Abstract: Described herein is a virtualized storage system (VSS), for sharing a storage cluster comprising a plurality of storage devices, among multiple hosts. The virtualized storage system comprises a plurality of virtual host bus adapters (vHBA), wherein each vHBA is connected to a host, though a standard based host bus interface. The VSS further comprises a storage fabric switch for connecting the plurality of the vHBAs with the storage cluster through a cluster of storage controllers to facilitate transfer of data and commands between the hosts and the storage devices, wherein the storage fabric switch provide storage services for each host, the storage services comprising at least one of backup, replication and thin-provisioning. The storage fabric switch further comprises a command processing engine (CPE) to map commands received from the plurality of vHBAs, in a virtual addressing domain, to a physical address of a mapped storage controller for execution.

Abstract: The present subject matter discloses methods and systems of sharing of peripheral devices in multi host computing systems (100). In one implementation, the method of sharing a peripheral device (116) amongst a plurality of hosts of the multi-host computing system (100) comprises receiving a request to switch the peripheral device (116) from a first operating system running on a first host from amongst the plurality of hosts to a second operating system running on a second host from amongst the plurality of hosts; generating a request for the first operating system to relinquish control of the peripheral device (116); determining the status of the relinquishment based on response generated by the first operating system; initiating a request for the second operating system to install a device driver for the peripheral device (116) upon determining successful relinquishment; and transferring ownership of the peripheral device (116) to the second operating system.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article including the steps of mixing a metal-containing catalyst precursor with a filler material or graphite or a combination thereof to form a pre-treated fuel element component; optionally calcining the pre-treated fuel element component in order to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound; after the optional calcining step, combining the pre-treated fuel element component with a carbonaceous material and a binder to produce a fuel element composition; and forming the fuel element composition into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.

Abstract: The present subject matter discloses methods and systems of sharing of peripheral devices in multi host computing systems (100). In one implementation, the method of sharing a peripheral device (116) amongst a plurality of hosts of the multi-host computing system (100) comprises receiving a request to switch the peripheral device (116) from a first operating system running on a first host from amongst the plurality of hosts to a second operating system running on a second host from amongst the plurality of hosts; generating a request for the first operating system to relinquish control of the peripheral device (116); determining the status of the relinquishment based on response generated by the first operating system; initiating a request for the second operating system to install a device driver for the peripheral device (116) upon determining successful relinquishment; and transferring ownership of the peripheral device (116) to the second operating system.

Abstract: Described herein is a detachable multi-host computing system (100) having multiple host processors running different operating systems. In one implementation, the multi-host computing system (100) includes a detachable unit (102) and a base unit (104). Each of the detachable unit (102) and the base unit (104) includes an MR-IOV switch and a MR-PCIM for controlling the MR-IOV switch. In one embodiment, the MR-PCIM for both the detachable unit (102) and the base unit (104) is configured such that a single MR-PCIM switch may be used for enumerating peripheral devices connected to the detachable unit (102) and the base unit (104) when the detachable unit (102) and the base unit (104) are in an attached mode.

Abstract: The present subject matter discloses methods and systems of application sharing in multi-host computing system (100) running multiple operating systems. In one embodiment, the method for application sharing in a multi-host computing system (100) comprises receiving a request to launch an application in a first operating system of the multi-host computing system (100) from a second operating system of the multi-host computing system (100), generating an application launch request to launch the application and transmitting the application launch request to a widget daemon running on the first operating system using a PCIe to PCIe application redirection engine. The method further comprises initiating an application sharing session between the first operating system of the multi-host computing system (100) from the second operating system of the multi-host computing system (100).

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article including the steps of mixing a metal-containing catalyst precursor with a filler material or graphite or a combination thereof to form a pre-treated fuel element component; optionally calcining the pre-treated fuel element component in order to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound; after the optional calcining step, combining the pre-treated fuel element component with a carbonaceous material and a binder to produce a fuel element composition; and forming the fuel element composition into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conductive substrate useful for Joule heating, such as in an electronic smoking article. Particularly, the invention provides a resistive heating element formed of a conductive substrate. The conductive substrate comprises an electrically conductive material and a carbonaceous additive, such as a binder material. The conductive substrate is carbonized in that it is subjected to calcining conditions to effectively reduce the carbonaceous additive to its carbon skeleton. It has been found that such carbonized substrate has surprisingly improved resistance properties in relation a substrate of the same formulation that is not carbonized. The carbonized substrate can include an aerosol precursor material. The formed resistive heating element can be included in an electronic smoking article to simultaneously provide resistive heating and aerosol formation with a single, unitary component.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article comprising forming a combustible carbonaceous material into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article; incorporating a metal-containing catalyst precursor into the fuel element or onto the surface thereof to form a treated fuel element, the incorporating step occurring before, during, or after said forming step; and optionally heating or irradiating the treated fuel element at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a modified adsorbent material impregnated with a metal oxide, which can be used in a filter element adapted for use in a smoking article. The modified adsorbent material exhibits increased filtration efficiency with respect to certain gas phase species of mainstream cigarette smoke. Exemplary adsorbent materials that can be modified according to the invention include activated carbon, molecular sieves, clays, ion exchange resins, activated aluminas, silica gels, meerschaum, and mixtures thereof. One example of a metal oxide is cerium oxide. Impregnation with a metal oxide can be accomplished by directly treating the adsorbent with a metal oxide or impregnating the adsorbent with a metal oxide precursor, such as cerium nitrate, followed by calcining the impregnated material to convert the precursor to the desired metal oxide. Methods of forming the modified adsorbent material and smoking article filters incorporating the modified adsorbent material are also provided.

