Patent Application
20160334850
The present technology relates generally to server systems in a telecommunications network.
Modern server farms or datacenters typically employ a large number of servers to handle processing needs for a variety of application services. Each server handles various operations and requires a certain level of power consumption to maintain these operations. Some of these operations are “mission critical” operations, interruptions to which may lead to significant security breach or revenue losses for users associated with these operations.
However, power supplies to a server system may fluctuate or become interrupted. For example, power interruptions may originate in commercial power grids, which typically utilize long transmission lines vulnerable to weather conditions (e.g., storms and flooding) equipment subject to failure, and major switching operations. In some cases, power interruptions may be caused by a failure of power supplies units of the server system. Power interruptions can force a shutdown and/or possibly resulting in data losses. Thus, server systems often contain uninterruptible power system (UPS) to provide continuous power supplies when a power interruption occurs. There is a need to smartly manage uninterruptible power system (UPS) of a server system such that optimized efficiencies and reliabilities can be achieved.
Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the present technology provide a solution to the above-mentioned problems by providing a backup power with an uninterruptible power system (UPS) that requires minimum standby power and has a high reliability. More specifically, various embodiments of the present technology provide methods for determining a status of power supplies to a server system and dynamically managing an uninterruptible power system (UPS) of the server system between an off-line mode and an on-line mode based upon the status of the power supplies. The UPS requires a minimum standby power under the off-line mode while requires no switch time to continuously supply power to loads of the server system under the on-line mode.
Some embodiments determine a status of an AC input power to a server system and, in response to detecting an abnormal condition associated with the AC input power, generate a power warning signal. The power warning signal can cause an UPS of the server system to be switched from an off-line mode to an on-line mode. The abnormal condition may include, but is not limited to, voltage or current fluctuations, voltage or current rising over a predetermined high value, voltage or current dropping below a predetermined low value, and voltage or current being interrupted. In some embodiments, a power warning signal is generated only when the abnormal condition lasts over a predetermined period of time (e.g., 1 second). In some embodiments, a location of the server system can be determined. Natural disaster warning signals (e.g., fires, earthquakes, storms and flooding) and failures of major switching operations that are related to the location can be monitored and used to generate a power warning signal.
In some embodiments, an operation status of power supply units (PSU) of a server system can be determined and, in response to detecting a PSU failure, generate a power warning signal. For example, a DC output voltage and/or output power of the PSU can be monitored and used to determine an operation status of the PSU. In response to an output voltage being low or not present, or an output power being low or not present, a power warning signal can be generated and used to trigger an UPS of the server system to switch from an off-line mode to an on-line mode.
Some embodiments monitor components and system connection status of a server system. In response to detecting that a communication interface between an UPS of the server system and one or more components of the server system is disconnected, the UPS of the server system can be automatically switched from an off-line mode to an on-line mode.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particular description of the principles briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific examples thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only example aspects of the disclosure and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the principles herein are described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Various embodiments of the present technology provide methods for managing an uninterruptible power system (UPS) of a server system to achieve a substantially optimized power consumption and reliability. In some implementations, a status of power supplies to a server system can be determined. Based upon the status of the power supplies, an uninterruptible power system (UPS) of the server system can be dynamically switched between an off-line mode and an on-line mode.
The at least one PSU 121 is configured to supply powers to various component of the server system 100, such as the CPU 110, cache 111, NB logic 130, PCIe slots 160, Memory 180, SB logic 140, ISA slots 150, PCI slots 170, DC UPS 120 and controller 151. After being powered on, the server system 100 is configured to load software application from memory, computer storage device, or an external storage device to perform various operations. The DC UPS 120 is configured to supply power to the server system 100 when the AC power supply 123 is interrupted or the at least one PSU 121 fails. The DC UPS 120 can be any device that receives power from a power source, stores electrical power, and/or is capable of releasing stored electrical power upon a demand caused by an abnormal condition associated with the AC power supply 123, a PSU failure, a communication interruption associated with the DC UPS 120, and/or various warning signals that can impact power supplies to the server system 100. In some embodiments, the DC UPS 120 can include one or more rechargeable battery cells. The one or more rechargeable battery cells may include, but are not limited to, an electrochemical cell, fuel cell, or ultra-capacitor. The electrochemical cell may include one or more chemicals from a list of lead-acid, nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium ion (Li-ion), and lithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer). The one or more rechargeable battery cells can be charged by the PSU 121 or the AC power supply 123.
