Abstract: An in-situ method for measuring the power delivery performance of a bifacial photovoltaic device installed in the field. The method utilizes a substantially non-reflective material layer applied to the rear side of the bifacial photovoltaic panel to minimize or eliminate the contribution from irradiance directed to the rear side of the bifacial photovoltaic panel. The use of the substantially non-reflective material layer on the rear side of the panel enables in situ measurements of the power delivery performance of field installed photovoltaic panels that more closely approximates the power delivery performance of the front side of the photovoltaic panel.

Abstract: Various embodiments for optimized appointment scheduling and management with a provider are disclosed herein. The embodiments disclosed involve operating a processor to receive appointment requests, each appointment request comprising an appointment type and a priority category for the appointment and each priority category associated with a corresponding wait time target. For each appointment request, the processor determines one or more appointment attributes relating to the appointment and provider attributes associated with the appointment, based at least on the appointment request. The processor then calculates an appointment score based on the priority category, the appointment type and the one or more appointment attributes, determines an appointment time based on the appointment score calculated and the provider attributes, and transmits the appointment time to a user device associated with the appointment request.

Abstract: A method of initializing a data storage system (DSS) is provided. The method includes (a) in response to the DSS booting, reading data from a first plurality of disks marked as part of a raw mirror which mirrors configuration data of the DSS between the first plurality of disks; (b) comparing sequence numbers from the read data read and selecting data from a disk of the first plurality having a latest sequence number; (c) obtaining configuration data of the DSS from the selected data; (d) using the configuration data to construct a topology of the DSS which includes information describing a relationship between a second plurality of disks of the DSS, RAID groups of the DSS, and logical disks presented to users, the second plurality of disks being larger than and including the first plurality of disks; and (e) initializing the RAID groups and the logical disks described by the topology based on the information of the topology.

Abstract: A method of initializing a data storage system (DSS) is provided. The method includes (a) in response to the DSS booting, reading data from a first plurality of disks marked as part of a raw mirror which mirrors configuration data of the DSS between the first plurality of disks; (b) comparing sequence numbers from the read data read and selecting data from a disk of the first plurality having a latest sequence number; (c) obtaining configuration data of the DSS from the selected data; (d) using the configuration data to construct a topology of the DSS which includes information describing a relationship between a second plurality of disks of the DSS, RAID groups of the DSS, and logical disks presented to users, the second plurality of disks being larger than and including the first plurality of disks; and (e) initializing the RAID groups and the logical disks described by the topology based on the information of the topology.

Abstract: In response to detecting that a total number of physical data storage drives in a group of physical data storage drives exceeds a maximum drive group size, the group of physical data storage drives is divided into a multiple partnership groups, and RAID extents in a RAID mapping table are divided into multiple RAID extent groups. Each one of the RAID extent groups contains multiple RAID extents and corresponds to one of the partnership groups of physical data storage drives. The RAID extents in each RAID extent group only indicate physical data storage drives contained in the corresponding partnership group of physical data storage drives, in order to ensure that data recovery and RAID extent rebuilding after a drive failure involve only the physical data storage drives within the same partnership group as the failed physical data storage drive.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of managing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system and an electronic device. The method includes configuring a plurality of disks in the RAID system as a raw mirror for storing configuration data of the RAID system; storing metadata for the raw mirror in the plurality of disks, the metadata stored in each of the plurality disks including an identifier identifying that the disk belongs to the raw mirror and a sequence number identifying a writing operation for a block storing the metadata in the disk; and controlling reading and writing of the raw mirror based on the metadata.

Abstract: A method is performed by an extent pool manager running on a data storage device. It is configured to manage assignment of disk extents provided by a pool of drives to a set of mapped RAID extents. The method includes (a) receiving an indication that a particular drive has triggered an end-of-life (EOL) condition based on an error count of that drive and a standard sensitivity setting, (b) in response to receiving the indication, changing a sensitivity setting of other drives to be less sensitive than the standard sensitivity setting, and (c) remapping disk extents from the particular drive to the other drives of the pool while the other drives continue operation using the changed sensitivity setting. An apparatus, system, and computer program product for performing a similar method are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques for allocating mapped RAID extents of a RAID group may include: determining a pool of N physical storage devices; selecting M physical storage portions, wherein each of the M physical storage portions is selected from a different one of the N physical storage devices of the pool; and allocating a first mapped RAID extent as the selected M physical storage portions. The first mapped RAID extent may denotes a stripe of the RAID group. Physical storage portions for each mapped RAID extent may be selected from the N physical storage devices with a goal of maintaining even distribution of the selected portions among the N physical storage devices. Such selection may use a neighborhood matrix and a subset of all possible combinations of M physical storage devices that may be selected from the N physical storage devices.

Abstract: A mapped RAID group is generated that contains multiple RAID extents, and each one of the RAID extents is configured and arranged to indicate multiple drive extents that are each a contiguous region of non-volatile data storage in a physical drive. The RAID extents are divided into equal size subsets based on a requested RAID width. Drive extents are allocated from a drive extent pool such that the drive extents indicated by RAID extents contained in the same subset are all allocated from different ones of the physical drives. Logical block rotation is performed between the storage object and the mapped RAID group, causing host data written to consecutive blocks of the storage object address space to be directed to different ones of the RAID extents in the mapped RAID group. Data mirroring is performed between drive extents contained within each of the individual RAID extents of the RAID group.

