Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal (LC)-infused materials and methods for detecting compounds or impurities in liquid samples using such materials. These slippery materials comprise a lubricating liquid, preferably a thermotropic liquid crystal, and a solid substrate able to immobilize or host the lubricating liquid. The portion of the substrate coated by the lubricating fluid forms a slippery surface able to allow droplets of various materials to slide off the slippery surface in a manner dependent on the chemical composition of the droplet, which can be used to detect the presence of analytes, impurities and other molecules within the droplet.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a cloud based rotation of a secret stored in a secrets storage and stored in a target system. Embodiments receive an identifier of a function for rotating the secret or an identifier of the target system when the target system includes a management Application Programming Interface (“API”) for rotating the secret. Embodiments determine that the secret needs to be rotated based on a rotating schedule. When the identifier of the function is received, embodiments rotate the secret using the function and when the identifier of the target system is received, embodiments rotate the secret using the management API. Rotating the secret includes updating the secret at the secret storage and at the target system.

Abstract: Method and System for resolving one or more issues related to an application are disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more inputs from a customer, where the one or more inputs are related to the application and identifying a context of the received one or more inputs. The method further includes executing at least one operation for the application based on the identified context.

Abstract: Method and System for tracking one or more applications are disclosed. The method includes providing a graphical user interface on a display of a client device, where the graphical user interface displays a plurality of icons, identifying one or more ongoing applications associated with a user of the client device while displaying the plurality of icons, and receiving a selection of at least one icon of the plurality of icons from the user. The method also includes executing an application development operation on the identified one or more ongoing applications based on the received selection and providing one or more responses on the display of the client device based on the executed application development operation.

Abstract: Method and System for scheduling one or more meetings are disclosed. The method includes receiving an input to schedule the one or more meetings from a customer and determining contextual information of the received input. The method also includes determining one or more attendees for the one or more meetings based on the determined contextual information and scheduling the one or more meetings based on the determined one or more attendees.

Abstract: Method and System for dynamically scheduling one or more events related to an application are disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more inputs, where the one or more inputs are related to the application, and identifying a context of the received one or more inputs. The method also includes dynamically scheduling the one or more events based on the identified context.

Abstract: Method and System for managing development of an application are disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more buildcards, where the one or more buildcards include information about the application to be developed and retrieving one or more features associated with the application to be developed based on the received one or more buildcards. The method also includes predicting a dependency matrix between the retrieved one or more features and determining a timeline for the development of the application based on the retrieved one or more features and the predicted dependency matrix.

Abstract: Method and System for allocating one or more resources to develop an application are disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more requests from a customer, where the one or more requests include information about the application to be developed and generating a buildcard based on the received one or more requests. The method further includes allocating the one or more resources to develop the application based on the generated buildcard.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that can manage access to a service from a cluster of computing nodes. An instance of the system can operate on a respective computing node. During operation, the system instance can identify an Internet Protocol (IP) address, which provides access to the service from the cluster of computing nodes to a client device at a client site. The system instance can select the computing node for hosting the IP address in the cluster of computing nodes based on a set of selection criteria. The selection is performed independently at the computing node. The system instance can then assign the IP address to the computing node. The assignment allows a request for the service to be directed to the computing node. Subsequently, the system instance can facilitate the service from the cluster of computing nodes based on the request.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth techniques for maintaining replicas of a data set. The techniques include storing, by a first node, a first replica of the data set on the first node; storing, by a second node, a second replica of the data set on the second node; and performing, by the first node and based on first metadata associated with the first replica, a first data management activity on the first replica that changes a first format of the first replica so that the first format of the first replica is different from a second format of the second replica.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that can manage access to a service from a cluster of computing nodes. An instance of the system can operate on a respective computing node. During operation, the system instance can identify an Internet Protocol (IP) address, which provides access to the service from the cluster of computing nodes to a client device at a client site. The system instance can select the computing node for hosting the IP address in the cluster of computing nodes based on a set of selection criteria. The selection is performed independently at the computing node. The system instance can then assign the IP address to the computing node. The assignment allows a request for the service to be directed to the computing node. Subsequently, the system instance can facilitate the service from the cluster of computing nodes based on the request.

