Abstract: Provided are an article of manufacture, method, and system for using multiple sidefiles to buffer writes to primary storage volumes to transfer to corresponding secondary storage volumes in a mirror relationship. Information is provided on a mirror relationship for primary storage volumes and corresponding secondary storage volumes, wherein writes to the primary storage volumes are transferred to the secondary storage volumes according to the mirror relationship. A plurality of sidefiles are associated with the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. A write is received to one of the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. One of the sidefiles associated with the primary storage volume for which the write is received is selected and the write is buffered in the selected sidefile. Writes to the primary storage volumes buffered in the sidefiles are transferred to the corresponding secondary storage volumes.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes a host system to issue a write command, a primary storage controller to write data to a primary volume, and a secondary storage controller to mirror the data to a secondary volume. In the event the secondary storage controller is unable to mirror the data due to a busy state, a busy signal may be sent to the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller may initiate a timer in the event it receives the busy signal, and, in the event the busy state does not end before expiration of the timer, notify the host system that the primary and secondary volumes are in a suspended state. To alter the duration of the timer, the host system may be configured to dynamically alter the duration of the timer by sending a command to the primary storage controller.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes a host system to issue a write command, a primary storage device to write data to a primary volume, and a secondary storage device to mirror the data to a secondary volume. A task timer may be initiated upon sending the data from the primary storage device to the secondary storage device. The secondary storage device may also send an acknowledge signal to the primary storage device in the event it successfully mirrors the data to the secondary volume. In the event the acknowledge signal is not received before the timer expires, the primary storage device may notify the host system that the primary and secondary volumes are in a suspended state. To alter the duration of the timer, the host system may be further configured to dynamically alter the duration of the timer by sending a command to the primary storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for responsive acquisition of remote debug data. The apparatus for responsive acquisition of remote debug data is provided with a plurality of modules configured to detect an error on a local device, trigger a remote device to generate a remote debug data set in response to the error, and generate a local debug data set in response to the error. These modules in the described embodiments include a detection module, a trigger module, and a collection module.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for performing a copy operation. An instant virtual copy operation is issued from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship. The mirroring relationship is transitioned to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state. When the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation is transferred from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for detecting mismatches in a mirror volume. A receive module receives a start indicator from a primary storage system. The start indicator includes a starting location of a first block to be modified on a track in a secondary storage system. The first block corresponds to an identically located first block of a modified record in the primary storage system. The tracks the first blocks on the primary and secondary storage systems each comprise irregular count key data (“CKD”) tracks. A compare module compares the first block location indicated by the start indicator with block locations listed in track metadata. The track metadata describes user records on the irregular CKD tracks of the secondary storage system. An alert module generates an alert in response to the first block not aligning with a beginning block of a record on the secondary storage system.

Abstract: A gasket having the form of a frame is provided with a curved portion at an inner or outer periphery thereof. When used in combination with a similarly configured gasket, the two gaskets may together, upon compression, form a pinch seal. The curved portion may be provided with a chemically resistant material.

Abstract: The invention relates to improved methods of amplifying and optionally quantifying and/or identifying a plurality of selected nucleic acid molecules from a pool of nucleic acid molecules. A first round of multiplex amplification used where the amplification reaction is allowed to proceed to a point prior to that at which significant competition between amplicons for reaction components has occurred. This is the followed by a second round of amplification that typically includes a fluorescent reporter to allow for each of the selected nucleic acid sequences to be quantified. The methods are useful for the amplification and quantification of nucleic acids from a variety of sources, such as gene expression products, whereby many such products may be amplified and quantified from very limited samples and from degraded archival samples.

Abstract: A gasket having the form of a frame is provided with a curved portion at an inner or outer periphery thereof. When used in combination with a similarly configured gasket, the two gaskets may together, upon compression, form a pinch seal. The curved portion may be provided with a chemically resistant material.

Abstract: A process for producing an enzyme-resistant starch uses an aqueous feed composition that comprises (i) starch that contains at least about 50% by weight amylose, (ii) water, and (iii) alcohol. The concentration of starch in the feed composition is between about 5% and about 50% by weight, and the pH of the feed composition is between about 3.5 and about 6.5. In a first heating step, the feed composition is heated to a temperature between about 130-170° C. for about 0.1-3.0 hours. The feed composition is cooled to a temperature between about 4-70° C. for about 0.1-6.0 hours. In a second heating step, the feed composition is heated to a temperature between about 110-150° C. for about 0.1-10.0 hours. The starch is separated from the majority of the water and alcohol and is dried.

