Abstract: Methods are disclosed that dynamically improve soft real-time task performance in virtualized computing environments under the management of an enhanced hypervisor comprising a credit scheduler. The enhanced hypervisor analyzes the on-going performance of the domains of interest and of the virtualized data-processing system. Based on the performance metrics disclosed herein, some of the governing parameters of the credit scheduler are adjusted. Adjustments are typically performed cyclically, wherein the performance metrics of an execution cycle are analyzed and, if need be, adjustments are applied in a later execution cycle. In alternative embodiments, some of the analysis and tuning functions are in a separate application that resides outside the hypervisor. The performance metrics disclosed herein include: a “total-time” metric; a “timeslice” metric; a number of “latency” metrics; and a “count” metric.

Abstract: The present disclosure is based on a multi-core or multi-processor virtualized environment that comprises both time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive tasks. The present disclosure describes techniques that use a plurality of criteria to choose a processing resource that is to execute tasks. The present disclosure further describes techniques to re-schedule queued tasks from one processing resource to another processing resource, based on a number of criteria. Through load balancing techniques, the present invention both (i) favors the processing of soft real-time tasks arising from media servers and applications, and (ii) prevents “starvation” of the non-real-time general computing applications that co-exist with the media applications in a virtualized environment. These techniques, in the aggregate, favor the processing of soft real-time tasks while also reserving resources for non-real-time tasks.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enable migration for state of an application, from a primary machine to a backup machine in platform virtualization systems. The migration employs a hybrid approach, wherein both a hypervisor, and an application itself determine states that are to migrate from the primary machine to the backup machine. Based on a direct communication between the application and the hypervisor—without assistance of local operating system—the hypervisor arranges for migration of the required states over to the backup virtual machine.

Abstract: A system evaluates callers, into a contact center, for possible employment. The evaluations occur while the caller waits in a contact center queue and provide a rating of the callers as potential employees. Ratings may be generated or accumulated from one or more interactions with the contact center, where each interaction with the caller can provide information about the caller's suitability as an employee. Good candidates may be interviewed automatically and/or by a manager. Those candidates that receive good ratings/evaluations and are interested in the position may be hired or provided incentives to help the call center respond to calls.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that enables the run-time behavior of a data-processing system to be analyzed and, in many cases, to be predicted. In particular, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises i) transforming the messages that constitute an unstructured log into a numerical series and ii) applying a time-series analysis on the resultant series for the purpose of pattern detection. Indeed, it is recognized in the illustrative embodiment that the problem really is to detect patterns that depict aspects of system behavior, regardless of the textual content of the individual log messages. In other words, by analyzing the totality of the messages in the log or logs—as opposed to looking for pre-defined patterns of the individual messages—system behavior can be mapped and understood. The mapping helps in characterizing the system for the purposes of predicting failure, determining the time required to reach stability during failure recovery, and so forth.

Abstract: A feature activation system provides a mixed computing environment that includes a server and cloud computing. The hybrid model splits the execution of a communication feature between the cloud and the enterprise server installed at or with the enterprise. Service activation is linked to a portal that can communicate with either an intermediary system or directly with an entity executing computer programs in the cloud. When the customer desires to use a feature, the customer accesses the portal and activates the feature the enterprise desires. In the background, the portal instantiates a virtual machine, on any cloud platform, and then installs the feature with virtual machine on that cloud server. To execute feature, the enterprise server and the virtual machine exchange information between the server and the cloud and allow the feature to access the enterprise server or enterprise data.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for intelligently determining when to merge transactions to backup storage. In particular, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, queued transactions may be merged based on a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: the number of queued transactions; the rate of growth of the number of queued transactions; the calendrical time; estimates of the time required to execute the individual transactions; a measure of importance of the individual transactions; the transaction types of the individual transactions; a measure of importance of one or more data updated by the individual transactions; a measure of availability of one or more resources; a current estimate of the time penalty associated with shadowing a page of memory; and the probability of rollback for the individual transactions, and for the merged transaction.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a non-multi-hop wireless terminal (i.e., a wireless terminal that has not been programmed to participate in multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks) to in fact participate in a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network, without any changes to the non-multi-hop terminal's software or hardware. In the illustrative embodiment, a wireless terminal T that already belongs to a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network is assigned to a non-multi-hop wireless terminal W, and a signal is transmitted to terminal W that induces terminal W to use terminal T as a relay for transmitting messages. The assignment of multi-hop-capable terminals in the network to non-multi-hop terminals can be based on a variety of factors, such as signal strengths and the geo-locations of terminals.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving performance in high-availability systems are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, pages of memory of a primary system that are to be shadowed are initially copied to a backup system's memory, as well as to a cache in the primary system. A duplication manager process maintains the cache in an intelligent manner that significantly reduces the overhead required to keep the backup system in sync with the primary system, as well as the cache size needed to achieve a given level of performance. Advantageously, the duplication manager is executed on a different processor core than the application process executing transactions, further improving performance.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed that dynamically improve soft real-time task performance in virtualized computing environments under the management of an enhanced hypervisor comprising a credit scheduler. The enhanced hypervisor analyzes the on-going performance of the domains of interest and of the virtualized data-processing system. Based on the performance metrics disclosed herein, some of the governing parameters of the credit scheduler are adjusted. Adjustments are typically performed cyclically, wherein the performance metrics of an execution cycle are analyzed and, if need be, adjustments are applied in a later execution cycle. In alternative embodiments, some of the analysis and tuning functions are in a separate application that resides outside the hypervisor. The performance metrics disclosed herein include: a “total-time” metric; a “timeslice” metric; a number of “latency” metrics; and a “count” metric.