Abstract: The present invention provides materials and methods of making materials, where at least one surface of the material utilizes an emulsion to controllably release active agents, which can include hydrophilic agents, into the surrounding environment. Preferably, the materials are ‘slippery’ in that liquid droplets and other compounds, such as aqueous fluids, organic compounds and microorganisms, are able to easily slide off the surface without adhering to the surface. The active agents released by the emulsion may include antimicrobial agents, antifungal agents, antibacterial agents and other molecules that can kill or otherwise reduce the number of the pathogens. The resulting materials have improved anti-fouling behaviors compared to many other existing types of anti-fouling surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention provides slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS), slippery nanoemulsion-infused porous surfaces (SNIPS), lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS), and other materials fabricated using polymers, linkers, and/or liquids and emulsions that are degradable (preferably biodegradable) and biocompatible. In addition to having reduced negative environmental effects, these coatings exhibit durable and robust anti-fouling properties against a wide range of substances and organisms, and advance new approaches to the design of biodegradable and sustainable liquid-infused materials.

Abstract: One or more non-transitory computer-readable media can store program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of organizing storage as a set of storage regions, each storage region having a fixed size; and for each storage region, storing a storage allocation structure of the storage region formatted in a first format selected from a format set including at least two formats, determining a change of an allocation feature of the storage region, based on the allocation feature of the storage region, selecting, from the format set, a second format of the storage allocation structure, and reformatting the storage allocation structure in the second format.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for importing a workload from an external system into a virtualization system. A virtual disk (vDisk) is created based on analysis of the data layout of the workload. The vDisk is sharded into a plurality of non-overlapping shards. Independently executing shard controllers are assigned to the non-overlapping shards. On an ongoing basis, the plurality of shard controllers manage respective shards of the plurality of shards. I/O activity on at least some individual ones of the plurality of shard controllers is monitored on an ongoing basis. Two or more shard controllers can be merged into a single shard controller when the I/O activity on the two or more shard controllers is measured to be below a threshold. A single shard controller can be split into two or more shard controllers when I/O activity on the single shard controller is measured to be above a threshold.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth techniques for maintaining replicas of a data set. The techniques include storing, by a first node, a first replica of the data set on the first node; storing, by a second node, a second replica of the data set on the second node; and performing, by the first node and based on first metadata associated with the first replica, a first data management activity on the first replica that changes a first format of the first replica so that the first format of the first replica is different from a second format of the second replica.

Abstract: One or more non-transitory computer-readable media can store program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of organizing storage as a set of storage regions, each storage region having a fixed size; and for each storage region, storing a storage allocation structure of the storage region formatted in a first format selected from a format set including at least two formats, determining a change of an allocation feature of the storage region, based on the allocation feature of the storage region, selecting, from the format set, a second format of the storage allocation structure, and reformatting the storage allocation structure in the second format.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal (LC)-infused materials and methods for detecting compounds or impurities in liquid samples using such materials. These slippery materials comprise a lubricating liquid, preferably a thermotropic liquid crystal, and a solid substrate able to immobilize or host the lubricating liquid. The portion of the substrate coated by the lubricating fluid forms a slippery surface able to allow droplets of various materials to slide off the slippery surface in a manner dependent on the chemical composition of the droplet, which can be used to detect the presence of analytes, impurities and other molecules within the droplet.

Abstract: The present invention provides materials and methods of making materials, where at least one surface of the material utilizes an emulsion to controllably release active agents, which can include hydrophilic agents, into the surrounding environment. Preferably, the materials are ‘slippery’ in that liquid droplets and other compounds, such as aqueous fluids, organic compounds and microorganisms, are able to easily slide off the surface without adhering to the surface. The active agents released by the emulsion may include antimicrobial agents, antifungal agents, antibacterial agents and other molecules that can kill or otherwise reduce the number of the pathogens. The resulting materials have improved anti-fouling behaviors compared to many other existing types of anti-fouling surfaces.

Abstract: This invention discloses spray-based methods for generating polymer-based coatings with a range of morphologies, chemical reactivities, and physical stabilities useful for a broad range of applications, such as for the fabrication of non-wetting and slippery surfaces. Certain embodiments of this invention provide coatings with nanoscale morphologies, physical stabilities, and chemical reactivities that are similar to or improved compared to analogous coatings and materials made using conventional dip coating or flow-based methods. These spray-based methods can also be used to fabricate coatings with substantially similar functional properties, but with improved consistency, efficiency, additional functionality, and reproducibility. In an aspect of the invention, two or more chemically reactive polymer solutions are sprayed onto a substrate to form a crosslinked polymer coating on the substrate. The polymer solutions may be applied to the substrate sequentially or simultaneously.