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A system and method for caching files is disclosed. Popularity values are calculated for a plurality of files over a period of time. The popularity values are then used to determine which files should be cached at various remote sites. Once the caches are filled, the popularity values associated with the cached files are periodically compared with the popularity values of uncached content. Generally, if the popularity of an uncached file is greater than the popularity of a cached file, then the cached file will be replaced. However, numerous different variables may be factored into the caching determination including, for example, the size of the file, the required bitrate of the file, the identity of the owner of the file, and/or the type of file.
1. A method for network caching comprising:
calculating popularity values for a plurality of network files, said popularity values based on a number of requests for each of said files over a period of time; and
transferring a subset of said plurality of network files to a cache based on said calculated popularity values.
2. The method as in
pruning one of said requests from said popularity value calculation if a subsequent request for a particular file is not received after a specified period of time.
3. The method as in
calculating popularity values for files stored in said cache; and
replacing one or more of said files in said cache with one or more of said plurality of files not in said cache having higher popularity values when said cache is full.
4. The method as in
storing a popularity value associated with each file in a file request history list.
5. The method as in
6. The method as in
7. The method as in
8. The method as in
9. The method as in
10. The method as in
11. A system for caching files comprising:
one or more popularity calculation modules to calculate popularity values for a plurality of files based at least in part on a number of user requests for each of said plurality of files and to generate a prioritized list of said plurality of files based on said popularity values; and
one or more caching analysis modules to identify one or more of said plurality of files to be cached based on said prioritized list; and
one or more file transfer modules to transfer said one or more of said plurality of files to a cache.
12. The system as in
pruning logic to prune one or more of said requests from said popularity value calculation if a subsequent user request for a particular file is not received after a specified period of time.
13. The system as in
calculate popularity values for files stored in said cache; and
replace one or more of said files in said cache with one or more of said plurality of files not in said cache having higher popularity values when said cache is full.
14. The system as in
a file request history list employed by said popularity calculation modules to calculate and store said popularity values associated with said files.
15. The system as in
16. The system as in
17. The system as in
18. The method as in
19. The method as in
20. An article of manufacture including a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes said processor to:
calculate popularity values for a plurality of network files, said popularity values based on a number of requests for each of said files over a period of time; and
cache a subset of said plurality of network files based on said calculated popularity values.
21. The article of manufacture as in
prune one of said requests from said popularity value calculation if a subsequent request for a particular file is not received after a specified period of time.
22. The article of manufacture as in
calculate popularity values for files stored in said cache; and
replace one or more of said files in said cache with one or more of said plurality of files not in said cache having higher popularity values when said cache is full.
23. The article of manufacture as in
store a popularity value associated with each file in a file request history list.
24. The article of manufacture as in
25. The article of manufacture as in
26. The article of manufacture as in
27. The article of manufacture as in
28. The article of manufacture as in
29. The article of manufacture as in
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of network services. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved architecture for network content distribution.
2. Description of the Related Art
A traditional network caching system, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a plurality of clients 130-133 communicating over a local area network 140 and/or a larger network 110 (e.g., the Internet). The clients 130-133 may run a browser application such as Netscape Navigator™ or Microsoft Internet Explorer™ which provides access to information on the World Wide Web ("the Web") via the HyperText Transport Protocol ("HTTP"), or through other networking protocols (e.g., the File Transfer Protocol, Gopher . . . etc).
The browser on each client 130-133 may be configured so that all requests for information (e.g., Web pages) are transmitted through a local cache server 115, commonly referred to as a "proxy cache." When a client 130 requests information from a remote Internet server 120, the local proxy cache 115 examines the request and initially determines whether the requested content is "cacheable" (a significant amount of Internet content is "non-cacheable"). If the local proxy cache 115 detects a non-cacheable request, it forwards the request directly to the content source (e.g., Internet server 120). The requested content is then transmitted directly from the source 120 to the client 130 and is not stored locally on the proxy cache 115.
By contrast, when the proxy cache 115 determines that a client 130 content request is cacheable, it searches for a copy of the content locally (e.g., on a local hard drive). If no local copy exists, then the proxy cache 115 determines whether the content is stored on a "parent" cache 117 (located further upstream in the network relative to the Internet server 120) or a "sibling" cache 116 (located in substantially the same hierarchical position as the proxy cache relative to the Internet server 120 from which the content was requested).
If a cache "hit" is detected on either neighboring cache 116, 117, the requested content is retrieved from that cache, transmitted to the client 130, and is stored locally on the proxy cache 115 to be available for future requests by other local clients 131-133. If a cache "miss" occurs, however, the content is retrieved from the source Internet server 120, transmitted to the client 130 and a copy is stored locally on the proxy cache 115, and possibly also the parent cache 117, to be available for future client requests.
One problem which exists with the foregoing arrangement, however, is that caching content based on a "first miss" algorithm (i.e., caching content locally as soon as it is requested) is extremely inefficient and does not necessarily result in a greater future cache hit ratio. For example, the foregoing system may replace more popular content with less popular content as long as the less popular content was requested more recently Moreover, prior systems do not factor in other variables (e.g., content size, content type, . . . etc) which may dramatically affect caching performance. While these prior systems may be adequate for caching Web pages and other relatively small network files, they are extremely inefficient at caching larger content types (e.g., multimedia files) which consume significantly more storage capacity and network bandwidth. For example, implementing a first-miss algorithm with multimedia files may result in continual replacement of files at the cache site due to limited storage capacity. Accordingly, what is needed is a more intelligent system and method for caching popular network content.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art caching system implemented on a data network.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network architecture including elements of the invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary computer architecture including elements of the invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a network architecture including elements of the invention.
FIG. 5a illustrates a request history list employed by embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 5b illustrates a hit history list employed by embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the invention for caching network content based on popularity.
FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the invention which employs a hit history list and a request history list.
Elements of the present invention may be included within a multi-tiered networking architecture 200 such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, which includes one or more data centers 220-222, a plurality of "intermediate" Point of Presence ("POP") nodes 230-234 (also referred to herein as "Private Network Access Points," or "P-NAPs"), and a plurality of "edge" POP nodes 240-245 (also referred to herein as "Internet Service Provider Co-Location" sites or "ISP Co-Lo" sites).
According to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, each of the data centers 220-222, intermediate POPs 230-234 and/or edge POPs 240-245 are comprised of groups of network servers on which various types of network content may be stored and transmitted to end users 250, including, for example, Web pages, network news data, e-mail data, File Transfer Protocol ("FTP") files, and live & on-demand multimedia streaming files. It should be noted, however, that the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular content type.
The servers located at the data centers 220-222 and POPs 230-234; 240-245 may communicate with one another and with end users 150 using a variety of communication channels, including, for example, Digital Signal ("DS") channels (e.g., DS-3/T-3, DS-1/T1), Synchronous Optical Network ("SONET") channels (e.g., OC-3/STS-3), Integrated Services Digital Network ("ISDN") channels, Digital Subscriber Line ("DSL") channels, cable modem channels and a variety of wireless communication channels including satellite broadcast and cellular.
In addition, various networking protocols may be used to implement aspects of the system including, for example, the Asynchronous Transfer Mode ("ATM"), Ethernet, and Token Ring (at the data-link level); as well as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP"), Internetwork Packet Exchange ("IPX"), AppleTalk and DECnet (at the network/transport level). It should be noted, however, that the principles of the invention are not limited to any particular communication channel or protocol.
In one embodiment, a database for storing information relating to distributed network content is maintained on servers at the data centers 220-222 and/or at the POP nodes 230-234; 240-245. The database in one embodiment is a distributed database (i.e., spread across multiple servers) and may run an instance of a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), such as Microsoft™ SQL-Server, Oracle™ or the like.
Having briefly described an exemplary network architecture which employs various elements of the present invention, a computer system 300 representing exemplary clients and servers for implementing elements of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 3.
One embodiment of computer system 300 comprises a system bus 320 for communicating information, and a processor 310 coupled to bus 320 for processing information. The computer system 300 further comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device 325 (referred to herein as "main memory"), coupled to bus 320 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 310. Main memory 325 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 310. Computer system 300 also may include a read only memory ("ROM") and/or other static storage device 326 coupled to bus 320 for storing static information and instructions used by processor 310.
A data storage device 327 such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and its corresponding drive may also be coupled to computer system 300 for storing information and instructions. The computer system 300 can also be coupled to a second I/O bus 350 via an I/O interface 330. A plurality of I/O devices may be coupled to I/O bus 350, including a display device 343, and/or an input device (e.g., an alphanumeric input device 342 and/or a cursor control device 341).
