Abstract: Updating a firmware package including receiving an update package for the firmware package, the firmware package including currently installed components supporting one of a plurality of software layers, the update package including update components that correspond to the currently installed components; retrieving information describing a state of the currently installed components; comparing the information describing the state of the currently installed components to information describing a state of the corresponding update components; constructing a revised update package that includes only update components having a state more recent than the state of the corresponding currently installed components; and updating the currently installed components with corresponding update components of the revised update package.

Abstract: Administering a remote session between a target computing device and a remote computing device, including: identifying, by a remote session administration module, a confidentiality level of content displayed by a target computing device, the target computing device engaged in a remote session with remote computing device, the remote session carried out by software executed by the target computing device, software executed by the remote computing device, and an active data communication link between the target computing device and the remote computing device; and controlling, by the remote session administration module, the remote session in dependence upon the confidentiality level of content displayed by the target computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic time out determination during a microcontroller driven firmware update. In an embodiment, the method includes selecting by a processor of a server a firmware update to be applied by a microcontroller to firmware of the server and computing a timeout value according to a function based upon a date of production of the server. The method also includes transmitting a request to the microcontroller to apply the selected firmware update to the firmware. Finally, the method includes determining a failure state responsive to detecting a lapse in time from the request beyond the timeout value without response by the microcontroller.

Abstract: Administering a remote session between a target computing device and a remote computing device, including: identifying, by a remote session administration module, a confidentiality level of content displayed by a target computing device, the target computing device engaged in a remote session with remote computing device, the remote session carried out by software executed by the target computing device, software executed by the remote computing device, and an active data communication link between the target computing device and the remote computing device; and controlling, by the remote session administration module, the remote session in dependence upon the confidentiality level of content displayed by the target computing device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing tunneled endpoints are provided. One method includes preventing a user from accessing an endpoint that was previously accessed by the user via a first URL including an address with a first port designation, creating a constructive bookmark to the previously accessed endpoint, and establishing a tunnel to the previously accessed endpoint based on the constructive bookmark. Another method includes preventing a user from bookmarking a URL to an endpoint. A system includes a processor coupled to a memory a module for managing tunneled endpoints that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of the above methods.

Abstract: Data associated with a workload is stored in a first composite array of data storage devices, and is automatically stored in a second composite array in response to predicting failure of one of the data storage devices in the first composite array. The data may be stored in the second composite array by either converting the first composite array or migrating the data to the second composite array. One of the data storage devices may predict its own failure and issue a predictive failure alert.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer system has a plurality of chassis interconnected by cables. Each cable initially connects a unique port pair consisting of a port of one chassis and a port of another chassis. The disconnection of cables is monitored, including electronically recording a disconnection sequence in which the port pairs are disconnected by removing each cable from at least one port of the respective port pair. Visual guidance is provided for re-cabling the computer system by sequentially identifying the port pairs in a reversal of the disconnection sequence, wherein identifying each port pair includes illuminating visual indicators associated with the ports of each port pair with a matching illumination pattern.

Abstract: Propagating firmware updates in a peer-to-peer network including identifying, that one or more nodes in the network have firmware that is uplevel with respect to the downlevel node; broadcasting an update request requesting an update to the firmware; receiving a plurality of portions of the update, metadata describing each portion of the update received, and metadata describing the firmware installed on each of the plurality of nodes having firmware uplevel with respect to the downlevel node; determining, in dependence upon the metadata describing each portion of the update received and the metadata describing the firmware installed on each of the plurality of nodes having firmware uplevel with respect to the downlevel node, whether the portions of the update received comprise an entire update; and updating the firmware if the portions of the update received comprise the entire update.

Abstract: Data associated with a workload is stored in a first composite array of data storage devices, and is automatically stored in a second composite array in response to predicting failure of one of the data storage devices in the first composite array. The data may be stored in the second composite array by either converting the first composite array or migrating the data to the second composite array. One of the data storage devices may predict its own failure and issue a predictive failure alert.

Abstract: Data associated with a workload is stored in a first composite array of data storage devices that meets first data storage requirements of the workload, and is automatically stored in a second composite array in response to detecting second data storage requirements of the workload, wherein the second composite array of data storage devices meets the second data storage requirements. The data may be stored in the second composite array by either converting the first array or migrating the data to another array that more closely meets the current data storage requirements of the workload. Alternatively, the array conversion or the data migration may be performed in response to a predictive failure alert from one of the data storage devices in the first composite array.

