Abstract: A cloud computing environment may enable customers to choose between a number of possible bootable images. Bootable images, associated with storage nodes in the cloud computing environment, may be predictively copied to other storage nodes. In one implementation, resource usage, with respect to bandwidth and storage capacity, of the storage nodes, may be monitored. A predictive copy may be initiated when the cloud computing environment begins to operate at a level of resource usage that reduces an ability of the cloud computing environment to instantiate new bootable images, as virtual machines, below a threshold.

Abstract: A cloud computing environment may enable customers to choose between a number of possible bootable images. Bootable images, associated with storage nodes in the cloud computing environment, may be predictively copied to other storage nodes. In one implementation, resource usage, with respect to bandwidth and storage capacity, of the storage nodes, may be monitored. A predictive copy may be initiated when the cloud computing environment begins to operate at a level of resource usage that reduces an ability of the cloud computing environment to instantiate new bootable images, as virtual machines, below a threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for defining and executing custom business rules to influence or control execution of a business process and allowing software providers to deliver externally extensible business applications which in turn allow customers of those applications to implement their own business rules and conditions using a browser based UI, without modifying the actual code in the base application. A user interface (UI) based business rule configurator allows users to define business rules and conditions that can be executed by a rules engine integrated with the client extensions and no custom code is required for business users to extend the business logic and no future custom code maintenance is required.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining an enforceable policy applicable to one or more network devices. The method includes attaching one or more rule elements to one or more domain elements to create policies, the domain elements representing network devices and groups of network devices, and the rule elements defining actions, a method for determining whether a conflict exists between the polices, and a method for resolving the conflicts to produce one or more enforceable policies.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining an enforceable policy applicable to one or more network devices. The method includes attaching one or more rule elements to one or more domain elements to create policies, the domain elements representing network devices and groups of network devices, and the rule elements defining actions, a method for determining whether a conflict exists between the polices, and a method for resolving the conflicts to produce one or more enforceable policies.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining a communications path between a source and a destination in an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The method determines a path list of next-hop routers between the source and destination by selecting between a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) query of a current router on the path, and by sending a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) probe packet having a destination field with a destination IP address and a Time-to-Live (TTL) field with a value of one greater than the number of hops to the current router. The steps are iterated until the next router is determined to be the destination. Preferably, the UDP probe packets are loose-source routed through the source. In addition, a topology information database may be accessed to resolve an unknown router, and/or resolve intrarouter devices on the path.