The communication device 340 is used for accessing other computers (servers or clients) via a network 210. The communication device 340 may comprise a modem, a network interface card, or other well known interface device, such as those used for coupling to Ethernet, token ring, or other types of computer networks.
Referring back to FIG. 2, as used herein, a "content provider" 260 refers to an individual or organization with content to be distributed to end users 250 via the system and method described herein. The "content distribution service" refers to a service offered to content providers 260 by an individual or organization implementing embodiments of the network content distribution system and method described herein.
In one embodiment of the system, the data centers 220-222 serve as the primary initial repositories for network content. Thus, when a content provider 260 generates a file to be distributed to end users 250, such as, e.g., a new streaming media presentation, the content provider 260 will initially upload the content to a streaming server located at a data center 220-222. Alternatively, the content may be loaded by a member of the data center 220-222 operations staff. The file will then be automatically distributed from the data center 220-222 to one or more of the intermediate POPs 230-234, and/or edge POPs 240-245 based on an automated content distribution policy and/or end-user demand for the file (as described in more detail below).
Because the data centers 220-222 must be capable of storing and transmitting vast amounts of content provider 260 data, these facilities may be equipped with disk arrays capable of storing hundreds of terabytes of data (based on current capabilities; eventually the data centers 220-222 may be equipped with substantially greater storage capacity based on improvements in storage technology). In addition, the data centers are provided with high-bandwidth connectivity to the other data centers 220-222, intermediate POPs 230-234 and, to some extent, edge POPs 240-245. In addition, in one embodiment, the data centers 220-222 are manned at all times by an operations staff (i.e., 24-hours a day, 7 days a week).
More intermediate POPs 230-234 than data centers 220-222 are implemented in one embodiment of the system. Individually, however, the intermediate POPs 230-234 may be configured with a relatively smaller on-line storage capacity (several hundred gigabytes through one or two terabytes of storage) than the data centers 230-234. The intermediate POPs 230-234 in one embodiment are geographically dispersed across the world to provide for a more efficient content distribution scheme. These sites may also be remotely managed, with a substantial amount of network and system management support provided from the data centers 220-222 (described in greater detail below).
The edge POPs 240-245 are facilities that, in one embodiment, are smaller in scale compared with the intermediate POPs 230-234. However, substantially more geographically-dispersed edge POPs 240-245 are employed relative to the number intermediate POPs 230-234 and data centers 220-222. The edge POPs may be comprised of several racks of servers and other networking devices that are co-located with a facility owner (e.g., an Internet Service Provider). Some of the edge POPs 240-245 are provided with direct, high bandwidth connectivity (e.g., via a T1 channel or greater) to the network 210, whereas other edge POPs 240-245 are provided with only a low bandwidth "control" connectivity (e.g., typically a dial-up data connection (modem) at the minimum; although this may also include a fractional T-1 connection). Even though certain edge POP sites 230-234 are connected to the rest of the system over the Internet, the connection can be implemented such that the edge POPs 240-245 are part of a virtual private network ("VPN") that is administered from the data centers 220-222. Like the intermediate POPs 230-234, the edge POPs 240-245 may be remotely managed with network and system management support from one or more of the data centers 220-222.
Systems resources (e.g., servers, connectivity) may be deployed as modular units that can be added at data centers 220-222, intermediate POPs 230-234, and edge POPs 240-245 based on demand for particular types of content. This modularity provides for scalability at the "local" level; scalability at the "global" scope (system wide) is supported through addition of intermediate POPs 230-234 and edge POPs 240-245 as needed by the growth in content provider 260 base and additions/changes to the content distribution service. "Local" level in this context means within a data center, intermediate POP or an edge POP. As an example, if a particular edge POP was configured with 5 streaming servers to provide, say, 5000 streams as the total capacity at that "edge", the edge POP capacity may be scaled (in accordance with one embodiment of the invention) to higher/lower values (say, to 3000 streams or 10,000 streams) depending on projected demand, by removing/adding streaming servers. On a "global," or system-wide scope, scalability can be achieved by adding new POPs, data centers and even subscribing/allocating higher bandwidth for network connections.
The three-tiered architecture illustrated in FIG. 2 provides for an optimal use of network 210 bandwidth and resources. By transmitting data to end users 250 primarily from edge POPs 240-245, long-haul connectivity (e.g., serving users 250 directly from the content source) is reduced, thereby conserving network bandwidth. This feature is particularly useful for applications such as real-time multimedia streaming which require significant bandwidth and storage capacity. As a result, end users experience a significantly improved quality of service as content delivery from edge POPs 240-245 avoids the major bottlenecks in today's networks. It should be noted, however, that the underlying principles of the invention do not require a three-tiered distribution system (i.e., elements of the invention may be implemented on a two-tiered system or, alternatively, a four-tiered (or greater) system.
In one particular embodiment of the system, illustrated in FIG. 4, private, high-speed communication channels 422, 424, and 426 are provided between the data centers 420 and the intermediate POPs 430, 432, and 434, all of which may be owned by the same organization. By contrast, the edge POPs 440-448 in this embodiment are connected to the intermediate POPs 430, 432, 434 and data centers 420 over the Internet (i.e., over public communication channels).
In order to populate the various network sites/servers with the most popular files, one embodiment of the invention maintains a request history list and/or a file hit history list for determining whether a particular file should be cached locally (i.e., at an I-POP or an E-POP). As illustrated in FIG. 5a, an exemplary file request history list 500 includes data such as the time at which the file was initially requested ("First Miss Time"), the number of requests since the initial request ("# Misses"), and the last time that the file was requested ("Last Request Time"). In one embodiment, the popularity value for the requested content ("Popularity") in the request history list is computed periodically and is used to determine whether or not the content should be cached at the network cache server (i.e., the computed popularity value is used to forecast the future demand for the various media files). More specifically, in one embodiment, a base popularity value of the content in request-history list is computed as follows: Popularity=Number of Requests/Elapsed Time (i.e., where Elapsed Time is the time from the first request until the time of the popularity computation).
The popularity may be calculated after a certain amount of time has passed (e.g., every five minutes) and/or after a predetermined number of requests for the file have been recorded, referred to herein as the "miss-count threshold." The miss-count threshold may be configured manually or dynamically based on the existing or predicted load on the network cache server, the network cache server popularity (e.g., the number of users who stream content from the server), and the cache size. In one embodiment, when the miss count threshold is exceeded for one or more files, the popularity of only those files is recalculated (e.g., the popularity of the other files having already been calculated on a periodic basis). When the popularity values have been recalculated, in one embodiment, the files with the highest popularity values in the request history list will be selected for caching until the space at the network cache server is exhausted.
One embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 6, is comprised of one or more popularity calculation modules 610 for generating a prioritized list of files/content to be transferred to the cache 640 based on the request history list 500 and/or other popularity parameters 601 (e.g., in one embodiment, the popularity calculation modules 610 perform the file popularity calculations described herein). For example, in one embodiment, the popularity calculation module 610 starts with the base popularity formula set forth above (i.e., Popularity=Number of Requests/Elapsed Time) and factors in other parameters to arrive at a weighted popularity value. For example, one embodiment calculates file "popularity" using factors other than the number of file requests over time (represented by the "other variables" column in the request history list 500 and the hit history list 510). These other factors may include, but are not limited to, the type of file requested (which may include a minimum or a preferred bitrate at which the requested file should be transmitted), the size of the requested file, the source of the file (i.e., who the content provider is), and/or the network bandwidth at the POP site. Accordingly, as used in the context of this embodiment, the "popularity" values calculated by the popularity calculation module 610 may be weighted based on factors other than raw popularity.
For example, in one embodiment, larger files may be weighted as relatively less popular than small files to discourage caching of large files (i.e., thereby conserving space on caches with limited storage capacity and conserving system bandwidth). Accordingly, file size may be factored into the popularity equation as follows: Popularity=Number of Requests/(Elapsed Time * File Size). Similarly, files of a particular type (e.g., streaming media files) may be weighted as more or less popular, depending on the circumstances. For example, a video of a news broadcast may not require extremely high quality video because users tend to watch newscasts for informational purposes. By contrast, users may tend to demand higher quality audio/video for movies or music videos. Accordingly, one embodiment of the popularity calculation module 610 will weigh these factors when making popularity calculations (e.g., by dividing by a predetermined value for newscast files and/or multiplying by a predetermined value for movie files). Similarly, content stored in a particular file format may be weighted differently, depending on the circumstances (e.g., RealVideo� 8 files may be weighted higher than other media file formats).