Abstract: The present disclosure is based on a multi-core or multi-processor virtualized environment that comprises both time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive tasks. The present disclosure describes techniques that use a plurality of criteria to choose a processing resource that is to execute tasks. The present disclosure further describes techniques to re-schedule queued tasks from one processing resource to another processing resource, based on a number of criteria. Through load balancing techniques, the present invention both (i) favors the processing of soft real-time tasks arising from media servers and applications, and (ii) prevents “starvation” of the non-real-time general computing applications that co-exist with the media applications in a virtualized environment. These techniques, in the aggregate, favor the processing of soft real-time tasks while also reserving resources for non-real-time tasks.

Abstract: A method for scheduling the execution of tasks on a processor is disclosed. The purpose of the method is in part to serve the special needs of soft real-time tasks, which are time-sensitive. A parameter ? is an estimate of the amount of time required to execute the task. Another parameter ? is the maximum amount of time that the task is to spend in a queue before being executed. In the illustrative embodiment, the preferred wait time ?i for a newly-arrived task Ti is expected to be met though the insertion of the newly-arrived task Ti into a position k in a queue such that position k respects the task's preferred wait time ?i in light of the expected execution times of the other tasks already in the queue.

Abstract: Methods that enable the detection and handling of lost messages during load-balancing routing protocols are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, when a candidate intermediate node N receives a routing-protocol message, node N performs: (1) a first procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by node N, and (2) a second procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by a neighbor of node N.

Abstract: A method that enables the run-time behavior of a system to be analyzed is disclosed. By analyzing the totality of the messages in the log or logs system behavior can be better understood. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention detects patterns in message logs, clusters similar messages, and determines system behavior based on the clustering of messages.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable a terminal such as a computer-based softphone to retrieve and handle, transparently for its user, the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the user's cell-phone number. Furthermore, the softphone is able to integrate the presentation to its user of the voicemail associated with the cell phone with the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the softphone itself. The softphone features both i) a personal area network interface that is used to communicate directly with the cell phone and ii) a local area network interface that is used to retrieve the cell-phone voicemail from a voicemail system. Once the softphone is paired with the cell phone, the softphone is able to retrieve signals directly from the cell phone and, based on those signals, retrieves the voicemail from the cell phone's voicemail system.

Abstract: Packet routing via payload inspection at routers in a core of a distributed network. Packets include subjects and attributes in addition to routing information. The subjects correspond with particular types of content for subscriptions, and the attributes encapsulate the data or content. The routers store filters corresponding with subscriptions to content. Upon receiving a packet, a router inspects the payload section of the packet containing the attributes in order to retrieve the attributes and apply them to the filters for the subscriptions. If an attribute satisfies a filter, the packet is routed to the next link. If the attributes do not satisfy the filters, the router discards the packet. These routing decisions are distributed among routers in the network core. The router locally caches the data in the network core.

Abstract: Channels between routers for use in packet routing via payload inspection. The channels constitute logical connections between routers and include subjects and attributes. Publishers create channels for routing particular types of content as defined by the subjects and attributes. The publishers also create proxies and notifications on the channels. The channel definitions for routers identify packet or message structures so that the routers can locate attributes in the packets for content-based routing. The routers apply the packet attributes to filters encapsulating subscriptions in order to perform the content-based routing in the network core. The routers also locally cache content, providing distributed caching of content throughout the network core.

Abstract: Packet routing via payload inspection at routers in a core of a distributed network for use in distributing content according to quality of service guarantees. Packets contain subjects and attributes in addition to routing information. The subjects correspond with particular types of content for subscriptions, and the attributes encapsulate the data or content. The subscriptions are associated with particular quality of service guarantees or levels of service. The routers store filters corresponding with subscriptions to content. Upon receiving a packet, a router inspects the payload section of the packet containing the attributes in order to retrieve the attributes and match them to the filters for the subscriptions. If the attributes satisfies a filter, the packet is routed to the next link in accordance with the quality of service guarantee associated with that filter. If the attributes do not satisfy any of the filters injected to and stored at the router, the router discards the packet.

Abstract: Channels between routers for use in packet routing via payload inspection. The channels constitute logical connections between routers and include subjects and attributes. Publishers create channels for routing particular types of content as defined by the subjects and attributes. The publishers also create proxies and notifications on the channels. The channel definitions for routers identify packet or message structures so that the routers can locate attributes in the packets for content-based routing. The routers apply the packet attributes to filters encapsulating subscriptions in order to perform the content-based routing in the network core. The routers also locally cache content, providing distributed caching of content throughout the network core.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables access to the paired combination of a personal computer and cellular telephone, the access being provided through voice commands from a Bluetooth headset or other type of wireless headset. Through the headset, a user is able to invoke a speech-recognition engine during a call in progress that involves the cell phone with which the personal computer has been paired. The set of phrases that can be recognized by the engine, which is resident at the personal computer, are based on the current call-processing state of the call that is being handled by the paired cell phone. Some of the phrases correspond to commands to retrieve one or more entries from a database, such as one stored at the cell phone. One or more of the commands can be for controlling the cell phone or a softphone application that executes at the personal computer.