Abstract: The City, County, State or Federal roadway bed surfaces, roadway shoulders and curbing, roadway barriers, surfaces on overpasses and bridges and the like are used to generate revenue by leasing or selling the space to advertisers. The surfaces can be painted, embossed, fitted with electronic signage or otherwise marked to allow for viewing by vehicles or pedestrian passers by.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for managing the performance and monitoring the status of a grid job on a grid computer of a computing grid. One aspect of the system contemplates creating a file of at least one job performance factor governing performance of grid jobs on a particular grid computer and performing the grid job on the grid computer in conformance with each job performance factor for the grid computer. Another aspect of the system contemplates forming a grid job for being performed by at least one grid computer, creating a job performance file based on the grid job, and sending the job performance file with the grid job to one of the grid computers.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for creating a virtual disk storage construct using disk storage consolidated from at least two grid computers of a computing grid. A method of the system includes locating an unused portion of a total disk storage space on disk drives of at least two grid computers of the computing grid, and presenting a portion of the total disk storage space of each of the at least two grid computers as a single virtual storage drive on at least one computer.

Abstract: A method of restoring a computer system to a state it was in when it left the factory starts with receiving a request for a new disk drive for the system. An extended parts list for the computer system is retrieved from a database or other data repository and written on the new disk drive. Software to restore the system, including operating system software and application software is also provided on the new disk drive. When the new disk drive is installed, the restoration software uses the extended parts list to select operating system software and application software to restore the computer and reboot the computer with the restored software.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system and signal-bearing medium, that saves a product code which enables use of a product on an electronic device. In various embodiments, the product code may be saved in the electronic device or at a server, either when the product is initially loaded in the electronic device or at a later, for example, when an update is loaded or maintenance is performed. When the product code is subsequently needed, the product code is retrieved from its saved location. In this way, the user is freed from needing to save and locate product codes written in booklets or pieces of paper.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment save a protected area of a storage device by booting to the protected area, copying the contents of the protected area to the user area of the storage device, rebooting to the user area, and then saving the user area to a backup storage device. In another embodiment, a restore mechanism is provided by copying the saved contents of the protected area from the backup storage device to the user area of the storage device, booting into the protected area of the storage device, and copying the saved contents into the protected area. In this way, in various embodiments the contents of the protected area of a storage device can be saved and restored.

Abstract: A command is provided in a disk drive device that enables the device to read data once, then write it twice, into different locations on the drive. The first location is specified in one embodiment, and an offset to a second location is provided. Once the first copy is written, the second copy is also written to the second location without reading the data a second time.