Abstract: The present invention relates generally to mill blank constructions to facilitate the manufacture of dental restorations. A given mill blank is formed in a shape (i.e. with a given geometry) that has been predetermined to reduce material waste when the mill blank is machined into the final part. A set of two or more blanks each having such characteristics comprise a smart blank “library.” In one embodiment, a smart blank library includes a sufficient number of unique blanks such that, when the geometry of the designed restoration is known, the smart blank with a highest yield can be selected for use in milling the restoration. The “yield” of a given smart blank represents the amount of material of the smart blank that is actually used in the final restoration. Automated processes for smart blank inventory management and smart blank selection are also described.

Abstract: A method of forecasting, allocating and scheduling in a single or multi-site skills-based contact or call center environment organized into a hierarchy of zero or more business units at a first, upper level, one or more contact types at a second, intermediate level, and one or more management units at a third, lower level. A user creates (a) a set of given contact allocations that define how contacts are distributed from a given business unit to multiple contact types, and (b) a set of given requirement allocations that define how agent requirements are distributed from a contact type to one or more management units. Agent availability by contact type is then predicted to generate agent availability data. Thereafter, forecasted contacts and forecasted agent requirements are allocated based on the given contact and requirement allocations as well as the agent availability data.

Abstract: A method for remote installation of a target operating system is carried out on a machine operating a source operating system. In one embodiment, it is presumed that the source operating system was booted from a first bootable region of a storage associated with the machine. According to the method, a copy of the source operating system together with the target operating system are delivered to the machine and stored in a second bootable region of the storage. The copy of the source operating system may be stored in a first partition of the second bootable region of the storage, and the target operating system may be stored in a second partition of the second bootable region. A boot loader is then configured to boot the copy of the source operating system from the second bootable region of the storage. The machine is then re-booted. At this point, the machine is still running the source operating system, although in this case that operating system was booted from the second bootable region of the storage.

Abstract: A real-time approach for detecting aberrant modes of system behavior induced by abnormal and unauthorized system activities that are indicative of an intrusive, undesired access of the system. This detection methodology is based on behavioral information obtained from a suitably instrumented computer program as it is executing. The theoretical foundation for the present invention is founded on a study of the internal behavior of the software system. As a software system is executing, it expresses a set of its many functionalities as sequential events. Each of these functionalities has a characteristic set of modules that is executed to implement the functionality. These module sets execute with clearly defined and measurable execution profiles, which change as the executed functionalities change. Over time, the normal behavior of the system will be defined by the boundary of the profiles.

Abstract: Freight forwarders and carriers post published rate and discount information for land, sea and air bearing cargo vessels to allow customers the opportunity to evaluate competitive prices, preferably in one consolidated location (e.g., a web site). A customer navigates to the site to obtain published or discounted rate information offered by a freight forwarder or carrier. The customer may accept a posted rate, in which case the site operator notifies the freight forwarder or carrier. Alternatively, customers, freight forwarders and carriers may negotiate rates for particular lanes of interest using an online interactive auction block.

Abstract: Food packaging articles are manufactured by providing top and bottom sheets of flexible material and securing selected areas of the sheets along sealing edges to define a plurality of triangular-shaped pouches, with each pouch corresponding to an individual food packaging article. The sealing edges preferably are secured by fusion or adhesion welding. In an illustrative embodiment, the sealing edges are secured by ultrasonic welding using a pair of weld heads that are positioned to weld lines at different angles from one another.

Abstract: A reflector network is used within a content delivery network to enable requesting end users to subscribe to live streams that have been published to CDN entry points. A reflector is a generalized packet router program. The reflector network preferably comprises a hierarchy of reflectors that are located at the various entry points into the CDN, at each edge node at which requesting users may be directed by the CDN to obtain live streams, and at various “reflector” nodes located within at least one intermediate layer (in the hierarchy) between the entry points and the edge nodes. The edge nodes and each reflector node also include a manager program that arranges for feeds. When an end user is directed to an edge node that is not yet receiving the desired stream, the edge node's manager issues a subscription request to a set of reflector nodes. If the reflector node(s) are already receiving the desired stream, their reflector(s) begin sending it to the requesting edge node.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling access to content on a network computer. The computer may be a stand-alone single server computer or part of a distributed computer network that is connected to the Internet, intranet, or any other network. The present invention provides a means for a publisher or an owner of content to control access to the content even on a distributed network, i.e., multiple computers storing and providing access to the content. According to the present invention, a user initially receives a token from the publisher or the owner. A content server then receives the token from the user. The content server is configured to recognize requests for content that requires authentication, process the token, and verify the validity of the token. If the token is valid, the server delivers the content to the user. If the token is invalid, the server denies the user access to the content.

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 broadcast manager automatically commits resources and sets up network interconnections to produce a broadcast session on a data network. The broadcast manager automatically monitors usable network resources, tracks current data streams in the data network and tracks network resources that are used,by the current data streams to determine how resources are to be allocated. A system constructed according to the, invention may be used to provide multimedia distribution service that enables publishers to register multimedia presentations with the service and enables viewers to view these presentations.

