Abstract: Disclosed are a cipher control method which supports to maintain a cipher mode between a network system and a terminal. The method of controlling an encryption includes: attempting a connection for operating a communication channel between a terminal and a network system; providing cipher information about a cipher algorithm operation of the terminal to the network system; determining whether the terminal is a problematic terminal operating an abnormal cipher algorithm by the networking system; and when the terminal is determined to be operating abnormal, instructing the terminal to perform a communication channel operation based on a normally operable cipher algorithm by the network system.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: identifying a hardware failure of a failed component of a plurality of hardware components; determining a set of agent devices currently configured to utilize the failed component; reconfiguring an agent device to utilize a working component of the plurality of hardware components. Various exemplary embodiments additionally or alternatively relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: projecting a failure date for the hardware module; determining whether the projected failure date is acceptable based on a target replacement date for the hardware module; if the projected failure date is not acceptable: selecting a parameter adjustment for a hardware component, wherein the parameter adjustment is selected to move the projected failure date closer to the target replacement date, and applying the parameter adjustment to the hardware component.

Abstract: A method includes detecting a channel path error event on an identified channel path; recording channel path error data associated with the detected channel path error event; identifying an scope of the channel path error associated with the identified channel path; determining if the identified channel path is a defective channel path based on the scope of the channel path error; and removing the defective channel path from one or more devices.

Abstract: A channel path error correction system includes a processor with one or more channels and a switch operatively coupled to the one or more channels of the processor. The system also includes an I/O device including one or more ports, the I/O device being operatively coupled to the switch by the one or more ports; a plurality of control units. Each control unit includes at least one of the channels and at least one of the ports and a memory operable for storing information relating to detected channel path errors associated with each of the plurality of control units.

Abstract: A method for maintaining applications may include: (1) receiving a request to recover a first application, (2) identifying a first production topology of the first application that identifies a set of resources upon which the application depends, (3) maintaining a template for transforming the first production topology of the first application into a first recovery topology for the first application, the template comprising information for mapping the first production topology to the first recovery topology, (4) applying the template to the first production topology at a first point in time to create the first recovery topology, and (5) recovering the first application to a first computing system using the first recovery topology. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Implementations of the present invention may involve methods and systems to improve the combined power consumption and thermal response of individual components of a computer system as the components are stressed concurrently during simulation or testing of the system. A group of operating system-level instruction sets for several individual components of the computer system may be designed to stress the components and executed concurrently while power and thermal measurements are taken. The instruction sets may utilize one or more software threads of the computer system or hardware threads such that minimal interference between components occurs as the system is tested. Further, the system components may be partitioned between separate instruction sets. By minimizing the interference between the components while the system is operating, a more accurate power consumption and thermal effect measurements may be taken on the computer system to better approximate the performance of the system.

Abstract: To provide a fault-tolerant system requiring only one new server when the number of jobs to he processed concurrently exceeds the number of jobs processable by the current servers and requiring no standby servers. Servers 1 and 2 each run a hypervisor to establish multiple virtual machines. The hypervisors assign primary and secondary to the virtual machines in the manner that any of the servers has one or more primary virtual machines and one or more secondary virtual machines, and assign different processing to the virtual machines on the same server. When any of the servers is determined to have failed, the server including the secondary virtual machine paired with the primary virtual machine on the failed server promotes the secondary virtual machine to the primary.

Abstract: Redundancy of data and/or Inline Power in a wired data telecommunications network from a first network device and a second network device configured as power sourcing equipment (PSE) devices and coupled together and to a third network device (such as a PD) via a Y device is provided by providing redundant signaling to/from each of the pair of network devices, and coupling a port of each of the network devices to the Y device and from there to a third port where a third network device such as a PD may be coupled. Because the Y device is essentially passive, communications paths between the PSE devices and the PD are provided for negotiating master/slave status and other status and related information among the respective network devices. Dynamic impedance matching is provided to handle situations where not all devices are plugged in and as a communications technique among the devices.