A preferred and/or minimum bitrate may also be factored into the calculation. For example, to conserve overall network bandwidth it might be beneficial to cache high bitrate files as close to the end user as possible. However, because high bitrate files may, in some cases, take up a significant amount of storage space, it might not be beneficial to cache these files at certain locations. Thus, an equation which factors in both bitrate and size might look like the following: Popularity=(Number of Requests * Bitrate)/(Elapsed Time * File Size). In one embodiment of the invention, the variables in the equations described herein may be normalized before being used (e.g., 'file size' and/or 'bitrate' may be normalized using integers between 1 to 10).
In one embodiment, the source of the file—i.e., the identity of the content provider—may also be used to affect the file's popularity. For example, a particular content provider may wish to have its content distributed to as many caches across the network as possible (e.g., it may agree to pay a higher fee to the individual/organization implementing the system and method described herein to distribute the content in this manner). As such, files owned or provided by certain "preferred" content providers may be weighted with a higher popularity value relative to other content providers.
Once the popularity calculation module 610 is finished performing popularity calculations, in one embodiment, it generates a prioritized popularity list with the most popular files at the top of the list and the least popular files at the bottom. The list is read by a caching analysis module 615 which makes the final determination as to which files are to be cached. In one embodiment, the caching analysis module 615 will transmit files in the prioritized list to the cache 640 (e.g., starting from the highest priority files and working down the list) unless/until the cache is full, at which point the caching analysis module 615 may invoke one or more of the cache replacement techniques described below.
Once the caching analysis module 615 determines that a particular file should be cached, in one embodiment, it instructs a file transfer module 620 to carry out the underlying file transfers (e.g., by invoking Win32 or FTP commands; the latter for transfers over the Internet). In one embodiment, after the file transfer is complete, the file transfer module 620 updates a file/content database (not shown) to indicate whether the transfer was successful and where the file was copied (i.e., in one embodiment a central database tracks files as they are distributed throughout the system).
One embodiment of the system and method also includes a pruning function to remove aged entries in the request history list 500 (i.e., file/content request entries whose last request-time has occurred longer than some tolerable threshold). The pruning function helps normalize the request history list by eliminating large time gaps between requests. For example, if one request for file 'Foo' is recorded at 8 AM and seven requests are recorded between 4 PM and 5 PM; and seven requests for file 'Bar' are recorded between 4 PM and 5 PM, file 'Foo' will be assigned a lower popularity value without a pruning function in place due to the 8 AM request/hit (i.e., because the elapsed time will be significantly longer for the 'Foo' calculation). However, if a pruning function is configured to remove entries after, for example, four hours of inactivity (i.e., no requests for the file), then the 8 AM request entry will be dropped and 'Foo' and 'Bar' will more accurately be assigned equal popularity values (i.e., if popularity is calculated some time shortly after 5 PM). In this manner, the entries for the request history list 500 as a whole are normalized within a particular period of time. Mathematically, one embodiment employs the following logical formula to execute the pruning function: If (current-time—last request time)>(configurable tolerable threshold) then prune the file request entry.
As described briefly above, once the cache 640 is filled, one embodiment of the invention employs a least popular file replacement policy for replacing files stored in the cache. More specifically, in addition to the request history list, one embodiment also maintains a hit history list 510 (FIG. 5b) indicating how frequently files/content stored in the cache are requested. The entries in the hit history list are then periodically compared with the entries in the request history list to determine whether files already stored in the cache should be evicted (hereinafter referred to as "victims"). One goal of the least popular file replacement policy is to evict the files in cache only if they are less popular than the files waiting to be cached. As illustrated in FIG. 5b, one embodiment of the hit history list contains variables such as the date/time of the first-time hit ("First Time Hit"), the number of hits since the first hit ("# Hits"), and the last-hit time ("Last Hit Time") for the cached content. The computed popularity in the hit history list may be referred to as the "post popularity value" whereas the computed popularity in the request history list may be referred to as the "pre-popularity value."
The same popularity calculations described herein with respect to pre-popularity values may also be used to compute post-popularity values (i.e., except that the formula will be based on number of cache hits rather than number of file requests). For example, in one specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the popularity calculation module 610 calculates a prioritized popularity list for the cached data (i.e., based on the "hit history list") as well as for the non-cached data (i.e., based on the "request history list" as described above). Alternatively, a different set of equations/parameters may be applied for cached media content (e.g., weighing in favor of not evicting certain types of media content from the cache 640). The underlying principles of the invention remain the same regardless of the particular set of equations/parameters used by the popularity calculation module 610.
The caching analysis module 615 (once it determines that the cache is full) compares the prioritized popularity results of the hit history list 510 with the results of the request history list 500 before making a caching determination (e.g., before evicting cached data in favor of non-cached data). In one embodiment, it will simply replace any cached files with non-cached files that have a lower popularity value. In one embodiment, however, the caching analysis module 615 may not to replace a cached file unless the non-cached file has a significantly higher popularity value. For example, if a cached file has a popularity value of 10 and a non-cached file has a relative popularity value of 10.15, this difference (0.15) may not be significant enough to warrant evicting the cached file in favor of the non-cached file and consuming network bandwidth in the process. Various popularity difference thresholds may be set for different file types consistent with the underlying principles of the invention.
Once the caching determination is made, the caching analysis module 615 directs the file transfer module 620 to delete specified files in the cache 640 and to transfer more popular files to the cache from an upstream storage facility (e.g., the Web server from which the file was requested). In addition, in one embodiment, the file transfer modules 620 provide database updates to indicate the content changes at the cache 640 as described above.
It should be noted that the equations described herein are used merely to illustrate how file popularity may be weighted based on variables other than actual popularity. Accordingly, various other equations may be employed to weight different "popularity" parameters while still complying with the underlying principles of the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention include various steps, which have been described above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. The instructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components.
Elements of the invention may be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnet or optical cards, propagation media or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention may be downloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).
Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention (e.g., popularity equations). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow.
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text:
Posted at: 12/20/2012 12:15 PM
Updated at: 12/20/2012 12:26 PM
By: WNYT Staff
ALBANY - An anti-gun violence group is calling on the community to come together in response to the recent shooting in Albany.
23-year-old Iquan Carter was shot to death on Ontario Street Tuesday morning.
No arrests have been made.
The group SNUG is holding a gathering at that location Thursday night to talk about ways to stop the violence.
SNUG is guns spelled backwards.
The non-profit organization's mission is to reduce gun violence and other crimes.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BRYAN WHITMAN (Pentagon spokesman): Well, good morning to all of you. And General Dempsey, this is Bryan Whitman at the Pentagon. Can you hear me?
GEN. DEMPSEY: I can hear you.
MR. WHITMAN: Well, thank you, General, for being with us today. And welcome to the press corps here.
I think all of you know our briefer today is Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey. He is the commander of the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq, and as such, he and his organization are responsible for assisting the Iraqi government in the development, organization, training, equipping, sustaining the Iraqi security forces. As you all know, or if you don't, General Dempsey assumed command on 8 September of this past year, but he previously commanded the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad for 14 months during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
And he is prepared to tell you a little bit about what he's up to and what the command is doing, and then going to take some questions.
Thank you again, General Dempsey, and I'll turn it over to you.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Thanks very much.
Well, as mentioned, I command the Multinational Security Transition Command here in Iraq, which is more commonly known as MNSTC-I. Permit me to make a brief opening statement, and then I'll be glad to take your questions.
MNSTC-I is responsible for the development of the Iraqi security forces. There's both a quantitative and a qualitative component to this task, and we address both. There's also both a local tactical level and a national institutional element to this task, and we address both of those as well.
Stated another way, we're responsible for the development of Iraqi security forces, military and police, from soldier to minister of Defense, and from policeman to minister of Interior. We assist Iraq, build units, develop leaders and establish systems. We approach this task along three primary lines of operation.
First, the initial training of individuals, the formation and initial training of battalions, the fielding of their equipment, and the construction of the facilities in which they live, train and maintain. In this effort, we are closely linked with Lieutenant General J.R. Vines and his multinational corps here in Iraq, who provide the embedded trainers and transition teams, who then establish partner relationships with Iraqi units as they become operational and enter the fight.
