Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented methods may implement a persistent storage overlay for a cloud gaming application platform. For example, a host of a cloud gaming server, may provide a persistent storage overlay service, receive, from a mobile device, requests for access to one or more files of a cloud gaming application stored on the host, and respond by making data of the cloud gaming application available to the host and to the mobile device, without copying the data, in a manner that obviates installation of the cloud gaming application on the mobile device. The mobile device may also write changes directly to a folder of the host in a manner that obviates creating a copy of game save data on the mobile device.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a video game configured to be available to stream from a server within a cloud gaming environment; pre-loading an instance of the video game on the server before receiving a request by a user to stream the video game to a client system; receiving the request by the user to stream the video game; and allocating the pre-loaded instance of the video game to the user for streaming to the client system in response to receiving the request by the user to stream the video game, thereby reducing a latency between the user submitting the request and the video game being ready for the user to stream. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) provisioning a cloud gaming environment with a plurality of containers that share a single operating system instance, (2) allocating each container within the plurality of containers to a corresponding user, (3) executing, concurrently, within each container within the plurality of containers a corresponding video game instance and (4) streaming, concurrently, from the cloud gaming environment, a video game instance from each container within the plurality of containers to a corresponding client system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient messaging client communication are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a client front-end component of a messaging server operative to receive a protocol connect packet from a messaging client, the protocol connect packet initiating a client authentication process with the messaging client; and receive a message package from the messaging client, the message package received during the client authentication process; a client authentication component operative to perform the client authentication process with the messaging client; and a client message queueing component operative to queue the message package in an authorization-holding message queue in response to the message package being received during the client authentication process. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include a process for monitoring and improving end-to-end video quality based on scaled and/or interpolated perceptual quality scores across various video views. The method may also include a process for improving search experience for user expectations. Additionally, the method may include a process for providing hardware virtualization and simulation for server hosting. Furthermore, the method may include a process for filtering network traffic in a hosting environment. The method may additionally include a process for testing applications in a hosting environment. The method may further include a process for supporting multi-touch applications. The method may also include a process for optimized graphics rendering. Various other related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include executing, by a server-side hosted environment, a first application non-native to the server-side hosted environment, the executing comprising virtualizing hardware for the server-side hosted environment that supports the execution of the first application in the server-side hosted environment, receiving, by the server-side hosted environment by way of a network, an input data stream from a second application executing on a computing device, processing, by the server-side hosted environment and by the first application while executing in the virtualized hardware, the input data stream, the processing generating an output data stream, and outputting, by the server-side hosted environment and to the computing device by way of the network, the output data stream for use by the second application. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) provisioning a cloud gaming environment with a plurality of containers that share a single operating system instance, (2) allocating each container within the plurality of containers to a corresponding user, (3) executing, concurrently, within each container within the plurality of containers a corresponding video game instance and (4) streaming, concurrently, from the cloud gaming environment, a video game instance from each container within the plurality of containers to a corresponding client system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for reducing latency of an application in a server-side hosted environment may include (i) receiving, from an application executing in a server-side hosted environment, graphics data to be rendered for display on a remote device through which a user interacts with the application, (ii) providing access, to the application, to a graphics processing unit (“GPU”) in communication with the server-side hosted environment via an operating system (“OS”) virtualization layer, (iii) rendering the graphics data with the GPU, (iv) storing the rendered graphics in shared memory of the GPU, (v) accessing the rendered graphics from shared memory and encoding the rendered graphics with the GPU in a manner that reduces latency in displaying the encoded graphics on the remote device, (vi) providing the encoded graphics to the remote device over a network connection with the remote device. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a video game configured to be available to stream from within a cloud gaming environment; saving, to a cache, compiled shader information generated from executing an instance of the video game within the cloud gaming environment; receiving a request to load a new instance of the video game within the cloud gaming environment; and loading the new instance of the video game at least in part by reusing the compiled shader information from the cache. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a video game configured to be available to stream from a server within a cloud gaming environment; pre-loading an instance of the video game on the server before receiving a request by a user to stream the video game to a client system; receiving the request by the user to stream the video game; and allocating the pre-loaded instance of the video game to the user for streaming to the client system in response to receiving the request by the user to stream the video game, thereby reducing a latency between the user submitting the request and the video game being ready for the user to stream. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include detecting, by a cloud-based software distribution host providing cloud-based access to an application to a client device, a pause in a user session of the application and in response to the detection, saving a user session state of the user session. The method may also include determining, based on one or more session characteristics relating to the user session, a session preservation time for preserving the user session state. The session preservation time may correspond to a predicted time for keeping the user session alive. The method may further include storing the saved user session state in a session state buffer for at least the determined session preservation time, and removing the user session state from the session state buffer after the session preservation time elapses. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a base virtualization environment on a cloud-based software distribution host. The method may also include assigning, based on an addressing scheme, a first internet protocol (IP) address to the base virtualization environment. The method may further include identifying a nested virtualization environment running in the base virtualization environment. The cloud-based software distribution host may serve an application running in the nested virtualization environment. Each of the base and nested virtualization environments may include an isolated application environment that virtualizes at least an operating system. The method may additionally include assigning, based on the addressing scheme, a second IP address to the nested virtualization environment distinct from the first IP address. The addressing scheme correlates the second IP address to the first IP address.