Abstract: There is disclosed a high speed switching method for a disk image delivery system fail-over. A management server sends a disk image of an active server in advance to a standby server. When receiving a report that the active server has failed, the management server judges whether or not it is possible for the standby server to perform the service of the failed active server based on service provision management server information held by the management server and if possible, instructs the standby server to perform the service of the active server. Even if the disk image delivered in advance is different from the disk image of the failed active server, switching of the service to the standby server can be performed more quickly through resetting the setting values of unique information and installing the additional pieces of software on the standby server by the management server than redelivering an appropriate disk image.

Abstract: A first information processing apparatus of multiple information processing apparatuses includes a second configuration information storage section storing second configuration information; a first configuration information modification section modifying first configuration information in the storage apparatus; a notification section notifying, a second information processing apparatus, of modified part information indicating a modified part in the first configuration information; a modified part information storage section storing the modified part information from the second information processing apparatus; and an updating section updating, before modifying the first configuration information in the storage apparatus, the modified part in the second configuration information indicated by the modified part information stored in the modified part information storage section, based on the first configuration information.

Abstract: Recovery processing is provided for management components of an Information Technology (IT) environment. The recovery processing recovers the components, as well as performs one or more tasks that were being performed by the components prior to recovery.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for improving failover within a high-availability computer system are provided. The method includes obtaining one or more parameters associated with a disaster recovery protocol of at least one resource of any of the first cluster, second cluster and high-availability computer system. The method also includes monitoring one or more states of the parameters. The method further includes detecting, as a function of the parameters and states, one or more anomalies of any of the first cluster, second cluster and high-availability computer system, wherein the anomalies are types that impact the failover. These anomalies may include anomalies associated with the disaster-recovery protocols within the first and/or second clusters (“intra-cluster anomalies”) and/or anomalies among the first and second clusters (“inter-cluster anomalies”). The method further includes generating an alert in response to detecting one or more of the anomalies.

Abstract: A method and system for ensuring security and preventing intrusion in a connection between a thin client and a client blade. An encrypted keep-alive protocol is conducted between the client blade and the thin client. The client blade issues keep-alive protocol messages and monitors for keep-alive protocol acknowledgments from the thin client. If a failure in receiving a keep-alive protocol acknowledgment from the thin client is detected and the failure is not due to a momentary glitch in the keep-alive protocol, then a command is generated to enter the client blade in a particular state (e.g., a hard power off state). The command is based on a “privilege mask” which includes code that specifies an action to be performed (i.e., enter a particular state) by the client blade. Based on the action performed by the client blade, the client blade provides different levels of security or protection against intrusion.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method for selecting from a plurality of full configurations of a storage system an operational configuration for executing an application. An exemplary method comprises obtaining application performance data for the application on each of a plurality of test configurations. The exemplary method also comprises obtaining benchmark performance data with respect to execution of a benchmark on the plurality of full configurations, one or more degraded configurations of the full configurations and the plurality of test configurations. The exemplary method additionally comprises estimating a metric for executing the application on each of the plurality of full configurations based on the application performance data and the benchmark performance data. The operational configuration may be selected from among the plurality full configurations based on the metric.

Abstract: Embodiments are configured to improve the stability of a Web browser by identifying plug-in modules that cause failures. Data in memory at the time of a failure is analyzed, and a failure signature is generated. The failure signature is compared to a database of known failure signatures so that the source of the failure may be identified. If a plug-in module to a Web browser is identified as the source of a failure, options are presented to the user who may update the plug-in module with code that does not produce a failure or disable the plug-in module altogether.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium with executable instructions specifies the execution of a state machine operating across a set of computing nodes in a distributed computing system. The executable instructions execute a set of operators, where the execution of each operator is under the control of a state machine that periodically invokes pause control states to pause the execution of an operator in response to a violation of a service level agreement specifying an operating condition threshold within the distributed computing system. Partitions of input data are formed that are worked on independently within the distributed computing system. A set of data batches associated with the input data is processed. Data partition control states to process the partitions associated with the set of data batches are specified. Key control states to process a set of keys associated with a data partition of the partitions are defined.