Second, the development of institutional systems such as pay, promotion, logistics, medical, communications, budgeting, contracting and other national institutional systems necessary to support forces in the field.
And third, the professionalization of these military and police forces, so that they become institutions that will endure and that will contribute to national cohesion through emphasis on human rights, diversity and the rule of law.
Those are the major muscle movements. And so the question is, how are we doing? Well, while we are here discussing them, 100 battalions of Iraqi army soldiers are conducting security operations throughout the country; another 27 battalions of special police are distributed around the country, providing a bridge between combat operations and civil police operations. The Iraqi navy is guarding its coastline and protecting the offshore oil platforms. The Iraqi air force is moving supplies throughout the country, including some of the materials necessary for the upcoming elections. Iraqi border police are manning 170 border forts and 22 ports of entry; 75,000 Iraqi policemen are patrolling Iraq cities, and another 7,300 Iraqi policemen are in training. Two thousand seven hundred Iraqi soldiers are in training. Five hundred army officer cadets and 286 police officer cadets are in training. It's important to note that the majority of the instructors conducting this training are Iraqi instructors.
Today, when an Iraqi soldier or a policeman joins the service, he or she pledges an oath to Iraq and to its constitution.
In the elections of January 2005, approximately 130,000 Iraqi security forces secured the polling sites. When the elections of December 2005 occur in just a few weeks, 225,000 Iraqi security forces will secure the polling sites.
When I was here a little more than a year ago, we were looking to put an Iraqi face on security problems. Today, neither we nor our Iraqi counterparts talk about putting an Iraqi face on security problems; we talk about finding an Iraqi solution.
Of course, while we are here discussing these Iraqi security forces, and while those hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and policemen are out on patrol, and while the future leaders of a free Iraq are being groomed in the classroom, there are obviously other forces working hard to pull Iraq apart. We're working harder.
At the beginning of this statement, I said that we must address both the quantity and the quality of the Iraqi security forces. That's because in the clash of arms, physical courage and superior training carry the day. But in the clash of ideas, moral courage and perseverance determine the outcome. This war requires extraordinary amounts of each of these. We understand that, and so, increasingly, do our Iraqi counterparts.
At this point, I'd be happy to take your questions.
MR. WHITMAN: Well, thank you for that overview, General Dempsey, and we'll get right into it here.
Mr. Aldinger.
Q General, Charlie Aldinger with Reuters. How much are you spending in the current year -- or how much is the United States spending in the current year on training Iraqi security forces, training and equipping? And maybe you could break that down. And there are reports that you would like to increase that or plan to increase that by as much 3.9 billion (dollars) in the coming year. Could you comment on that or any increase you might be considering?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, let me answer the question this way: we have the Iraqi security forces fund, which runs through 30 September of calendar year '06, budgeted in the course of a two-year spend plan about -- just over $10 billion. And we're -- we have a spend plan to purchase the training and equipping, infrastructure development that we need in `06 to build that out. We have just begun the process of identifying how far along in our plan that will take us. It was never the case that this force that we felt we need to build for them, to account for their own internal security, would be completed with that $10.6 billion. And so the issue became at what point they began to contribute to their own security.
And so we've been working very closely with them in their budget. It's one of the institutional development systems that I mentioned earlier. They are coming to grips with the fact that they're now part of a -- they're out of a command-directed economy and very much into a free-market economy where defense competes with other things in terms of governmental priorities.
So we don't have back yet exactly what they will have in their security budget. We think we know. But that budget hasn't been approved yet by the Transitional National Assembly. When it is, then we'll compare what they have and what we have remaining in the Iraqi security forces' funds, and we'll have a better idea of what a potential supplemental would be. And then, based on all that, we'll come up with a prioritization list.
Most important, walking our Iraqi counterparts through this process with us, so that they begin to take ownership in a financial way for their security and for the -- for restoring their own security forces in the country.
Q General, just a brief follow up. I believe you said you have -- the United States has $10 billion budgeted over a two-year period for training and equipping the Iraqis. Is that in the current calendar year and the upcoming calendar year the $10 billion? And how much of that have you spent so far? How much remains?
GEN. DEMPSEY: (Off mike) The supplementals came to us is that they -- the supplemental comes in a -- it's the fiscal year `05 supplemental, but it's -- the spend plan runs out through 30 September of `06.
To answer your question, I've got about $3.5 billion that is programmed, but not yet committed to carry me through into the beginning of `06.
MR. WHITMAN: Bob, go ahead.
Q General, this is Bob Burns from AP. I wonder if you would look ahead into the future. And what is the plan for the end state in terms of the size of the Iraqi army, the size of the other elements of the military -- Iraqi military, the Iraqi police? And when do you foresee getting there?
GEN. DEMPSEY: We've got a force that we've agreed upon with the current sitting government. And of course, when the new government comes in, we'll have some opportunities there to discuss that with them, as well.
Right now we're building a 10-division army. It's a light infantry army with some enablers that will allow it to have some ability to project force around the country, and at end state, it will number approximately 160,000.
The police -- to talk about the MOI forces, we really have to break it down into the separate components. There are special police, and there's approximately 25,000 of those. They're almost at end state now, and those are commandos and public order battalions. And then there is the what you and I would describe as the station-house police. And based on a ratio of approximately one to 200 by population, that number comes out to about 135,000. And we're right at about 75,000 trained and equipped right now. We train about 3,500 every couple of months at a variety of institutions both inside Iraq and out. Then there's also border police. We need 27,000 border police; we're at 18,000. There's a 6,000-man highway patrol; we have 3,000.
I think the simplest way to answer your question about end state is that that force as I just described it is the agreed-upon force. We call it the objective COIN force, counterinsurgency force, because it has the necessary capabilities broadly to provide internal security. And the army will largely be built out in '06 and the police will be largely built out in the first half of '07.
Q Can I follow up, just a quick follow-up?
MR. WHITMAN: Sure.
Q General, Bob Burns again. On the Air Force. Are you planning to train and develop an Air Force that would include Iraqi attack air crews?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, I'm glad you brought that up because it allows me to mention that what we've got is we've got essentially three phases here in terms of Iraq's national security. We've got this objective counterinsurgency force, which is largely, as you might expect, a ground-centric force, and yet we also have a five-year plan inside of a 10-year vision. And we're working with our Iraqi counterparts to determine what force they will over time require to account for their external security as well.
And in doing so, we realize that they will -- as we discuss this with them, they're going to have to make some decisions, as any nation does, about what size ground force can they afford in order to modernize what they have and also to put money into other than ground forces. So, stated another way, they have 10 divisions out through '06, '07, but they may not end up with 10 divisions in the future as they decide how to account for the budget share from their economy and apply it to modernization and to the addition of things like aircraft.
MR. WHITMAN: Let's go to Jim and then over to Tom.
Q General, you -- Jim Miklaszewski, NBC.
You've recently been handed the mission of developing the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the police forces. So I'd like to ask you about the quality of the police forces. There's increasing evidence that many of these local police forces have been infiltrated, if not taken over, by militias. We still get occasional reports of many of these local police forces not being paid at any given time, and instances of corruption. Just how serious a problem is that, and how do you get a handle on that to rid these police forces of these militias and corruption and in some cases inefficiencies?
GEN. DEMPSEY: (Chuckles.) That may have been one question, Jim, but it's a Ph.D. -- it's going to require a Ph.D.-level answer, but let me give it a shot.
Yeah, we took over the -- we've had police for some time. And to get at the quality issue, I can tell you that a significant portion of their training in the classroom and also in vignettes and practical exercises is on policing, protecting and serving in a democratic system, human rights, rule of law. And then we partner with them -- I've got international police liaison officers spread throughout the country who partner with police forces, and they do a couple of things. Most important, probably, in answer to your question, is they role-model and they coach, teach and mentor on proper conduct in a democratic society.
The special police forces -- we actually have transition teams, just as the army units do -- we call those special police transition teams. And again, their role is to oversee, mentor, coach, cajole and do whatever they've got to to bring this thing along in a way that makes it a contributor to the national cohesion and not to national divisiveness.
Now, the question about militias is really a separate but certainly related question. Police forces, contrary to army forces, are locally recruited and tend to be -- and tend to live and work locally. So what you find is that police forces naturally tend to be of single ethnic groups and are conflicted. And I think that what you hear in places, in the southeast in particular, but not just in the southeast, is some of those conflicting loyalties at work.
