Abstract: A method for automating contract negotiation between a plurality of parties over a communications network. The parties communicate and agree upon a negotiation protocol before commencing the negotiation in a meta contract that is formed to govern or control the negotiation process. The automatic negotiation may include at least one sub negotiation. Machine-executable rules are specified to enable an automatic negotiation to take place between servers over a communications network. A successful negotiation may result in the formation of an electronic commerce contract. Each party may maintain the contract state of the overall negotiation, which may take place among two or more parties, wherein at least one party may be represented by a broker. Thus, complex negotiations may be handled automatically by the inventive method. The negotiation may be conducted semi-automatically to allow for human intervention in the negotiation process.

Abstract: Improved techniques for privacy preserving data mining of multidimensional data records are disclosed. For example, a technique for generating at least one output data set from at least one input data set for use in association with a data mining process comprises the following steps/operations. At least one relevant attribute of the at least one input data set is selected through determination of at least one relevance coefficient. The at least one output data set is generated from the at least one input data set, wherein the at least one output data set comprises the at least one relevant attribute of the at least one input data set, as determined by use of the at least one relevance coefficient.

Abstract: In the context of screens, windows and like media, arrangements for automatically detecting when a recipient has entered or left a public setting so that privacy configuration changes can be automatically invoked. Also broadly contemplated herein is an arrangement for selectively displaying messages on the recipient's screen but deferring the messages from being visible on a remote hardware device or software display which is publicly visible. Furthermore, there is broadly contemplated herein a secure arrangement for revealing and responding to deferred messages. More generally, there is broadly contemplated herein a new approach to the provision of application notifications and to alarm control during a desktop screen sharing mode, based on the automatic detection of a screen sharing state and on notifying registered applications of the screen sharing in a unified, consistent manner.

Abstract: A method for constructing a processing request so that an information processing application satisfying the processing request can be assembled, includes: inputting a processing request, wherein the processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired processing outcome; and assembling a processing graph that includes at least one component that satisfies the desired processing outcome, wherein the processing graph is assembled by associating the graph pattern that semantically describes the desired processing outcome with a graph pattern that semantically describes an applicability condition of the at least one component or a graph pattern that semantically describes an inclusion effect of the at least one component.

Abstract: A method for assembling an information processing application, includes: inputting a plurality of component descriptions, wherein each of the component descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an applicability condition of a component and a graph pattern that semantically describes an inclusion effect of the component; inputting a processing request, wherein the processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired processing outcome; assembling a processing graph, wherein the processing graph includes at least one component that satisfies the desired processing outcome; and outputting the processing graph.

Abstract: An automatic planning system is provided for stream processing workflow composition. End users provide requests to the automatic planning system. The requests are goal-based problems to be solved by the automatic planning system, which then generates plan graphs to form stream processing applications. A scheduler deploys and schedules the stream processing applications for execution within an operating environment. The operating environment then returns the results to the end users.

Abstract: A method is provided for selecting a replication node from eligible nodes in a network. A multidimensional model is constructed that defines a multidimensional space and includes the eligible nodes, with each of the dimensions of the multidimensional model being a system characteristic. A data availability value is determined for each of the eligible nodes, and a cost of deploying is determined for each of at least two availability strategies to the eligible nodes. At least one of the eligible nodes is selected for replication of data that is stored on a source node in the network. The selecting step includes selecting the eligible node whose: data availability value is determined to be highest among the eligible nodes whose cost of deploying does not exceed a specified maximum, or cost of deploying is determined to be lowest among the eligible nodes whose data availability value does not exceed a specified minimum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for solving a planning problem generates multiple efficient, alternate plans, one of which is selected for execution. Cost and quality metrics are used for describing and comparing the multiple plans. A planner narrows down a large number of possible solutions or plans to solve the problem based on a domain description including parameters that play a role in cost and quality computation. The method and apparatus can be used in planning stream processing workflows, threat detection and prevention, including intrusion detection, travel planning and planetary exploration.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for safe ontology reasoning. In one embodiment, a method for building safe sub-ontology that includes one or more elements of a given ontology includes designating at least one the elements as a sensitive element, where a sensitive element is an element not to be revealed. The method then designates a safe sub-ontology such that the safe sub-ontology does not include any elements that, alone or in combination, allow inference of a sensitive element, in accordance with one or more given inference rules. In another embodiment, a method for building a potential sub-ontology includes designating at least one of the elements as a sensitive element and including a maximal number of the elements in the potential sub-ontology, wherein the maximal number includes the greatest number of elements that can be revealed, cumulatively, without allowing inference of a sensitive element, in accordance with one or more given inference rules.

Abstract: Improved techniques for privacy preserving data mining of multidimensional data records are disclosed. For example, a technique for generating at least one output data set from at least one input data set for use in association with a data mining process comprises the following steps/operations. At least one relevant attribute of the at least one input data set is selected through determination of at least one relevance coefficient. The at least one output data set is generated from the at least one input data set, wherein the at least one output data set comprises the at least one relevant attribute of the at least one input data set, as determined by use of the at least one relevance coefficient.

