Abstract: An unsolicited dynamic interactive message is created wherein the message defines any graphical user interface elements to be displayed, the rules associated with the message, the appropriate methods and functions which can be performed and specific contextual interactions supported. The message definition can originate from a local or remote computer and can be pre and post processed as specified by the computing environment and the message definition itself.

Abstract: Disclosed is a service for displaying custom information. The service includes establishing a data connection to at least one data source, storing specific information via the data connection in the data source, and providing a data crawler to crawl said at least one data source using the stored information. The results are pushed from the data crawler to an end user for displaying a combination of the stored information and the at least one data source.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a system and method for displaying the scheduling availability of a user. The system includes an occupancy module for analyzing the schedule of the user to determine the occupancy for a time period in the schedule. The time period includes an available time slot and/or an occupied time slot. A processor connected to the occupancy module determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy. The threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots, a maximum percentage of occupied time slots, a maximum amount of occupied time, and/or a maximum percentage of occupied time. A scheduling module connected to the processor automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a method for centralized URL commenting, wherein user-generated comment data is extracted from web pages on a plurality of web sites. Access control parameters are also obtained from the web sites. The comment data is tagged with identifiers indicating the web sites that the comment data was extracted from, URLs indicating the web pages that the comment data are on, and authors of the comment data. The comment data is stored in a repository. Keywords are extracted from the comment data; and, the keywords are normalized. The normalizing of the keywords includes creating a single normalized keyword for multiple keywords related to the same topic, and tagging comment data that include at least one of the multiple keywords with the normalized keyword. Read access and/or write access to the repository is controlled based on the access control parameters.

Abstract: A method for socially derived, graduated access control to a collaboration environment includes calculating a variable reputation score for a user based on a user's actions within a collaboration environment; and dynamically enabling graduated access control to the collaboration environment based on the reputation score.

Abstract: A technique for personalizing feed content in virtualized computing environments includes accessing, using a data processing system, metadata associated with a virtual machine instance that is stored in a database. The technique also includes prioritizing, using the data processing system, feed content delivered to a client associated with the virtual machine instance based on the metadata.

