Abstract: Method and systems for securely and accurately authenticating a payment card by using biometric information associated with an authorized user is provided. The method may be implemented by providing a payment card that includes a processor; a display area coupled to the processor and configured to hide account information when the payment card has not been authenticated and to display the account information for a predetermined time interval when the payment card is authenticated; a sensor coupled to the processor and configured to capture biometric information of a user; and a communication interface coupled to the processor and configured to facilitate wireless communication with a mobile smart phone.

Abstract: An engine exhaust braking system includes: a valve control system for controlling states of exhaust valves of an engine; and a control module including a memory configured to store an exhaust valve pressure equalization algorithm. The control module is configured to execute instructions of the exhaust valve pressure equalization algorithm. The instructions include: determining whether the engine is operating in an engine exhaust braking mode; and in response to the engine operating in the engine exhaust braking mode, controlling the valve control system to reopen one or more of the exhaust valves during corresponding intake strokes of the engine to equalize pressures between interior and exterior sides of the one or more exhaust valves.

Abstract: A valve assembly includes a valve body defining a bore therein, a valve stem, a spring retainer, a valve spring, and a detent mechanism. The valve stem extends through the bore in the valve body and is adjustable between an open position and a closed position. The spring retainer is spaced apart from the valve body along a longitudinal axis of the valve stem and fixed relative to the valve body. The spring retainer defines a bore through which the valve stem extends. The valve spring is captured between the valve body and the spring retainer and is configured to apply a biasing force to the valve stem that biases the valve stem toward the closed position. The detent mechanism is configured to increase the biasing force applied to the valve stem when the valve stem is in the closed position or within a predetermined distance of the closed position.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining data from a host, wherein the data is associated with an object identifier (ID), initiating a classification mapping update to obtain a classification entry, applying an erasure coding procedure to the data to obtain a plurality of data chunks and at least one parity chunk, deduplicating the plurality of data chunks to obtain a plurality of deduplicated data chunks, generating storage metadata associated with the plurality of deduplicated data chunks and the at least one parity chunk, generating an object entry associated with the plurality of data chunks, and the at least one parity chunk, wherein the object entry comprises the object ID and a classification ID, storing the storage metadata and the object entry in an accelerator pool, and storing the plurality of deduplicated data chunks and the at least one parity chunk.

Abstract: A method and system for drift remediation of outcome-based configurations for IT environments. Existing solutions directed to implementing multi-tier configurations on bare-metal IT infrastructure tend to require specialized tools and skills on a tier-by-tier basis. A more unified approach, where a single or singleton configuration that defines and implements the desired state (or outcome) of one or more tiers, is sought and thus proposed. Within this disclosure, remediation of any drifts, from said desired outcome(s), is emphasized.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting person to person (P2P) transactions using points are disclosed. In one embodiment, in an information processing apparatus comprising at least one computer processor, a method for person-to-person reward points gifting may include: (1) receiving, from a bank customer, a request to issue a reward points gift to a gift recipient, the request identifying gift recipient contact information for the gift recipient and a reward points amount; (2) sending a notification to the gift recipient contact information for the gift recipient to log in a gift recipient account to redeem the reward points gift; and (3) transferring the reward points amount to a gift recipient reward points account.

Abstract: A method and system for collaborative workload placement and optimization. Specifically, the disclosed method and system entail implementing metric exchange between hosts in a clustered or non-clustered environment to perform infrastructure workload placement and optimization decisions. The exchange of metrics may be performed through a lightweight service, which would not impact any existing environment resource utilization. Further, resource utilization maps may be used to offer near real-time tracking of resource utilization across the aforementioned hosts, thereby facilitating resource utilization forecasting for the efficient placement and optimization of workloads throughout the environment.

Abstract: A method and system for outcome-based compliance and security configurations for IT environments. Existing solutions directed to implementing multi-tier configurations on bare-metal IT infrastructure tend to require specialized tools and skills on a tier-by-tier basis. A more unified approach, where a single or singleton configuration that defines and implements the desired state (or outcome) of one or more tiers, is sought and thus proposed. Within this disclosure, implementation of security and regulatory compliance policies, is emphasized.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining, by a management module, a resource device replacement request specifying a first resource device, in response to the resource device replacement request: updating a resource allocation master list to specify a failed status of the first resource device, selecting a second resource device using the resource allocation master list based on a standby status of the second resource device, updating a resource device entry associated with the second resource device to specify an in use status of the second resource device, and initiating a resource device replacement for the second resource device.

