Abstract: Hybrid food container lids convertible into cutlery may include a scoop section and a handle section. The scoop section may be defined by an outer edge of the lid or a tear strip formed in the lid. The handle may fold against the scoop as the lid is attached to a container. The handle may include a first guiding line that defines a first fold of the handle. The first fold may bring the sides of the handle together. Another guiding line may define a second fold of the handle that causes the scoop to become flat or concave when the handle is also folded along the first guiding line. The scoop section and the handle section may together form a piece of cutlery such as a spoon, a fork, a spork, and so forth. The cutlery and/or other portions of the hybrid lid may be disposable.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes, for each of a plurality of individual storage units collectively comprising a virtual storage unit, mapping an internal address of the storage unit to a unique IP address, wherein each of the storage units comprises a block of storage on one of a plurality of physical storage devices and wherein the IP address includes a virtual storage unit number identifying the virtual storage unit; receiving from a client a request to perform an operation on at least one of the data storage units, wherein the request identifies the internal address of the at least one of the data storage units; translating the internal address of the at least one of the data storage unit to the unique IP address of the at least one of the data storage units; and performing the requested operation on the at least one of the data storage units.

Abstract: Techniques are presented herein to allow a tenant application in a cloud computing environment to automatically adjust storage infrastructure cache allocation according to performance needs and cost associated with use of the cache. Information is stored for a spot price of a cache of a storage infrastructure used for data storage in a cloud computing environment. A request is received to allocate additional cache for use by one or more applications associated with a first tenant running in the cloud computing environment. Information is sent to the one or more applications indicating a current spot price of the cache of the storage infrastructure. An instruction is received from the one or more applications to purchase the additional allocation of the cache based on the current spot price or based on a predetermined fixed price. An allocation request is sent to the storage infrastructure for additional allocation of the cache.

Abstract: A method of allocating cloud storage based on storage profiles includes receiving a storage request from a virtual machine associated with a tenant at a computing apparatus having connectivity to a network. The storage request is analyzed to determine one or more storage attributes of the storage request. An infrastructure is configured in a configuration based on the one or more storage attributes and data associated with the storage request is stored in the infrastructure in accordance with the configuration.

Abstract: A method for assisting evaluation of anomalies in a distributed storage system is disclosed. The method includes a step of monitoring at least one system metric of the distributed storage system. The method further includes steps of maintaining a listing of patterns of the monitored system metric comprising patterns which previously did not result in a failure within one or more nodes of the distributed storage system, and, based on the monitoring, identifying a pattern (i.e., a time series motif) of the monitored system metric as a potential anomaly in the distributed storage system. The method also includes steps of automatically (i.e. without user input) performing a similarity search to determine whether the identified pattern satisfies one or more predefined similarity criteria with at least one pattern of the listing, and, upon positive determination, excepting the identified pattern from being identified as the potential anomaly.

Abstract: A method for assisting evaluation of anomalies in a distributed storage system is disclosed. The method includes a step of monitoring at least one system metric of the distributed storage system. The method further includes steps of maintaining a listing of patterns of the monitored system metric comprising patterns which previously did not result in a failure within one or more nodes of the distributed storage system, and, based on the monitoring, identifying a pattern (i.e., a time series motif) of the monitored system metric as a potential anomaly in the distributed storage system. The method also includes steps of automatically (i.e. without user input) performing a similarity search to determine whether the identified pattern satisfies one or more predefined similarity criteria with at least one pattern of the listing, and, upon positive determination, excepting the identified pattern from being identified as the potential anomaly.

Abstract: A method for assisting evaluation of anomalies in a distributed storage system is disclosed. The method includes monitoring at least one system metric of the system and creating a mapping between values and/or patterns of the system metric and one or more services configured to generate logs for the system. The method further includes detecting a potential anomaly in the system based on the monitoring, the potential anomaly being associated with a value and/or a pattern of the monitored system metric. The method also includes using the mapping to identify one or more logs associated with the potential anomaly, displaying a graphical representation of at least a part of monitoring the system metric, the graphical representation indicating the potential anomaly, and providing an overlay over the graphical representation, the overlay comprising an indicator of a number of the logs associated with the potential anomaly.

Abstract: A method of allocating cloud storage based on storage profiles includes receiving a storage request from a virtual machine associated with a tenant at a computing apparatus having connectivity to a network. The storage request is analyzed to determine one or more storage attributes of the storage request. An infrastructure is configured in a configuration based on the one or more storage attributes and data associated with the storage request is stored in the infrastructure in accordance with the configuration.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes, for each of a plurality of individual storage units collectively comprising a virtual storage unit, mapping an internal address of the storage unit to a unique IP address, wherein each of the storage units comprises a block of storage on one of a plurality of physical storage devices and wherein the IP address includes a virtual storage unit number identifying the virtual storage unit; receiving from a client a request to perform an operation on at least one of the data storage units, wherein the request identifies the internal address of the at least one of the data storage units; translating the internal address of the at least one of the data storage unit to the unique IP address of the at least one of the data storage units; and performing the requested operation on the at least one of the data storage units.

Abstract: Techniques are presented herein to allow a tenant application in a cloud computing environment to automatically adjust storage infrastructure cache allocation according to performance needs and cost associated with use of the cache. Information is stored for a spot price of a cache of a storage infrastructure used for data storage in a cloud computing environment. A request is received to allocate additional cache for use by one or more applications associated with a first tenant running in the cloud computing environment. Information is sent to the one or more applications indicating a current spot price of the cache of the storage infrastructure. An instruction is received from the one or more applications to purchase the additional allocation of the cache based on the current spot price or based on a predetermined fixed price. An allocation request is sent to the storage infrastructure for additional allocation of the cache.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for improving name services in a fiber channel fabric. Either a world wide name or an alias can be used to uniquely identify a device such as a storage device on a fiber channel fabric. World wide name and alias associations are maintained in an alias database that is synchronized on connected fiber channel switches in a physical fiber channel fabric. Devices can be moved from one switch to another while maintaining alias and world wide name associations.

Abstract: A welding control system to monitor the energy consumption of a plurality of welders. The welding control system controls the operation of one or more welders based upon the energy information received from one or more energy monitoring devices.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for improving name services in a fibre channel fabric. Either a world wide name or an alias can be used to uniquely identify a device such as a storage device on a fibre channel fabric. World wide name and alias associations are maintained in an alias database that is synchronized on connected fibre channel switches in a physical fibre channel fabric. Devices can be moved from one switch to another while maintaining alias and world wide name associations.

Abstract: A welding control system to monitor the energy consumption of a plurality of welders. The welding control system controls the operation of one or more welders based upon the energy information received from one or more energy monitoring devices.