Abstract: Data associated with a workload is stored in a first composite array of data storage devices that meets first data storage requirements of the workload, and is automatically stored in a second composite array in response to detecting second data storage requirements of the workload, wherein the second composite array of data storage devices meets the second data storage requirements. The data may be stored in the second composite array by either converting the first array or migrating the data to another array that more closely meets the current data storage requirements of the workload. Alternatively, the array conversion or the data migration may be performed in response to a predictive failure alert from one of the data storage devices in the first composite array.

Abstract: Method and system for configuring a device that has failed to obtain a network address. In one aspect of the invention, a method for remotely configuring a device includes attempting to obtain a network address from a network server over a network, and receiving a valid network address over the network from a remote device connected to the network in response to failing to obtain the network address from the network server.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing tunneled endpoints are provided. One method includes preventing a user from accessing an endpoint that was previously accessed by the user via a first URL including an address with a first port designation, creating a constructive bookmark to the previously accessed endpoint, and establishing a tunnel to the previously accessed endpoint based on the constructive bookmark. Another method includes preventing a user from bookmarking a URL to an endpoint. A system includes a processor coupled to a memory a module for managing tunneled endpoints that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of the above methods.

Abstract: Content presentation using on-demand user interfaces is provided. One embodiment comprises detecting position of a pointer by a user relative to a content element in a graphical user interface displayed on an electronic display screen; displaying a popup window at a location on the graphical user interface while the pointer hovers over the content element, wherein the popup window includes a bump zone indicating that the popup window is moveable; detecting proximity of the pointer relative to the bump zone while the pointer hovers over the content element; and transitioning the popup window to a new location on the graphical user interface based on the detected proximity and movement of the pointer relative to the bump zone.

Abstract: Managing firmware in a computing system storing a plurality of different firmware images for the same firmware includes: calculating, for each firmware image in dependence upon a plurality of predefined factors, a preference score; responsive to a failure of a particular firmware image, selecting a firmware image having a highest preference score; and failing over to the selected firmware image.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic time out determination during a microcontroller driven firmware update. In an embodiment, the method includes selecting by a processor of a server a firmware update to be applied by a microcontroller to firmware of the server and computing a timeout value according to a function based upon a date of production of the server. The method also includes transmitting a request to the microcontroller to apply the selected firmware update to the firmware. Finally, the method includes determining a failure state responsive to detecting a lapse in time from the request beyond the timeout value without response by the microcontroller.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to failover to a standby server when a primary server is under broadcast storm or denial-of-service (“DoS”) attack. A primary attack sensing module is included to monitor a rate of incoming data from a computer network to a primary server and to determine if the rate of incoming data is above a primary data rate threshold. A standby contact module is included to request a standby data rate status from a standby server in response to the primary attack module determining that the rate of incoming data to the primary server is above the primary data rate threshold. The standby server is connected to the primary server over a private network. The standby data rate status includes a determination by the standby server of whether a rate of data received by the standby server is above a standby data rate threshold. A standby receiver module is included to receive a standby data rate status from the standby server over the private network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fixed chassis power budget is dynamically allocated to a plurality of servers inserted into a multi-server chassis. An inserted server may be inventoried by sequentially identifying server components, categorically-defined component power limits, and actual component power requirements of the inventoried components. A power permission may be granted to the inserted server prior to completion of the inventory, based on power-related information inferred from a chassis and server specification or from the inventoried components.

Abstract: In a data center that includes a number of chassis, with each chassis including a chassis management module and a number of slots, each slot associated with a service processor: network address assignment includes discovering, by a chassis management module of a particular chassis, one or more other chassis management modules; negotiating, by the chassis management module with the other chassis management modules via IPv6 data communications, a chassis-specific range of IPv4 addresses available for assignment to service processors of the particular chassis; providing, by the chassis management module to the service processors of the particular chassis, in dependence upon the chassis-specific range of IPv4 addresses, a base IPv4 address; and determining, by each service processor of the particular chassis, in dependence upon the base IPv4 address and a slot identifier of the slot associated with the service processor, an IPv4 address for the service processor.

Abstract: A system and method for guiding server chassis enumeration in a computer system are disclosed. One embodiment provides a method of connecting a plurality of computer server chassis configured as a plurality of nodes. For each cable connection between any two server chassis, a port on the first of the two server chassis to which a first end of a cable is connected is identified, and a port on the second server chassis to which a second end of the cable is connected is identified. The node containing second server chassis is uniquely designated by the port designator on the first server chassis, and the node containing the first server chassis is uniquely designated by the port designator on the second server chassis. An electronic alert is generated in response to any conflicting node designator.