Abstract: Portions of a computing environment (such as a user's mesh) may restrict accessing to particular types of access by particular applications. The computer may support applications executing within a virtual environment (such as a web browser) by brokering such access through a token-based system. When an application requests a particular type of access (e.g., writing to a particular data object), the computer may contact an authorization server with the credentials of the application to request the specified access, and may receive and store an authorization token. The computer may then access the computing environment with the authorization token, and may return the results to the application within the virtual environment. Additional features may further support such applications; e.g., a programmatic interface may be provided in a familiar language, such as JavaScript, whereby applications can request access to particular data objects and identify authorized access capabilities.

Abstract: Designing and executing a workflow having flow-based and constraint-based regions. A user selects one or more activities to be part of a constraint-based region. Each constraint-based region has a constraint associated therewith. The workflow is executed by executing the flow-based region and the constraint-based region. The flow-based region executes sequentially. The constraint is evaluated, and the constraint-based region executes responsive to the evaluated constraint.

Abstract: In scenarios involving a data set accessible through a protocol, operations sets may be formulated for performing various operations on the data set, and may be expressed as resource scripts according to a scripting language. However, such resource scripts may be difficult to design due to the complicated aspects of the interaction, such as asynchrony, network transport, the syntax of the scripting language, and the details of the protocol. A design environment may be devised to facilitate designers in generating resource scripts, e.g., through the manipulation of visual elements. The design environment may abstract the lower-level working details of the resource scripts, and may allow designers to focus on the logical designing of the operations set. The design environment may then automatically generate the resource script from the operations set in accordance with the constraints of the script language and the protocol.

Abstract: A deployable computing environment may facilitate interaction and data sharing between users and devices. Users, devices, and relationships between the users and devices may be represented within the deployable computing environment. A relationship between a user and a device may specify that the device is owned by the user and that the device is authorized to perform operations within the deployable computing environment on behalf of the user. Secure authentication of devices and users for interaction within the deployable computing environment is achieved by authenticating tickets corresponding to the user, the device, and the relationship. A device identification ticket and a user identification ticket are used to authenticate the device and user for interaction within the deployable computing environment. A device claim ticket allows the device to perform delegated operations (e.g., data synchronization, peer connectivity, etc.) on behalf of the user without the user's credentials (e.g.

Abstract: A graphical user interface and method for creating a mapping between a source object and a destination or target object are provided. The user interface includes a source screen region which displays a graphical representation of a source object, a target screen region which displays a graphical representation of a target object, and a mapping screen region which allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia. The methodology includes displaying a graphical representation of a source object in a source screen region, displaying a graphical representation of a target object in a target screen region, creating a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object in a mapping screen region using graphical mapping indicia, and displaying the mapping in the mapping screen region.

Abstract: A graphical user interface and method for creating a mapping between a source object and a destination or target object are provided. The user interface includes a source screen region which displays a graphical representation of a source object, a target screen region which displays a graphical representation of a target object, and a mapping screen region which allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia. The methodology includes displaying a graphical representation of a source object in a source screen region, displaying a graphical representation of a target object in a target screen region, creating a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object in a mapping screen region using graphical mapping indicia, and displaying the mapping in the mapping screen region.

Abstract: Representing a componentized workflow model via a declarative markup language. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing online and offline applications are described. Such systems and methods may in some cases provide the same programming interface, regardless of whether the application is online or offline. Such systems and methods may also or instead in some cases provide additional or other possible capabilities, including installation without elevated privileges, simplified data synchronization, sharing of applications and application data, access to data from other applications, and richer client functionality than may be provided by an application such as a web browser.

Abstract: Modifying a componentized workflow model during execution of the workflow. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. Metadata is associated with each of the activities in the workflow. During execution of the workflow, the user modifies the metadata to affect execution of the workflow without recompiling the workflow.

Abstract: Systems and methods of distributed storage are disclosed herein. A request to store data in a client computer is received. A request is sent from the client computer to a storage service to create a core object such that the core object can be created with a member entry to a member feed in the core object. The member feed can be indicative of one or more entities that are permitted to access to the core object. A message is received at the client computer with the core object. A replica of the core object on the client computer is created. The client computer can add the data as a data entry to a data feed in the core object. An updating message is sent to the storage service. The message can include a copy of the replica of the core object including the data entry.

Abstract: Building a componentized workflow model via an application programming interface. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via the application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities. Users also compile the workflow via the application programming interface.

Abstract: Building a componentized workflow model. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities. The workflow may be compiled and executed.

Abstract: Providing data bound workflow activities to model messaging between a workflow instance and a workflow host. The workflow author associates a data source with each data bound activity in a workflow without specifying details of the underlying messaging technology. The data bound activity in the workflow instance communicates with a data source service in the workflow host to exchange data.

Abstract: Methods and tools are provided for graphically creating a mapping between a source object and a target object. The invention includes function objects or functoids, which may be graphically linked between a source object and a target object in a graphical user interface of a mapping tool. The function objects include a script component adapted to perform a function, a graphical component allowing a user to use the function object in creating a mapping in a mapping tool graphical user interface, and an interface component providing access to the script and graphical components. The invention further comprises methodologies and tools for creating such a mapping using one or more of the function objects, as well as a method and tool for creating function objects.

Abstract: A graphical user interface and method for creating a mapping between a source object and a destination or target object are provided. The user interface includes a source screen region which displays a graphical representation of a source object, a target screen region which displays a graphical representation of a target object, and a mapping screen region which allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia. The methodology includes displaying a graphical representation of a source object in a source screen region, displaying a graphical representation of a target object in a target screen region, creating a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object in a mapping screen region using graphical mapping indicia, and displaying the mapping in the mapping screen region.