Author: claimsbot

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
accessing historical operating data for a unit of information technology equipment, wherein the historical operating data includes power consumption, fan speed, inlet air temperature, workload, and any processor throttling events, the historical operating data being acquired continuously or periodically during a period of time in which the unit of information technology equipment was operating or in response to an event of the unit of information technology equipment occurring in the period of time;
receiving user input selecting a fan speed ranging from a minimum fan speed to a maximum fan speed;
using the historical operating data to determine a performance impact that is expected from operating the unit at the selected fan speed, where the power consumption is a proxy for performance; and
displaying the estimated performance impact of the selected fan speed and one or more alternative fan speeds.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a correlation between power consumption and performance of the unit using the historical operating data; and
displaying a performance that is correlated with the power consumption.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a correlation between fan speed and sound levels using the historical operating data; and
displaying sound levels that are correlated with the displayed fan speeds.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that first and second units of information technology equipment have similar hardware and workload; and
using historical operating data associated with the first device to estimate a performance impact of implementing a selected fan speed on the second device.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying the performance impact as a graphical bar divided into performance zones, wherein the performances zones are aligned with the associated fan speeds.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performance zones include at least a first performance zone illustrating the range of fan speeds that historically do not impact performance, a second performance zone illustrating the range of fan speeds that historically impact performance yet are above the historical average of fan speed, and a third performance zone illustrating a range of fan speeds that have historically prevented one or more jobs from being completed.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
displaying a second graphical bar divided into performance zones that are aligned vertically with the selector states associated with the performance zone, wherein the performance zones in the second graphical bar are determined from the historical data associated with a highest measured inlet air temperature.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of information technology equipment includes a computer server.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of information technology equipment is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and the fan is dedicated to the ASIC, wherein an ASIC operating condition is used as a proxy for the speed of the fan, and wherein the ASIC operating condition is selected from the power consumption, temperature and performance of the ASIC.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining a correlation between the fan speed and an ASIC operating condition using the historical operating data; and
displaying fan speeds that are correlated with the ASIC operating conditions.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying a historical median of the actual fan speed of the system; and
displaying a warning in response to detecting that the user has selected a selector state that will impose a fan speed that is less than the median fan speed.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying a second graphical bar divided into performance zones that are aligned vertically with the selector states associated with the performance zone, wherein the performance zones in the second graphical bar are determined from the historical data associated with a highest inlet air temperature range that is supported.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining one or more measure of variability in the inlet air temperature based upon the historical data; and
displaying the one or more measure of variability in the inlet air temperature.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more measure of variability in the inlet air temperature includes an inlet air temperature range and a median inlet air temperature.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving user input selecting a fan speed ranging from a minimum fan speed to a maximum fan speed, includes:
receiving user input selecting one of a plurality of fan speed selector states ranging from a minimum fan speed to a maximum fan speed.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of fan speed selector states are normalized values representing a plurality of fan speeds ranging from the minimum fan speed to the maximum fan speed.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving user input selecting a number of fan speed selector states; and
establishing the selected number of fan speed selector states distributed across the full range of fan speeds from a minimum fan speed to a maximum fan speed, wherein each of the fan speed selector states is associated with a different fan speed.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
displaying the performance impact as a graphical bar divided into performance zones, wherein the performances zones are aligned with the fan speed selector states associated with the performance zone.
19. The method of claim 18, where in the performance zones include at least a first performance zone illustrating the range of fan speed selector states that historically do not impact performance, a second performance zone illustrating the range of fan speed selector states that historically impact performance yet are above the historical average of fan speed, and a third performance zone illustrating a range of fan speed selector states that have historically prevented one or more jobs from being completed.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining a relationship between inlet air temperature and cooling capacity of the fans;
estimating a loss in performance that is likely to occur at the selected fan speed selector state if the inlet air temperature reaches the highest inlet air temperature in the historical operating data or the highest inlet air temperature supported by the unit.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
displaying the cooling capacity as a function of inlet air temperature for each of the fan speed selector states.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the cooling capacity as a function of inlet air temperature for each of the fan speed selector states is displayed as a table.
