length thereof and a plurality of bus ports at different locations along the bus housing length. Each bus port is capable of being operatively connected to one of the communication or power channels. The apparatus further includes a plurality of device connectors adapted to connect to a bus port at one end thereof and to a discrete device at another end thereof. Each connector at the device end has a different plug conforming to one of the communication or power channels. The apparatus preferably further includes a switch for connecting each bus port to the communication or power channel conforming to the device end plug when a device connector is connected to the bus port on the bus housing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to warranty management and provide a method, system and computer program product for tamper sensitive warranty management for autonomic computing systems. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for tamper sensitive warranty management for an autonomic computing system can include monitoring an autonomic element within a product for configuration changes to the autonomic element. Responsive to detecting a configuration change to the autonomic element, the detected configuration change can be reported for evaluation in voiding a warranty for the product. Optionally, the configuration change can be reported to a warranty service desk over a computer communications network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to alert management and provide a method, system and computer program product for adaptive alert management. In one embodiment of the invention, an adaptive alert management data processing system can include an alert server and multiple different alert monitors disposed in corresponding application hosts. Each of the alert monitors can be configured to establish a subscription to the alert server on behalf of at least one application view of an application issuing alerts. Finally, the system can include multiple different filter rules accessible by the alert server. Each of the filter rules can specify whether or not to suppress or display an alert received in the alert server.

Abstract: A system, a method and a computer program product for analyzing a circuit design provide for discretizing the circuit design into a series of pixels. A fraction of at least one constituent material is determined for each pixel. A deflection is also determined for each pixel. The deflection is predicated upon a planarizing of the pixel, and it is calculated while utilizing an algorithm that includes the fraction of the at least one constituent material. A series of deflections for the series of pixels may be mapped and evaluated.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method. The monitoring system receives specified rules related to at least one component within a computing system. The monitoring system receives first data comprising information related to at least one component within a computing system. The monitoring system comprises a repository. The first data is stored within the repository. The first data is analyzed by the monitoring system using specified rules to determine a first health status of the at least one component. The monitoring server indicates for a user the first health status.

Abstract: A method for repairing a shorted tunnel device includes the step of applying a stressing signal to the tunnel device. The stressing signal has an amplitude that is greater than an amplitude of a bias signal applied to the device during normal operation. One or more characteristics of the stressing signal are selected so as to substantially optimize a repair of the device. The amplitude and/or the duration of the stressing signal are preferably selected so as to remove a conductive filament shorting the device via a thermal mechanism (e.g., heating).

Abstract: A method for enhancing debugger performance of hardware assisted breakpoints across multiple units includes deferring all active location breakpoints within the multiple modules, and subsequently activating each valid location breakpoint in a present one of the multiple modules being entered.