Abstract: A method of enabling a proxy to participate in a secure communication between a client and a set of servers. The method begins by establishing a first secure session between the client and the proxy. Upon verifying the first secure session, the method continues by establishing a second secure session between the client and the proxy. In the second secure session, the client requests the proxy to act as a conduit to a first server. Thereafter, the client and the first server negotiate a first session master secret. Using the first secure session, this first session master secret is then provided by the client to the proxy to enable the proxy to participate in secure communications between the client and the first server. After receiving the first session master secret, the proxy generates cryptographic information that enables it to provide a given service (e.g., transcoding) on the client's behalf and without the first server's knowledge or participation.

Abstract: A method of balancing loads during data distribution in a managed network environment wherein at least one gateway machine services a plurality of endpoints. System management tasks include data distributions, which are normally initiated at the gateway and distributed to all managed endpoints. Load balancing is achieved by setting a load parameter for each subnet of each network path between the gateway machine and an endpoint machine serviced thereby. The load parameter is selectable and identifies an amount of network bandwidth that may be used by a particular data distribution over the segment. Prior to initiating a distribution, the effective load that a given subnet will “see” when the operation begins is then calculated. If that effective load for any subnet exceeds that subnet's respective load parameter, the data distribution rate is altered for the overall network path. This technique effectively balances network loads and makes more efficient use of resources.

Abstract: A directory schema for directory applications or platforms that store common attributes in a distributed directory. According to the schema, a given attribute is stored in a directory together with a signature that identifies given information, e.g., the purpose and version of the attribute. Thus, when an attribute is migrated to a new value, e.g., upon the release of a new application version, the directory schema need not be extended. Rather, the attribute may be maintained in the schema is the same location as was used with an earlier application version.

Abstract: A method of outputting a document on a rendering engine in a client in a computer network. The document comprises a markup language data stream having a plurality of references to external resources required by the document. In operation, the document is first retrieved to the client. As the document is received, the rendering engine parses the markup language data stream for a list of external resources. If the list of external resources is present in the markup language data stream, the engine selectively prefetches at least one external resource as the document is output by the rendering engine.

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 method of enabling an HTTP server plug-in to pass an unmangled environment variable into a CGI process begins by configuring the HTTP server to initially override a CGI service method. When the server processes an HTTP request, the server plug-in, which is called prior to the CGI service method and is running in a process of the HTTP server, inserts a “name value” pair prepended with a marker in a request header parameter block of the HTTP server. Then, the CGI service override method executes the server's original (i.e. native) CGI service method, causing it to run an encapsulation program in the CGI process. This program scans the environment of the CGI process for any string prepended with a given HTTP code (e.g., the string “HTTP_”) and the marker. If it finds any such string, the program strips the given HTTP code and the marker from a remainder of the string and resets the environment variable into the CGI process in an “unmangled” form.

Abstract: A caching mechanism for a directory service having a backing store. According to the invention, directory search results are cached over a given data capture period, with the information then being used by a data analysis routine to generate a data access history for the user for a particular application. That history is then used to generate a recommended pre-fetch time, a filter key for the pre-fetch, and a preferred cache replacement policy (e.g., static or LRU). Based on that information, a control routine pre-fetches and populates the cache with information that is expected to be needed by the user as a result of that access history.

Abstract: A method for reuse of image data in a distributed computer network is operative at a web server in response to a request from a client browser for a web page. At the web server, a determination is made regarding whether the web page includes a given object reference. If so, a template defining a composite image is retrieved. The template identifies at least one image object to be retrieved from another location, typically from a host remote to the web server. Once the image object is retrieved, a given transform is applied to the image object to generate a transformed image object. The given transform, for example, is selected from a group of transforms such as: scaling, mirroring, cutting, cropping, inverting, flipping, reversing, rotating, color shifting, and combinations of the above. Thereafter, the transformed image object is mapped into the composite image according to the template. After the composite image is created, it is served within the web page originally requested by the client.

Abstract: Directory limits in a file system are initialized or refreshed in a streamlined manner during file system maintenance. In particular, when a check and repair utility performs full check and repair processing on a file system volume, a determination is made regarding whether there is an outstanding request to either prime or refresh the volume. In addition, if directory limits are currently enabled for the file system volume, an implied refresh request is noted. In either case, the request is satisfied in parallel with the check and repair processing. If no volume check and repair is necessary, then mount processing primes or refreshes the volume in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A method for replicating data in a distributed computer environment wherein a plurality of servers are configured about one or more central hubs in a hub and spoke arrangement. In each of a plurality of originating nodes, updates and associated origination sequence numbers are sent to the central hub. The hub sends updates and associated distribution sequence numbers to the plurality of originating nodes. The hub tracks acknowledgments sent by nodes for a destination sequence number acknowledged by all nodes. Thereafter, a highest origination sequence number is sent from the central hub back to each originating node.