Abstract: A computer system accesses a list of connections. The list of connections identifies computers, protocols, and/or types of connections that can be used. The computer system attempts to establish a connection to a server. While establishing the connection, the computer system can store a user's credential. If the connection to the server fails, the computer system attempts to access a connection from the list, and uses the stored user credential (if it exists) to authenticate the user on the new connection without requesting the credential anew from the user.

Abstract: A customized VM image, for example of Linux software, is created by allowing a user to select packages that the user is interested in installing. During the process, the user is informed if two of the packages that were selected will not be interoperable at run-time. The user is then given an opportunity to resolve the conflict. The user is also informed if selected packages depend on other packages that were not selected in order to run properly, and given the opportunity to include those needed packages in the VM image. Once the selected packages have been validated that they will interoperate and all dependencies are satisfied, the system can build and install the VM image. The VM image can also include applications, and not just packages used in assembling an operating system image.

Abstract: A customized installation, e.g. of Linux software, is created by allowing a user to select packages that the user is interested in installing. During the process, the user is informed if two of the packages that were selected will not be interoperable at run-time. The user is then given an opportunity to resolve the conflict. The user is also informed if selected packages depend on other packages that were not selected in order to run properly, and given the opportunity to include those needed packages in the installation. Once the selected packages have been validated that they will interoperate and all dependencies are satisfied, the system can install the installation.

Abstract: A customized distribution, e.g. of Linux software, is built using only packages that satisfy a customer's individual requirements. The packages are verified, at build time, to be interoperable at run-time. Also, the distribution is verified to ensure all package dependencies are included. In cases where no package already exists that meets a user requirements, a new package can be created for this purpose. The packages in the distribution customized for the user can be tracked, so that as updates to the packages are released, the customer can be notified about those updates (without being notified about packages not in the customer's customized distribution). Finally, once the distribution has been built for the user, it can then be offered as a general-purpose distribution for future customers.

Abstract: A method and system to resolve a cluster failure in a networked environment is described. The method can include: configuring the application program in a directory based distributed configuration repository on the first cluster; replicating the application program's configuration via the external directory to the second cluster; mirroring the application's data on a first mirrored volume to a second mirrored volume; detecting failure of the first cluster; activating the second mirrored volume at the second cluster; and restarting the application program on the second cluster.

Abstract: A method for detecting and resolving a partition condition in a cluster of computers in a networked environment is described. In one example, the method includes creating a scratch pad area and dividing the scratch pad into slots. Each slot is associated with a node within the cluster. A generation number and a list of known nodes are recorded in each slot when a change of membership occurs in the cluster. The slots are compared to ensure the generation number and the list of known nodes matches in each slot, and the partition condition is resolved by creating a list of surviving nodes and re-allocating appropriate resources to each of the surviving nodes.

Abstract: A method and system to detect and resolve a partition condition in a cluster of computers in a networked environment is described. The method can include: creating a scratch pad area accessible by the cluster of computers; dividing the scratch pad into a plurality of slots; recording in the plurality of slots, a generation number and a list of known nodes by each one of the plurality of notes, wherein an identifier is written in the list for each node that is known to a writing node; comparing each slot of the plurality of slots to ensure the generation number and the list of known nodes matches in each slot of the plurality of slots; and resolving the partition condition by creating a list of surviving nodes and re-allocating appropriate resources to each of the surviving nodes.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are provided for managing resources in a computing cluster. The managed resources include cluster nodes themselves, as well as sharable resources such as memory buffers and bandwidth credits that may be used by one or more nodes. Resource management includes detecting failures and possible failures by node software, node hardware, interconnects, and system area network switches and taking steps to compensate for failures and prevent problems such as uncoordinated access to a shared disk. Resource management also includes reallocating sharable resources in response to node failure, demands by application programs, or other events. Specific examples provided include failure detection by remote memory probes, emergency communication through a shared disk, and sharable resource allocation with minimal locking.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are provided for managing resources in a computing cluster. The managed resources include cluster nodes themselves, as well as sharable resources such as memory buffers and bandwidth credits that may be used by one or more nodes. Resource management includes detecting failures and possible failures by node software, node hardware, interconnects, and system area network switches and taking steps to compensate for failures and prevent problems such as uncoordinated access to a shared disk. Resource management also includes reallocating sharable resources in response to node failure, demands by application programs, or other events. Specific examples provided include failure detection by remote memory probes, emergency communication through a shared disk, and sharable resource allocation with minimal locking.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are provided for managing resources in a computing cluster. The managed resources include cluster nodes themselves, as well as sharable resources such as memory buffers and bandwidth credits that may be used by one or more nodes. Resource management includes detecting failures and possible failures by node software, node hardware, interconnects, and system area network switches and taking steps to compensate for failures and prevent problems such as uncoordinated access to a shared disk. Resource management also includes reallocating sharable resources in response to node failure, demands by application programs, or other events. Specific examples provided include failure detection by remote memory probes, emergency communication through a shared disk, and sharable resource allocation with minimal locking.

Abstract: An adaptive vision based controller for controlling a robot arm comprises a camera, a segmenter for analyzing images from the camera, a tracker, sketcher and ranger responsive to information from the segmenter for creating a three dimensional segmented data list, a recognizer for receiving the data list and comparing data in the list against a database of plausible objects, and a planner interactive with the recognizer and responsive to task definitions for developing control outputs. The recognizer uses scenic information such as feature maps produced by the segmenter in conjunction with a knowledge base to construct a world model. The planner uses the world model and the task definitions to construct a plan in the form of a set of actions for accomplishing the defined task. By way of the control system, information about how the robot arm is actually performing a task can be compared with the desired task and the task can be updated if necessary.