Abstract: An automatic planning system is provided for stream processing workflow composition. End users provide requests to the automatic planning system. The requests are goal-based problems to be solved by the automatic planning system, which then generates plan graphs to form stream processing applications. A scheduler deploys and schedules the stream processing applications for execution within an operating environment. The operating environment then returns the results to the end users.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for safe ontology reasoning. In one embodiment, a method for building safe sub-ontology that includes one or more elements of a given ontology includes designating at least one the elements as a sensitive element, where a sensitive element is an element not to be revealed. The method then designates a safe sub-ontology such that the safe sub-ontology does not include any elements that, alone or in combination, allow inference of a sensitive element, in accordance with one or more given inference rules. In another embodiment, a method for building a potential sub-ontology includes designating at least one of the elements as a sensitive element and including a maximal number of the elements in the potential sub-ontology, wherein the maximal number includes the greatest number of elements that can be revealed, cumulatively, without allowing inference of a sensitive element, in accordance with one or more given inference rules.

Abstract: An exemplary method is provided for managing and mitigating security risks through planning. A first security-related information of a requested product is received. A second security-related information of resources that are available for producing the requested product is received. A multi-stage process with security risks managed by the first security-related information and the second security-related information is performed to produce the requested product.

Abstract: The invention relates to controlling the participation and performance management of a distributed set of resources in a grid environment. The control is achieved by forecasting the behavior of a group of shared resources, their availability and quality of their performance in the presence of external policies governing their usage, and deciding the suitability of their participation in a grid computation. The system also provides services to grid clients with certain minimum levels of service guarantees using resources with uncertainties in their service potentials.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing a storage system to support short data object lifetimes and highly utilized storage space are provided. With the system and method, data objects are clustered based on when they are anticipated to be deleted. When an application stores data, the application provides an indicator of the expected lifetime of the data, which may be a retention value, a relative priority of the data object, or the like. Data objects having similar expected lifetimes are clustered together in common data structures so that clusters of objects may be deleted efficiently in a single operation. Expected lifetimes may be changed by applications automatically. The system automatically determines how to handle these changes in expected lifetime using one or more of copying the data object, reclassifying the container in which the data object is held, and ignoring the change in expected lifetime for a time to investigate further changes in expected lifetime of other data objects.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing a storage system to support full utilization of storage space are provided. With the system and method, data objects/containers of data objects are assigned retention values when they are created. These retention values may be dynamically modified based on a modification function associated with the data objects/containers. When storage space needs to be freed for the storage of new data objects/containers, the retention values of existing data objects/containers provide a prioritization as to which data objects/containers should be deleted from the storage system and the order by which these data objects/containers are to be deleted to make available storage space for the new data objects/containers. The identification of the data objects/containers that are to be deleted may be based on a dynamically modified delete threshold, a sorted list of retention values, or the like.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of selecting replacement contracts, comprises determining consumer specifications for an existing contract, monitoring a service provider maintaining specifications of a contract offer, and monitoring the specifications of the contract offer. The method further comprises identifying the contract offer as a replacement contract for the existing contract, and notifying a consumer of an identified replacement contract.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for classifying web sites are provided. With the apparatus and methods, traffic data is obtained for a plurality of web sites. This patterns, or templates, for each web site are generated based on this traffic data and the patterns are clustered into classes of web sites using a clustering algorithm. The clusters, or classes, are then profiled to generate a template for each class. The template for each class is generated by first shifting the patterns for each web site that is part of the class to compensate for effects like time zone differences, if any, and then identifying a pattern that is most similar to all of the patterns in the class. Once the template for each class is generated, this template is then used with traffic data from a new web site to classify the new web site into one of the existing classes.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of relating characteristics gleaned by monitoring application transaction flows (and the decomposition thereof) to produce performance metrics useful to characterize the efficiency and performance of web transactions used in a web-based application. These metrics can assist application designers and developers in reorganizing their application content, programs, and transports to provide improved service to their consumer. Events are generated and composed into predefined activities on a web transaction basis. The performance metric is then derived that entails a relationship between at least two different activities that gives insight into the performance characteristics of the web transaction. By using the derived performance metrics, designers and developers of web pages can judge the effects of changes to their application relative to efficiency and performance. Different applications can also be compared and contrasted using these metrics.

Abstract: A system and method for caching objects using a cost-based publish and subscribe paradigm, wherein a server computing node determines whether a given cache node should receive a cache update based on, e.g., the cost of sending the update. In one aspect, a method for maintaining objects in a cache comprises the steps of issuing a subscription for an object, maintaining a metric for the object; and determining, based on the metric, whether a cache is to receive an update message associated with the object. The metric is preferably correlated with one or more factors such as an importance factor of maintaining the cached copy of the object current, the cost of the sending the update message, and/or the estimated lifetime of the object.