Abstract: The reliability is improved at a low cost even in a virtualized server environment. The number of spare servers is reduced for improving the reliability and for saving a licensing fee for software on the spare servers. A server system comprises a plurality of physical servers on which a plurality of virtual servers run, a single standby server, a module for detecting an active virtual server, and a module for switching the correspondence of boot disks of virtualization modules for controlling virtual servers to the physical servers. When a physical server fails, the boot disk of the associated virtualization module is connected to a spare server to automatically activate on the spare server those virtual servers which have been active upon occurrence of the failure.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to repurposing a data lane as a clock lane by migrating to reduced speed link operation are described. In one embodiment, speed of a link is reduced upon detection of failure on a clock lane of the link and one of a plurality of data lanes of a link is repurposed as a replacement clock lane. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for verifying data copies and reverifying the copies over the life span of media according to a verification policy. Characteristics of media and use of media are tracked to provide metrics which may be used to dynamically reevaluate and reassign verification policies to optimize media usage. Copies that fail verification operations may be repaired by repeating a storage operation for recent copies or by substituting a close temporal copy of the failed copy.

Abstract: An information processing device, configured to perform information processing with an application run on an operating system, includes an installing unit configured to install the application into the information processing device, an instruction accepting unit configured to accept an instruction to run the application, a first determining unit configured to determine whether the operating system has been rebooted after the installation of the application, in response to the instruction accepted through the instruction accepting unit, and a prohibiting unit configured to prohibit the application from being run when the first determining unit determines that the operating system has not been rebooted.

Abstract: An automated method for provisioning a grid used to run a load test on a target website includes sending one or more requests in a multi-threaded manner to at least one cloud provider, the one or more requests for an allocation of N load server instances and M result server instances which comprise the grid. Requests received back from the cloud provider are also handled in a multi-threaded manner; any errors occurring during the allocation being corrected automatically. The N load server instances and the M result server instances are then verified to be operational and correctly running software deployed to provide defined test services. Errors identified during the verification are automatically corrected either by attempting to restart a failed instance or allocating a different instance.

Abstract: Systems for backing up the data of an IT system by utilizing server or storage virtualization technology to create and move logical IT infrastructures dynamically. A virtualized IT system provides a server resource pool and a storage resource pool composed from multiple physical devices either within a datacenter or a globally located plurality of datacenters. The virtual server and the storage volume provisioned from those pools will be paired to form the virtual infrastructure. In other words, the virtual infrastructure becomes a logical IT environment build with the required computing and storage resources needed in order to execute specific applications. The virtual infrastructure can also be migrated within/among datacenter sites.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that allow a user to easily operate a self-service device despite the presence of damage is provided. Anticipated damage includes extreme environmental conditions such as earthquakes, flooding, strong winds, tsunamis, etc. These conditions may cause a failure in a portion of the self-service device. Improved ruggedness and redundant components are coordinated by suitable software to provide service despite damage to the self-service device. Additionally, access to some user accounts despite the loss of connectivity to a server maintaining user accounts is provided.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is an optical communication system including: a plurality of interface boards which transmit and receive optical signals to and from interface boards facing the plurality of interface boards; and a monitoring control device which monitors states of the plurality of interface boards. A first interface board of the plurality of interface boards includes: a replacement unit capable of monitoring the states of the plurality of interface boards on behalf of the monitoring control device and independently receiving supply of power; and a control unit configured to start the replacement unit in a case where a fault occurs in the monitoring control device and stop or halt the replacement unit in a case where there is no fault in the monitoring control device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing immunity to a computer system wherein the system includes an immunity module, a recovery module, a maintenance module, an assessment module, and a decision module, wherein the immunity module, the recovery module, the maintenance module and the assessment module are each linked to the decision module. The maintenance module monitors the system for errors and sends an error alert message to the assessment module, which determines the severity of the error and the type of package required to fix the error. The assessment module sends a request regarding the type of package required to fix the error to the recovery module. The recovery module sends the package required to fix the error to the maintenance module, which fixes the error in the system.