Abstract: A process for producing a starch comprises treating a feed starch that comprises amylopectin with glucanotransferase to produce a chain-extended starch, and treating the chain-extended starch with a debranching enzyme to produce a starch product that comprises amylose fragments. At least about 38% by weight of the amylose fragments have a degree of polymerization (DP) of at least about 35.

Abstract: A process for producing an enzyme-resistant starch uses an aqueous feed composition that comprises (i) starch that contains at least about 50% by weight amylose, (ii) water, and (iii) alcohol. The concentration of starch in the feed composition is between about 5% and about 50% by weight, and the pH of the feed composition is between about 3.5 and about 6.5. In a first heating step, the feed composition is heated to a temperature between about 130-170° C. for about 0.1-3.0 hours. The feed composition is cooled to a temperature between about 4-70° C. for about 0.1-6.0 hours. In a second heating step, the feed composition is heated to a temperature between about 110-150° C. for about 0.1-10.0 hours. The starch is separated from the majority of the water and alcohol and is dried.

Abstract: A method and system for updating status information in a persistent storage. The method comprises the steps of defining a table in persistent storage (NVS) for holding information about changes to the status information; and when that status information is changed, making an entry in the table to record the changed information. A task is initialized to update the information on the disk drive. This updating is done by (i) checking the table to determine if any changes have been recorded in the persistent storage, and (ii) if any changes have been recorded in the persistent storage, then copying the status information from the persistent storage to the disk drive.

Abstract: A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated, data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which the status of primary tracks updated during a volume suspension interval utilize bit maps to determine status of tracks unmodified during the suspension interval, and updated tracks and timestamps in addition to addresses. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

Abstract: An electrode structure for use, for example, in a bipolar electrolyser comprising (i) a pan with a dished recess and a flange around the periphery thereof for supporting gasket means for sealing a separator between the flanges in adjacent electrode structures, which separator is disposed between the surface of the anode of a first electrode structure and the cathode of a second electrode structure such that the anode surface is substantially parallel to and faces but is insulated and spaced apart from the cathode surface by the separator and is hermetically-sealed to the separator, (ii) an electrically conductive plate spaced from the pan, (iii) a plurality of electrically-conductive members to which the electrically conductive plate is electroconductively attached and which provide electrically-conductive pathways between the pan and the electrically conductive plate, (iv) inlet for electrolyte and (v) outlets for liquids and gases wherein where the electrode structure is an anode structure the dished recess

Abstract: A gasket having the form of a frame is provided with a curved portion at an inner or outer periphery thereof. When used in combination with a similarly configured gasket, the two gaskets may together, upon compression, form a pinch seal. The curved portion may be provided with a chemically resistant material.

Abstract: A method and system for updating status information in a persistent storage. The method comprises the steps of defining a table in persistent storage (NVS) for holding information about changes to the status information; and when that status information is changed, making an entry in the table to record the changed information. A task is initialized to update the information on the disk drive. This updating is done by (i) checking the table to determine if any changes have been recorded in the persistent storage, and (ii) if any changes have been recorded in the persistent storage, then copying the status information from the persistent storage to the disk drive.

Abstract: A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated, data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which the status of primary tracks updated during a volume suspension interval utilize bit maps to determine status of tracks unmodified during the suspension interval, and updated tracks and timestamps in addition to addresses. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

Abstract: A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which bit maps and timestamps are used to determine the status of primary tracks either lost while in flight to the secondary volume or updated during a volume suspension interval. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

Abstract: When a primary data storage subsystem receives updates for local storage and mirroring at a counterpart secondary storage subsystem, the primary subsystem institutes device-specific, fairness-driven update blocking to avoid overrunning the primary subsystem's update buffer with updates destined for any one device. Broadly, the primary subsystem first receives update requests, then logs the updates in an update buffer, then stores the logged updates in primary storage, and finally copies the updates to the secondary storage subsystem. Each update request includes update data and also identifies a targeted logical device, physical device, or other subpart of primary storage. The primary subsystem maintains a counter or other update activity indicator that represents update activity for each storage subpart, such as the number of updates stored in the buffer. For each update request, the primary subsystem determines whether target subpart's update activity exceeds a prescribed level.