As you know, the -- or maybe you don't know, but in '06 we've determined that we will make police forces in general a point of emphasis. We're calling 2006 the year of the police internal to MNSTC-I. And we're going to try to get additional partnership teams out there to work with these police in order to kind of address some of the concerns you're hearing about.
Corruption is another matter. There is a -- they are taking an honest shot at corruption. And our intervention into these ministries in significant numbers I think is helping in that regard. But, you know, there is -- I guess I would describe it as some bad habits that have to be overcome here. And it's why when I talk to people about progress I always make -- I'm very careful to note the fact that progress at the local tactical level is ahead of, significantly, progress at the national institutional level, for all the reasons you mentioned. And we're working it.
Q And a quick follow-up. But, General, how critical are the police to countering the insurgency in Iraq, and just how serious is this problem with these militias?
GEN. DEMPSEY: The special police, in particular, provide a vital function in countering the insurgents and terrorist and foreign fighter threat because they are a bridge for us. You heard me mention, if we have a problem in a particular city, we generally use the military -- or the Iraqis generally use the military to restore stability. And then these commandos come in, because they've got some policing skills, some civil security skills, but they've also got some top-end combat skills, and that's our bridge while we retrain, if necessary, or recruit and then train some of the police that may have been overwhelmed by these insurgents. So the special police, in particular, have a definite role in the counterinsurgency.
You know, the local police -- it's really our goal -- our long-range goal here is to restore civil security. And so we've armed the police different than we might have armed police in another environment. I mean, they typically have access to AK-47s, for example, and body armor and helmets and things that you wouldn't expect a normal police force elsewhere to look like. But we've got to walk away from that, and we've got to get to the point where the police are truly an element of local civil control, as opposed to counterinsurgent forces. And all that is being worked as part of this 2006 year of the police that I mentioned.
Now, as for militias, Article 117 of their constitution, the constitution that the Iraqis just passed, first of all, it forbids any other armed force outside of the legitimate security forces of the -- at the national level, which is to say it outlaws militias. It also accounts for the possibility of regions having home guards or regional guards. Frankly, the Iraqi government has to figure out what they mean by that. And I think you'll find this new government to take that on.
When you ask how serious is it, the seriousness of it is more or less in that it undermines the Iraqi security forces that we're training and equipping as the sole provider, the legitimate source of authority and force in Iraq. And so it is serious problem, and one which, you know, we all work on. And now -- as you know, we don't tolerate the presence of militias when we encounter it.
And secondly, we do on the other hand encourage individuals who might have been part of a militia to come into service as individuals not as units, and that has actually worked out okay. I mean, in even in my first tour here, I had the occasion to do some of that. And if they come in, and if they pledge this oath, and if they then demonstrate that they will live up to it, typically it turns out okay. But yeah, we've got some work to do in that regard.
MR. WHITMAN: Go ahead, Tom.
Q General, Tom Bowman with the Baltimore Sun. General Abizaid said in the spring that the Iraqi forces could take the lead by the end of 2005, and then he later amended it to say that maybe the spring or summer of 2006 they could take the lead. And now, this week with the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq that was released, it talks here about in the short term, you'll be standing up security forces, and then in the medium term, you'll be, quote, "in the lead, defeating terrorists." How do you define the medium term? How many years off would that be?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, I'm not really exactly familiar with how we translate calendar years into short and midterm. I can tell you what my part of it is, and that is to build the force that then goes into the field and begins to perform, but there's a performance aspect as well. It's not just sticking it out there. It's got to actually be able to perform. And so there's a much more holistic answer to that question.
However, the -- I think I'd also like to mention that Iraqi security forces are in the lead right now. You know the numbers because I think you've probably seen previous briefings. But you know, 40 of them are in the lead right now and 33 own their own battlespace and a hundred of them are out there in the fight -- and I'm talking about just the army and, of course, the police as well. And so the term "in the lead" is -- if it implies that they're not going to be doing anything in the interim between now and the midterm is just not a fair characterization of what's going on over here.
Q Sir, this is the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq that the president released this week. Have you seen it? It says medium term, Iraqi forces are in the lead. I'm just asking you to define that.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, sure. I did see it. I got it yesterday when it was released, and I have not yet made sure that I completely understand the time horizons. But I'm sure that the definitions in there are consistent with the definitions we've been using over here. What you're asking me for is dates, and I'm not prepared to give you those.
MR. WHITMAN: Let's move on to Pam.
Q Sir, this is Pam Hess with UPI.
With regard to the Iraqi -- the Interior Ministry jail that General Horst came upon, are you guys doing anything in general to take a survey of where other such facilities might be and check out conditions there? And could you elaborate for us on what's been happening with that since then?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yes, I can. And when you say "you guys," I mean, this is not my particular part of the operation. But I have been in meetings, and so I can share with you what we're doing. I mean, clearly, we're taking that very seriously.
There's kind of two separate tracks. There's the Iraqi-led investigation into the bunker in particular, and that investigation is ongoing. And then there is the issue of trying to determine if there are other facilities like this out there. And that analysis of intelligence reports, really -- it's looking back through all intelligence reports to see where there have been reports that may have indicated the existence of similar facilities. And then that list is being put together, and then there will be an inspection team, including -- this one is led by us, but with Iraqis. And they will go out and inspect those facilities to see -- on an unannounced basis, I should mention -- to see if in fact there's any substance to the reports.
So yeah, both tracks are working.
Q Any idea when that process might begin, the inspection process, or how long the intel part will take?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, I don't know the answer to that, Pam, honestly, because I don't know how long the list is. I think it'll -- that's really what -- it'll be determined.
And it's going to focus initially in and around Baghdad, of course, but I also think it'll take a look more broadly than that.
Q Sorry. What is the unit that's -- what's the entity that's in charge of this? You said it's not your bailiwick, really. What's the U.S. entity that is?
GEN. DEMPSEY: The multinational force level. You know, General Casey's staff is working, I think, with the C2 to develop the list in particular.
Q General, it's Gordon Lubold at Army Times. As I understand it, one of the challenges to getting Iraqi security forces to operate independently is the logistics piece. And I wonder if you talk a little bit to what you're doing there to train those folks and where the shortages lie.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, that's a good question. There's really -- the three things that have been, I suppose, most notable in letting these units advance toward independence or self-reliance have been logistics, communications, and the production of junior officers. If you'd like, I can talk to all three of those, but I'll answer your question about logistics in particular.
This army we're building is largely a fixed army, and so it has a structure that goes from a national depot, which exists in Taji, just north of Baghdad, and then there are five regional support units that each have two divisions that draw supplies off of them. All five of those regional support units are built and in various stages of preparation to become self-reliant. And then the link from there down to the tactical unit is provided by a motor transport regiment, several hundred trucks that push supplies down to headquarters and support companies at the battalion level.
And by April, all of the HSCs -- the headquarters and support companies -- will be built out. And so you'll have -- the thing remaining to be built are these motor transport regiments, which, you know, we need 10 of them and there are several hundred trucks in each. We'll have most of the equipment on hand in the next six months, and then it's a matter of training the logisticians.
We just trained -- we have the Iraqi Army Service Support Institute up in Taji, north of Baghdad again. We just graduated our 1,000th Iraqi soldier out of that institute. And so we've got a build plan that goes out through '06 to put this logistics structure in place, and we're focusing the effort on those units -- those Iraqi divisions that are closest to being prepared to transition.
So it's all nested together, the production and the transition campaign plan.
MR. WHITMAN: Mike.
Q General, it's Mike Mount with CNN. I'm sure you've heard some of the reports in the last few days about the U.S. military working with an organization to place articles -- paying to have articles placed into Iraqi newspapers. Has there been anybody with your organization or anybody working with your organization to place articles in papers around Iraq promoting what you-all are doing at MNSTC-I?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah. No, we don't have -- I don't even have an information operation staff officer. We don't do information operations, and the Iraqis are not nearly ready to do information operations systematically. But, you know, I think it's safe to say that this is all being reviewed, and I suspect that there will be a statement put out. Nobody's more introspective and self-analyzing than us, and I'm sure there will be a statement made here sometime soon.
Q Can I follow that up?
MR. WHITMAN: No, we've reached the end of our time. And so we'll allow the general to have any closing comments that he might want to make and we'll leave it at that.
General, back to you.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, I appreciate that. I hadn't prepared any particular comments.