Abstract: Obtaining a single unified result for a query over a plurality of data sources. A query specifies an identity of a type of data that the query is providing, and an identity of a format and type of data the query is looking for as a specific answer to the query. The query is mapped to a query pattern from among a plurality of available query patterns. A set of two or more different data sources are queried using one or more queries that correspond to the query pattern. At least two results of querying the particular set of two more different data sources are received. A single unified result is derived from at least one of the results. The single unified result has the format and type of data query specified that the query was looking for as a specific answer to the query.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient messaging client communication are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a client front-end component of a messaging server operative to receive a protocol connect packet from a messaging client, the protocol connect packet initiating a client authentication process with the messaging client; and receive a message package from the messaging client, the message package received during the client authentication process; a client authentication component operative to perform the client authentication process with the messaging client; and a client message queueing component operative to queue the message package in an authorization-holding message queue in response to the message package being received during the client authentication process. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient messaging client communication are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a client front-end component of a messaging server operative to receive a protocol connect packet from a messaging client, the protocol connect packet initiating a client authentication process with the messaging client; and receive a message package from the messaging client, the message package received during the client authentication process; a client authentication component operative to perform the client authentication process with the messaging client; and a client message queueing component operative to queue the message package in an authorization-holding message queue in response to the message package being received during the client authentication process. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An online system processes data in a distributed processing system. To detect loss and corruption of data, the online system periodically stores information describing states of data processed during various time intervals and updates the information to include changes occurring within a predetermined period. Based on states of data described by information stored at a time, the online system performs a modified process on data received or processed during a time interval. For each item of data on which the modified process was performed, the online system compares a modified state of the data item to a state described by information stored at an additional time to determine if data was lost or corrupted. Lost or corrupted data is identified and processed based on the state of data described by the information stored at the time.

Abstract: An online system processes data in a distributed processing system. To detect loss and corruption of data, the online system periodically stores information describing states of data processed during various time intervals and updates the information to include changes occurring within a predetermined period. Based on states of data described by information stored at a time, the online system performs a modified process on data received or processed during a time interval. For each item of data on which the modified process was performed, the online system compares a modified state of the data item to a state described by information stored at an additional time to determine if data was lost or corrupted. Lost or corrupted data is identified and processed based on the state of data described by the information stored at the time.

Abstract: Presenting a two-way natural language conversation between a human user and a computer-implemented chat bot. A method includes receiving user input comprising a natural language query being posed the to the computer-implemented chat bot. The natural language is conveyed to a data platform that includes a plurality of data providers. The data platform to matches the natural language query to at least one query pattern that queries two or more of the data providers, and aggregates results from querying the two or more of the data providers using the at least one query pattern into a single unified result for the natural language query. The single unified result is conveyed for presentation as the computer-implemented chat bot's answer to the natural language query.

Abstract: Obtaining a single unified result for a query over a plurality of data sources. A query specifies an identity of a type of data that the query is providing, and an identity of a format and type of data the query is looking for as a specific answer to the query. The query is mapped to a query pattern from among a plurality of available query patterns. A set of two or more different data sources are queried using one or more queries that correspond to the query pattern. At least two results of querying the particular set of two more different data sources are received. A single unified result is derived from at least one of the results. The single unified result has the format and type of data query specified that the query was looking for as a specific answer to the query.

Abstract: Querying a finite set of data sources. A method includes receiving a query from a user. The method further includes determining a set of two or more data sources from the finite set of data sources that together can be used to satisfy the query. The method further includes translating at least a portion of the query from the user to semantically appropriate queries for the two or more data sources. The method further includes receiving results from the two or more data sources to the semantically appropriate queries. The method further includes aggregating the results, and presenting the aggregation to the user.