Abstract: Computer resources in a computer network can be predictively monitored where those resources are conventionally monitored using a monitoring rule. For predictive monitoring, the current values of the parameters of the monitoring rule are tracked at regular intervals. The current values are used in an “inverted” or predictive form of the conventional monitoring rule to derive a predictive value that is indicative of the imminence of a defined event. The monitoring system may be instructed to report a predictive value that exceeds a predetermined percentage of the final value at which the resource event will be deemed to have occurred. The earlier report increases the chances the network manager will have sufficient time to take appropriate preemptive action to prevent actual occurrence of the event.

Abstract: A roof for a computer rack aisle is provided. The roof has a canopy that may be flexible and/or fire-resistant. The canopy has a retracted position an extended position. In the retracted position, the canopy may be wound around a spool. In the extended position the canopy may cover the top of an aisle between two computer racks. A selectively releasable retainer holds the canopy in the extended position while releasing the canopy to return to the retracted position when a predetermined condition is met. The canopy retractor is provided to return the canopy to a retracted position. The canopy having first and second lateral edges with flanges running from a position approximate a front portion of the canopy and to a position approximate a rear portion of the canopy. The flanges can be received within a canopy guide track to facilitate the smooth movement from the extend position to the retracted position.

Abstract: Managing a computer system including automatically adjusting two separate component thresholds (a component threshold pair) based on a statistical model. Specifically, a first component threshold is modeled to predict violations of an SLO based on a violation of the first component threshold and a second, separate component threshold is modeled to predict a non-violation (compliance) of an SLO based on a non-violation of the second component threshold. Over time, the values of the component thresholds may change and one component threshold may be greater than the other component threshold at one time, and vice versa at another time. A component metric reading between the first and second component thresholds indicates that a prediction of an SLO violation or compliance is less certain, and a warning may be issued rather than an alert.

Abstract: A diesel fuel composition is disclosed that requires a reduced amount of petroleum-based diesel and provides lower level of emissions, while maintaining the desired performances of the petroleum-based diesel. The disclosed fuel composition comprises a petroleum-based diesel and at least about 5% by volume of levulinate ester, and may be substantially free of alkanolamides, alcohols, or combinations thereof. When desired, the fuel composition may include biodiesel and other additives. The disclosed fuel composition may be formulated such that its performances are in compliance with the ASTM D975 standard.

Abstract: A process for producing levulinic acid and its esters from biomass is disclosed comprising: (i) feed preparation module characterized by subjecting biomass to a high-temperature refining treatment; (ii) hydrolysis reaction module that facilitates the hydrolysis of biomass to its respective sugars and their subsequent transformation to levulinic acid, formic acid, furfural, and char as well as facilitates the separation of lignin-based char by-product; (iii) product separation and recovery module utilizing a solvent extraction technique such as using furfural by-product as extracting solvent; and (iv) optionally, conversion of levulinic acid to levulinate ester. When desired, the disclosed process may be integrated into existing pulp mills.

Abstract: A context-sensitive pre-evaluation analysis of a set of rules is performed based on the circumstance or the current state of a rule clause directed to an infrequently changing condition. A group of multiple-clause rules are identified which each have a clause defining an infrequently changing condition for evaluating a state of a resource. The current state of the resource is monitored. If the identified group of multiple-clause rules, which cannot evaluate as TRUE under the context of the current state the resource, the identified group of multiple-clause rules are excluded from consideration by the rules engine. The rules engine will then encounter fewer rules to evaluate for a solution. The identified group of multiple-clause rules is further analyzed in the context of the infrequently changing condition for the current resource state. State metrics that are defined by clauses of the identified multiple-clause rules, those that cannot evaluate as TRUE, are identified.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for determining software complexity. A plurality of versions of a software module whose complexity is to be determined are compressed. Lengths of the compressed versions are compared, one with another, to provide complexity metrics.

Abstract: An interface for managing incremental data storage includes a write function that appends an entry to an incremental log, a read function that retrieves a most recent log entry corresponding to a block address, and a snapshot function that automatically partitions the incremental log into an additional volume. The interface may also include a policy assignment function that associates specified policies with explicitly or implicitly specified resources, a read entry function that retrieves sequential entries from the incremental log, and a compact volume function. The provided functions and associated apparatus, method, and system, facilitate management of incremental data including snapshot, remote copy, data compaction, policy management, data restoration, and other operations on data storage devices and systems.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for workload categorization for detecting role changes in a host computing device. A workload characterization system for detecting role changes in a host computing device can include a transaction logging and change detection processor. The processor can be configured to log and detect role changes in the host computing device through an instrumentation monitoring interface to underlying applications supporting a workload based upon a comparison of workload patterns generated from logged transaction executions.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the availability of an application in a distributed data processing environment are provided. The performance aspects of application availability are defined in terms of easily observed and computed characteristics of the application as it behaves in a deployed environment with the deployed configuration. The system and method observe the application processes, the structural resources they require, and the consumable resources they require from the running system itself. These observations are then used to derive minimum requirements for the resource requirement aspects of availability as well as derive criteria for normal behavioral conditions. These minimum requirements and normal behavioral conditions are then used to establish monitoring rules or conditions for monitoring the operation of the application to determine if availability of the application is degrading such that a notification needs to be sent to an administrator.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for managing network connectivity between a plurality of nodes and a network resource. The network resource includes a primary path to the nodes and at least one redundant path. A detecting module is configured to determine if the primary path is unavailable to at least one affected node belonging to the plurality of nodes. A switching module is configured to presumptively switch the affected node to the redundant path if the primary path is unavailable. An initiating module configured to initiate a voting procedure among the plurality of nodes to select a new path to the network resource, wherein data flow at the affected node through the redundant path continues during the voting procedure.

