Abstract: Embodiments are directed to dynamically creating and managing a plurality of virtual machines and automating the instantiation and provisioning of a plurality of virtual machines. A computer system receives a user request to create virtual machines, where each virtual machine is controlled by an associated workflow. The computer system accesses a provisioning schema that indicates various configuration settings that are to be used by the associated workflow when provisioning the virtual machines. The computer system initiates a virtual service layer configured to support multiple virtual machine hosts, where each host is configured to operate at least one virtual machine. The computer system also instantiates the virtual machines on at least one virtual machine host according to the accessed provisioning schema, so that each virtual machine is provisioned according to the indicated configuration settings.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for making a salt of a carboxylic acid. The process comprises contacting a catalyst with an alkaline mixture comprising a primary alcohol. In one embodiment, the catalyst comprises a metal supporting structure (preferably a metal sponge supporting structure comprising at least about 10% by weight nickel) having a copper-containing active phase at the surface thereof and iron as a catalyst modifier. The supporting structure is resistant to deformation under the conditions of the dehydrogenation reaction. This invention is also directed to novel nickel-containing catalysts having a copper-containing active phase and iron as a catalyst modifier which may, for example, be used in the above process. This invention is further directed to processes for making such catalysts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rigidifying structure used to support half shells of a stamp-formed muffler by connecting at least one of the half shells to an inner plate disposed in the space between the half shells so that shell noise is minimized.

Abstract: A muffler assembly includes a pair of outer shells mating to define a muffler chamber and a pair of internal tuning plates mating to define inlet and outlet tubes in the muffler chamber. Drop-in baffles are used to divide the muffler chamber into an expansion chamber, a pair of exhaust turnaround chambers, and a pair of resonance chambers. The two outer shells and first tuning plates are mechanically locked together at the perimeter of the muffler assembly and the second tuning plate is piggybacked onto the first tuning plate to reduce the number of material layers included in the mechanical lock. Each of the outer shells includes one or more ribs and channels for stiffening the outer shell to reduce vibration noise and to conduct condensate developing in the muffler chamber either to a hotter region where it will vaporize or to a drain.