I would like to say that, you know, behind all this -- we talk about the systemic level and this and that as -- but we've got some pretty brave young men and women out there that are living and working and coaching these Iraqis along, and I'd like to always ask you to remember that; that at the business end of this thing is a bunch of hard-working young men and women of America who are trying their best to get this thing right.
And then the other thing I'll say is it's the holiday season. I'll wish you all happy holidays and Merry Christmas. And also tell you that as far as we're concerned over here, we think we're probably doing a pretty good job of bringing peace on Earth and goodwill to men, and particularly this mission we're doing to hand over security to the Iraqi forces.
And then lastly, if there's anybody from the United States Navy in the room, I'd like to say beat Navy.
Take care of yourself. (Laughter.)
MR. WHITMAN: Well, General, thanks for spending some time with us this morning, and we hope to have you back in a few more weeks to give us another update.
Thank you.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Thank you, Bryan.


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This could mean one of three things.
- I'm pregnant again. Which would be hysterical, and I don't mean funny.
- I have a really sensitive nose.
- I'm lousy at cleaning out my fridge.
- I cook with garlic too much.
Just now figuring out that joy and suffering are all tangled up together and to avoid one is to miss out on the other. Trying to grab hold of joy where ever it is found and hold on tight.
Wow...you'll definitely have to keep us posted on THIS. My goodness...hysterical is right.ReplyDelete
I've been going through this same scent thing too - reminding me of being pg too. I think that it might just be our hormones getting slowly evened out as we b/f our babies and adjust to not being pg anymore. Have you started baby on solids yet? It seems that when I make a feeding change with Bella, that my hormones get all interesting until they even out again. Maybe it's a family thing. :)ReplyDelete
I have the same thing going. Only I am CERTAIN it is because the fridge needs a good scrubbing.
One of the joys of my kids getting older, is they are learning to cook and they are responsible for making sure they get something healthy to eat when they are hungry. The downside? Even though they clean up after themselves--well--not the best. And they seem to not "see" spills and drips and messes in the fridge at all. . .


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ALBANY, N.Y. — Platinum-selling rapper Ja Rule left an upstate New York prison this morning after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession and headed straight into federal custody in a tax case.
U.S. Marshals escorted the 36-year-old musician out of Mid-State Correctional Facility at 6:30 a.m., but it wasn't immediately clear where he'll serve time in the tax case.
The rapper, who had been in protective custody because of his celebrity, has some time remaining on a 28-month sentence for tax evasion.
Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, may have fewer than six months left and may be eligible for a halfway house, defense attorney Stacey Richman said. An order to pay $1.1 million in back taxes is one of the main reasons he wants to get back to work, she said.
Ja Rule scored a Grammy Award nomination in 2002 for the best rap album with "Pain is Love." He also has appeared in movies, including "The Fast and the Furious" in 2001 and "Scary Movie 3" in 2003.
In the gun case, New York City police said they found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in a rear door of Ja Rule's car after it was stopped for speeding, and he pleaded guilty in 2010.
He admitted in March 2011 in federal court that he failed to pay taxes on more than $3 million he earned between 2004 and 2006 while he lived in Saddle River, N.J.
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Mary Servino, teacher at Discover Magnet School in Bridgeport, wins Presidential Award for Excellence
A local teacher who is being honored by the White House is also being recognized by her community. The Discover Magnet School in Bridgeport surprised science teacher Mary Servino by holding a special ceremony for her on Friday. The White House says Servino is one 102 recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in mathematics and science this year. Leaders including Rep. Jim Himes and Bridgeport...
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Two Attacks Leave 12 Dead in Mosul, Iraq
Two separate attacks left 12 people dead and at least 18 injured in the city of Mosul, 390 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Monday.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives laden vehicle at a military checkpoint, killing 8 people and leaving 18 wounded, including soldiers. Reuters quotes an policeman, who they say was present at the scene but spoke to them on condition of anonymity, as saying "The blast destroyed everything. It looks like there was nothing here before the explosion."
In another part of town police say that gunmen killed the bodyguard of a local Kurdish politician, along with three others. The attackers appear to have been professional and well organised, using weapons fitted with silencers.
Violence has been on the rise ever since the withdrawal of US troops in 2011. This has been stoked further by sectarian connections to the civil war in neighbouring Syria, and a recent surge in attack may be connected to provincial elections due to take place in April. The goverment of Prime Minister Mouri al-Maliki is under pressure from a mass protest movement amongst Sunni Muslims unhappy with his Shi'ite led government, and involved in a tense dispute with the autonomous Kurdish region in the north over oil rich territories claimed by both sides.


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SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance Video Game ReviewWritten by Michael Siebenaler | | firstname.lastname@example.com
Video game review by Tim Mackley – Toledo Free Press
SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance (Brain Shape Games)
SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance is an X-Box Arcade downloadable indie video game that harkens back to old-school ship shoot-em-ups. Players battle with twin stick controls (one for movement and one for shooting) and choose ships from four upgradable spaceship types then dock with your orbiting base to receive orders. Players escort cargo ships and defend bases from the oncoming onslaught of attacking ships by shooting them down, then collecting salvage and delivering it back to the base. Sounds pretty simple, but gets challenging as the levels progress. Players can quickly get overwhelmed and destroyed, so the medium to high challenge level create exciting challenges. This game allows for up to four players in the multiplayer mode and cooperative mode. SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance is a great game for short term, shooter fun that is full of survival challenges (***).


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List of Publications
1) A. Chowdhury and P. Suarez. On the Stochastic Burgers Equation with Moving Boundary. In Press: Romanian Journal of Physics.
2) R. Kohl, R. Tinaztepe and A. Chowdhury. Soliton Perturbation Theory of Biswas--Milovic Equation. OPTIK -- International Journal for Light and Electron Optics. 125(8): 1926--1936, 2014. First online published on 17 January 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2013.09.074.
3) H. Triki, A. Chowdhury and A. Biswas. Solitary Wave and Shock Wave Solutions of the Variants of Boussinesq Equations. University Politechnica of Bucharest: Scientific Bulletin: Series A; Applied Mathematics and Physics. 75(4): 39--52, 2013.
4) A. Chowdhury and A. Biswas. Singular Solitons and Numerical Analysis of Φ-four Equation. Mathematical Sciences, 6:42, 2012. doi: 10.1186/2251-7456-6-42.
5) R. Morris, A. H. Kara, A. Chowdhury and A. Biswas. Soliton Solutions, Conservation Laws and Reductions of certain classes of Nonlinear Wave Equations. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A. 67a: 613--620, 2012. doi: 10.5560/ZNA.2012-0071.
6) A. Chowdhury and C. I. Christov. Memory Effects for the Heat Conductivity of Random Suspensions of Spheres. Proceedings of the Royal Society A. 466: 3253--3273, 2010. doi:10.1098/rspa.2010.0133.
7) A. Chowdhury and C. I. Christov. Fast Legendre Spectral Method for Computing the Perturbation of a Gradient Temperature Field in an Unbounded Region due to the Presence of Two Spheres. Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations. 26:1125--1145, 2010. doi:10.1002/num.20479.
8) A. Chowdhury and C. I. Christov. On the Application of Random-Point Approximation to the Second-order Approximation for Effective Diffusivity Coefficient of Polydisperse Spherical Suspensions. Communications in Applied Analysis. 14: 355--372, 2010.
9) A. Chowdhury, and C. I. Christov. Perturbation of Linear Temperature Field in an Unbounded Region due to the Presence of Two Closely Situated Spheres. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on Thermal Stresses, TS2009, Eds: Martin Ostoja-Starzewski and Pier Marzocca, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1--4 June, 2009, volume I, pages 109--112.
Abhinandan Chowdhury
Visiting Assistant Professor, Mathematics - Sciences
Phone: (717) 337 - 6637
Box: Campus Box 0402
Glatfelter Hall
Room 202 C
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400
Academic Focus:
Theory and Computation of Transport Phenomena.


text:
distance measuring devices
distance measuring devices
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Gear & Equipment
Garmin's latest GPS watch provides a wrist reward
By Mike Stachura If Garmin's family of GPS watches began to put caddies on notice, its latest offering might be adding golf instructors to the endangered list. Maybe even your office manager, as well....
Friday, 7/4/2014 at 11:04AM
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Laser Link has new consumers in its sites with XL1000
By Ryan HerringtonNew-product launches often involve companies touting how they bucked "traditional" designs to entice new consumers. The opposite is the case with Laser Link's XL1000. Offering a range finder that golfers hold up...
