Using Formal Methods to Verify Transactional Abstract Concurrency Control

Concurrent application design and implementation is more important than ever in today\u27s multi-core processor world. Transactional Memory (TM) Concurrent application design and implementation is more important than ever in today\u27s multi-core processor world. Transactional Memory (TM). Each has its own particular advantages and disadvantages. However, these techniques each need some extra information to `glue\u27 the non-transactional operation into a transactional context. At the most general level, non-transactional code must be decorated in such a way that the TM run-time can determine how those non-transactional operations commute with one another, and how to `undo\u27 the non-transactional operations in case the run-time needs to abort a software transaction. The TM run-time trusts that these programmer-provided annotations are correct. Therefore, if an implementor needs to employ one of these transactional `escape hatches\u27, it is crucially important that their concurrency control annotations be correct. However, reasoning about the commutativity of data structure operations is often challenging, and increasing the burden on the programmer with a proof requirement does not simplify the task of concurrent programming. There is a way to leverage the structure that these TM extensions require to reduce greatly the burden on the programmer. If the programmer could describe the abstract state of the data structure and then reason about it with as much machine assistance as possible, then there would be much less opportunity for error. Abstract state is preferable to a more concrete state, because it permits the programmer to use different concrete implementations of the same abstract data type. Also, some TM extensions such as open nesting can handle concrete state conflicts without programmer intervention (making the abstract state the appropriate state for reasoning about commutativity). A solution to the problem of specifying and verifying the concurrency properties of abstract data structures is the subject of this thesis. We will describe a new language, ACCLAM, for describing the abstract state of a data structure and reasoning about its concurrency control properties. This thesis also describes a tool that can process ACCLAM descriptions into a machine verifiable form (they are converted to a SAT problem). We will also provides a more detailed overview of transactional memory and the more popular extensions, a detailed semantic description of ACCLAM and a set of example data structure models and the results of processing those examples with the language processing tool

Data With Integrity

Cybersecurity is a fundamental piece of any business. No matter how big or small your business is, neglecting to fix your business's vulnerabilities could have devastating effects on your profits, effectiveness, and success. Unfortunately, small businesses tend to neglect this need in their businesses and only view cybersecurity as a ‘means to an end’. I have partnered with Integrity Church with the mission of finding and fixing most (if not all) of their information technology vulnerabilities. The goal is to not only make sure that Integrity Church is secure from both external and internal threat actors, but also make their organization run more efficiently. I have been working with four other information and computer technology students throughout this endeavor. The project deliverables are first, running a vulnerability scanner on their network to spot potential vulnerabilities. Second, create a policy for their on-premise cameras that will mitigate as much risk as possible with resources available. Third, setup a network-attached storage (NAS) that will be able to store the cameras’ video. Fourth, fix their auditorium access point (AP) that is experiencing consistent below-expected levels of throughput. Fifth, give their employees a presentation on best practices and on some of the most common threats that bad actors will use on organizations. By the end of this project, I have gained a greater understanding for how information technology is put into practical use within small businesses and gained familiarity with the tools we were using to accomplish the above tasks

Using knowledge management to innovate U.S. Coast Guard Command Center Processes

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) responds to thousands of alerts received each year from the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system. Each alert requires an efficient and effective response to assist a potential mariner in distress. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the process employed by USCG Command Centers in responding to SARSAT alerts. The purpose of this analysis is to identify alternatives that can improve the knowledge work performed in the process. This thesis builds on recent work that focuses on knowledge management and system design from three integrated perspectives: 1) reengineering 2) expert systems knowledge acquisition and representation, and 3) information systems analysis and design. The integrated framework covers the gamut of design considerations from the enterprise process at large, through alternative classes of knowledge in the middle, and on to specific systems in detail. The SARSAT response process is examined using this integrated framework and identifies five technological and organizational alternatives that offer significant potential to improve the overall performance of the process.http://archive.org/details/usingknowledgema109451097

Comparative Responsibility in Nonsubscriber Litigation Revisited after Kroger Co. v. Keng.

The Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Kroger Co. v. Keng appears to resolve the question of whether an employer who does not subscribe to worker’s compensation can avail itself of the proportionate responsibility scheme in Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The question left unresolved is whether proportionate responsibility is available in nonsubscriber cases involving additional independently liable defendants. In Keng, the Court premised its holding on Texas Labor Code § 406.033, concluding nonsubscribing employers are prohibited from proving its employees were negligent. The Keng Court declined to decide whether proportionate responsibility was unavailable per se. Therefore, Keng does not preclude an independently liable non-employer defendant from relying on the provisions in Chapter 33 to reduce its percentage of responsibility in nonsubscriber cases. Logically, if Chapter 33 is applied to cases involving a nonsubscribing employer, an independently liable defendant, and a partially responsible plaintiff, the result would be a nonsubscribing employer’s liability is reduced by virtue of the plaintiff’s fault. The Texas Supreme Court’s recent decision in F.F.P. Operating Partners, L.P. v. Duenez supports the argument that proportionate responsibility should be applied as written in Chapter 33 in nonsubscribing cases involving additional independently liable defendants. In Duenez, the Court noted the legislature’s clear intent to protect the policy of fault-based apportionment of responsibility set forth in Chapter 33. That same Court held proportionate responsibility applied to all tort cases except those clearly and expressly excluded by statute. Regardless of whether Duenez ultimately results in a reversal of Keng, proportionate responsibility should be applied to nonsubscriber cases involving other independently liable defendants. Nothing about Keng’s rationale would preclude application of proportionate responsibility, and Duenez disposes of any argument that proportionate responsibility does not apply

Comparative Responsibility in Nonsubscriber Litigation Revisited after Kroger Co. v. Keng.

The Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Kroger Co. v. Keng appears to resolve the question of whether an employer who does not subscribe to worker’s compensation can avail itself of the proportionate responsibility scheme in Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The question left unresolved is whether proportionate responsibility is available in nonsubscriber cases involving additional independently liable defendants. In Keng, the Court premised its holding on Texas Labor Code § 406.033, concluding nonsubscribing employers are prohibited from proving its employees were negligent. The Keng Court declined to decide whether proportionate responsibility was unavailable per se. Therefore, Keng does not preclude an independently liable non-employer defendant from relying on the provisions in Chapter 33 to reduce its percentage of responsibility in nonsubscriber cases. Logically, if Chapter 33 is applied to cases involving a nonsubscribing employer, an independently liable defendant, and a partially responsible plaintiff, the result would be a nonsubscribing employer’s liability is reduced by virtue of the plaintiff’s fault. The Texas Supreme Court’s recent decision in F.F.P. Operating Partners, L.P. v. Duenez supports the argument that proportionate responsibility should be applied as written in Chapter 33 in nonsubscribing cases involving additional independently liable defendants. In Duenez, the Court noted the legislature’s clear intent to protect the policy of fault-based apportionment of responsibility set forth in Chapter 33. That same Court held proportionate responsibility applied to all tort cases except those clearly and expressly excluded by statute. Regardless of whether Duenez ultimately results in a reversal of Keng, proportionate responsibility should be applied to nonsubscriber cases involving other independently liable defendants. Nothing about Keng’s rationale would preclude application of proportionate responsibility, and Duenez disposes of any argument that proportionate responsibility does not apply

TRANSLATOR

Recent work with dynamic optimization in platform independent, virtual machine based languages such as Java has sparked interest in the possibility of applying similar techniques to arbitrary compiled binary programs. Systems such as Dynamo, DAISY, and FX 32 exploit dynamic optimization techniques to improve performance of native or foreign architecture binaries. However, research in this area is complicated by the lack of openly licensed, freely available, and platform-independent experimental frameworks. SIND aims to fill this void by providing an easily-extensible and flexible framework for research and development of applications and techniques of binary translation. Current research focuses are dynamic optimization of running binaries and dynamic security aug-mentation and integrity assurance