Abstract: Signaling correspondence between a meeting agenda and a meeting discussion includes: receiving a meeting agenda specifying one or more topics for a meeting; analyzing, for each topic, one or more documents to identify topic keywords for that topic; receiving meeting discussions among participants for the meeting; identifying a current topic for the meeting in dependence upon the meeting agenda; determining a correspondence indicator in dependence upon the meeting discussions and the topic keywords for the current topic, the correspondence indicator specifying the correspondence between the meeting agenda and the meeting discussion; and rendering the correspondence indicator to the participants of the meeting.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to allow a user to link multiple cloud instances (e.g., virtual machines) together such that an action on one (cloud) instance is triggered when a second instance's state changes thereby invoking a predefined set of rules. Specifically, instances can be linked to one another via a graphical user interface (GUI or the like), and associated with a set of rules. The set of rules indicates a behavior/reaction of one instance when an action is performed with respect to another instance linked thereto. These embodiments could be implemented external to or within a cloud operating environment.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method for displaying a message from a first user to a second user, wherein the message from the first user is received in a system of the second user. The message includes text in an intended font and metadata, wherein the metadata includes a link to a font source. It is determined whether the intended font is on the system of the second user; and, if the intended font is not on the system of the second user, rendering instructions are obtained from the font source. The rendering instructions include instructions on how to display the text in the intended font on the system of the second user without downloading the intended font to the system of the second user. The text is displayed in the intended font on the system of the second user using the rendering instructions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow for “end-user” provisioned instances to securely identify themselves beyond a simple user ID and password. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention use a multi-part security approach that includes (among other things): an identifying key (e.g., a shared private key) known by the cloud security system and the instance; and at least one additional security factor such as an identifier found in TCP/IP packets (e.g., an internet protocol address). In a typical embodiment, a request for an instance (e.g., a virtual machine) is received, and a template (e.g., an image) corresponding to the requested instance is identified. From this template, the instance is provisioned. Under the embodiments of the present invention, the instance will be provisioned to include a security key. When a request is thereafter received from the instance, the request is validated using the security key and the additional security factor(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention leverage information of the end-user and personal annotations/tags attached to resources and/or support related thereto (e.g., people, documents, etc.) to provide personalized support. Among other things, these embodiments allow for the mapping of expert “system”-based support to social technology to enable dynamic, localized support. In a typical embodiment, the system will analyze a profile of a user, as well as tags the user has attached to requested computer resources. Based on the profile and the tags, individualized support can be provided automatically.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a flexible approach to construct/create instances of cloud computing environments. Specifically, under embodiments of the present invention, an image of a virtual machine instance is created from the following components: image bits; content such as the liner notes, manual, metadata, etc.; end user information (so that the image can be customized for one or more specific end users); values provided to an installer; and cloud based values (e.g., IP address, hostname, etc.). By constructing the virtual machine using this approach, dynamic aspects of the image are managed external to the static binary representation of the image. This would include artifacts such as documentation, install scripts, binary files, etc. Additionally, user supplied data can be captured dynamically and copied to customize the image at the time of instance creation. Still yet, embodiments of the present invention provides system level configuration to construct the virtual machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide message broadcasting within a clustered computing environment such as a Cloud computing environment. Specifically, under the present invention, a message is received in a message queue (e.g., on a message queue server). From the message queue, the message is sent to a single node of a plurality of heterogeneous nodes within the clustered computing environment. The single node can be selected based on any factor such as a best available node within the plurality of nodes. This single node will process the message and identify a set of message listeners to whom the message should be broadcast. Typically, the set of message listeners is identified based on a topic of the message and an association of the topic to the set of message listeners (e.g., as set forth in a table or the like). In any event, the single node will then publish the message to the set of message listeners. Delivery confirmations, responses, etc.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a method for workload optimization in a network (e.g., cloud computing environment). Usage of resources in the network is monitored in order to maintain a metadata catalog of operating experiences of the resources. A request for a resource in the network is received; and, resources that are available in the network are identified. Units that are included in the resources are also identified. The metadata catalog is queried for operating experiences associated with the requested resource. The requested resource is provisioned by the host system based on the operating experiences associated with the resource. This includes assembling the units that are included in the requested resource and/or automatically allocating workloads of the computing modules based on the cataloging of the workloads in the metadata catalog. The metadata catalog is updated with an operating experience associated with the provisioning of the requested resource.

Abstract: A system and method of performing cooperative non-repudiated message exchange from a first system to a second system in a computer network comprises checking for discrepancies between a current system time in the second system with an actual time; performing a time synchronization process to match the current system time with the actual time; exchanging public encryption keys between the first and second systems; sending a digitally signed message from the first system to the second system; decoding the digitally signed message; sending a digitally signed acknowledgment message from the second system to the first system; decoding the digitally signed acknowledgment message; and committing text of the digitally signed message to an official transcript on the first system.

Abstract: A system and method of managing assets on a distributed grid enabled network. The system and method includes sending, to a content provider, a conditional request to obtain a requested asset. The system and method further includes receiving, in response to the conditional request, information to identify a most recent copy of the requested asset, and transferring the requested asset to at least one grid enabled peer for subsequent downloading to a requesting client.

Abstract: Publishing electronic messages to clients within a group in a Pub/Sub message publishing environment wherein the group includes authorized participating clients in network communication with a pub/sub service. A client is authenticated for authority to publish messages to a selected group of subscribing clients.

Abstract: A client application program subscribing to a channel of a pub/sub service, receives a message published by the pub/sub service, the received message invoking an associated application program at the client.

Abstract: We provide exemplary systems and methods using structured markup to define objects with cache controls. Examples of structure markup include Extensible Markup Language (“XML”) and Standard Generalized Markup Language (“SGML”). A cache control structure (i.e., the XML-schema) can be added to a variety of levels or layers of granularity in the object. XML data binding, which is the process of converting XML-schema to native object code, may provide an application access to the cache controls of an object. The XML-schema may be accessed using a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”), for example, for convenient remote access.

Abstract: Presenting a Pub/Sub service GUI interface to a subscribers computer system, the GUI interface comprising one or more topics to which the subscriber can subscribe, the Pub/sub service having a list of subscribers subscribing to a topic. The GUI interface preferably comprising widgets, enabling a subscriber to manage subscriptions to topics. The Pub/Sub service publishes messages of a topic according to the subscription list.