Abstract: Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for a user interface (UI) enabling a user to identity and modify previously transmitted electronic message from a first device to a second device; and, responsive to a modification of the previously transmitted outgoing message from the first device, generating a modification message, transmitting the modification message to the second device and, responsive to receiving the modification message on the second device, correlating the modification message to a previously received incoming message on the second device and modifying the previously received incoming message in accordance with information transmitted in conjunction with the modification message to generate a modified message.

Abstract: Each time a currently scheduled virtual machine (VM) accesses a hardware resource over a bus for the hardware resource via the currently scheduled VM running on a processor, a hardware component adjusts a bandwidth counter associated with usage of the bus for the hardware resource, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or a hypervisor managing the currently scheduled VM. Responsive to the bandwidth counter reaching a threshold value, the hardware component issues an interrupt for handling by the hypervisor to maintain bandwidth quality-of-service (QoS) of bus bandwidth related to the hardware resource. Upon expiration of a regular time interval prior to the bandwidth counter reaching the threshold value, the hardware component resets the bandwidth counter to a predetermined value associated with the currently scheduled VM, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or the hypervisor; the hardware component does not issue an interrupt. The hardware resource can be memory.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.

Abstract: Each time a currently scheduled virtual machine (VM) accesses a hardware resource over a bus for the hardware resource via the currently scheduled VM running on a processor, a hardware component adjusts a bandwidth counter associated with usage of the bus for the hardware resource, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or a hypervisor managing the currently scheduled VM. Responsive to the bandwidth counter reaching a threshold value, the hardware component issues an interrupt for handling by the hypervisor to maintain bandwidth quality-of-service (QoS) of bus bandwidth related to the hardware resource. Upon expiration of a regular time interval prior to the bandwidth counter reaching the threshold value, the hardware component resets the bandwidth counter to a predetermined value associated with the currently scheduled VM, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or the hypervisor; the hardware component does not issue an interrupt. The hardware resource can be memory.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a computer system generates a current hash value of a computer program in response to receiving a request to execute the computer program. Next, the computer system determines that the current hash value fails to match a reference hash value that was previously generated subsequent to installing the computer program on the computer system. Since the two hash values do not match each other, the computer system matches the current hash value to an updated hash value that was previously generated in response to modifying the computer program on the computer system. In turn, the computer system executes the computer program when the current hash value matches the updated hash value.

Abstract: Each time a currently scheduled virtual machine (VM) accesses a hardware resource over a bus for the hardware resource via the currently scheduled VM running on a processor, a hardware component adjusts a bandwidth counter associated with usage of the bus for the hardware resource, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or a hypervisor managing the currently scheduled VM. Responsive to the bandwidth counter reaching a threshold value, the hardware component issues an interrupt for handling by the hypervisor to maintain bandwidth quality-of-service (QoS) of bus bandwidth related to the hardware resource. Upon expiration of a regular time interval prior to the bandwidth counter reaching the threshold value, the hardware component resets the bandwidth counter to a predetermined value associated with the currently scheduled VM, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or the hypervisor; the hardware component does not issue an interrupt. The hardware resource can be memory.