23. A computer program product including computer usable program code embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising:
computer usable program code for accessing historical operating data for a unit of information technology equipment, wherein the historical operating data includes power consumption, fan speed, inlet air temperature, workload, and any processor throttling events, the historical operating data being acquired continuously or periodically during a period of time in which the unit of information technology equipment was operating or in response to an event of the unit of information technology equipment occurring in the period of time;
computer usable program code for receiving user input selecting a fan speed ranging from a minimum fan speed to a maximum fan speed;
computer usable program code for using the historical operating data to determine a performance impact that is expected from operating the unit at the selected fan speed, where the power consumption is a proxy for performance; and
computer usable program code for displaying the estimated performance impact of the selected fan speed and one or more alternative fan speeds.
24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:
computer usable program code for displaying the performance impact as a graphical bar divided into performance zones, wherein the performances zones are aligned with the associated fan speeds.
25. The computer program product of claim 24, where in the performance zones include at least a first performance zone illustrating the range of fan speeds that historically do not impact performance, a second performance zone illustrating the range of fan speeds that historically impact performance yet are above the historical average of fan speed, and a third performance zone illustrating a range of fan speeds that have historically prevented one or more jobs from being completed.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A lithographic mask, comprising:
a first energy emitting layer, including:
a first active region configured to emit a first energy flux at a first selected intensity in response to an energy input; and

a second energy emitting layer, including:
a second active region configured to emit a second energy flux at a second selected intensity in response to the first energy flux; and
a first inactive region configured not to emit an energy flux at the second selected intensity in response to the first energy flux.
2. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy flux is electromagnetic radiation.
3. The mask of claim 2, wherein the first energy flux has a first selected frequency, and the second energy flux is electromagnetic radiation having a second selected frequency.
4. (canceled)
5. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy flux is charged particles.
6. (canceled)
7. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy flux is charged particles.
8. (canceled)
9. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy flux is an evanescent wave.
10. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy flux is an electromagnetic field.
11.-14. (canceled)
15. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy flux is an electromagnetic field.
16.-19. (canceled)
20. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer is photoemissive.
21. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer is photoemissive.
22. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer is luminescent.
23. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer is luminescent.
24. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes an active gain material.
25. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes an active gain material.
26. The mask of claim 25, wherein the second energy emitting layer is configured to function as an optical cavity.
27. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a nonlinear optical material.
28.-29. (canceled)
30. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes a quantum dot.
31. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a quantum dot.
32. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes a fluorescent material.
33. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a fluorescent material.
34. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a scintillation material.
35. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a photocathode.
36. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a field emission material.
37. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes a waveguide.
38. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a waveguide.
39. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes a region supporting plasmon propagation.
40. The mask of claim 1, wherein the second energy emitting layer includes a region supporting plasmon propagation.
41. The mask of claim 1, wherein the energy input is an electrical input.
42. The mask of claim 1, wherein the energy input is an optical input.
43. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first energy emitting layer includes a second inactive region configured not to emit an energy flux at the first selected intensity in response to the energy input.
44.-90. (canceled)
91. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
a patterned energy emitting mask, the mask including at least one active region that emits an energy flux and at least one inactive region that does not emit an energy flux; and
a substrate support arranged to hold a substrate in a position to receive the energy flux,
wherein the patterned energy emitting mask includes at least two layers, at least one of the at least two layers being an energy emitting layer.
92. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein the at least two layers include two energy emitting layers.
93. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the at least two layers include a patterned energy emitting layer and a homogeneous energy emitting layer.
94. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the at least two layers include two patterned energy emitting layers.
95. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein the at least two layers include an energy emitting layer and a patterned transmissivity layer.
96.-116. (canceled)
117. A lithographic method, comprising:
generating an energy flux by activating a patterned energy emitting mask, wherein the mask includes at least one active region that emits an energy flux and at least one inactive region that does not emit an energy flux and wherein the mask includes at least two layers, at least one of the at least two layers being an energy emitting layer; and
exposing a flux sensitive material to the generated energy flux at a level selected to modify the flux sensitive material.
118. The lithographic method of claim 117, wherein the at least two layers include two energy emitting layers.
119. The lithographic method of claim 118, wherein the at least two layers include a patterned energy emitting layer and a homogeneous energy emitting layer.
120. The lithographic method of claim 118, wherein the at least two layers include two patterned energy emitting layers.
121. The lithographic method of claim 117, wherein the at least two layers include an energy emitting layer and a patterned transmissivity layer.
122.-144. (canceled)
145. A lithographic mask, comprising:
a patterned energy emitting layer, the layer including:
at least one active region configured to emit an energy flux at a selected level in response to an energy input; and
at least one inactive region configured not to emit an energy flux at the selected level in response to the energy input,

wherein the active region includes a structure selected from the group consisting of an active gain material, a nonlinear optical material, a waveguide, a quantum dot, and a plasmon-supporting region.
