Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for nominating rules or policies for promotion through a policy hierarchy. An administrator at any level in a policy hierarchy may create a rule or policy. The administrator may then nominate the rule or policy for inclusion in a next higher level in the policy hierarchy. The rule or policy is evaluated at the next higher level. Responsive to an approval of the next higher level to include the rule or policy in the jurisdiction of the next higher level, the rule of policy is provided to all users under the jurisdiction. The nominating, evaluating, and providing steps may then be repeated for each higher level in the policy hierarchy.

Abstract: A system for allowing access to a driver of a vehicle based on validity information of the driver is provided. The system requires the driver to insert a valid driving license card into a card reader installed in the vehicle for checking the validity of the driving license card of the driver. The system provides access to the driver of the vehicle only if the card reader validates the driving license card of the driver. The system may also store parameter information of the vehicle onto the driving license card during the drive. The validity information stored in the driving license card may be updated by the card writer or traffic authorities based on the parameter information.

Abstract: A user alias for concealing a user's user identification is provided. When signing-on, the user inputs a user alias to a log-in shell. The log-in shell verifies the validity of the user alias. The log-in shell then obtains a user identification associated with the valid user alias.

Abstract: A method for providing mutual awareness between blind carbon copy recipients of electronic mail messages, including identifying a blind carbon copy group (BCCG) of addressees defined for an email message, and sending the email message to the BCCG addressees, where each of the email messages sent includes the addresses of each of the addressees in the BCCG.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for enhancing electronic mail (e-mail) correspondence is provided. The method includes, prior to sending an e-mail message, determining a status of a recipient of the e-mail message, and presenting the status to a user. The system includes an enhancement module to determine a status of a recipient of an e-mail message before the message is sent; and a database to store information about a previous recipients that received e-mail messages from a sender.

Abstract: A method is provided for improved computer access security, the method including protecting an access record to prevent password access to a computer via the access record, creating an alternate access record corresponding to the protected record, enabling password access to the computer via the alternate record, providing the alternate record with the access level of the protected record, and configuring the alternate record to indicate a supplemental security program to be executed once a correct password for the alternate record is provided.

Abstract: A computer system having primary and recovery file system management, the system including a computing device, an operating system, a primary file system, and a recovery file system, where each of said file systems is labeled, prior to bootstrapping by the operating system the label of the recovery file system identifies the recovery file system as a primary file system, and the operating system is operative to swap the labels of the primary and recovery file systems during bootstrapping, attempt to mount said either of the file systems whose label identifies the file system as the primary file system, and swap the labels of the primary and recovery file systems if the file system whose label identifies it as the primary file system was mounted successfully and if the successfully mounted file system is the primary file system.

Abstract: A method for maintaining a bit map of data writes, the method including associating each of a plurality of bit groups in a bit map with a different one of a plurality of segments of a data storage device, where each of the bit groups includes a plurality of bits, and setting any of the bits in any of the bit groups to indicate that any portion of the segment corresponding to the bit group has been written to, where the write order of any two of the plurality of segments that have been written to is preserved by their corresponding set bit groups.