Abstract: A data storage system creates, maintains and utilizes logical storage structures including (1) a pool of device extents on user devices, organized into data portions of mapped RAID groups each having a data portion and a RAID group metadata element having (i) a basic portion and (ii) a mapping portion mapping each set of device extents to logical RAID extents per RAID type, (2) a pool logical device (e.g., an internal mapped RAID) in the pool, storing the mapping portions of the metadata elements of the mapped RAID group, and (3) a system logical device on separate system devices, storing (i) the basic portions of the metadata elements of the RAID groups, and (ii) a pool metadata element including a pool mapping portion for the pool logical device.

Abstract: Techniques detect non-uniform distributions of RAID extents across the storage drives of a data storage appliance and rebalance the allocation of disk extents of the storage drives amongst the RAID extents. The improved techniques prevent the distribution of RAID extents across the storage drives of a mapped RAID system from becoming overly non-uniform.

Abstract: A high-rise building escape apparatus enables user to quickly exit a high-rise building in the event of an emergency. It mainly includes a damper which withstands impact of termination of descent and decreases terminal velocity due to its mushroomlike shape, a compartment, side and bottom nets, a parachute, an air source system, hoses, rotatable and fix frames, and a safety belt. The apparatus is operated following the procedure below. A user sets up the fix frame and rotatable frame attaching the dropping parts on the sill of a window or on the top of a balcony, makes the rotatable frame swing to the outside, opens the dropping part pack, fills the high pressure air to the airbags simultaneously through a number of internal hoses and an external hose, and disconnects the hoses.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of managing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system and an electronic device. The method includes configuring a plurality of disks in the RAID system as a raw mirror for storing configuration data of the RAID system; storing metadata for the raw mirror in the plurality of disks, the metadata stored in each of the plurality disks including an identifier identifying that the disk belongs to the raw mirror and a sequence number identifying a writing operation for a block storing the metadata in the disk; and controlling reading and writing of the raw mirror based on the metadata.

Abstract: A high-rise building escape apparatus enables user to quickly exit a high-rise building in the event of an emergency. It mainly includes a damper which withstands impact of termination of descent and decreases terminal velocity due to its mushroomlike shape, a compartment, side and bottom nets, a parachute, an air source system, hoses, rotatable and fix frames, and a safety belt. The apparatus is operated following the procedure below. A user sets up the fix frame and rotatable frame attaching the dropping parts on the sill of a window or on the top of a balcony, makes the rotatable frame swing to the outside, opens the dropping part pack, fills the high pressure air to the airbags simultaneously through a number of internal hoses and an external hose, and disconnects the hoses.

Abstract: An inflatable lifesaving device is designed to provide a user with an apparatus to escape a high rise building in emergency situations in a sufficiently rapid manner. It is simply composed of a hemisphere including a plurality of independent cell airbags, internal hoses, and check valves, a parachute integrated with the hemisphere, an air supply system, an external hose, a quick release hose coupler, a harness mounted on the body of the user, a connection rope that connects the harness to the inside of the building, a rope quick release to separate the connection rope, a descent rope, a backpack. To operate the inflatable lifesaving device, the user wearing the harness with the backpack exits a window or a balcony with the harness connected to the inside of the building through the connection rope with the release device.

Abstract: An inflatable lifesaving device is designed to provide a user with an apparatus to escape a high rise building in emergency situations in a sufficiently rapid manner. It is simply composed of a hemisphere including a plurality of independent cell airbags, internal hoses, and check valves, a parachute integrated with the hemisphere, an air supply system, an external hose, a quick release hose coupler, a harness mounted on the body of the user, a connection rope that connects the harness to the inside of the building, a rope quick release to separate the connection rope, a descent rope, a backpack. To operate the inflatable lifesaving device, the user wearing the harness with the backpack exits a window or a balcony with the harness connected to the inside of the building through the connection rope with the release device.

Abstract: A scroll compressor includes a housing, a non-orbiting scroll member including a first spiral wrap, and an orbiting scroll member including a second spiral wrap. The first and second spiral wraps are interleaved to define at least one moving fluid pocket that decreases in size as it moves from a radially outer position to a radially inner position. A vapor-injection system may include a shell fitting in fluid communication with a fluid passageway of the non-orbiting scroll member via a vapor injection tube. The vapor injection tube may be fixed for movement with the non-orbiting scroll member for communicating vapor into the moving fluid pockets.

Abstract: A shower curtain assembly is designed to provide users with an apparatus that provides much wide shower space for consumers than traditional one, prevents the curtain from moving inward, eliminate water spilling onto the floor, and even allows the user to sit on a top periphery of a bathtub near the curtain when the shower is in use. It is simply comprised of a shower curtain support rod that bows outward from a shower enclosure along its length, a shower curtain, hooks, and means that secures the shower curtain to achieve the abovementioned goal. The means includes main weights attached to the lower portion of the curtain, wires connected to the lower portion of the curtain and holders fixed to the bottom edges of the sidewalls of the shower enclosure, and wires with magnets attached. Only one of them needs to be chosen for the shower enclosure for the aforementioned functions.

Abstract: A system for mounting a structural member upon a vertical wall, the vertical wall supporting a planar mounting board having a back surface appended to the vertical wall and a front surface facing away from the vertical wall. The front surface of the mounting board is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending grooves, each of the grooves having a channel opening at the front surface of the planar mounting board and a flared cut out region extending within the planar mounting board extending from each of the channel openings.

Abstract: A scroll compressor includes a housing, a non-orbiting scroll member including a first spiral wrap, and an orbiting scroll member including a second spiral wrap. The first and second spiral wraps are interleaved to define at least one moving fluid pocket that decreases in size as it moves from a radially outer position to a radially inner position. A vapor-injection system may include a shell fitting in fluid communication with a fluid passageway of the non-orbiting scroll member via a vapor injection tube. The vapor injection tube may be fixed for movement with the non-orbiting scroll member for communicating vapor into the moving fluid pockets.