146.-150. (canceled)
151. A lithographic mask, comprising:
a patterned energy emitting layer, the layer including:
a first active region configured to emit a first energy flux at a first selected level in response to an energy input; and
a second active region configured to emit a second energy flux at a second selected level in response to the energy input,

wherein the first and second energy fluxes differ in frequency or intensity.
152. The lithographic mask of claim 151, wherein the first and second energy fluxes differ in frequency.
153. The lithographic mask of claim 151, wherein the first and second energy fluxes differ in intensity.

1. A method for authorizing a user comprising:
a) receiving from a user device a first request for a service of an application;
b) determining a user identifier associated with the user device;
c) determining an access right required to access the service without accessing the application;
d) determining if the user identifier is associated with the access right;
e) in response to a determination of the user identifier being associated with the access right, generating a second request for the service of the application, the second request being different from the first request;
f) sending the second request to the application;
g) accessing the application using one or more user credentials different from one or more credentials of the user device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user identifier is associated with the access right includes accessing an object associated with the service, the object being stored in a data store.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein accessing an object includes accessing an access control list associated with the object.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the access control list is owned by the object.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing an access control list includes accessing an access control list of another object.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the another object by determining a nearest ancestor of the object owning an access control list.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the object is selected from a group comprising a system object, a system instance object, an entity object, a method object, a parameter object, and a parameter type object.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising organizing the group of a system object, a system instance object, an entity object, a method object, a parameter object, and a parameter type object as a hierarchy, and wherein determining a nearest ancestor of the object includes based on the hierarchy, determining a higher level object associated with the object and owning an access control list.
9. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing an object includes accessing an access control entry associated with the access control list, the access control entry including at least one authorized user identifier associated with at least one authorized right of access.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one authorized right of access is selected from a group comprising a right to edit, a right to view, and a right to execute.
11. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a data structure comprising:
a) a first data field containing data representing an object identifier, the object identifier indicating an available service of an application;
b) a second data field, associated with the first data field, containing data representing an access control list identifier;
c) a third data field, associated with the second data field, containing data representing an access control entry identifier;
d) a fourth data field, associated with the third data field, containing data representing a user identifier associated with an authorized user of the application; and
e) a fifth data field, associated with the third data field, containing data representing a right identifier indicating an authorized right of the authorized user to access the available service.
12. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the access control list identifier references an access control list application program interface for checking access rights of a user to the application.
13. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the access control entry identifier references an access control entry application program interface for verifying access rights based on the fourth and fifth data fields.
14. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the object identifier identifies an object having a type selected from a group comprising a system object, a system instance object, an entity object, a method object, a parameter object, and a parameter type object.
15. One or more computer readable media containing computer readable instructions that, when implemented, perform a method comprising:
a) associating a service identifier with connection information, an authorized user identifier, and an access right indicator of the authorized user identifier, wherein the service identifier is associated with a service of at least one of a plurality of available applications providing services;
b) receiving a request for the service from a user device;
c) verifying that a user identifier associated with the user device matches the authorized user identifier without accessing the at least one of the plurality of available applications;
d) based on the access right indicator, verifying that the request for the service is allowed by the authorized right indicator without accessing the at least one of the plurality of available applications;
e) if the user identifier and the request are verified, accessing the at least one of the plurality of available applications using credentials different from user credentials of the user device; and
f) requesting the service from the at least one of the plurality of available applications.
16. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, wherein associating a service identifier with an authorized user identifier and an access right indicator of the authorized user identifier includes associating the service identifier with an access control list and associating the access control list with an access control entry, the access control entry associating the authorized user identifier and the access right indicator.
17. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein associating the service identifier with an access control list includes creating a service object containing the access control list.
18. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein associating the service identifier with an access control list includes associating the service identifier with an application program interface for discovering a nearest ancestor object of the service identifier that contains the access control list.
19. The one or more computer readable media of claim 18, wherein discovering a nearest ancestor object includes walking up a predetermined object hierarchy associated with the service identifier and determining a nearest higher level object containing an access control list.