The main memory 180 can be coupled to the CPU 110 via a north bridge (NB) logic 130. A memory control module (not shown) can be used to control operations of the memory 180 by asserting necessary control signals during memory operations. The main memory 180 may include, but is not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), double data rate DRAM (DDR DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or other types of suitable memory.
In some implementations, the CPU 110 can be multi-core processors, each of which is coupled together through a CPU bus connected to the NB logic 130. In some implementations, the NB logic 130 can be integrated into the CPU 110. The NB logic 130 can also be connected to a plurality of peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) ports 160 and a south bridge (SB) logic 140. The plurality of PCIe ports 160 can be used for connections and buses such as PCI Express x1, USB 2.0, SMBus, SIM card, future extension for another PCIe lane, 1.5 V and 3.3 V power, and wires to diagnostics LEDs on the server's chassis.
In this example, the NB logic 130 and the SB logic 140 are connected by a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Bus 135. The PCI Bus 135 can support function on the CPU 110 but in a standardized format that is independent of any of CPU's native buses. The PCI Bus 135 can be further connected to a plurality of PCI slots 170 (e.g., a PCI slot 171). Devices connect to the PCI Bus 135 may appear to a bus controller (not shown) to be connected directly to a CPU bus, assigned addresses in the CPU 110's address space, and synchronized to a single bus clock. PCI cards can be used in the plurality of PCI slots 170 include, but are not limited to, network interface cards (NICs), sound cards, modems, TV tuner cards, disk controllers, video cards, small computer system interface (SCSI) adapters, and personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) cards.
The SB logic 140 can couple the PCI bus 135 to a plurality of expansion cards or slots 150 (e.g., an ISA slot 152) via an expansion bus. The expansion bus can be a bus used for communications between the SB logic 140 and peripheral devices, and may include, but is not limited to, an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, PC/104 bus, low pin count bus, extended ISA (EISA) bus, universal serial bus (USB), integrated drive electronics (IDE) bus, or any other suitable bus that can be used for data communications for peripheral devices.
In the example, the SB logic 140 is further coupled to a controller 151 that is connected to the at least one PSU 121 and the DC UPS 120. In some implementations, the controller 151 can be a baseboard management controller (BMC), rack management controller (RMC), a keyboard controller, or any other suitable type of system controller. The controller 151 is configured to control operations of the at least one PSU 121, the DC UPS 120 and/or other applicable operations. In some implementations, the controller 151 is configured to monitor components and/or connection status of the server system 100.
Some implementations enable the controller 151 to collect status information of AC power supply 123 and determine whether an abnormal condition has occurred. In response to detecting an abnormal condition, the controller 151 can cause the DC UPS 120 to be switched from an off-line mode to an on-line mode. The abnormal condition can include, but is not limited to, voltage or current fluctuations, voltage or current rising over a predetermined high value, voltage or current dropping below a predetermined low value, and voltage or current being interrupted.
In some implementations, the controller 151 can collect operation and/or connection status of components of the server system 100. For example, the controller 151 monitors a DC output voltage and/or power of the at least one PSU 121 using various voltage and/or current sensors, which include, but are not limited to, Hall effect sensors, transformer or current clamp meters, resistors, fiber optic current sensors, or Rogowski coils. In response to an output voltage being low or not present, or an output current being low or not present, the controller 151 can cause the DC UPS 120 to switch from an off-line mode to an on-line mode. In some implementations, in response to detecting the DC UPS 120 being disconnected from one or more components of the server system 100, the controller 151 can cause the DC UPS 120 to switch from an off-line mode to an on-line mode.
