Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for packet prioritization based on delivery time expectation. Exemplary embodiments include receiving a packet for routing, estimating a TimeToDestination for the packet, the estimating performed by a Internet Control Message Protocol, reading a TimeToDeliver field from each the Internet Protocol Header of the packet to extract data on when the packet needs to be at the destination, determining a MaxQueueDelay for the packet, the MaxQueueDelay calculated by subtracting the TimeToDeliver from the TimeToDestination, passing a lower priority packet if the lower priority packet has a lower MaxQueueDelay, and decrementing the TimeToDeliver by an amount of time the network router has had the packet in the queue before passing the packet to a next router, thereby communicating to the next router how much time is left before the packet must be delivered.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for packet prioritization based on delivery time expectation. Exemplary embodiments include receiving a packet for routing, estimating a TimeToDestination for the packet, the estimating performed by a Internet Control Message Protocol, reading a TimeToDeliver field from each the Internet Protocol Header of the packet to extract data on when the packet needs to be at the destination, determining a MaxQueueDelay for the packet, the MaxQueueDelay calculated by subtracting the TimeToDeliver from the TimeToDestination, passing a lower priority packet if the lower priority packet has a lower MaxQueueDelay, and decrementing the TimeToDeliver by an amount of time the network router has had the packet in the queue before passing the packet to a next router, thereby communicating to the next router how much time is left before the packet must be delivered.

Abstract: Mapping computers and ports of power distribution units in a data center, the data center including a plurality of computers and a data center management server, each computer in the data center connected for power to one of a plurality of power distribution unit (‘PDU’) ports of a PDU, each PDU connected through the communications module and a data communications network to the data center management server, including generating, by a power modulating module of a computer, a power consumption signal in the PDU, the power consumption signal encoding a unique identification of the computer; demodulating, by the PDU, the power consumption signal, including retrieving from the signal the unique identification of the computer; and reporting, by the PDU to the data center management server, an association of the unique identification of the computer and a PDU port.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for detecting an increase in thermal resistance of a heat sink in a computer system, the heat sink dissipating heat for a component of the computer system, the computer system including a fan controlling airflow across the heat sink, the computer system also including a temperature monitoring device, including: measuring, by a monitoring module through use of the temperature monitoring device during operation of the computer system, thermal resistance of the heat sink; determining whether the measured thermal resistance of the heat sink is greater than a threshold thermal resistance, the threshold thermal resistance stored in a thermal profile in non-volatile memory, and if the measured thermal resistance of the heat sink is greater than the threshold thermal resistance, notifying a system administrator.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for optimizing a physical data communications topology between a plurality of computing nodes, the physical data communications topology including physical links configured to connect the plurality of nodes for data communications, that include carrying out repeatedly at a predetermined pace: detecting network packets transmitted through the links between each pair of nodes in the physical data communications topology, each network packet characterized by one or more packet attributes; assigning, to each network packet, a packet weight in dependence upon the packet attributes for that network packet; determining, for each pair of nodes in the physical data communications topology, a node pair traffic weight in dependence upon the packet weights assigned to the network packets transferred between that pair of nodes; and reconfiguring the physical links between each pair of nodes in dependence upon the node pair traffic weights.

Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a memory switching data processing system is provided. The memory switching data processing system includes one or more central processing units (‘CPUs’); random access memory organized in at least two banks of memory modules; one or more memory buses providing communications paths for data among the CPUs and the memory modules; and a flexibly configurable memory bus switch comprising a first configuration adapting the first CPU to a first bank of memory modules and a second CPU to a second bank of memory modules and a second configuration adapting the first CPU to both the first bank of memory modules and the second bank of memory modules.

Abstract: A memory switching data processing system including one or more central processing units (‘CPUs’); random access memory organized in at least two banks of memory modules; one or more memory buses providing communications paths for data among the CPUs and the memory modules; and a flexibly configurable memory bus switch comprising a first configuration adapting the first CPU to a first bank of memory modules and a second CPU to a second bank of memory modules and a second configuration adapting the first CPU to both the first bank of memory modules and the second bank of memory modules.

Abstract: Establishing, with a USB RAID controller connected to a USB hub and with USB mass storage devices connected to the USB hub and the USB RAID controller through USB connectors, the USB hub controlled by a USB host controller, a RAID array including enumerating, by the USB host controller, the USB mass storage devices, including discovering the USB RAID controller; receiving, by the USB RAID controller from a RAID console application program, an instruction to designate USB connectors as RAIDable USB connectors, the instruction including selected USB connectors; designating, by the USB RAID controller, the selected USB connectors as RAIDable USB connectors; enumerating by the USB RAID controller the USB mass storage devices connected to the RAIDable USB connectors; configuring by the USB RAID controller a RAID array, the RAID array including the USB mass storage devices; and storing, through the USB RAID controller, computer data on the RAID array.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for implementing a redundant array of inexpensive drives (‘RAID’) with an external RAID controller and hard disk drives from separate computers, including configuring by the external RAID controller a RAID array, the RAID array comprising hard disk drives from the separate computers, the external RAID controller comprising a hardware RAID controller installed externally with respect to the separate computers, and storing, by one or more of the separate computers through the external RAID controller, computer data on the RAID array.

Abstract: A method for supporting multiple interface standards in a connection between a computer system and a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) unit is disclosed. The method includes receiving a message indicating an initialization routine and reading a first indicator associated with a first interface standard. The method further includes loading configuration data for the first interface standard. The method further includes configuring a RAID initiator using the configuration data, if the first interface standard is identical to the actual interface standard to which the RAID unit is coupled.