Abstract: The innovation disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises systems and methods of authenticating customers and service agents. The innovation receives a connection request to connect a customer and a service agent. The customer is authenticated for the service agent by matching biometric data of the customer to previously stored biometric data using a biometric recognition algorithm. The service agent is authenticated for the customer by matching a unique identifier to a previously stored unique identifier. A confirmation notification is generated and sent to the service agent and the customer to confirm the authentications. A connection is established between the customer and the service agent according to the authentications and the connection request.

Abstract: An illustrative method includes receiving a request to create a storage volume; identifying, based on the request and on a configuration file propagated among a plurality of storage nodes in a cluster, status indicators of the storage nodes; identifying, based on the request, a size of the storage volume; identifying, based on the request, a replication factor representing a number of storage nodes that are to be replicated within a cluster for the storage volume; identifying, based on one or more characteristics associated with the storage volume, a traffic priority for the storage volume, the traffic priority representing a hierarchy that determines and prioritizes which traffic is allocated to available hardware and network resources in a particular order; creating, based on the status indicators, the size, the replication factor, and the traffic priority, the storage volume on one or more of the plurality of storage nodes.

Abstract: The innovation disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises systems and methods of authenticating customers and service agents. The innovation receives a connection request to connect a customer and a service agent. The customer is authenticated for the service agent by matching biometric data of the customer to previously stored biometric data using a biometric recognition algorithm. The service agent is authenticated for the customer by matching a unique identifier to a previously stored unique identifier. A confirmation notification is generated and sent to the service agent and the customer to confirm the authentications. A connection is established between the customer and the service agent according to the authentications and the connection request.

Abstract: A ball-type clamping mechanism for clamping computer hard disks in a disk tester for accurate measuring of the disk's parameters comprises a cup-shaped support (10) which is installed on a rotating part of the tester and serves to support a computer hard disk (20) which rests on the upper surface of the support. The support has a cylindrical opening (12) with a diameter equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the disk opening. Slidingly inserted into the support (10) is a cylindrical retainer (26) which carries clamping balls (28) uniformly spaced from each other in a circumferential direction and located in recesses (30) formed in the side wall of the retainer. The balls have a diameter larger than the side wall of the retainer (26). A pull rod (40) passes through the central opening in the bottom wall of the support and carries a clamping cone (42) which is made from a resilient material softer than the material of the balls (28).