In some implementations, the controller 151 can determine a location of the server system 100 and monitor natural disaster warning signals (e.g., fires, earthquakes, storms and flooding), failures of major switching operations, and/or any such information related to the location. Collected information can be analyzed and used to determine whether to switch the DC UPS 120 from an off-line mode to an on-line mode.
Although only certain components are shown within the server system 100 in
Depending on the desired implementation for the server system 100, a variety of networking and messaging protocols can be used, including but not limited to TCP/IP, open systems interconnection (OSI), file transfer protocol (FTP), universal plug and play (UpnP), network file system (NFS), common internet file system (CIFS), AppleTalk etc. As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the server system 100 illustrated in
In exemplary configuration of
At a time t2, a power warning signal 125 is generated based upon an abnormal condition associated with the AC power supply 123, a PSU failure, a communication interruption associated with the DC UPS 120, and/or various warning signals that can impact power supplies to the server system 100. The power warning signal 125 causes the DC UPS 120 to switch from the off-line mode to an on-line mode. The DC output 2126 of the DC UPS 120 ramps up from 0V to a predetermined voltage (i.e., 12.0V) under the on-line mode. Voltage at the Vout 127 stays at 12.5V or rises to a higher voltage depending on the predetermined voltage of the DC UPS 120 under the on-line mode. One of ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate that waveform diagrams in
At a time t3, the AC power supply 123 is interrupted. Starting from a time t4, the DC output 1124 starts to gradually ramp down from 12.5V to 0V. In
As illustrated in
The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present technology. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.
The exemplary method 200 starts with receiving an AC power by a power supply unit (PSU) of a computing system, at step 210. The PSU is configured to supply powers to various component of the computing system and/or to charge an UPS of the computing system. In some implementations, the UPS is directly charged by the AC power. The UPS operates with an off-line mode that requires minimum stand-by power under a normal operation the computing system.
At step 220, a status of power supplies to the computing system can be determined. In some implementations, the status of power supplies can be determined by monitoring an input current or voltage of the AC power, an output current and/or voltage of the PSU, or detecting stress voltage variation in at least one component of the PSU 121, such as a switching device MOSFET, Diode and transformer. A determination can be made whether an abnormal condition with the power supplies of the computing system has occurred, at step 230.
In response to determining that an abnormal condition with the power supplies of the computing system has occurred, a power warning signal can be generated, at step 240. The abnormal condition includes, but is not limited to, voltage or current fluctuations, voltage or current rising over a predetermined high value, voltage or current dropping below a predetermined low value, and voltage or current being interrupted. In some implementations, the status of power supplies can also be determined by detecting a location of the computing system and monitoring natural disaster warning signals and failures of major switching operations that are related to the location.
The power warning signal can cause the DC UPS to switch from the off-line mode to an on-line mode, at step 250, which causes an output voltage of the DC UPS rises from 0V to a predetermined voltage. Under the on-line mode, the DC UPS can supply power to loads of the computing system without requiring any switch time. At step 260, the DC UPS can be caused to supply power to the computing system in response to an output voltage of the PSU dropping below the output voltage of the DC UPS.
A computer network is a geographically distributed collection of nodes interconnected by communication links and segments for transporting data between endpoints, such as personal computers and workstations. Many types of networks are available, with the types ranging from local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) to overlay and software-defined networks, such as virtual extensible local area networks (VXLANs).
LANs typically connect nodes over dedicated private communications links located in the same general physical location, such as a building or campus. WANs, on the other hand, typically connect geographically dispersed nodes over long-distance communications links, such as common carrier telephone lines, optical lightpaths, synchronous optical networks (SONET), or synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) links. LANs and WANs can include layer 2 (L2) and/or layer 3 (L3) networks and devices.
