Abstract: A distributable and serializable finite state machine and methods for using the distributable and serializable finite state machine are provided wherein finite state machine instance can be location-shifted, time-shifted or location-shift and time-shifted, for example by serializing and deserializing each instance. Each instance can be located-shifted between agents, and a persistent memory storage location is provided to facilitate both location-shifting and time-shifting. Finite state machine instances and the actions that make up each instance can be run in a distributed fashion among a plurality of agents.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for implementing stream processing are provided. The system includes an application framework and applications containing dataflow graphs managed by the application framework running on a first network. The system also includes at least one circuit switch in the first network having a configuration that is controlled by the application framework, a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by the first network over one of wireline and wireless links, and a second network for providing at least one of control and additional data transfer over the first network.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating a resource function estimate of resource usage by an instance of a processing element configured to consume zero or more input data streams in a stream processing system having a set of available resources that comprises receiving at least one specified performance metric for the zero or more input data streams and a processing power of the set of available resources, wherein one specified performance metric is stream rate; generating a multi-part signature of executable-specific information for the processing element and a multi-part signature of context-specific information for the instance; accessing a database of resource functions to identify a static resource function corresponding to the executable-specific information and a context-dependent resource function corresponding to the context-specific information; combining the static resource function and the context-dependent resource function to form a composite resource function for the instance; and applying the res

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a Pervasive Authentication Domain. A Pervasive Authentication Domain allows many registered Pervasive Devices to obtain authentication credentials from a single Personal Authentication Gateway and to use these credentials on behalf of users to enable additional capabilities for the devices. It provides an arrangement for a user to store credentials in one device (the Personal Authentication Gateway), and then make use of those credentials from many authorized Pervasive Devices without re-entering the credentials. It provides a convenient way for a user to share credentials among many devices, particularly when it is not convenient to enter credentials as in a smart wristwatch environment. It further provides an arrangement for disabling access to credentials to devices that appear to be far from the Personal Authentication Gateway as measured by metrics such as communications signal strengths.

Abstract: A method is provided for the recovery of an instance of a job manager running on one of a plurality of nodes used to execute the processing elements associated with jobs that are executed within a cooperative data stream processing system. The states of the processing elements are checkpointed to a persistence mechanism in communication with the job manager. From the checkpointed processing element states, the state of each distributed job is determined and checkpointed. Processing element states are also checkpointed locally to the nodes one which the processing elements are running. Following a failure of the job manager, the job manager is reinstantiated on one of the nodes. The recovery instance of the job manger obtains state data for processing elements and jobs from the persistence mechanism and constructs an initial state for jobs and processing elements. These initial states are reconciled against the current states of the processing elements and adjustments are made accordingly.

Abstract: Plug-in configurable middleware is provided for managing distributed applications. The middleware includes at least one core runtime engine configured as a plurality of concurrent instantiations on one or more hosts within a distributed architecture. These hosts can represent separate nodes or a single node within the architecture. Each core runtime engine instance provides the minimum amount of functionality required to support plug-in architecture, that is to support the instantiation of one or more plug-ins within that core runtime engine instance. Each core runtime engine instance is in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances and can share the functionality of plug-in instances with the other core runtime engine instances, for example through the use of proxies. A plurality of personalities representing pre-defined functions is defined and one of more of these personalities is associated with each core runtime engine instance.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for testing distributed computer applications using finite state machines. A finite state machine definition for use in a distributed computer system is combined with the fault injections definitions contained within a fault injection campaign that is created for testing the computer application employing that finite state machine. The definition and combination of the finite state machine definition and the fault injection campaign is carried out automatically or manually, for example using a graphical user interface. This combination creates at least one modified finite state machine definition containing the desired injected faults. The modified finite state machine definition is separate from the originally identified finite state machine definition, and the originally identified finite state machine remains intact without injected faults.

Abstract: A method for linking consumer preferences and purchase decisions with point-of-sale systems, wherein the method includes: defining consumer preferences in a third-party system; obtaining consumer preference identification at a point of purchase; providing information about purchase items and the consumer preference identification to the third-party validation system; validating that the items being purchased do not violate the consumer preferences; and wherein based on the validating providing notification to the point-of-sale system.