Abstract: Presented are methods and apparatus for protecting a plurality of High Availability (HA) Service Instances (SIs) with a plurality of Service Units (SUs) with an Nway redundancy model. Any of the SUs associated with the Nway redundancy model can simultaneously be assigned an active HA state for some of the SIs and a standby HA state for other SIs. However, only one SU can have the active state for any given SI. The Nway redundancy model is a configured prior to runtime operation.

Abstract: Techniques are generally described for addressing computation errors via coordinated computation on two computing platforms are disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more cuts may be taken of a computation to observe variables, and the observations may be analyzed to detect errors. Corrections may be created for the detected errors. The disclosed techniques may be employed in power and/or energy minimization/reduction, and debugging, among other goals. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing a control system for a stacked battery. The control system comprises a plurality of processors, a plurality of controllers, and a monitoring unit (control unit). The method comprises sending a diagnostic information from the central unit to a top processor of the plurality of processors, transmitting a return information from the top processor of the plurality of processors to the central unit, comparing the diagnostic information sent from the central unit with the return information received by the central unit, and indicating a communication problem if the diagnostic information sent from the central unit is different from the return information received by the central unit. The steps are repeated by eliminating the top processor from a previous cycle and assigning a new top processor if there is no problem with the reconfigurable communication system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing input/output commands is provided. An incoming command mask representing an incoming input/output command associated with a memory region is created. In response to a determination that a pending input/output command associated with the memory region is pending, a bitwise inversion operation is performed on the incoming command mask to form a modified incoming command mask. A bitwise AND operation is performed on the modified incoming command mask and the pending command mask to form a pending command locking mask associated with the pending input/output command. A bitwise OR operation is performed between an existing memory lock for a same type of commands and incoming command bit mask to form a new memory region lock.

Abstract: When a failure occurs in an LPAR on a physical computer under an SAN environment, a destination LPAR is set in another physical computer to enable migrating of the LPAR and setting change of a security function on the RAID apparatus side is not necessary. When a failure occurs in an LPAR generated on a physical computer under an SAN environment, configuration information including a unique ID (WWN) of the LPAR where the failure occurs is read, a destination LPAR is generated on another physical computer, and the read configuration information of the LPAR is set to the destination LPAR, thereby enabling migrating of the LPAR when the failure occurs, under the control of a management server.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method attempts, by a computing device, to determine a placement of a set of virtual machines on available hosts upon failure of a host. The placement considers the set of virtual machines as being not powered on any of the available hosts. The method further determines, by the computing device, a placed list of virtual machines in the set of virtual machines as a recommendation to power on to the available hosts. The determination of the placed list of virtual machines is used to determine a power off list of virtual machines in the set of virtual machines to power off, wherein virtual machines in the power off list of virtual machines are currently powered on available hosts but were considered to be powered off to determine the placement.

Abstract: A method of managing the workload in a computer system having one or more semi-redundant hardware components is provided. The method comprises detecting loss or degradation of the level of performance of one or more of the semi-redundant hardware components, identifying hardware components affected by the loss or degradation, migrating a critical job from an affected hardware component to an unaffected hardware component, and performing less-critical jobs on an affected hardware component. Loss or degradation of the semi-redundant component reduces the capacity of affected hardware components in the computer system without entirely disabling the computer system. Jobs identified as critical run on hardware components having the most capacity and reliability, while less-critical jobs use the remaining capacity of affected hardware components. Examples of semi-redundant hardware components include a memory module, CPU core, Ethernet port, power supply, fan, disk drive, and an input output port.

Abstract: Disclosed are redundant data path(s) for transmission of graphical data between components in a graphical display system. The redundant data path(s) are used to transmit graphical data by at least two independent means, so that if a failure in one data path occurs, a data transmitted via a separate data path can be used for display. The system is particularly advantageous for multiple-serial-module configurations. The redundant data path(s) minimize disruption of data display and make repair and maintenance of the display system more efficient. The invention includes apparatus for graphical display systems, and also includes methods of data transmission for graphical display systems, and methods of maintenance of graphical display systems.