The Internet is an example of a WAN that connects disparate networks throughout the world, providing global communication between nodes on various networks. The nodes typically communicate over the network by exchanging discrete frames or packets of data according to predefined protocols, such as the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). In this context, a protocol can refer to a set of rules defining how the nodes interact with each other. Computer networks can be further interconnected by an intermediate network node, such as a router, to extend the effective “size” of each network.
Overlay networks generally allow virtual networks to be created and layered over a physical network infrastructure. Overlay network protocols, such as Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN), Network Virtualization using Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE), Network Virtualization Overlays (NVO3), and Stateless Transport Tunneling (STT), provide a traffic encapsulation scheme which allows network traffic to be carried across L2 and L3 networks over a logical tunnel. Such logical tunnels can be originated and terminated through virtual tunnel end points (VTEPs).
Moreover, overlay networks can include virtual segments, such as VXLAN segments in a VXLAN overlay network, which can include virtual L2 and/or L3 overlay networks over which VMs communicate. The virtual segments can be identified through a virtual network identifier (VNI), such as a VXLAN network identifier, which can specifically identify an associated virtual segment or domain.
Network virtualization allows hardware and software resources to be combined in a virtual network. For example, network virtualization can allow multiple numbers of VMs to be attached to the physical network via respective virtual LANs (VLANs). The VMs can be grouped according to their respective VLAN, and can communicate with other VMs as well as other devices on the internal or external network.
Network segments, such as physical or virtual segments, networks, devices, ports, physical or logical links, and/or traffic in general can be grouped into a bridge or flood domain. A bridge domain or flood domain can represent a broadcast domain, such as an L2 broadcast domain. A bridge domain or flood domain can include a single subnet, but can also include multiple subnets. Moreover, a bridge domain can be associated with a bridge domain interface on a network device, such as a switch. A bridge domain interface can be a logical interface which supports traffic between an L2 bridged network and an L3 routed network. In addition, a bridge domain interface can support internet protocol (IP) termination, VPN termination, address resolution handling, MAC addressing, etc. Both bridge domains and bridge domain interfaces can be identified by a same index or identifier.
Furthermore, endpoint groups (EPGs) can be used in a network for mapping applications to the network. In particular, EPGs can use a grouping of application endpoints in a network to apply connectivity and policy to the group of applications. EPGs can act as a container for buckets or collections of applications, or application components, and tiers for implementing forwarding and policy logic. EPGs also allow separation of network policy, security, and forwarding from addressing by instead using logical application boundaries.
Cloud computing can also be provided in one or more networks to provide computing services using shared resources. Cloud computing can generally include Internet-based computing in which computing resources are dynamically provisioned and allocated to client or user computers or other devices on-demand, from a collection of resources available via the network (e.g., “the cloud”). Cloud computing resources, for example, can include any type of resource, such as computing, storage, and network devices, virtual machines (VMs), etc. For instance, resources can include service devices (firewalls, deep packet inspectors, traffic monitors, load balancers, etc.), compute/processing devices (servers, CPU's, memory, brute force processing capability), storage devices (e.g., network attached storages, storage area network devices), etc. In addition, such resources can be used to support virtual networks, virtual machines (VM), databases, applications (Apps), etc.
Cloud computing resources can include a “private cloud,” a “public cloud,” and/or a “hybrid cloud.” A “hybrid cloud” can be a cloud infrastructure composed of two or more clouds that inter-operate or federate through technology. In essence, a hybrid cloud is an interaction between private and public clouds where a private cloud joins a public cloud and utilizes public cloud resources in a secure and scalable manner. Cloud computing resources can also be provisioned via virtual networks in an overlay network, such as a VXLAN.
