Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that manages a performance of a computer system. During operation, a current expert policy in a set of expert policies is executed, wherein the expert policy manages one or more aspects of the performance of the computer system. Next, a set of performance parameters of the computer system is monitored during execution of the current expert policy. Then, a next expert policy in the set of expert policies is dynamically selected to manage the performance of the computer system, wherein the next expert policy is selected based on the monitored set of performance parameters to improve an operational metric of the computer system.

Abstract: A delegated environment manager for identifying and inventorying characteristics associated with user's delegated environments. The inventory of the characteristics associated with a particular delegated environment is stored for later retrieval. Upon receiving a request to recreate a previously stored delegated environment, the delegated environment manager retrieves the inventory of the characteristics associated with the requested delegated environment and compares that inventory of characteristics with an inventory of characteristics associated with a user's current delegated environment. Differences between the two inventories are identified and the delegated environment manager alters characteristics as necessary to recreate the previously stored delegated environment.

Abstract: An automatic custom block composition tool for composing custom blocks of an integrated circuit (IC) design that may include non-standard library cells. The tool includes program instructions that are executable to create and use a placement control file that includes instructions for use by the custom block composition tool to place the one or more non-standard library cells into the custom block layout. In addition, the program instructions may instantiate a leafcell for each non-standard and each standard library cell included in a netlist. The program instructions may access the placement control file and place each leafcell in a row of the custom block layout according to the placement control file. The program instructions may also pre-route power, clock and critical network signals, and generate a router control file used during remaining routing of the custom block by a conventional router tool.

Abstract: A method for managing access to a data element involves storing a first copy of the data element in a cache location, obtaining a request to modify the data element, where the request to modify the data element is associated with a first execution thread, marking the cache location as dirty based on the request to modify the data element, modifying the cache location according to the request to modify the data element once the cache location is marked as dirty, obtaining a request to read the data element while the cache location is marked as dirty, where the request to read the data element is associated with a second execution thread, providing a second copy of the data element in response to the request to read the data element based on the cache location being marked as dirty, and marking the cache location as clean after modifying the cache location is complete.

Abstract: A method of implementing in a general purpose computer system, a remote procedure call between an application and a target application is described. The target application is one of a plurality of second applications. The first application generates a first message, the first message having a message body and a thread ID of the target application. The first application writes the first message to a shared memory. The target application to polls the shared memory, and reads the first message from the shared memory. The target application generates a second message, the second message having a message body and a thread ID of the target application. The target application writes the second message to the shared memory. The first application polls the shared memory and reads the second message from the shared memory. The first message may be sent in response to the second message, vice versa, or asynchronously.

Abstract: A method for processing packets that includes receiving a first packet for a first target by a network interface card (NIC), classifying the first packet, sending the first packet to a first receive ring in the NIC based on the classification of the first packet, sending the first packet to a Network Layer from the first receive ring, sending a first virtual network stack (VNS) Instance ID associated with the first receive ring to the Network Layer, obtaining a first VNS Instance parameter using the first VNS Instance ID, and processing the first packet in the Network Layer using the first VNS Instance parameter to obtain a first network processed packet.

Abstract: A markup language parser processes markup language data and provides processed data to an application. A reader is configured to tokenize the markup language data and store resulting tokens in a buffer associated with the reader. A scanner is configured to create string objects based on the tokens and to provide the created string objects to an application. The scanner is further configured to determine a need by the application for the string objects. For each at least some of the string objects created by the scanner, the scanner is configured to selectively create those string objects based on a determination of the need by the application for the string objects.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a development and deployment platform for Software as a Service (SaaS) providers are disclosed. The platform may provide an application programming interface (API) through which customers may configure virtualized grids of language-level virtual machines (VMs), networks, and storage resources. A grid may be horizontally scalable and programmatically configurable by a customer and/or customer code. The platform may allow dynamic scaling of resources (up and down) to match changing demands, by allowing customers and/or customer code to programmatically alter their own system level structure at runtime, through the API. The grid may be accessed by both on-grid and off-grid processes, through internal and external connectivity resources provided by the platform. The platform may provide common utilities for end-user services, deployment operations, and development tasks (e.g., debugging), and may include frameworks and macro-components (e.g. web servers).

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing file access control using labeled containers. With this mechanism, it is possible to implement file access control without storing a sensitivity label with each file, and without checking a sensitivity label each time a file is accessed. Rather, by virtue of the manner in which the containers are labeled, and the manner in which a portion of the file system of one container is incorporated into the file system of another container, file access is effectively controlled. Thus, with this mechanism, it is possible to implement file access control simply and efficiently.

Abstract: A media cartridge including a first substantially rectangular surface, a second substantially rectangular surface, and one or more side surfaces, where the first substantially rectangular surface and the second substantially rectangular surface are connected by the one or more side surfaces. Further, a disk drive assembly is enclosed by the first substantially rectangular surface, the second substantially rectangular surface, and the one or more side surfaces. In addition, the media cartridge includes a cooling component is configured to cool the disk drive assembly.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing fast locking in a multi-threaded system. This mechanism enables fast locking to be performed even on an operating system platform that does not allow one thread to assign ownership of a lock on a mutex to another thread. In addition, the mechanism performs locking in a manner that ensures priority correctness and is low-memory safe. In one implementation, the priority correctness is achieved by using operating system mutexes to implement locking, and the low-memory safe aspect is achieved by pre-allocating a memory section to each thread. This pre-allocated memory section ensures that a thread will have sufficient memory to obtain a lock, even when a system is in a low-memory state. With this mechanism, it is possible to implement locking in a safe and efficient manner.