20. The one or more computer readable media of claim 15, further comprising associating the authorized user identifier and access right indicator with a child service indicator associated to the service indicator in accordance with a service hierarchy.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A data transfer system comprising a data transfer apparatus and a data-recording apparatus, wherein said data transfer apparatus comprises:
primary-recording-medium driving means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a primary recording medium;
storage controlling means for controlling said primary-recording-medium driving means to store content data in an encrypted state and a first content identifier generated uniquely to said content data onto said primary recording medium;
communication means for carrying out a variety of data communications including transfers of content data with said data-recording apparatus; and
transfer management means for managing rights to transfer content data and for managing transfer rights of content data already transferred to said data recording apparatus by using a generated table for associating said first content identifier with a second content identifier received from said data-recording apparatus and generated by said data-recording apparatus for said content data already transferred to said data-recording apparatus; and wherein said data-recording apparatus comprises:
communication means for carrying out data communications including exchanges of content data with said data transfer apparatus;
secondary-recording-medium driving means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a secondary recording medium;
decryption means for decrypting encrypted content data received from said data transfer apparatus, putting said content data in an unencrypted state;
recording controlling means for controlling said secondary-recording-medium driving means to record said encrypted content data decrypted by said decryption means onto said secondary recording medium;
identifier generation means for generating a second content identifier of said content data from said content data in said unencrypted state; and
identifier-transmission controlling means for requesting said communication means to transmit said second content identifier generated by said identifier generation means to said data transfer apparatus.
2. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said transfer management means manages said rights to transfer content data by managing the number of allowable transfers of content data to said data-recording apparatus.
3. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein, when a right to reproduce content data from said secondary recording medium is lost for said content data recorded on said secondary recording medium, said transfer management means requests said data-recording apparatus to transmit said second content identifier generated for said content data and, after using said table for collation of said second content identifier received from said data-recording apparatus, updates said right to transfer said content data.
4. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said identifier generation means extracts a portion of said content data from a sampling point determined on the basis of the length of said content data, and generates a second content identifier by carrying out a process using said extracted portion.
5. A data transfer system according to claim 4, wherein a point or a plurality of points other than a start and an end of content data are used as said sampling points for generating a second content identifier of said content data.
6. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein:
when said content data is received from said data transfer apparatus, said identifier generation means extracts a portion from said sampling point in said content data on a data path ending with an operation to record said content data decrypted by said decryption means onto said secondary recording medium, and generates a second content identifier by carrying out a process using said extracted portion; and
upon completion of a transfer of said content data from said data transfer apparatus, said identifier-transmission controlling means requests said communication means to transmit said second content identifier generated by said identifier generation means to said data transfer apparatus.
7. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein, with said secondary recording medium for recording contents mounted on said data-recording apparatus:
said secondary-recording-medium driving means reproduces a portion from a sampling point in one of said contents recorded in said secondary recording medium and stores said portion in a storage means in advance for each of said contents;
when a request for said second content identifier of one of said contents recorded in said secondary recording medium is received from said data transfer apparatus, said identifier generation means generates said second content identifier by carrying out a process using extracted portion of said sampling point already stored in said storage means; and
said identifier-transmission controlling means requests said communication means to transmit said second content identifier generated by said identifier generation means to said data transfer apparatus.
8. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein, with said secondary recording medium for recording contents mounted on said data-recording apparatus:
said secondary-recording-medium driving means reproduces a portion from a sampling point in one of said contents data recorded in said secondary recording medium, said identifier generation means uses said reproduced portion in a process to generate said second content identifier to be stored in a storage means in advance for each of said contents; and
when a request for said second content identifier of one of said contents recorded in said secondary recording medium is received from said data transfer apparatus, said identifier-transmission controlling means requests said communication means to transmit said second content identifier already stored in said storage means to said data transfer apparatus.
9. A data transfer apparatus comprising:
primary-recording-medium driving means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a primary recording medium;
storage controlling means for storing encrypted content data and first content identifier generated inherently for the content data onto said primary recording medium;
communication means for carrying out a variety of data communications including transfers of content data with an external data-recording apparatus; and
transfer management means for managing rights to transfer content data and for managing transfer rights of content data already transferred to said external data-recording apparatus by using a generated table for associating said first content identifier with a second content identifier received from said external data-recording apparatus and generated by said data-recording apparatus for said content data already transferred to said data-recording apparatus.
10. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said transfer management means manages said rights to transfer content data by managing the number of allowable transfers of content data to said external data-recording apparatus.
11. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when a right to reproduce content data from said secondary recording medium is lost for said content data recorded on said secondary recording medium, said transfer management means requests said external data-recording apparatus to transmit said second content identifier generated for said content data and, after using said table for collation of said second content identifier received from said data-recording apparatus, updates said right to transfer said content data.