Abstract: A method of and system for managing installs to a set of one or more field machines in a distributed network environment. In an illustrative embodiment, the system includes at least one change coordinator server that includes a database with data identifying a current state of each field machine, and a change controller routine for initiating a given control action to initiate an update to the current state on a given field machine. In particular, the change controller routine may include a scheduling algorithm that evaluates data from the database and identifies a set of field machines against which the given control action may be safely executed at a given time. At least one install server is responsive to the change controller routine initiating the given control action for invoking the update to the current state on the given field machine.

Abstract: A replication process to provide fault tolerance for a streaming signal in a computer network. In one embodiment, the original or source signal is sent to several splitters which, in turn, each make copies of the signal and send the copies into a second layer of devices, which are referred to as “concentrators.” A given concentrator receives as input one or more copies of the source signal. In a preferred embodiment, a given concentrator receives two copies of the source signal from at least two different splitters. The concentrators process the incoming streaming signal copies, for example, by merging them into a single or composite copy of the original source signal according to a given processing algorithm. The output of a given concentrator may then be fed into a splitter, with the process then being repeated if desired to make an arbitrary large number of copies of the signal.

Abstract: A replication process to provide fault tolerance for a streaming signal in a computer network. In one embodiment, the original or source signal is sent to several splitters which, in turn, each make copies of the signal and send the copies into a second layer of devices, which are referred to as “concentrators.” A given concentrator receives as input one or more copies of the source signal. In a preferred embodiment, a given concentrator receives two copies of the source signal from at least two different splitters. The concentrators process the incoming streaming signal copies, for example, by merging them into a single or composite copy of the original source signal according to a given processing algorithm. The output of a given concentrator may then be fed into a splitter, with the process then being repeated if desired to make an arbitrary large number of copies of the signal.

Abstract: The present invention is a network architecture or framework that supports hosting and content distribution on a truly global scale. The inventive framework allows a Content Provider to replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. In accordance with the invention, however, a base HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.

Abstract: The present invention is a network architecture or framework that supports hosting and content distribution on a truly global scale. The inventive framework allows a Content Provider to replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. In accordance with the invention, however, a base HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for requesting data from one of a plurality of servers. A virtual network of nodes is generated in response to a data request. A first node on the virtual network of nodes is chosen randomly, and a path generated from the first node to the root on the virtual network. At least one node on the path is mapped to a respective one of the plurality of servers and data is requested from a server. The node may be mapped to the server using the method and apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention is an intelligent traffic redirection system that does global load balancing. It can be used in any situation where an end-user requires access to a replicated resource. The method directs end-users to the appropriate replica so that the route to the replica is good from a network standpoint and the replica is not overloaded. The technique preferably uses a Domain Name Service (DNS) to provide IP addresses for the appropriate replica. The most common use is to direct traffic to a mirrored web site.

Abstract: An intelligent traffic redirection system performs global load balancing for Web sites located at mirrored data centers. The system relies on a network map that is generated continuously for the user-base of the entire Internet. Instead of probing each local name server (or other host) that is connectable to the mirrored data centers, the network map identifies connectivity with respect to a much smaller set of proxy points, called “core” (or “common”) points. A core point then becomes representative of a set of local name servers (or other hosts) that, from a data center's perspective, share the point. Once core points are identified, a systematic methodology is used to estimate predicted actual download times to a given core point from each of the mirrored data centers. Preferably, ICMP (or so-called “ping” packets) are used to measure roundtrip time (RTT) and latency between a data center and a core point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources. A request is mapped to a location in mathematical mapping space. Each of the plurality of resources is mapped to a respective location or locations in the mathematical mapping space. The request is allocated to one of the resources based on a mathematical relationship between the request location and the resource location in the mathematical mapping space. An apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources includes the plurality of resources and an input receiving a resource request. A mapper in communication with the input maps the request to a request location in a mathematical mapping space and maps each of the plurality of resources to at least one resource locations in the mathematical mapping space.

Abstract: An intelligent traffic redirection system performs global load balancing for Web sites located at mirrored data centers. The system relies on a network map that is generated continuously, preferably for the user-base of the entire Internet. Instead of probing each local name server (or other host) that is connectable to the mirrored data centers, the network map identifies connectivity with respect to a much smaller set of proxy points, called “core” (or “common”) points. A core point is representative of a set of local name servers (or other hosts) that, from a data center's perspective, share the point. To discover a core point, an incremental trace route is executed from each of the set of mirrored data centers to a local name server that may be used by client to resolve a request for a replica stored at the data centers. An intersection of the trace routes at a common routing point is then identified.

Abstract: The present invention is a network architecture or framework that supports hosting and content distribution on a truly global scale. The inventive framework allows a Content Provider to replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. In accordance with the invention, however, a base HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.

Abstract: A watermarking procedure wherein each of a set of copies of the work has a slightly-modified form of a "baseline" watermark that is placed within a critical region of the data. The slight variations in the watermarks, however, are not perceptually visible and do not interfere with the work. If multiple persons collude to attempt to create an "illicit" copy of the work (i.e., a copy without a watermark), however, at least one of the modified watermarks is present in the copy, thereby identifying both the illicit copy and the copier.