Abstract: Finite state machines are provided to run instances of user-defined routines within a computing system. The finite state machines and updates to the finite state machines are user-defined and are checked for compliance with one or more prescribed schemas by a finite state machine engine. Compliant finite state machine specifications are interpreted for the plurality of states and transitions that constitute the finite state machine. Requested instances of a finite state machine specification are initiated by the finite state machine engine, which creates proxies to monitor the current state of any given requested instance.

Abstract: A distributable and serializable finite state machine and methods for using the distributable and serializable finite state machine are provided wherein finite state machine instance can be location-shifted, time-shifted or location-shift and time-shifted, for example by serializing and deserializing each instance. Each instance can be located-shifted between agents, and a persistent memory storage location is provided to facilitate both location-shifting and time-shifting. Finite state machine instances and the actions that make up each instance can be run in a distributed fashion among a plurality of agents.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a Pervasive Authentication Domain. A Pervasive Authentication Domain allows many registered Pervasive Devices to obtain authentication credentials from a single Personal Authentication Gateway and to use these credentials on behalf of users to enable additional capabilities for the devices. It provides an arrangement for a user to store credentials in one device (the Personal Authentication Gateway), and then make use of those credentials from many authorized Pervasive Devices without re-entering the credentials. It provides a convenient way for a user to share credentials among many devices, particularly when it is not convenient to enter credentials as in a smart wristwatch environment. It further provides an arrangement for disabling access to credentials to devices that appear to be far from the Personal Authentication Gateway as measured by metrics such as communications signal strengths.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method, system and program product for distributing portal content processing. Specifically, a request for portal content is received on a surrogate system and then passed to a portal system. The portal system will obtain and aggregate a first type of the requested content, and then package the aggregated content into a response. The response will also include place holders that correspond to the remaining type of the requested content. The response will then be transmitted to the surrogate system, which will, based upon the place holders, obtain the remaining type of portal content. Once obtained, the remaining type of portal content will replace the place holders in the response, and the response will be rendered for the requesting portal user.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for unified job processing of interdependent heterogeneous tasks within a domain containing a plurality of nodes. Jobs containing components to be processed in the domain are submitted and are identified by type. A job control flow associated with the job type is identified and used to process the components of the job on various nodes within the domain. Multiple job control flows are handled simultaneously, and provisions are made for sharing common job components among jobs. The job control flow utilizes a finite state machine where a given instance of the finite state machine applies to a specific job type. The finite state machine can be expressed using extensible mark-up language schema.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for programmatically determining whether components of a program are suitable for deployment in particular locations such as at the edge of a network. In preferred embodiments, program characteristics and operating environment characteristics, along with information about their interactions, are programmatically combined at deployment time to determine whether application components are edgeable. The disclosed approach enables people such as programmers (who are familiar with the program characteristics) and systems administrators (who are familiar with the operating environment characteristics) to each provide some control over the edgeability determination, along with other systems experts (who know how these features interact). Alternatively, this information or portions thereof may be supplied programmatically.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method, system and program product for distributing portal content processing. Specifically, a request for portal content is received on a surrogate system and then passed to a portal system. The portal system will obtain and aggregate a first type of the requested content, and then package the aggregated content into a response. The response will also include place holders that correspond to the remaining type of the requested content. The response will then be transmitted to the surrogate system, which will, based upon the place holders, obtain the remaining type of portal content. Once obtained, the remaining type of portal content will replace the place holders in the response, and the response will be rendered for the requesting portal user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for programmatically determining whether components of a program are suitable for deployment in particular locations such as at the edge of a network. In preferred embodiments, program characteristics and operating environment characteristics, along with information about their interactions, are programmatically combined at deployment time to determine whether application components are edgeable. The disclosed approach enables people such as programmers (who are familiar with the program characteristics) and systems administrators (who are familiar with the operating environment characteristics) to each provide some control over the edgeability determination, along with other systems experts (who know how these features interact). Alternatively, this information or portions thereof may be supplied programmatically.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for off-loading application components to edge servers are provided. An application is made edge-aware by defining which components of the application may be run from an edge server, and which components cannot be run from an edge server. When a request is received that is to be processed by an application on an origin server, a determination is made as to whether the application contains edgable components. If so, an edgified version of the application is created. When a request is received that is handled by a component that may be run on the edge server, the request is handled by that component on the edge server. When a request is received that is handled by a component that is not edgable, the request is passed to a proxy agent which then provides the request to a broker agent on the origin server.