Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to improving resource usage on a computer system. In one embodiment, a computer system identifies a plurality of processes running on the computer system and determines an importance value and a resource consumption value. In such an embodiment, the importance value is indicative of an importance of an identified process, and the resource consumption value is indicative of a resource consumption of the identified process. The computer system evaluates the importance value and the resource consumption value relative to a usage policy, and takes a corrective action with respect to the identified process based on the evaluating to reconcile resource consumption with process importance value.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for strategic power supply sequencing in a computer system. The system and method includes a plurality of processing resources that process data and a plurality of power supplies that provide power for the processing resources. A power management engine adjusts the power supplies in response to processing resource changes to optimize power consumption. The power management engine brings online power supplies to meet the demand created by bringing online additional processing resources and brings offline power supplies to meet the decreased demand caused by a decrease in the number of processing resources. Also, the power management engine rotates which power supplies operate to take advantage of more efficient power supplies and to extend the lives of the power supplies. The power management engine also adjusts the power supplies in advance based upon predicted demand levels for the computer system.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to improving resource usage on a computer system. In one embodiment, a computer system identifies a plurality of processes running on the computer system and determines an importance value and a resource consumption value. In such an embodiment, the importance value is indicative of an importance of an identified process, and the resource consumption value is indicative of a resource consumption of the identified process. The computer system evaluates the importance value and the resource consumption value relative to a usage policy, and takes a corrective action with respect to the identified process based on the evaluating to reconcile resource consumption with process importance value.

Abstract: Security from malicious attack is provided for a user environment running in a virtualized environment by a virtual security appliance (VSA) running outside of the user environment, but on the same computer system as the user environment. For example, a VSA running in a virtual machine can provide security for a user environment running in a second virtual machine. The separation of the VSA from the user environment enhances the robustness of the VSA against malicious attacks seeking to disable/bypass the protections of the VSA, while avoiding the costs and complexities of a physical security appliance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to improving resource usage on a computer system. In one embodiment, a computer system identifies a plurality of processes running on the computer system and determines an importance value and a resource consumption value. In such an embodiment, the importance value is indicative of an importance of an identified process, and the resource consumption value is indicative of a resource consumption of the identified process. The computer system evaluates the importance value and the resource consumption value relative to a usage policy, and takes a corrective action with respect to the identified process based on the evaluating to reconcile resource consumption with process importance value.

Abstract: Quarantine periods longer than anticipated working lifetimes for phishing websites are used to protect users from phishing attacks. A central server or the like receives data indicating user attempts to submit confidential information to websites from a plurality of user computers. The received data is aggregated, and used to track website activity concerning solicitation of confidential information. The central server acquires and maintains current statistical data concerning phishing website lifetimes. The aggregated data concerning attempts by users to submit confidential information to websites and the current statistics concerning phishing website lifetimes are used to determine appropriate quarantine periods for websites, which can be enforced when users try to transmit confidential information to these websites.

Abstract: Mitigating a network security threat is disclosed. Information associated with a data protection event is received. The received information is evaluated for an indication of a network security threat. One or more remedial actions are performed if it is determined that a potential threat has been indicated. Optionally, the received information is stored.

Abstract: A managed node executes one or more applications. The applications utilize the resources of the node. A quality-of-service (QoS) agent on the managed node enforces a QoS policy for the node. The QoS agent characterizes an application's usage of the node's resources and predicts its future usage. The QoS agent analyzes the predicted resource usage in view of the QoS policy and generates a QoS envelope for the application. The QoS envelope specifies a ceiling on the level of resources that can be used by the application. The QoS agent queues and meters usage above the ceiling specified by the QoS envelope. A security module determines variations between predicted and actual resource usage and generates security events if warranted.

Abstract: Security from malicious attack is provided for a user environment running in a virtualized environment by a virtual security appliance (VSA) running outside of the user environment, but on the same computer system as the user environment. For example, a VSA running in a virtual machine can provide security for a user environment running in a second virtual machine. The separation of the VSA from the user environment enhances the robustness of the VSA against malicious attacks seeking to disable/bypass the protections of the VSA, while avoiding the costs and complexities of a physical security appliance.

Abstract: A firewall dynamically adapts to changes in a utility computing system. The utility computing system has multiple nodes that are dynamically provisioned in different roles. The different roles are best served by different security and/or Quality-of-Service (QoS) policies. The firewall selects and applies security and/or QoS policies to a node or group of nodes based on the roles provisioned to the node or group. The firewall detects when the provisioning of a node changes, and dynamically applies a new security and/or QoS policy to the node based on the new provisioning. The firewall thus provides adaptive network-level security and QoS functionality to a utility computing system.