Abstract: A system and methods for allowing an enterprise management system to provision and configure a WWAN communication device on a managed network without incurring the tedious task of manually entering all the configuration information for every WWAN communication device on the enterprise management system. A dedicated communication link is provided with a standard communication protocol so each WWAN device can communicate with a carrier server and have the carrier server acts as a validation point and communication bridge to the enterprise management server until the WWAN communication device is configured for management by the enterprise management server.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article comprising forming a combustible carbonaceous material into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article; incorporating a metal-containing catalyst precursor into the fuel element or onto the surface thereof to form a treated fuel element, the incorporating step occurring before, during, or after said forming step; and optionally heating or irradiating the treated fuel element at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.

Abstract: A system includes a first mobile device and a second mobile device. The first mobile device has access to staging data of a network relay server. The second mobile device is precluded from connecting to the network relay server. The second mobile device is configured to connect to the first mobile device. The first mobile device is configured as a mobile relay server for transmitting the staging data to the second mobile device.

Abstract: A method for dynamically aggregating data is provided. A server device receives a subscriber request for a report based on a subset of metadata contained in a data dimensions catalog. The server device analyzes data aggregation requirements from a plurality of data sources for the report based on the subset of metadata defined in the subscriber request. The server device generates a data access plan for movement of data from the plurality of data sources based on the data aggregation requirements for the report. Then, the server device executes the data access plan to fetch the data from the plurality of data sources based on the data aggregation requirements for the report. A computer system and computer program product for dynamically aggregating data are also provided.

Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of increasing the mesopore volume of a porous activated carbon, comprising coating a porous activated carbon with a metal oxide or metal oxide precursor to form a treated activated carbon; and calcining the treated activated carbon, in a dry atmosphere, for a time and at a temperature sufficient to increase the mesopore volume of the treated activated carbon. The invention also provides an activated carbon having a total mesopore volume of at least about 0.10 cc/g and less than about 0.25 cc/g, and a percentage of mesopore volume per total pore volume of at least about 15% and less than about 35%. Activated carbon modified according to the invention, cigarette filters incorporating such activated carbon, and smoking articles made with such filters are included in the invention.

Abstract: A filter element incorporating an adsorbent material is provided. The filter element may comprise a first section of filter material and a second section of filter material spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween. The compartment may be filled with one or more adsorbents or the compartment may be divided into two regions, wherein one compartment region is filled with an adsorbent and the other compartment region is either filled with an ion-exchange resin or remains empty. The section of filter material adjacent to the tobacco rod may include one or more channels therethrough for passaging smoke directly from the tobacco rod into the adsorbent-filled compartment. The mouth end section of filter material may contain a breakable capsule, wherein the breakable capsule is filled with a flavoring agent capable of altering the taste characteristics of mainstream smoke.

Abstract: Detection and identification of minute quantities of condensed or solid state materials with significantly improved performance over the present state-of-the-art, comprises illuminating a small target particle with an appropriate laser radiation at a wavelength that is strongly absorbed by the target. The resulting temperature rise is observed by monitoring the increased blackbody radiation from the sample. An unambiguous determination of the target compound or the target material composition can be achieved through the use of a tunable laser that generates an absorption fingerprint of the target.

Abstract: A filter element incorporating an adsorbent material is provided. The filter element may comprise a first section of filter material and a second section of filter material spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween. The compartment may be filled with one or more adsorbents or the compartment may be divided into two regions, wherein one compartment region is filled with an adsorbent and the other compartment region is either filled with an ion-exchange resin or remains empty. The section of filter material adjacent to the tobacco rod may include one or more channels therethrough for passaging smoke directly from the tobacco rod into the adsorbent-filled compartment. The mouth end section of filter material may contain a breakable capsule, wherein the breakable capsule is filled with a flavoring agent capable of altering the taste characteristics of mainstream smoke.