Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Oracle America, Inc.

Dan Vacar

David K McElfresh

Kenny C Gross

Leoncio D Lopez

Robert H Melanson

Anton A Bougaev

Aleksey M Urmanov

Charles E Kinney

Donald A Kearns

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system for in-situ characterization of a solid-state light. First, a voltage and a current of the solid-state light source are monitored. Then, the health of the solid-state light source is characterized based on an analysis of the monitored voltage and current.

In-situ characterization of a solid-state light source

One embodiment provides a system that analyzes an electrical connection in a computer system. During operation, the system monitors a reflection coefficient associated with the electrical connection and applies a sequential-analysis technique to the reflection coefficient to determine a statistical deviation of the reflection coefficient. Next, the system assesses the integrity of the electrical connection based on the statistical deviation of the reflection coefficient. Finally, the system uses the assessed integrity to maintain the electrical connection.

Enhanced characterization of electrical connection degradation

A test system including a package with switchable paths. The package may have conductive paths that are selected by switches. The electrically switchable conductive paths may yield increased data without significantly increasing the required testing hardware.

Apparatus and method for testing electrical interconnects with switches

A method of quantifying a shape of a surface includes measuring an elevation (z) of the surface at a plurality of locations in an x-y plane of the surface. The measurement data is fit to a series expansion in terms of one or more base functions that include a series expansion fit. A vector of shape coefficients are calculated from the series expansion fit. A vector of shape coefficients are output.

Surface shape metric and method to quantify the surface shape of electronic packages

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes a response of a device in a computer system to vibration over a frequency range. During operation, the device is vibrated at each frequency in a set of frequencies in the frequency range, wherein the device is vibrated at each frequency, one frequency at a time, until a stabilized response of the device is determined. The response of the device to vibration over the frequency range is then characterized based on information related to the stabilized response at each frequency in the set of frequencies.

Characterizing the response of a device in a computer system to vibration over a frequency range

A system that detects multiple anomalies in a cluster of components is presented. During operation, the system monitors derivatives obtained from one or more inferential variables which are received from sensors in the cluster of components. The system then determines whether one or more components within the cluster have experienced an anomalous event based on the monitored derivatives. If so, the system performs one or more remedial actions.

Method and apparatus for detecting multiple anomalies in a cluster of components

A test system including a package with interconnect paths. The package may have electrical paths that are electrically connected by the interconnect paths. The electrically connected electrical paths may yield increased data without significantly increasing the required testing hardware.

Apparatus and method for testing electrical interconnects

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs a real-time root-cause-analysis for a degradation event associated with a component under test. During operation, the system monitors a telemetry signal collected from the component, and while doing so, attempts to detect an anomaly in the telemetry signal. If an anomaly is detected in the telemetry signal, the system performs a failure analysis on the telemetry signal in real-time while the telemetry signal is degrading. Next, the system identifies a failure mechanism for the component based on the failure analysis.

Method and apparatus for performing a real-time root-cause analysis by analyzing degrading telemetry signals

A system that monitors the health of a computer system is presented. During operation, the system receives a first-difference function for the variance of a time series for a monitored telemetry variable within the computer system. The system then determines whether the first-difference function indicates that the computer system is at the onset of degradation. If so, the system performs a remedial action.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the health of a computer system

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that dynamically adjusts data resolution during proactive-fault-monitoring in a computer system. During operation, the system temporarily stores high-resolution data for a telemetry signal from the computer system in a buffer. The system then generates low-resolution data for the telemetry signal from the high-resolution data. Next, the system monitors the low-resolution data, and while doing so, determines if an anomaly exists in the low-resolution data. If an anomaly exists in the low-resolution data, the system records the high-resolution data from the buffer on a storage device.

Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the resolution of telemetry signals

A method for testing a substrate by using a photoemission microscope is provided which includes providing the substrate and applying a reverse bias voltage to the substrate. The method further includes detecting light emissions from a top surface of the substrate and characterizing viability of the substrate from the detection of the light emissions.

Technique for diagnosing and screening optical interconnect light sources

A system that detects the onset of degradation for interconnections in a component within a computer system. During operation, the system monitors inferential variables associated with the interconnections during operation of the computer system. Next, the system determines a present state of the component from the monitored inferential variables. The system then compares the present state of the component with an initial state of the component. If the comparison indicates that the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach a limited operating state (LOS), the system performs a remedial action.

Method and apparatus for proactive fault monitoring in interconnects

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that proactively monitors a disk drive to detect an impending disk drive failure. During operation, the system obtains a time-varying electrical signal which is generated by the spindle rotation during operation of the disk drive. Next, the system extracts one or more inferential parameters associated with the spindle rotation from the time-varying electrical signal using a phase-sensitive detection. The system then performs proactive fault detection on the inferential parameters to detect an impending failure of the disk drive.

Proactive fault monitoring of disk drives through phase-sensitive surveillance

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that tests the quality and/or the reliability of a component. During operation, the system applies test conditions to a plurality of specimens of the component. While applying the test conditions, the system measures the same variable from each of the plurality of specimens. Next, the system computes a running average of the measured variable across the plurality of specimens. The system then computes residuals between the measured variable for each specimen and the running average. The system next determines from the residuals whether the associated specimens are degraded.

Determining the quality and reliability of a component by monitoring dynamic variables

A system that characterizes degradation of a component in a system. During operation, the system monitors inferential variables associated with a specimen of the component. Next, the system determines a time for the onset of degradation for the specimen and determines a time for the completion of degradation for the specimen. The system then computes a time interval between the onset of degradation and the completion of degradation, and uses the time interval to look up an entry in a defect library to obtain information which characterizes the degradation of the specimen of the component.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Dan Vacar