Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates measuring quality-of-service of a computer network server or collection of servers by determining the effect that transactions in one category of service have on transactions in other categories of service. The system operates by generating a varying pattern of synthetic transactions for one category of service and a fixed pattern of synthetic transactions for the other categories of service. The system sends the varying pattern and the fixed pattern of synthetic transactions and receives responses to these patterns across a network between the computer network servers and the synthetic transaction generator. The system measures the response time for the varying pattern of synthetic transactions and the response time for the fixed pattern of synthetic transactions. Additionally, the system calculates the effect of transactions in one category of service on response times in the other category of service.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program for facilitating the operation of a control system utilizing one or more input devices is disclosed. The control system provides the ability to monitor and modify operating parameters of the input devices. A function integrated within a software code is to be executed by the control system. The function is responsive to the input device. The input device includes at least one condition comprising a state wherein all of the conditions must be met prior to the execution of the function. A display of an unmet condition is exhibited to operator personnel of the control system during the execution of any function having an unmet condition prohibiting the execution of the function. The operator personnel is capable of overriding the unmet condition by selecting the state of the condition that allows the condition to be met, thus allowing the function to be executed. A maintenance log contains a record of the conditions that were bypassed or overridden.

Abstract: In relating rotational vibration stimuli of a mechanical mounting environment to the performance of a disc drive, a method and system are provided of which the steps are selecting a sample disc drive of a drive species and mounting the sample disc drive within the mechanical mounting environment; attaching an accelerometer to the sample disc drive for measuring rotational vibration; inducing a predetermined rotational vibration stimuli into the mechanical mounting; collecting vibration data with the accelerometer for use in determining the rotational vibration index for the mechanical mounting environment; providing a rotational vibration index for the drive species for comparison with the determined rotational vibration index; and comparing the rotational vibration index calculated for the mechanical mounting environment with the rotational vibration index of the drive species to relate the rotational vibration stimuli of the mechanical mounting environment to the performance of the sample disc drive.

Abstract: Techniques for finding sets of values that are relevant to attaining desired results, determining discrepancies between how different entities regard a set of values, and employing the discrepancies to determine how well individuals “fit” with other individuals or communities, how well communities fit with each other, how an entity's values compare with a desired set thereof, how an entity's values change over time, and what progress an entity is making towards acquiring value hierarchies that are useful in attaining the desired results. All of the techniques involve having entities assign values to hierarchies, with the value's position in the hierarchy being represented by a rating number upon which arithmetic operations may be performed. Discrepancies between value systems may be determined by comparing the rating numbers which the entities assign the values.