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Why distance-measuring devices aren't needed at the professional level
By Geoff Shackelford With the USGA joining the R&A in allowing distance-measuring devices to be used for the purpose of gathering yardages during amateur competitions, only major professional tours and the majors are free...
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USGA still deciding on allowing distance measuring devices for its amateur championships
By Ryan Herrington A simple question arises after hearing of the R&A's Monday announcement that it has approved the use of distance measuring devices for its amateur championships in 2014: Will the USGA follow suit?...
Tuesday, 1/28/2014 at 11:32AM
- keywords:
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Results: 1 - 5 of 5


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A high-performance recessed channel CMOS device including an SOI layer having a recessed channel region and adjoining extension implant regions and optional halo implant regions; and at least one gate region present atop the SOI layer and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The adjoining extension and optional halo implant regions have an abrupt lateral profile and are located beneath said gate region.
1. A method of fabricating a recessed channel CMOS device comprising:
providing a patterned oxide layer over an SOI layer, said patterned oxide layer exposing a portion of said SOI layer;
thinning the exposed portion of the SOI layer to form a recessed channel region;
forming a gate dielectric on said recessed channel region;
forming sacrificial nitride spacers on portions of said gate dielectric so as to protect exposed walls of said SOI layer and said oxide layer and forming a gate conductor on other portions of the gate dielectric not containing said sacrificial nitride spacers;
recessing the oxide layer exposing SOI layer abutting the recessed channel region;
forming source/drain diffusion regions in said exposed SOI layer abutting the recessed channel region; and
removing the sacrificial nitride spacers and forming extension implant regions in said SOI layer such that said extension implant regions have an abrupt lateral profile and are located beneath the gate conductor, wherein said abrupt lateral profile comprises a lateral drop of 1 decade in concentration in 50 Å or less distance for n-extensions and 150 Å or less for p-extensions.
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This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/117,959, filed Apr. 5, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,647.
The present invention relates to complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, and more particularly to a recessed channel CMOS device that has low series resistance and improved short-channel characteristics. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating such a recessed channel CMOS device.
Over the past twenty-five years or so, the primary challenge of very large scale integration (VLSI) has been the integration of an ever-increasing number of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices with high yield and reliability. This was achieved mainly in the prior art by scaling down the MOSFET channel length without excessive short-channel effects. As is known to those skilled in the art, short-channel effects are the decrease of threshold voltage Vt in short-channel devices due to two-dimensional electrostatic charge sharing between the gate and the source/drain diffusion regions.
In recent years, and as channel lengths are being scaled below 0.1 μm, SOI complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology has received considerable interest in VLSI for its potential low-voltage, low-power, and high-speed advantages in comparison to bulk CMOS devices. As known to those skilled in the art, SOI structures include an insulating layer, i.e., buried oxide region (BOX), that electrically isolates a top Si-containing layer from a bottom Si-containing layer. The top Si-containing, i.e., the SOI layer, serves as the area in which electronic devices such as CMOS devices can be fabricated.
Thin film SOI CMOS devices, such as SOI MOSFETs, in which the top Si-containing layer has a thickness of about 20 nm or less, are of special interest due to improved isolation, reduced parasitic capacitance as well as the reduction of short-channel and floating body effects that can be obtained from such technology. Despite the known advantages with thin film SOI technology, processing challenges exist which substantially hamper the use of thin SOI MOSFETs in semiconductor integrated circuits. For example, prior art processes for fabricating SOI MOSFETs have difficulty in forming a thin (20 nm or less) SOI channel region. One prior art technique to obtain very thin SOI channels is to recess the channel while protecting the S/D regions. This prior art technique ensures that the series resistance of the device can be kept small since the S/D regions can be made as thick as desired. However, in existing recessed channel technology, it is difficult to form extension and halo implant regions having abrupt, i.e., sharp, lateral profiles that overlap the gate edges.
In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks with fabricating prior art thin SOI MOSFETs, there exists a need for providing a new and improved method for fabricating recessed channel MOSFETs which have a thin SOI device channel region as well as adjoining extension and halo implant regions having abrupt lateral profiles that overlap the edges of the gate region.
One object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance recessed channel CMOS device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recessed channel CMOS device in which the short-channel effects and series resistance have been substantially minimized.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a recessed channel CMOS device in which the external resistance of the device is not substantially degraded.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a recessed channel CMOS device in which the extension implant regions adjoining the recessed channel have an abrupt lateral profile. The term "abrupt lateral profile" as used herein for extension implant regions denotes a lateral drop of 1 decade in concentration in 50 Å or less distance for n-extensions and 150 Å or less for pextensions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a recessed channel CMOS device in which the extension implant regions overlap the edges of the gate region.
A still even further object of the present invention is to provide a recessed channel CMOS device in which the halo implant regions have an abrupt lateral profile. For halo implant regions, the term "abrupt lateral profile" denotes a lateral drop of 1 decade in concentration in 700 Å or less distance for n-halos and in 400 Å or less for p-halos.
These and other objects and advantages are achieved in the present invention by utilizing a method wherein disposable, i.e., sacrificial, spacers are present during the fabrication of the recessed channel and the source/drain regions, but are removed just prior to formation of the extension implant regions. This ensures that the extension implant regions as well as the halo implant regions have an abrupt lateral profile that extends beneath the edges of the gate region of the MOSFET device.
Specifically, and in one aspect of the present invention, a recessed channel CMOS device is provided. In accordance with this aspect of the present invention the recessed channel CMOS device comprises:
The inventive device may optionally include adjoining halo implant regions that also have an abrupt lateral profile that extends beneath the edges of the gate region.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of fabricating the above-mentioned recessed channel CMOS device. Specifically, the method of the present invention comprises the step of:
After the extension implant regions are formed, the inventive method further includes forming insulator spacers on exposed sidewalls of the gate conductor.
The present invention, which provides a recessed channel CMOS device having minimized series resistance and short-channel effects and a method for fabricating the same, will now be described in greater detail by referring to the drawings that accompany the present application.
The SOI structure shown in
The top Si-containing layer of the SOI structure (hereinafter SOI layer 14) may have a variable initial thickness depending upon the technique used in forming the same. Typically, SOI layer 14 has an initial vertical thickness of from about 10 to about 250 nm, with an initial thickness of from about 25 to about 50 nm being more highly preferred. The thickness of the underlying insulating layer 12 and bottom Si-containing layer 10 is not critical to the present invention.
In some instances, and especially when the SOI layer has an initial thickness of greater than 50 nm, it may be necessary to thin SOI layer 14 from its initial thickness to a predetermined thickness that is about 50 nm or less. This optional thinning step of the present invention is carried out using a technique well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the SOI layer may be thinned by chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), grinding or a combination of thermal oxidation and etching. When thermal oxidation and etching are employed to thin SOI layer 14, the etching step may be carried out using any conventional dry etching process such as reactive-ion etching, ion beam etching or plasma-etching.
Next, a pad oxide layer (labeled as element 16 in
Trench isolation regions 18 (See,
After trenches have been formed in the SOI structure, the trenches are filled with a trench dielectric material such as a high-density plasma oxide or TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate) using conventional deposition processes well known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments of the present invention, the walls of the trenches are lined with a liner material, such as SiO2 or Si3N4, prior to filling of the trench with a trench dielectric material. After the filling process, a conventional planarization process and/or densification process may be performed on the structure.
Next, and as illustrated in
Sacrificial oxide layer 20 (See
After formation of sacrificial oxide layer 20, a plurality of openings 22 (one of which is shown in
The etching step employed at this point of the present invention exposes portions of the underlying SOI layer. The exposed portions of the SOI layer represent the area whereat the recessed device channel of the CMOS device will be fabricated. It is noted that although the drawings of the instant application illustrate a single opening, the inventive method works equally well when a plurality of openings are formed in the sacrificial oxide layer.
The structure shown in
After forming the openings, the exposed portions of SOI layer 14 is then thinned to a thickness that is less than the thickness of the abutting SOI layer. Typically, the exposed SOI layer is thinned to a thickness of from about 5 to about 20 nm at this point of the inventive process. The resultant structure including thinned device channel, i.e., the recessed channel region, 24 is illustrated in
Next, gate dielectric 26 and sacrificial nitride spaces 28 are formed atop the thinned device channel providing the structure shown, for example, in
After gate dielectric 26 has been formed, sacrificial nitride spacers 28 are formed atop gate dielectric 26 so as to cover the exposed vertical walls of sacrificial oxide layer 20 as well as the exposed vertical sidewalls of the thicker SOI portion. Sacrificial nitride spacers 28, which are formed by deposition and etching, may also be referred to as reversed disposable nitride spacers since the spacers are formed prior to the formation of the gate inside the gate opening and are removed after source/drain implantation and annealing. In a normal process flow, the spacers are formed after the gate conductor outside the gate opening and they remain in the structure throughout the entire process.
