Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: A method of testing an electronic device includes measuring radio frequency emissions at a plurality of positions relative to a trusted unit of a particular electronicdevice during operation of the trusted unit, and measuring radio frequency emissions at the same plurality of positions relative to a second unit of the particular electronic device. For each of the plurality of positions, the radio frequency emissions measured from the second unit are compared to the radio frequency emissions measured from the trusted unit. The method then determines whether there is any frequency at which the measured amplitude of the radio frequency emissions from the second unit and the measured amplitude of the radio frequency emissions from the trusted unit exhibit a statistically significant difference.

Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and product are disclosed for expanding functionality of hard drive bays in a computing system that include: providing, by a connector in a hard drive bay, access to two or more data communication busses of different type; receiving, by the connector of the hard drive bay, a device mounted within the hard drive bay; and communicately coupling, by the connector of the hard drive bay, the device to one of the data communication busses.

Abstract: A method of testing an electronic device comprises measuring radio frequency emissions at a plurality of positions relative to a trusted unit of a particular electronic device during operation of the trusted unit, and measuring radio frequency emissions at the same plurality of positions relative to a second unit of the particular electronic device. For each of the plurality of positions, the radio frequency emissions measured from the second unit are compared to the radio frequency emissions measured from the trusted unit. The method then determines whether there is any frequency at which the measured amplitude of the radio frequency emissions from the second unit and the measured amplitude of the radio frequency emissions from the trusted unit exhibit a statistically significant difference.

Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and product are disclosed for expanding functionality of hard drive bays in a computing system that include: providing, by a connector in a hard drive bay, access to two or more data communication busses of different type; receiving, by the connector of the hard drive bay, a device mounted within the hard drive bay; and communicately coupling, by the connector of the hard drive bay, the device to one of the data communication busses.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and product are disclosed for expanding functionality of hard drive bays in a computing system that include: detecting, by a fabric management module, that a new device has been added to a hard drive bay in the computing system; identifying, by the fabric management module, a data communications protocol that is used by the new device; selecting, by the fabric management module, a fabric that supports the data communications protocol that is used by the new device; and routing, by the fabric management module, data communications according to the data communications protocol that is used by the new device across the selected fabric.

Abstract: Flexible paddle cards for installation on a motherboard of a computing system are disclosed that are oriented parallel with the motherboard when installed in the computing system and include: a printed circuit board; and three card connectors that correspond to three motherboard connectors mounted on the motherboard, two of the card connectors mounted on a first rigid region of the printed circuit board, the remaining third card connector mounted on a second rigid region of the printed circuit board, and the first rigid region and the second rigid region separated by a flexible region of the printed circuit board, the flexible region having a width that allows the printed circuit board to flex when the card connectors mate with the motherboard connectors.

Abstract: Detecting a fouled air filter in a computer equipment enclosure that includes an air filter, a supply plenum connecting the air filter and the computer equipment enclosure, a fan operating at a current fan speed, and a filter monitoring module connected for data communications to a management module. Detecting a fouled air filter according to embodiments of the present invention includes calculating, by the filter monitoring module, a pressure differential across the air filter; determining, for the current fan speed by the filter monitoring module in dependence upon a pressure differential profile for the air filter, whether the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and if the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds the predetermined threshold value, reporting, by the filter monitoring module to the management module, that the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: Printed circuit boards for countering signal distortion are disclosed that include: a conductive pathway on a printed circuit board between a transmitter and a receiver, the conductive pathway comprised of traces and vias connected together for conductive transfer of a signal from the transmitter to the receiver; a parasitic element on the printed circuit board, the parasitic element having a parasitic effect that distorts the signal; and one or more passive elements mounted adjacent to the conductive pathway without connecting to the conductive pathway, the passive elements having a corrective effect to reduce the distortion from the parasitic effect on the signal.

Abstract: Detecting a fouled air filter in a computer equipment enclosure that includes an air filter, a supply plenum connecting the air filter and the computer equipment enclosure, a fan operating at a current fan speed, and a filter monitoring module connected for data communications to a management module. Detecting a fouled air filter according to embodiments of the present invention includes calculating, by the filter monitoring module, a pressure differential across the air filter; determining, for the current fan speed by the filter monitoring module in dependence upon a pressure differential profile for the air filter, whether the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and if the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds the predetermined threshold value, reporting, by the filter monitoring module to the management module, that the calculated pressure differential across the air filter exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: Flexible paddle cards for installation on a motherboard of a computing system are disclosed that are oriented parallel with the motherboard when installed in the computing system and include: a printed circuit board; and three card connectors that correspond to three motherboard connectors mounted on the motherboard, two of the card connectors mounted on a first rigid region of the printed circuit board, the remaining third card connector mounted on a second rigid region of the printed circuit board, and the first rigid region and the second rigid region separated by a flexible region of the printed circuit board, the flexible region having a width that allows the printed circuit board to flex when the card connectors mate with the motherboard connectors.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to equipment position location in a data center and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for rack position determination using acoustics. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for rack position determination using acoustics can be provided. The method can include ultrasonically ranging a first target wall in a data center from a host rack enclosure to acquire range data for the first target wall and ultrasonically ranging a second target wall in the data center from the host rack enclosure to acquire range data for the second target wall. The method further can include translating the range data for the first target wall and second target wall into position coordinates for the host rack enclosure and forwarding the position coordinates to a system administrator for the data center over a coupled data communications network.

Abstract: An improved method and system for determining the state of an operating system includes an operating system, a USB host controller that is driven by the operating system to send a polling signal to a USB device, and a management module that monitors the polling signal. If the polling signal has stopped, then the management module takes corrective action to restore the operating system. No specialized software or specialized hardware is required to determine the state of the operating system. The state of the operating system can be determined quickly and efficiently without adding to the costs of the system.