Abstract: Each time a currently scheduled virtual machine (VM) accesses a hardware resource over a bus for the hardware resource via the currently scheduled VM running on a processor, a hardware component adjusts a bandwidth counter associated with usage of the bus for the hardware resource, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or a hypervisor managing the currently scheduled VM. Responsive to the bandwidth counter reaching a threshold value, the hardware component issues an interrupt for handling by the hypervisor to maintain bandwidth quality-of-service (QoS) of bus bandwidth related to the hardware resource. Upon expiration of a regular time interval prior to the bandwidth counter reaching the threshold value, the hardware component resets the bandwidth counter to a predetermined value associated with the currently scheduled VM, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or the hypervisor; the hardware component does not issue an interrupt. The hardware resource can be memory.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to implementation of an intermediate trusted state of an electronic account based upon questionable account communication(s). A profile of malicious or unauthorized activity is created, and a profile of account activity is created. As account activity takes place, the activity is assessed against one or both of the profiles to statistically determine if the activity resembles that associated with malicious or unauthorized intent. The state of the account is placed in the intermediate trusted state if the activity statistically matches the unauthorized activity profile. An authentication activity enables the trusted state to be removed and for the account activity to resume.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to implementation of an intermediate trusted state of an electronic account based upon questionable account communication(s). A profile of malicious or unauthorized activity is created, and a profile of account activity is created. As account activity takes place, the activity is assessed against one or both of the profiles to statistically determine if the activity resembles that associated with malicious or unauthorized intent. The state of the account is placed in the intermediate trusted state if the activity statistically matches the unauthorized activity profile. An authentication activity enables the trusted state to be removed and for the account activity to resume.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for selecting memory pages for compression based on a population count associated with their datasets are disclosed. For example, a dataset stored in a memory page of an uncompressed memory is analyzed. Based on the analyzing, a population count associated with the dataset is identified. The population count is compared to at least one threshold. Based on the comparing, the memory page is selected or rejected for compression.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing collaborations. Requests are received by a computer for collaboration on a topic. A set of experts is identified by the computer having expertise in the topic for the collaboration and having activity prior to the collaboration relating to the topic to predict a likelihood of participation by the respective expert in the collaboration. The set of experts are identified from searching a number of collections of information.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for control access to a contested resource. When a lock acquisition request is received from a virtual machine, the partition management firmware determines whether the lock acquisition request is received within a preemption period of a time slice allocated to the virtual machine. If the lock acquisition request is received within the preemption period, the partition management firmware ends the time slice early, and performs a context switch.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for protecting memory of a virtual guest includes initializing a virtual guest on a host computing system. The host computing system includes a virtual machine manager that manages operation of the virtual guest. The virtual guest includes a distinct operating environment executing in a virtual operation platform provided by the virtual machine manager. The method includes receiving an allocation of run-time memory for the virtual guest, the allocation of run-time memory comprising a portion of run-time memory of the host computing system. The method includes setting, by the virtual guest, at least a portion of the allocation of run-time memory to be inaccessible by the virtual machine manager.

Abstract: The method for protecting memory of a virtual guest includes initializing a virtual guest on a host computing system. The host computing system includes a virtual machine manager that manages operation of the virtual guest. The virtual guest includes a distinct operating environment executing in a virtual operation platform provided by the virtual machine manager. The method includes receiving an allocation of run-time memory for the virtual guest, the allocation of run-time memory comprising a portion of run-time memory of the host computing system. The method includes setting, by the virtual guest, at least a portion of the allocation of run-time memory to be inaccessible by the virtual machine manager.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for scheduling tasks across multiple processor units of differing capacity. In a multiple processor unit system with processor units of disparate speeds, it is advantageous to have the most processing-intensive tasks run on the processor units with the highest capacity. All tasks are initially scheduled on the lowest capacity processor units. Because processor units with higher capacity are more likely to have idle time, these higher capacity processor units may pull one or more tasks onto themselves from the same or lower capacity processor units. A processor unit will attempt to pull tasks that utilize a larger percentage of the timeslice. When a higher capacity processor unit is overloaded or near capacity, the higher capacity processor unit may push tasks to processor units with the same or lower capacity. A processor unit will attempt to push tasks that utilize a smaller percentage of the timeslice.

Abstract: Each time a currently scheduled virtual machine (VM) accesses a hardware resource over a bus for the hardware resource via the currently scheduled VM running on a processor, a hardware component adjusts a bandwidth counter associated with usage of the bus for the hardware resource, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or a hypervisor managing the currently scheduled VM. Responsive to the bandwidth counter reaching a threshold value, the hardware component issues an interrupt for handling by the hypervisor to maintain bandwidth quality-of-service (QoS) of bus bandwidth related to the hardware resource. Upon expiration of a regular time interval prior to the bandwidth counter reaching the threshold value, the hardware component resets the bandwidth counter to a predetermined value associated with the currently scheduled VM, without involvement of the currently scheduled VM or the hypervisor; the hardware component does not issue an interrupt. The hardware resource can be memory.

Abstract: Memory pages are selected for compression based on the population count associated with their datasets. For example, a dataset stored in a memory page of an uncompressed memory is analyzed. Based on the analyzing, a population count associated with the dataset is calculated. The population count is compared to at least one threshold. Based on the comparing, the memory page is selected or rejected for compression.