In a network switch system, a lookup database can be maintained to keep track of routes between a number of end points attached to the switch system. However, end points can have various configurations and are associated with numerous tenants. These end-points can have various types of identifiers, e.g., IPv4, IPv6, or Layer-2. The lookup database has to be configured in different modes to handle different types of end-point identifiers. Some capacity of the lookup database is carved out to deal with different address types of incoming packets. Further, the lookup database on the network switch system is typically limited by 1K virtual routing and forwarding (VRFs). Therefore, an improved lookup algorithm is desired to handle various types of end-point identifiers. The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for address lookups in a telecommunications network. Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for unifying various types of end-point identifiers by mapping end-point identifiers to a uniform space and allowing different forms of lookups to be uniformly handled. A brief introductory description of example systems and networks, as illustrated in
The interfaces 368 are typically provided as interface cards (sometimes referred to as “line cards”). Generally, they control the sending and receiving of data packets over the network and sometimes support other peripherals used with the computing device 300. Among the interfaces that can be provided are Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In addition, various very high-speed interfaces can be provided such as fast token ring interfaces, wireless interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces and the like. Generally, these interfaces can include ports appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In some cases, they can also include an independent processor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors can control such communications intensive tasks as packet switching, media control and management. By providing separate processors for the communications intensive tasks, these interfaces allow the master microprocessor 362 to efficiently perform routing computations, network diagnostics, security functions, etc.
Although the system shown in
Regardless of the network device's configuration, it can employ one or more memories or memory modules (including memory 361) configured to store program instructions for the general-purpose network operations and mechanisms for roaming, route optimization and routing functions described herein. The program instructions can control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. The memory or memories can also be configured to store tables such as mobility binding, registration, and association tables, etc.
To enable user interaction with the computing device 400, an input device 445 can represent any number of input mechanisms, such as a microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech and so forth. An output device 435 can also be one or more of a number of output mechanisms known to those of skill in the art. In some instances, multimodal systems can enable a user to provide multiple types of input to communicate with the computing device 400. The communications interface 440 can generally govern and manage the user input and system output. There is no restriction on operating on any particular hardware arrangement and therefore the basic features here can easily be substituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.
Storage device 430 is a non-volatile memory and can be a hard disk or other types of computer readable media which can store data that are accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks, cartridges, random access memories (RAMs) 425, read only memory (ROM) 420, and hybrids thereof.
The storage device 430 can include software modules 432, 434, 436 for controlling the processor 410. Other hardware or software modules are contemplated. The storage device 430 can be connected to the system bus 405. In one aspect, a hardware module that performs a particular function can include the software component stored in a computer-readable medium in connection with the necessary hardware components, such as the processor 410, bus 405, output device 435 (e.g., a display), and so forth, to carry out the function.
Chipset 460 can also interface with one or more communication interfaces 590 that can have different physical interfaces. Such communication interfaces can include interfaces for wired and wireless local area networks, for broadband wireless networks, as well as personal area networks. Some applications of the methods for generating, displaying, and using the GUI disclosed herein can include receiving ordered datasets over the physical interface or be generated by the machine itself by processor 455 analyzing data stored in storage 470 or RAM 475. Further, the machine can receive inputs from a user via user interface components 485 and execute appropriate functions, such as browsing functions by interpreting these inputs using processor 455.
It can be appreciated that example systems 400 and 450 can have more than one processor 410 or be part of a group or cluster of computing devices networked together to provide greater processing capability.
For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology can be presented as including individual functional blocks including functional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps or routines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardware and software.
In some examples, the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, and memories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit stream and the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readable storage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals, electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.
Methods according to the above-described examples can be implemented using computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwise available from computer readable media. Such instructions can comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network. The computer executable instructions can be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, or source code. Examples of computer-readable media that can be used to store instructions, information used, and/or information created during methods according to described examples include magnetic or optical disks, flash memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, and so on.
Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can comprise hardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety of form factors. Typical examples of such form factors include laptops, smart phones, small form factor personal computers, personal digital assistants, and so on. Functionality described herein also can be embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can also be implemented on a circuit board among different chips or different processes executing in a single device, by way of further example.
The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computing resources for executing them, and other structures for supporting such computing resources are means for providing the functions described in these disclosures.