Gate conductor 30 is formed atop gate dielectric 26 by a conventional deposition process (such as CVD, plasma-assisted CVD, plating, sputtering and etc.) followed by planarization and recessing. Gate conductor 30 may comprise any conductive material including, but not limited to: polysilicon; a conductive elemental metal such as W, Cu, Pt, Ag, Au, Ru, Ir, Rh, and Re; alloys that include at least one of the aforementioned conductive elemental metals; silicide or nitrides that include at least one of the above-mentioned conductive elemental metals; and combinations thereof. When a combination of conductive materials is employed, an optional diffusion barrier material such as TaN or WN may be formed between the conductive materials. The resultant structure that is formed after gate conductor 30 has been formed is shown, for example, in
A highly preferred conductive material employed as gate conductor 30 is polysilicon. When a polysilicon gate conductor is employed, the polysilicon gate conductor is formed by deposition, planarization, ion implantation and annealing. The annealing conditions used at this point of the present invention in forming the polySi gate conductor may vary. Exemplary annealing conditions that may be employed in the present invention include: 1000° C. for 5 seconds.
Reference is now made to the structure shown in
At this point of the present invention, sacrificial nitride spacers 28 are removed from the structure utilizing a conventional etching process that is highly selective in removing the nitride spacers providing the structure shown in
Next, extension implant regions and, optionally, halo implant regions are formed into the structure utilizing conventional ion implanting and annealing. Note that the extension implant regions, and optionally, the halo implant regions are implanted through the small opening that is near the gate edges. In accordance with the inventive method, the extension implants and, optionally, the halo implants may be performed using low implantation energies, on the order of about 5 keV or less for the extensions, 10 keV or less for n-halo and 70 keV or less for p-halo, and the activation annealing may also be carried out at relatively low thermal budgets, such as with spike anneals. In some embodiments of the present invention, a slight angled implant of about 10° or less may be used in forming the extension implant regions and 30° or less for the optional halo implant regions.
Next, raised source/drain regions (not shown) may be optionally formed atop the surface of the source/drain regions by epitaxially growing an epi Si layer thereon. To either the raised source/drain regions or to the previously formed source/drain regions, salicide regions (not shown) may be formed using a conventional salicidation process that includes, for example, forming a refractory metal such as Ti, Co or Ni on Si surfaces; heating the structure to form silicide regions; and thereafter removing any non-reactive metal that was not silicided during the heating process. Note that when the gate conductor is polysilicon, a salicide region is formed in the upper exposed portion of the polysilicon gate conductor unless appropriate steps (such as block mask formation) are taken to prevent the formation of a salicide region in the polysilicon gate conductor.
The structure shown in
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated, but fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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BOSTON - JetBlue is scaling back operations at three New York-area airports and at Boston's Logan International Airport in an effort to catch up with dozens of weather-related delays and cancellations.
The airline announced Monday that operations will be reduced at Boston, Newark, JFK and LaGuardia starting at 1 p.m. and stopped entirely at 5 p.m.
It will allow the company to rest crew and give it time to service aircraft.
Operations will begin to ramp up again at 10 a.m. Tuesday and the airline expects to be fully operational by 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The decision was made in light of weather forecasts that call for temperatures around zero and possible flash freezing.
Some passengers have been stuck at Logan for two days, sleeping on cots and in concourse chairs.
JetBlue operates three flights daily from Charleston: two to New York and one to Boston.
The Post and Courier contributed to this report.
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text:
As of Saturday, April 13, 2013
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
LAWRENCEVILLE -- Like many of us, Fran Stewart has a tremendous respect for firefighters.
That's why she has jumped at the chance to help those that are often the first to help others in their time of need.
And while the 66-year-old writer can't handle a firehose or pull a child from a burning building, she can help pass out smoke detectors and set up a spreadsheet for CPR tests.
"I just love the fire services. Firefighters are all about helping people," Stewart said, as she sat at a desk at Gwinnett Fire Headquarters with a pile of paperwork ready to input into a computer. "I can do this," she said of the work. "This is something I can help with."
Karla Richter, who is a fire educator for the department, said Stewart's help creating the spreadsheet for CPR exams enables the educators to know if their message is getting through, and it could even help the department get a grant.
"We can focus on giving that quality program," Richter said. "Fran can do all the things that we don't have time to do."
The Lawrenceville woman first became involved in the fire department when she joined the Citizens Fire Academy to research one of her books. After she graduated in the fall, she became a station ambassador and found other ways she could help out.
Stewart is just one of the more than 40,000 people who lent their time in 2012 to the county government as part of the Volunteer Gwinnett program.
Since hiring a coordinator a year and a half ago, the volunteer program has already come close to reaching its ultimate goal of 1 million volunteer hours.
Giving back
While officials had hoped to reach the million milestone in 2015, the 2012 volunteer effort came close, with 991,122 hours donated in the program's first full year.
"Gwinnett folks never cease to amaze me with their willingness to tackle the challenges we face," Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said of the inaugural success. "The community's response to our Volunteer Gwinnett program is one more example of how Gwinnett residents and businesses get involved to make things better."
While about 700,000 of those volunteer hours come from residents helping with youth sports leagues and other parks and recreation activities, the county's needs are varied, from administrative work to helping seniors or shelving library books.
Kay Sibetta, the county's part-time volunteer coordinator, said the reasons for volunteering are as varied as the people who do it.
"Many want to give back or help to make a difference in their community or county. Volunteer Gwinnett allows them the opportunity to do that," Sibetta said, adding that some work with groups or organizations, some are fulfilling academic requirements and some are assigned by a judge. "People love the connections and relationships they make while volunteering for the county. Volunteers may come in thinking one way about how the county works or operates and then they get so amazed by how much they didn't know about what their county does every day to make it safer, healthier, cleaner and more competitive in the marketplace. Volunteer Gwinnett offers residents the unique opportunity to be a volunteer in numerous departments and work alongside staff to make Gwinnett the best county in Georgia."
While most people sign up online at volunteergwinnett.net, Sibetta said there is no "typical" volunteer.
"Our typical volunteers are typical residents of Gwinnett: they are young and old; they have lived here for many years; they are newcomers; they are employed and unemployed; they are in school and in college; they come from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and they speak multiple languages," Sibetta said. "Our volunteers are truly a reflection of our diverse county."
When Dee Wilson married and left her native Philippines for life in the United States three years ago, she didn't know enough about U.S. corporate laws to find a job in her field of human resources.
But she still has the skills, and she wanted to give back to her new community. So she signed up to volunteer, finding a new way to give back giving her time to the county government's HR department.
"Volunteering gives me a chance to change lives, including my own," Wilson said, adding that she has found new friends and acclimated to her new country through her work helping file and organize for the government.
The county's employees have also benefited greatly from Wilson's work organizing training manuals and materials to set up a library, where staffers can further their careers, Sibetta said.
And Stewart's impact hasn't just been felt by the administrators at fire headquarters.
A few months ago, she helped fill a need that the firefighters from one of the stations experienced: a lack of smoke alarms and general fire safety knowledge in some of the county's poorer communities.
So, with the few fire educators and firefighters on staff, she participated in a smoke alarm distribution day at a mobile home complex.
"It stops deaths from happening. You never know how many lives you can save," Stewart said of her work that day.
She isn't a firefighter, but she may have saved a life.
For Nash, the work of the volunteers is invaluable, since the county's limited financial resources could mean that some of the community's needs aren't met.
"I want to say 'thank you' to every individual and every organization who served in some area of county government on a volunteer basis," Nash said. "Your involvement makes a great difference in how all of us can meet the community's needs despite financial limitations. We thought we had set a very ambitious goal, but you proved us wrong."
More like this story
- County government volunteer program expanded ( February 20, 2012 )
- Gwinnett Parks and Rec honors volunteers ( April 12, 2014 )
- Testimony: Mother had no reaction to results of her daughter's autopsy ( May 12, 2011 )
- CPR: How to save a life ( February 5, 2010 )
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