High Availability and Scalability of Mainframe Environments using System z and z/OS as example

Mainframe computers are the backbone of industrial and commercial computing, hosting the most relevant and critical data of businesses. One of the most important mainframe environments is IBM System z with the operating system z/OS. This book introduces mainframe technology of System z and z/OS with respect to high availability and scalability. It highlights their presence on different levels within the hardware and software stack to satisfy the needs for large IT organizations

Development of a workload estimator: The influence of surrounding traffic behaviour on driver workload and performance

The consumers’ increasing desire to be connected at all times and the advancement of integrated functionality within the vehicle, increases the risk that drivers could be faced with information overload while driving. Given the importance of human interaction with technology within the vehicle, automobile manufacturers are introducing workload manager systems within the vehicles to help prevent driver overload. However the ability of the system to decide in a timely manner requires anticipation of changes in workload, depending on the capacity of the driver and matching it with the demand expected from the driving task such as the dynamic traffic environment. In relation to the need to understand the influence of traffic demand on driver workload, the work here comprises the systematic manipulation of traffic complexity and exploration of workload measures to highlight which are sensitive to primary task demand manipulated. A within-subjects design was used in the studies explored in this thesis to allow comparison between different manipulated traffic conditions. In the first simulator test, the ability of various objective and subjective workload measures to tap into drivers’ momentary workload was examined. Following the identification of a subjective measure that was sensitive to the influence of lane changes performed by neighbouring vehicle on drivers’ momentary workload, the characteristics of the lane change were explored in the subsequent studies involving single and dual-task conditions. Overall, these studies suggested suppression of non-urgent communications by a workload manager during safety-critical conditions involving critical cut-ins would be advantageous to both younger and older drivers. This thesis offers a novel and valuable contribution to the design of a workload estimator so as to ensure that the driving demand is always within drivers’ capacity to avoid driver overload. Results of these studies have also highlighted the utility of vehicle-based sensor data in improving workload manager functionality

The Ithacan, 1996-11-07

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_1996-97/1008/thumbnail.jp

An investigation into battered women’s shelters: feminist cooperatives or social service institutions, case studies of Canada and New Zealand

The battered women’s movement has faced challenges and experienced tensions. The establishment of ongoing government funding for the battered women’s movement was significant as shelters which were established as feminist collective organisations were transformed into hierarchical and bureaucratic organisations. This study has examined both the external constraints and the internal dynamics that have impacted on the movement’s transformation through two case studies, one Canadian transition house and one New Zealand refuge. More specifically the study has explored the influence of external funding and internal factors on the social change agenda that feminist collective organisations support. The study has drawn on empirical and historical data derived from the transition house and the refuge and from documents and the academic/research literature. These have provided an understanding of the impact of the external environment, particularly governments, (and in New Zealand the influence of the refuge movement, through the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges Inc. (NCIWR)) on the two shelters. The study examines to what degree they have been able to balance the exacting requirements that governments impose whilst remaining feminist organisations and social change agents. The relationship with the external environment (that is, with governments and non-government organisations) impacted differently for the transition house and the refuge in the study. The transition house focused on sustainability issues by ensuring that it maintained and expanded its resource base. In its engagement practices with government it sought and negotiated opportunities for expanding services for battered women and children as well as promoting feminist principles. Internally the transition house accommodated the characteristics of bureaucracy within its operations, its service delivery models and its staff, as it met the challenge of changes in women’s needs and responded to funding opportunities and requirements. For the refuge, which was undergoing transformation during the research period, it was the tensions that were salient as a result of bureaucracy replacing a collective structure. The internal changes were influenced by the external environment which through government and non-government intervention imposed governance, administrative, financial and service delivery requirements within a funding environment that prohibited innovation and participation. These changes strained the refuge’s internal governance/staff relationship and undermined its feminist framework, which was the justification for the original structure and practice. When feminist organisations and the battered women’s movement experience transformation processes they may increase internal conflict and organisational instability with the loosening of shared values and experiences and a breakdown in participatory and collaborative systems. Although transformation processes may be detrimental to these organisations due to the bureaucratic and hierarchical structures instituted, there can be positive outcomes. Government funding provides stability and sustainability. Bureaucratic structures can provide effective infrastructures for managing externally-imposed governance, administrative and service delivery systems. For feminist organisations and shelters, balancing these structures with policies and processes that reflect and reinforce their feminist philosophy and collectivity is not just an ideal, but critical. Through such expressions of strength these organisations can continue to promote social change as an organisational objective as well as using it to negotiate external constraints so that they continue to retain their autonomy and independence as well as promulgate a feminist philosophy externally

Toxicological profile for radon

Title from title screen (viewed on Nov. 27, 2012).A Toxicological Profile for Radon, Draft for Public Comment was released in September 2008. This edition supersedes any previously released draft or final profile.Chemical manager(s)/author(s): Sam Keith, John R. Doyle, Carolyn Harper, Moiz Mumtaz, Oscar Tarrago, ATSDR, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences (proposed), Atlanta, Georgia; David W. Wohlers, Gary L. Diamond, Mario Citra, Lynn E. Barber, SRC, Inc North Syracuse, NY.Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-204)