Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide methods, computer program products, etc. for autonomic retention classes when retaining data within storage devices. More specifically, a method of determining whether to retain data within at least one storage device begins by storing data items in at least one storage device. Furthermore, the method maintains access statistics for each of the data items, an age of each of the data items, and an administrator-defined importance value of each of the data items. Following this, a retention value is calculated for each of the data items based on the access statistics for each of the data items, the age of each of the data items, and the administrator-defined importance value of each of the data items.

Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide methods, computer program products, etc. for autonomic retention classes when retaining data within storage devices. More specifically, a method of determining whether to retain data within at least one storage device begins by storing data items in at least one storage device. Furthermore, the method maintains access statistics for each of the data items, an age of each of the data items, and an administrator-defined importance value of each of the data items. Following this, a retention value is calculated for each of the data items based on the access statistics for each of the data items, the age of each of the data items, and the administrator-defined importance value of each of the data items.

Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide methods, computer program products, etc. for complaint-based service level objectives. More specifically, a method of deducing undefined service level objectives receives complaints regarding behavior of a system. The complaints could include a severity parameter, an entity parameter, a nature-of-complaint parameter, a timestamp parameter, and/or an identification parameter. Next, system details representing a current state of the system are recorded for each of the complaints. The method then automatically analyzes a history of the system details and the complaints to produce a historical compilation of the system details. The analyzing can include weighing each of the system details by a severity parameter value.

Abstract: A chip-to-chip digital transmission circuit includes a differential driver portion, a pair of differential signal transmission lines connected to the driver portion, and a receiver portion connected to the transmission lines, an output node of which reproduces a digital bit stream originally presented to a driver side input node, wherein the transmission lines carry both transmitted signal information and DC power for the receiver portion. The driver portion is configured to adjust both the transmitted signal magnitude and the DC power delivered to the receiver portion.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for acquiring test data from an electronic circuit by mounting a probe adjacent to a capture point on an electronic circuit board, capturing by the probe an electronic signal of the electronic circuit, digitizing by the probe the captured signal, and transmitting by the probe the digitized signal from the probe through a data communications connection to a remote device. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also includes storing by the probe the digitized signal in the probe. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit may include processing by the probe the digitized signal. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also may include synchronizing acquisition of test data by the probe with acquisition of test data by one or more other probes.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining prefetch data. A start module communicates a start of a target software process to a storage device. A learning module learns data blocks accessed for the target software process. In one embodiment, a prefetch module prefetches the learned data blocks in response to the start of the target software process. An end module communicates the end of the target software process to the storage device. In one embodiment, the prefetch module terminates prefetching data blocks and the learning module terminates learning the data blocks accessed for the target software process in response to the end module's communication of the end of the target software process.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for acquiring test data from an electronic circuit by mounting a probe adjacent to a capture point on an electronic circuit board, capturing by the probe an electronic signal of the electronic circuit, digitizing by the probe the captured signal, and transmitting by the probe the digitized signal from the probe through a data communications connection to a remote device. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also includes storing by the probe the digitized signal in the probe. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit may include processing by the probe the digitized signal. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also may include synchronizing acquisition of test data by the probe with acquisition of test data by one or more other probes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to replicate one or more files between non-symmetric storage systems are disclosed. The method supplies a first storage system comprising a first configuration, a first volume, a first file system, and a first replication appliance comprising first replication appliance memory. The method further supplies a second storage system comprising a second configuration, a second volume, a second file system, and a second replication appliance comprising second replication appliance memory, where the first configuration differs from the second configuration. The first storage system receives a dataset, writes that dataset to the first volume as a first file. Applicants' method then replicates the first file to the second volume as a second file, and maintains in the second replication appliance memory a second replication appliance mapping associating the first file with the second file.

Abstract: A method and structures are provided for implementing customizable dielectric printed circuit card traces. A void is defined near selected signal traces. The void is then filled with a dielectric material having a predefined dielectric property. The dielectric material is selected to alter at least one predefined electrical property of the selected signal traces, such as, coupling, propagation delay and attenuation. In one embodiment, an outer layer of a printed circuit card includes a plurality of signal traces and a mating circuit card layer including a plurality of matching signal traces is attached to the outer layer of the printed circuit card to create a cavity near selected signal traces. The cavity is filled with the selected dielectric material. In another embodiment, dielectric material is selectively removed near signal traces on an outer layer of the printed circuit card to define a void near selected signal traces.

Abstract: A system for using credit card accounts to pay vendor invoices.

Abstract: A method and structures are provided for implementing customizable dielectric printed circuit card traces. A void is defined near selected signal traces. The void is then filled with a dielectric material having a predefined dielectric property. The dielectric material is selected to alter at least one predefined electrical property of the selected signal traces, such as, coupling, propagation delay and attenuation. In one embodiment, an outer layer of a printed circuit card includes a plurality of signal traces and a mating circuit card layer including a plurality of matching signal traces is attached to the outer layer of the printed circuit card to create a cavity near selected signal traces. The cavity is filled with the selected dielectric material. In another embodiment, dielectric material is selectively removed near signal traces on an outer layer of the printed circuit card to define a void near selected signal traces.

Abstract: System and techniques for transmitting information from a remote information source use a reflector for reflecting a laser beam or other light source back to its originating location. A reflector coupled to an information source receives a laser beam from a laser source. A movement of at least one surface of the reflector is controlled to modulate the laser beam, and the modulated laser beam is reflected toward the laser source. The modulated laser beam can be received by a receiver at or near the laser source to detect and decode data embedded in the modulated laser beam.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a SAN management system to provide autonomic management of a storage system using an action-centric approach. The SAN management system includes a policy specification logic block to maintain a policy specification associated with the managed system. In addition, the SAN management system includes a reasoning logic block to provide for the determining of action rules using a combination of logic and information obtained from the policy specification. Also, the SAN management system includes a learning logic block to couple the policy specification logic block with the reasoning logic block to improve an understanding of a managed system. The learning is continuous and provides for autonomic evolvement of the system in which reliance on manual input from a user is lessened.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing automated detection of excess aggressor shape capacitance coupling in printed circuit board layouts. A PCB design file containing an electronic representation of a printed circuit board design is received. A list of candidate shapes is identified. The candidate shapes are disposed on layers adjacent to aggressor planes. A capacitance coupling the candidate shapes to adjacent aggressor planes is calculated. A ratio of the calculated capacitance and a decoupling capacitance connecting the candidate shapes to a reference plane is determined.