Abstract: A method and system for outcome-based workload configurations for IT environments. Existing solutions directed to implementing multi-tier configurations on bare-metal IT infrastructure tend to require specialized tools and skills on a tier-by-tier basis. A more unified approach, where a single or singleton configuration that defines and implements the desired state (or outcome) of one or more tiers, is sought and thus proposed. Within this disclosure, implementation of workload deployment policies, is emphasized.

Abstract: A method and system for on-premises to cloud workload migration through cyclic deployment and evaluation. Existing processes for transferring on-premises workloads onto the public cloud are often painstakingly manual and laborious, in order to ensure proper workload interoperability between the different infrastructures. To address this existing dilemma in inter-infrastructure workload migration, the disclosed method and system employs a cyclic monitoring, deploying, and evaluating scheme to automate and implement optimal strategies for migrating on-premises workloads onto public and/or hybrid cloud computing environments.

Abstract: A method for managing a cloud service provider (CSP) includes detecting, by a service instance monitoring agent, usage of an infrastructure direct tracing (IDT) component, wherein the CSP comprises the IDT component, based on the usage, identifying a service instance associated with the usage of the IDT component, identifying a hardware resource corresponding to the IDT component, updating a resource usage data structure that specifies the IDT component, the usage, and the hardware resource, and providing a resource usage report to a client associated with the IDT component.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for managing data, the method includes obtaining data from a host, applying an erasure coding procedure to the data to obtain a plurality of data chunks and at least one parity chunk, deduplicating the plurality of data chunks to obtain a plurality of deduplicated data chunks, generating storage metadata associated with the plurality of deduplicated data chunks and the at least one parity chunk, storing the storage metadata in an accelerator pool, storing, across a plurality of fault domains, the plurality of deduplicated data chunks and the at least one parity chunk, and initiating storage metadata distribution on the storage metadata across the plurality of fault domains.

Abstract: In general, embodiments of the invention relate to storing data and managing the stored data in linked nodes. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to nodes linked together in a daisy chain configuration such as, but not limited to, a single-chain configuration and a dual-chain configuration, which use data protection domain (DPD) information to determine where and/or how to store the data.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining a workload generation request, wherein the workload generation request specifies a security compliant rule, in response to the workload generation request: selecting a first set of resource devices using a resource allocation master list, initiating a security compliance test on the first set of resource devices to obtain a security compliance result, making a first determination, based on the security compliance result, that the first set of resource devices meet a security compliance criterion, and in response to the first determination: storing a virtual certificate in a security compliance database based on the security compliance result, and allocating the first set of resource devices to a workload based on the workload generation request.

Abstract: A data storage system includes storage and a global enumerator. The storage stores data chunks, object level metadata associated with portions of the data chunks, and chunk level metadata associated with respective data chunks. The global enumerator obtains an update request including a metadata characteristic and update data; in response to obtaining the update request: matches the metadata characteristic to at least one selected from a group consisting of a portion of the object level metadata and a portion of the chunk level metadata to identify an implicated metadata portion; and modifies, based on the update data, the implicated metadata portion.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining, by a management module, a workload generation request, wherein the workload generation request specifies a plurality of resource devices, identifying available resource devices in a resource device pool based on the plurality of resource devices, performing a latency analysis on the available resource devices to obtain a plurality of resource device combinations and a total latency cost of each resource device combination, and selecting a resource device combination of the plurality of resource device combinations based on the total latency cost of each resource device combination, wherein the resource device combination comprises a second plurality of resource devices and wherein each of the second plurality of resource devices is one of the plurality of resource devices.

Abstract: In general, embodiments of the invention relate to storing data and managing the stored data in linked nodes. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to nodes linked together in a daisy chain configuration such as, but not limited to, a single-chain configuration and a dual-chain configuration, which use data protection domain (DPD) information to determine where and/or how to store the data.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining a workload generation request, wherein the workload generation request specifies a security compliant rule, in response to the workload generation request: selecting a first set of resource devices using a resource allocation master list, initiating a security compliance test on the first set of resource devices to obtain a security compliance result, making a first determination, based on the security compliance result, that the first set of resource devices meet a security compliance criterion, and in response to the first determination: storing a virtual certificate in a security compliance database based on the security compliance result, and allocating the first set of resource devices to a workload based on the workload generation request.

Abstract: Method and systems for securely and accurately authenticating a payment card by using biometric information associated with an authorized user is provided. The method may be implemented by providing a payment card that includes a processor; a display area coupled to the processor and configured to hide account information when the payment card has not been authenticated and to display the account information for a predetermined time interval when the payment card is authenticated; a sensor coupled to the processor and configured to capture biometric information of a user; and a communication interface coupled to the processor and configured to facilitate wireless communication with a mobile smart phone.