Abstract: As regards a hardware fault which has occurred in a computer, a hypervisor notifies an LPAR which can continue execution, of a fault occurrence as a hardware fault for which execution can be continued. Upon receiving the notice, the LPAR notifies the hypervisor that it has executed processing to cope with a fault. The hypervisor provides an interface for acquiring a situation of a notice situation. It is made possible to register and acquire a situation of coping with a hardware fault allowing continuation of execution through the interface, and it is made possible to make a decision as to the situation of coping with a fault in the computers as a whole.

Abstract: A method for computer system recovery is presented. In one embodiment, the method includes establishing a connection, via an interface, to a computer system to support the system recovery of the computer system. The method includes executing an emulation application as a recovery agent. The method includes retrieving, based on identifiers associated with the computer system, remote data via another interface. The method further includes performing the system recovery by using at least a part of the remote data.

Abstract: A first computer establishes a logical connection to a second computer for requesting and/or receiving data from a database. A logical connection is independent of the underlying physical network connection used to connect to the database. A context identifier is stored by both computers to enable the context of a logical connection to be persisted between switches from one physical network connection to another within the logical connection thus enabling database transfers to be continued on a second physical network connection when a failure in a first physical network connection occurs.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a multimedia transformation unit, media streams from a plurality of endpoints, transmitting audio components of the media streams to a multipoint conferencing unit, receiving an identifier from the multipoint conferencing unit identifying one of the media streams as an active speaker stream, processing at the multimedia transformation unit, a video component of the active speaker stream, and transmitting the active speaker stream to one or more of the endpoints without transmitting the video component to the multipoint conferencing unit. An apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device having testing capabilities, the device includes: a tested circuit that includes multiple scan chains; a compactor adapted to compress scan chain test responses; a mask unit, connected between the multiple scan chains and the compactor, wherein the mask unit is adapted to mask scan chain test responses outputted by the multiple scan chains during a masking period; and an mask prevention unit, adapted to prevent masking of scan chain test responses during a mask prevention period that at least partially overlaps a mask unit configuration period.

Abstract: Availability of an information system including a storage system that performs remote copy between two or more storage apparatuses and a host computer using such storage system is improved. A third storage apparatus including a third volume is coupled to a first storage apparatus, a fourth storage apparatus including a fourth volume is coupled to a second storage apparatus, the first and third storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in a first volume to the third volume, the first and second storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the first volume to a second volume, and the third and fourth storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the third volume to the fourth volume.

Abstract: A method is presented for continuously providing a high precision system clock associated with a processing core, wherein the system clock includes a host clock register that is incremented via a high precision oscillator, the method includes: providing a firmware clock register, incrementing the firmware clock register based on the host clock register being incremented, monitoring for failures of the host clock register, and during a failure of the host clock register continuously incrementing the firmware clock register by means of timing signals of the processing core, and upon receipt of a request to provide a clock value, providing the content of the host clock register if no failure was detected, or if failure was detected, providing the content of the firmware clock register.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for identifying and recovering from resource leaks on compute nodes of a parallel computing system. A resource monitor stores information about system resources available on a compute node in a clean state. After the compute node runs a job, the resource monitor compares the current resource availability to the clean state. If a resource leak is found, the resource monitor contacts a global resource manger to remove the resource leak.

Abstract: The described embodiments include a processor that handles faults during execution of a vector instruction. The processor starts by receiving a vector instruction that uses at least one vector of values that includes N elements as an input. In addition, the processor optionally receives a predicate vector that includes N elements. The processor then executes the vector instruction. In the described embodiments, when executing the vector instruction, if the predicate vector is received, for each element in the vector of values for which a corresponding element in the predicate vector is active, otherwise, for each element in the vector of values, the processor performs an operation for the vector instruction for the element in the vector of values. While performing the operation, the processor conditionally masks faults encountered (i.e., faults caused by an illegal operation).