Various aspects of the present technology provide methods for providing a backup power with an uninterruptible power system (UPS) that requires minimum standby power and has a high reliability. While specific examples have been cited above showing how the optional operation can be employed in different instructions, other examples can incorporate the optional operation into different instructions. For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology can be presented as including individual functional blocks including functional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps or routines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardware and software.
The various examples can be further implemented in a wide variety of operating environments, which in some cases can include one or more server computers, user computers or computing devices which can be used to operate any of a number of applications. User or client devices can include any of a number of general purpose personal computers, such as desktop or laptop computers running a standard operating system, as well as cellular, wireless and handheld devices running mobile software and capable of supporting a number of networking and messaging protocols. Such a system can also include a number of workstations running any of a variety of commercially-available operating systems and other known applications for purposes such as development and database management. These devices can also include other electronic devices, such as dummy terminals, thin-clients, gaming systems and other devices capable of communicating via a network.
To the extent examples, or portions thereof, are implemented in hardware, the present invention can be implemented with any or a combination of the following technologies: a discrete logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementing logic functions upon data signals, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, programmable hardware such as a programmable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.
Most examples utilize at least one network that would be familiar to those skilled in the art for supporting communications using any of a variety of commercially-available protocols, such as TCP/IP, OSI, FTP, UPnP, NFS, CIFS, AppleTalk etc. The network can be, for example, a local area network, a wide-area network, a virtual private network, the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a public switched telephone network, an infrared network, a wireless network and any combination thereof.
Methods according to the above-described examples can be implemented using computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwise available from computer readable media. Such instructions can comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network. The computer executable instructions can be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, or source code. Examples of computer-readable media that can be used to store instructions, information used, and/or information created during methods according to described examples include magnetic or optical disks, flash memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, and so on.
Devices implementing methods according to these technology can comprise hardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety of form factors. Typical examples of such form factors include server computers, laptops, smart phones, small form factor personal computers, personal digital assistants, and so on. Functionality described herein also can be embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can also be implemented on a circuit board among different chips or different processes executing in a single device, by way of further example.
In examples utilizing a Web server, the Web server can run any of a variety of server or mid-tier applications, including HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, data servers, Java servers and business application servers. The server(s) can also be capable of executing programs or scripts in response requests from user devices, such as by executing one or more Web applications that can be implemented as one or more scripts or programs written in any programming language, such as Java®, C, C# or C++ or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python or TCL, as well as combinations thereof. The server(s) can also include database servers, including without limitation those commercially available from open market.
The server farm can include a variety of data stores and other memory and storage media as discussed above. These can reside in a variety of locations, such as on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) one or more of the computers or remote from any or all of the computers across the network. In a particular set of examples, the information can reside in a storage-area network (SAN) familiar to those skilled in the art. Similarly, any necessary files for performing the functions attributed to the computers, servers or other network devices can be stored locally and/or remotely, as appropriate. Where a system includes computerized devices, each such device can include hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus, the elements including, for example, at least one central processing unit (CPU), at least one input device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, controller, touch-sensitive display element or keypad) and at least one output device (e.g., a display device, printer or speaker). Such a system can also include one or more storage devices, such as disk drives, optical storage devices and solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), as well as removable media devices, memory cards, flash cards, etc.
Such devices can also include a computer-readable storage media reader, a communications device (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared computing device) and working memory as described above. The computer-readable storage media reader can be connected with, or configured to receive, a computer-readable storage medium representing remote, local, fixed and/or removable storage devices as well as storage media for temporarily and/or more permanently containing, storing, transmitting and retrieving computer-readable information. The system and various devices also typically will include a number of software applications, modules, services or other elements located within at least one working memory device, including an operating system and application programs such as a client application or Web browser. It should be appreciated that alternate examples can have numerous variations from that described above. For example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets) or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices can be employed.
Storage media and computer readable media for containing code, or portions of code, can include any appropriate media known or used in the art, including storage media and computing media, such as but not limited to volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage and/or transmission of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data, including RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a system device. Based on the technology and teachings provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate other ways and/or methods to implement the various aspects of the present technology.
The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