Abstract: Computer resources in a computer network can be predictively monitored where those resources are conventionally monitored using a monitoring rule. For predictive monitoring, the current values of the parameters of the monitoring rule are tracked at regular intervals. The current values are used in an “inverted” or predictive form of the conventional monitoring rule to derive a predictive value that is indicative of the imminence of a defined event. The monitoring system may be instructed to report a predictive value that exceeds a predetermined percentage of the final value at which the resource event will be deemed to have occurred. The earlier report increases the chances the network manager will have sufficient time to take appropriate preemptive action to prevent actual occurrence of the event.

Abstract: A method for maximizing a utility of a service contract by optimizing target response time for a performance service level objective is provided. A set of criteria are provided to ensure that performance requirements for the service are met. The method comprises determining one or more usage windows for providing a service, wherein each usage window is associated with a performance requirement and a time period; extracting usage patterns for each usage window based on historical data provided from monitoring requests for service in each usage window; extracting response time per transaction associated with said requests based on historical data provided from monitoring responses provided to said requests in each usage window; and calculating optimal probability for breach in each usage window (Pi) and determining the associated target response time, based on the usage pattern for each window and the response time per transaction.

Abstract: Under the present invention, the performances of a plurality of similarly configured nodes are monitored and compared. If one of the nodes exhibits a performance that varies from the performances of the other nodes by more than a current tolerance, an operational risk is detected. If detected, an alert can be generated and one or more corrective actions implemented to address the operational risk.

Abstract: A monitor for information technology resources improved by introducing typicality filters to analyze potential event indicators such as alerts. A typicality filter keeps a time-dependent history of the frequency of occurrence of an associated event, wherein time is segmented into monitoring periods. At the end of each monitoring period, a present count of occurrences of the event is determined, and compared with the numbers of occurrences of that event in a subset of monitoring periods read from the history. If the present count exceeds the number of occurrences of the event in a predetermined proportion of the subset of historical monitoring periods, a first action is invoked; otherwise, a second action is invoked.

Abstract: Under the present invention, the performances of a plurality of similarly configured nodes are monitored and compared. If one of the nodes exhibits a performance that varies from the performances of the other nodes by more than a current tolerance, an operational risk is detected. If detected, an alert can be generated and one or more corrective actions implemented to address the operational risk.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the availability of an application in a distributed data processing environment are provided. The performance aspects of application availability are defined in terms of easily observed and computed characteristics of the application as it behaves in a deployed environment with the deployed configuration. The system and method observe the application processes, the structural resources they require, and the consumable resources they require from the running system itself. These observations are then used to derive minimum requirements for the resource requirement aspects of availability as well as derive criteria for normal behavioral conditions. These minimum requirements and normal behavioral conditions are then used to establish monitoring rules or conditions for monitoring the operation of the application to determine if availability of the application is degrading such that a notification needs to be sent to an administrator.

Abstract: In a typical computer network, at least some of the managed resources are monitored to determine whether those resources are meeting predetermined performance goals or service level objectives. To simplify the process of configuring a network monitor, information about the service level objectives is loaded into the resource itself. When the resource is detected, the service level objective information is extracted from the resource information and made available to a translating engine. The translating engine converts the extracted information to monitoring directions that are used to configure the network monitor. Embodiments in which new resources are detected either buying a registration process or a polling process are described.

Abstract: A monitor for information technology resources improved by introducing typicality filters to analyze potential event indicators such as alerts. A typicality filter keeps a time-dependent history of the frequency of occurrence of an associated event, wherein time is segmented into monitoring periods. At the end of each monitoring period, a present count of occurrences of the event is determined, and compared with the numbers of occurrences of that event in a subset of monitoring periods read from the history. If the present count exceeds the number of occurrences of the event in a predetermined proportion of the subset of historical monitoring periods, a first action is invoked; otherwise, a second action is invoked.

Abstract: A context-sensitive pre-evaluation analysis of a set of rules is performed based on the circumstance or the current state of a rule clause directed to an infrequently changing condition. A group of multiple-clause rules are identified which each have a clause defining an infrequently changing condition for evaluating a state of a resource. The current state of the resource is monitored. If the identified group of multiple-clause rules, which cannot evaluate as TRUE under the context of the current state the resource, the identified group of multiple-clause rules are excluded from consideration by the rules engine. The rules engine will then encounter fewer rules to evaluate for a solution. The identified group of multiple-clause rules is further analyzed in the context of the infrequently changing condition for the current resource state. State metrics that are defined by clauses of the identified multiple-clause rules, those that cannot evaluate as TRUE, are identified.