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, computer storage device, and storage area network for maintaining a communication path from a host to a storage subsystem in a network. A storage subsystem controls data transfer and access to a storage devices in a network including a switch and a host. A topological storage stores topological coupling relationship between the host and the switch and a topological coupling relationship between the switch and the storage subsystem. In response to determining a failed path, the storage subsystem determines a first port on the storage subsystem in the failed path. The storage subsystem determines from the topology storage the topological coupling relationships between the host and the switch and the switch and the storage subsystem. The storage subsystem redirects, based on the topological coupling relationships, a message sent to the first port of the storage subsystem to an operational second port in the storage subsystem.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an After-Sale service (AS) to an electronic device via a mobile device are provided. The method includes receiving, by a mobile device, state information from the electronic device, transmitting, by the mobile device, the state information regarding the electronic device to a cloud server, determining, by the cloud server, whether the electronic device is experiencing a fault, via the received state information, determining, by the cloud server, whether the cloud server has fault fixing firmware for fixing the fault, transmitting, when the cloud server has the fault fixing firmware, the fault fixing firmware to the mobile device, transmitting, by the mobile device, the fault fixing firmware to the electronic device, and installing the fault fixing firmware in the electronic device.

Abstract: A monitoring device including: a receiving unit configured to receive a malfunction notice of a data processing device, the data processing device being connected to the monitoring device which monitors running condition through a network; a malfunction device identification unit configured to identify a data processing device that is malfunctioning based on the received malfunction notice; a data obtaining unit configured to obtain running data and device data of the data processing device that is malfunctioning and an another data processing device; and a malfunction cause identification unit configured to identify a cause of the malfunction, based on the obtained running data and the obtained device data.

Abstract: Administration of virtual machine affinity in a data center, where the data center includes a plurality of virtual machines (‘VMs’), each VM being a module of automated computing machinery installed upon a computer in the data center and characterized by a Universally Unique Identifier (‘UUID’), at least two of the VMs having an affinity requirement to be installed on separate computers, the data center further including a data center administration server operably coupled to the VMs, including communicating, by at least one of the VMs having an affinity requirement to the data center administration server, the UUIDs of the VMs having an affinity requirement; and moving by the data center administration server the VMs having an affinity requirement to separate computers in the data center.

Abstract: A system and method provides for failover of guest operating systems in a virtual machine environment. During initialization of a computer executing a virtual machine operating system, a first guest operating system allocates a first memory region within a first domain and notifies a second guest operating system operating in a second domain of the allocated first memory region. Similarly, the second guest operating system allocates a second region of memory within the second domain and notifies the first operating system of the allocated second memory region. In the event of a software failure affecting one of the guest operating systems, the surviving guest operating system assumes the identity of the failed operating system and utilizes data stored within the shared memory region to replay to storage devices to render them consistent.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for realizing application high availability are provided. The application is installed on both a first node and a second node, the first node being used as an active node, and the second node being used as a passive node. The method includes: monitoring access operations to files by an application during its execution on the active node; replicating the monitored updates to the file by the application from the active node to a storage device accessible to the passive node if the application performs updates to a file during the access operations; sniffing the execution of the application on the active node; and switching the active node to the second node and initiating the application on the second node in response to sniffing a failure in the execution of the application on the active node.

Abstract: A backup image generator can create a primary image and periodic delta images of all or part of a primary server. The images can be sent to a network attached storage device and a remote storage server. In the event of a failure of the primary server, the failure can be diagnosed to develop a recovery strategy. Based on the diagnosis, at least one delta image may be applied to a copy of the primary image to generate an updated primary image at either the network attached storage or the remote storage server. The updated primary image may be converted to a virtual server in a physical to virtual conversion at either the network attached storage device or remote storage server and users may be redirected to the virtual server. The updated primary image may also be restored to the primary server in a virtual to physical conversion. As a result, the primary data storage may be timely backed-up, recovered and restored with the possibility of providing server and business continuity in the event of a failure.

Abstract: Methods for operating a management system that manages a large number of first function modules and second function modules. An inhibitor module I sets first control statuses to designating blocking when associated events are detected by an event detecting device, and then the management system no longer makes associated first function modules available for execution. The inhibitor module I sets second control statuses to designating executable when associated events are detected by an event detecting device, and then the management system makes associated second function modules available for execution.