Introducers for introducing a surgical circular stapler into a patient. Various embodiments comprise cover members that are applied over a stapling head portion of the circular stapler. In some embodiments, the cover members are fabricated from a flexible stretchable material and have a bumper portion that protrudes distally beyond the distal face of the stapling head. The staples may be fired through the cover member and the balance of the cover member is withdrawn from the patient with the stapling head. Other cover embodiments are selectively movable from a position wherein the distal face of the stapling head is covered and other positions wherein the distal face of the stapling head is exposed.

Devices and methods for introducing a surgical circular stapling instrument into a patient

Provided herein are systems and methodologies for highly efficient restoration in a network-based backup system. As described herein, differential-based analysis can be utilized such that a new complete differential is calculated based on signatures and/or other information relating to a given item to be restored prior to retrieving backup data. Based on the differential, only blocks determined to be unique between the current version of the item and the desired version are transmitted, which can then be merged with non-unique locally present blocks to obtain the fully restored version of the item. Further, a hybrid architecture can be employed, wherein signatures and/or data are stored at a global location within a network as well as one or more local peers. Accordingly, a backup client can obtain information necessary for restoration from either the global location or a nearby peer, thus further reducing latency and bandwidth consumption.

Differential file and system restores from peers and the cloud

Disclosed herein is a controller architecture that pairs a controller with a NVM (non-volatile memory) storage system over a high-level, high speed interface such as PCIe. In one embodiment, the NVM storage system includes a bridge that communicates with the controller via the high-level interface, and controls the NVM via an interface (e.g., ONFI). The controller is provided a rich set of physical level of controls over individual elements of the NVM. In one embodiment, the controller is implemented in a higher powered processor that supports advanced functions such as mapping, garbage collection, wear leveling, etc. In one embodiment, the bridge is implemented in a lower powered processor and performs basic signal processing, channel management, basic error correction functions, etc. This labor division provides the controller physical control of the NVM over a fast, high-level interface, resulting in the controller managing the NVM at both the page and block level.

Systems and methods for an enhanced controller architecture in data storage systems

Systems and methods enabling search of a repository for the location of data that is similar to input data, using a defined measure of similarity, in a time that is independent of the size of the repository and linear in a size of the input data, and a space that is proportional to a small fraction of the size of the repository. The similar data segments thus located are further analyzed to determine their common (identical) data sections, regardless of the order and position of the common data sections in the repository and input, and in a time that is linear in the segment size and in constant space.

Systems and methods for efficient data searching, storage and reduction

A disk drive is disclosed that utilizes multi-tiered solid state memory for caching data received from a host. Data can be stored in a memory tier that can provide the required performance at a low cost. For example, multi-level cell (MLC) memory can be used to store data that is frequently read but infrequently written. As another example, single-level cell (SLC) memory can be used to store data that is frequently written. Improved performance, reduced costs, and improved power consumption can thereby be attained.

Disk drive data caching using a multi-tiered memory

A method for managing a mutex in a data processing system is presented. For each mutex, a count is maintained of the number of threads that are spinning while waiting to acquire a mutex. If a thread attempts to acquire a locked mutex, then the thread enters a spin state or a sleep state based on restrictive conditions and the number of threads that are spinning during the attempted acquisition. In addition, the relative length of time that is required by a thread to spin on a mutex after already sleeping on the mutex may be used to regulate the number of threads that are allowed to spin on the mutex.

Method and system for dynamically bounded spinning threads on a contested mutex

Methods and arrangements of assigning tasks to processors are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to detect an attempt to execute an instruction of a task on a processor not supporting the instruction (non-supporting processor). The method may involve selecting a processor supporting the instruction (supporting physical processor). In many embodiments, the method may include storing data about the attempt to execute the instruction and, based upon the data, making another assignment of the task to a physical processor supporting the instruction. In some embodiments, the method may include representing the instruction set of a virtual processor as the union of the instruction sets of the physical processors comprising the virtual processor and assigning a task to the virtual processor based upon the representing.

Assigning tasks to processors in heterogeneous multiprocessors

The method for protecting memory of a virtual guest includes initializing a virtual guest on a host computing system. The host computing system includes a virtual machine manager that manages operation of the virtual guest. The virtual guest includes a distinct operating environment executing in a virtual operation platform provided by the virtual machine manager. The method includes receiving an allocation of run-time memory for the virtual guest, the allocation of run-time memory comprising a portion of run-time memory of the host computing system. The method includes setting, by the virtual guest, at least a portion of the allocation of run-time memory to be inaccessible by the virtual machine manager.

Protecting memory of a virtual guest

A partitioned NUMA machine is managed to dynamically transform its partition layout state based on NUMA considerations The NUMA machine includes two or more NUMA nodes that are operatively interconnected by one or more internodal communication links Each node includes one or more CPUs and associated memory circuitry Two or more logical partitions each comprise at a CPU and memory circuit allocation on at least one NUMA node Each partition respectively runs at least one associated data processing application The partitions are dynamically managed at runtime to transform the distributed data processing machine from a first partition layout state to a second partition layout state that is optimized for the data processing applications according to whether a given partition will most efficiently execute within a single NUMA node or by spanning across a node boundary The optimization is based on access latency and bandwidth in the NUMA machine

Dynamic Logical Partition Management For NUMA Machines And Clusters

A method for managing a mutex in a data processing system is presented. For each mutex, an average acquisition cost is maintained that indicates an average consumption of computational resources that has been incurred by threads attempting to acquire the mutex. If a thread attempts to acquire a locked mutex, then the thread enters a spin state or a sleep state based on restrictive conditions and the average acquisition cost value for the mutex at that time. A thread-specific current acquisition cost value is maintained that represents the consumption of computational resources by the thread after the initial attempt to acquire the mutex and prior to acquiring the mutex. When the thread acquires the mutex, the thread-specific current acquisition cost value is included into the average acquisition cost value.

Joel H. Schopp

Papers

Method and system for dynamically bounded spinning threads on a contested mutex

Assigning tasks to processors in heterogeneous multiprocessors

Protecting memory of a virtual guest

Dynamic Logical Partition Management For NUMA Machines And Clusters

Method and system for autonomically adaptive mutexes