Abstract: Data center activity traces form a corpus used for machine learning. The data in the corpus are putatively normal but may be tainted with latent anomalies. There is a statistical likelihood that the corpus represents predominately legitimate activity, and this likelihood is exploited to allow for a targeted examination of only the data representing possible anomalous activity. The corpus is separated into clusters having members with like features. The clusters having the fewest members are identified, as these clusters represent potential anomalous activities. These clusters are evaluated to determine whether they represent actual anomalous activities. The data from the clusters representing actual anomalous activities are excluded from the corpus. As a result, the machine learning is more effective and the trained system provides better performance, since latent anomalies are not mistaken for normal activity.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for strategic power supply sequencing in a computer system. The system and method includes a plurality of processing resources that process data and a plurality of power supplies that provide power for the processing resources. A power management engine adjusts the power supplies in response to processing resource changes to optimize power consumption. The power management engine brings online power supplies to meet the demand created by bringing online additional processing resources and brings offline power supplies to meet the decreased demand caused by a decrease in the number of processing resources. Also, the power management engine rotates which power supplies operate to take advantage of more efficient power supplies and to extend the lives of the power supplies. The power management engine also adjusts the power supplies in advance based upon predicted demand levels for the computer system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for strategic power reduction in a computer system. The system and method includes a plurality of processing resources that process data. Associated with the processing resources are a plurality of power supplies that provide power for the processing resources. A resource management engine determines the demand on the computer system and scales the processing resources to conserve and reduce power consumption. The resource management engine brings online additional processing resources to meet additional demand or brings offline or to a lower power state processing resources to meet a decreased demand. In addition, the resource management engine predicts future demand requirements and adjusts the processing resources in advance to meet the predicted demand levels and allows for dynamic adjustment of the processing resources based on current demand events.

Abstract: A system and method that operate on data in a communication system. The system comprises a communication network for routing objects that include data and a tag and comprised of processing modules for processing the data included in the objects and routing nodes that are operable to route the objects between the processing modules. Each processing module includes a processing memory for storing objects. Each routing node includes a routing memory for storing memory objects and is operable to route objects throughout the system. The objects include stored objects stored in various ones of the respective processing memories and the respective routing memories. Each stored object further includes methods that are executable to perform operations on the data and a processing list that lists the methods to be executed on the data. Each processing node interrogates objects to examine the processing list and execute methods identified by the processing list to perform corresponding operations on the data.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for strategic power reduction in a computer system. The system and method includes a plurality of processing resources that process data. Associated with the processing resources are a plurality of power supplies that provide power for the processing resources. A resource management engine determines the demand on the computer system and scales the processing resources to conserve and reduce power consumption. The resource management engine brings online additional processing resources to meet additional demand or brings offline or to a lower power state processing resources to meet a decreased demand. In addition, the resource management engine predicts future demand requirements and adjusts the processing resources in advance to meet the predicted demand levels and allows for dynamic adjustment of the processing resources based on current demand events.

Abstract: A bank history table and precharge decision logic allows a memory controller to dynamically choose either to precharge a memory bank immediately after an access or to delay precharge based on the assumption that a subsequent access will be to the same row of the bank. The bank history table has a plurality of memory access history vectors. Each of the memory access history vectors corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of banks of memory. A precharge decision circuit is coupled to the bank history table and receives a selected one of the memory access history vectors and a new history bit. The precharge decision circuit makes a precharge prediction for the memory using the selected access history vector and the new history bit.

Abstract: A computer chip including a data transfer network which comprises a plurality of communications links for transmitting data, a plurality of communication nodes, and a plurality of modules. Each of the communication nodes is directly connected to two or more other communication nodes through respective ones of the communications links. Each communication node is operable to communicate data over the respective one of the communications links. Each module is coupled to at least one of the communication nodes, and the modules are operable to communicate with each other through the communication nodes. The communication nodes are operable to create dynamic routes for the data transferred between any two or more of the plurality of modules over the respective ones of the communications links. The communication nodes form the dynamic routes controlled by a network configuration manager.

Abstract: A computer chip including a data transfer network. The data transfer network comprises a plurality of communication ports and a plurality of modules. Each of the communication ports is directly connected to two or more other communication ports, and each of the communication ports is operable to communicate data. Each of the plurality of modules is coupled to at least one of the plurality of communication ports, and the plurality of modules are operable to communicate with each other through the communication ports. Furthermore, the plurality of communication ports are dynamically configurable to form two or more separate communication paths. The plurality of communication ports may be bi-directionally coupled and operable to communicate data with each other. The plurality of communication ports may also be dynamically configurable to form two or more communication rings.

Abstract: A computer chip including a data transfer network which comprises a plurality of communications links for transmitting data, a plurality of communication nodes, and a plurality of modules. Each of the communication nodes is directly connected to two or more other communication nodes through respective ones of the communications links. Each communication node is operable to communicate data over the respective one of the communications links. Each module is coupled to at least one of the communication nodes, and the modules are operable to communicate with each other through the communication nodes. The communication nodes are operable to create dynamic routes for the data transferred between any two or more of the plurality of modules over the respective ones of the communications links. The communication nodes form the dynamic routes based on statistical data on previous transmissions between the modules.

Abstract: A computer chip includes a data transfer network. The data transfer network comprises a backbone bus, a plurality of communication ports and a plurality of devices or modules each coupled to the backbone bus. Each of the devices includes or is coupled to one or more communication ports. Some of communication ports are operable to transmit and receive data on the backbone bus. Furthermore, the communication ports are interconnected in a ring topology forming a circular bus or a semi-circular bus. A subset of the communication ports may transmit and receive data on the circular bus or semi-circular bus. For the semi-circular bus, the communication ports are not coupled to form a complete ring topology. The communication ports may be operable to communicate with each other over the backbone bus and/or the circular bus. Each of the communication ports includes backbone bus interface logic, circular bus interface logic, one or more data transfer buffers and/or control logic.