Abstract: A directory server system that includes a data repository storing a plurality of entries, wherein the plurality of entries comprises a plurality of user entries and a plurality of role entries, wherein each of the plurality of role entries define a role and comprises an InterestedApplication attribute, a directory server executing a first operation to obtain initial results and execute a second operation to obtain final results, wherein the second operation uses the initial results and the InterestedApplication attribute to obtain the final results, and an application requesting the directory server to execute the first operation and the second operation.

Abstract: A method for displaying a user-defined artifact in a debugger view is provided. The user-defined artifact is defined in a software application that is developed by a computer software application developer. The software application is included in a packaged application that includes instructions, with each instruction being either a user-defined instruction or a non-user defined instruction. A breakpoint is defined at a desired instruction of the packaged application. The method includes initiating debugging of the packaged application and hitting the breakpoint defined at the desired instruction. Also included is identifying the user-defined artifact in the software application and obtaining data to populate the debugger view. Further included is filtering-in data associated with the user-defined artifact and displaying the debugger view showing the filtered-in data. The method also includes marking data not associated with the user-defined artifact and stepping through the user-defined instruction.

Abstract: In a multi-processor multi-threaded computer system, resources are dynamically assigned during program operation to either threads or processors in such a manner that resource usage is maximized. In one embodiment, the choice of whether to assign resources to threads or processors is dependent on the number of threads versus the number of processors. In another embodiment, when the system is operating in one assignment mode, the amount of wasted resources is measured and when this measured amount exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the maximum resources that could be wasted were the system operating in the other assignment mode, the assignment is switched to the other assignment mode.

Abstract: An linear equalizer system for a transmission channel includes an active inductor with a tunable inductance and quality factor. The active inductor includes a transconducting element. A current steering digital to analog converter controls the flow of a bias current through the transconducting element to tune the active inductor.

Abstract: A method for writing data to a storage pool includes receiving a write operation to write a logical block of data to the storage pool, determining a number (n?1) of physical blocks required to store the logical block of data, generating a parity block using the logical block of data, allocating n physical blocks in the storage pool, writing the parity block in the first of n allocated physical block, and writing the logical block of data across the remaining n?1 allocated physical blocks, where n is less than a number of disks in the storage pool, and where each of the n allocated physical blocks is located on a different disk in the storage pool.

Abstract: A repeater circuit. The repeater circuit includes a first output stage having two output circuits, a second output stage having two additional output circuits, two activation circuits, and two deactivation circuits. Responsive to detecting a logical transition of an input signal, one of the activation circuits is configured to activate a corresponding output circuit, and responsive thereto another corresponding output circuit is configured to be activated. The output circuits drive an output signal on the output node. A corresponding one of the deactivation circuits is configured to deactivate the corresponding output circuit after a delay time has elapsed, whereas the other corresponding output circuit is deactivated in response thereto. A keeper circuit is configured to continue providing the output signal on the output node after deactivation of the corresponding output circuits.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for enabling labeled containers on different host machines to share file system portions. Before a process in a first container on a first host machine is allowed to access a file in a file system contained within a second container on a second host machine, a check is performed to determine whether a first sensitivity label associated with the first container is either identical to or dominates a second sensitivity label associated with the second container. If either is true, access to the file is granted. If the first sensitivity label is neither identical to nor dominates the second sensitivity label, access to the file is denied. By controlling access in this way, it is ensured that only containers with identical or higher sensitivity labels will be allowed to access the file. This in turn allows files to be shared by multiple containers without compromising security.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for optimizing mesh routing for stability and system lifetime maximization in networks, for example in wireless networks. A routing module may be instantiated in nodes on the network. The routing module may implement a link quality and node health aware routing protocol on the network that considers a combination of link quality and node health/residual lifetime metrics in the calculation of the desirability of nodes and links between nodes as parts of an overall route. A route selection metric for each route may be determined from routing cost metrics for the nodes on the route and the number of hops on the route. A node may then select a best route according to the determined route selection metrics for the routes.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for sharing programmatic modules among isolated virtual machines. A master JVM process loads data from a programmatic module, storing certain elements of that data into its private memory region, and storing other elements of that data into a “read-only” area of a shareable memory region. The master JVM process copies loaded data from its private memory region into a “read/write” area of the shareable memory region. Instead of re-loading the data from the programmatic module, other JVM processes map to the read-only area and also copy the loaded data from the read/write area into their own private memory regions. The private memory areas of all of the JVM processes begin at the same virtual memory address, so references between read-only data and copied data are preserved correctly. As a result, multiple JVM processes start up faster, and memory is conserved by avoiding the redundant storage of shareable data.