Abstract: Shared memory and sockets are used to protect shared resources where multiple operating systems execute concurrently on the same hardware. Rather than using spinlocks for serializing access, when a thread is unable to acquire a shared resource because that resource is already held by another thread, the thread creates a socket with which it will wait to be notified that the shared resource has been released. The sockets may be network sockets or in-memory sockets that are accessible across the multiple operating systems; if sockets are not available, communication technology that provides analogous services between operating systems may be used instead. Optionally, fault tolerance is provided to address socket failures, in which case one or more threads may fall back (at least temporarily) to using spinlocks. A locking service may execute on each operating system to provide a programming interface through which threads can invoke lock operations.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for dynamically integrating software resources (such as web services and other back-end software resources) using the services of a content framework (such as a portal platform). A portlet model is leveraged to allow programmatic portlets to serve as proxies for web services, thereby extending portlets beyond their traditional visual role. A deployment interface and a system interface are described for these portlet proxies. The deployment interface is used for composing new web services, and a composition tool is described. The system interface allows for run-time management of the web services by the portal platform. The service provider for a particular function may be bound to the portlet proxy at development time or at run-time.

Abstract: Applications generating events, and system facilities generating events, send notifications of the events to a system event sink. The event sink is preferably associated with an operating system, and provides an application programming interface for registering listeners. (In one alternative approach, the event sink operates as a centrally-accessible or network-accessible entity, where it may concurrently interact with more than one client.) Upon receiving a notification of an event, the event sink forwards the notification to any registered listeners. Optionally, filters may be used to specify criteria to be met before a notification is forwarded to the listener. An event does not rely on a particular application for displaying the event to an end user. As one example, notification of a newly-arrived e-mail message might be presented in a chat window of an instant messaging client.

Abstract: A task-like user interface is provided for Web-based applications. Preferred embodiments enable users to initiate multiple instances of tasks within a single Web application, where independent state information is retained for each instance. Each user-initiated task also has a prescribed life cycle with a definite start and end. Resources allocated to perform various activities can therefore be released when the activity ends. Optionally, contextual information can be passed to a task upon invocation. Support for persisting a currently-viewable work unit as a user-selectable favorite may optionally be provided.

Abstract: Related objects are displayed in a user interface. An index value (or other identifier) is associated with each resource in a particular resource group, and this index value enables grouping the resources when a representation of the group is displayed. Spatial consistency may be maintained by displaying the resource groupings in order by their index value, and this order may be maintained over time as the displaying is repeated. The resources in the groupings may correspond to nodes and links in message flows. Preferably, the resources are dynamically determined by observation of their interactions, such as observing the participation of nodes and links in message flows.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and computer program product uses a plurality of message transmitters to achieve high availability message transmission. The plurality of message transmitters are each operable to transmit a message to a subscriber. In accordance with a determination, for example, of the value of the connections, the message is copied and transmitted to the plurality of the message transmitters so that at least one of the plurality of message transmitters transmits the copy to the subscriber. The at least one message transmitter may be selected by analyzing the message and determining an associated rule based on characteristics of the message.

Abstract: A method of controlling the retention of publications in a publish/subscribe system, the method comprising receiving, at a message broker, a first publication from a publisher on a topic; receiving, at the message broker, a second publication from the publisher on the topic; identifying, at the message broker, whether the first publication should be overwritten with the second publication and, if not, retaining at least payload data from both the first and second publications on the topic; and storing, for the second publication, if retained, data indicating when the second publication was published to the broker. Other methods, apparatus, and computer readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that enable country of origin labeling and verification. A source verification or “animal passport” procedure and system are disclosed, whereby each transfer of one or more animals is documented and recorded in a repository. An animal passport (i.e., certificate) is used for tracking transfers. A new passport is issued for every transfer, and a unique number (or other unique identifier) is assigned to each such passport. At the same time, each passport carries the passport number of the preceding transfer (or transfers), such that a sequence of passport numbers identifies all transfers occurring throughout the lifetime of the associated animal or animals. Animal passports may also be used to track transfers of animal products.

Abstract: Techniques for implicitly extending an object model, even those that do not provide an extension mechanism, in a manner that is transparent, independent, and non-disruptive to the model itself. An “extension” is preferably created for each object to be extended, and comprises a reference to the object and contains an “extension object” that specifies the particular extensions.

Abstract: Automatically detecting the layout of a bidirectional (BIDI) text. In one embodiment, this comprises: determining a shaping attribute of the text based on scanning the text to detect at least one character of a specific shape, while preferably ignoring initial, final, and stand-alone shaped characters; determining a text type attribute of the text from the shaping attribute; and determining an orientation attribute of the text from the determined text type. A numeric shaping attribute and a symmetric swapping attribute may also be determined. Embodiments of the invention may be used, by way of illustration but not of limitation, for bidirectional layout transformation to allow conversion of a BIDI text received from a source computer system in a source BIDI layout format into a layout format of a target computer system.

Abstract: Delegation of processing functions to specialized appliances in an enterprise is provided. An appliance typically comprises a combination of hardware and resident firmware that addresses needs in a computing environment, such as by providing common message transformation, integration, security, filtering and other functions. Delegation is carried out by specifying at least one XML function for front-process offloading from a server to a corresponding appliance configured to receive messages pushed towards the server, communicating management directives to the appliance for configuring the appliance to perform the specified XML function(s) according to specific requirements dynamically specified by the server and communicating instructions to the appliance so that the appliance augments received event messages with intermediate processing information based upon the front-process offloading, as received event messages pass through the appliance.

Abstract: Dynamically selecting an endpoint for a tunnel into an enterprise computing infrastructure. A client dynamically selects a gateway (which may alternatively be referred to as a boundary device or server) as a tunnel endpoint for connecting over a public network (or, more generally, an untrusted network) into an enterprise computing infrastructure. The selection is made, in preferred embodiments, according to least-cost routing metrics pertaining to paths through the enterprise network from the selected gateway to a destination host. The least-cost routing metrics may be computed using factors such as the proximity of selectable tunnel endpoints to the destination host; stability or redundancy of network resources for this gateway; monetary costs of transmitting data over a path between the selectable tunnel endpoints and destination host; congestion on that path; hop count for that path; and/or latency or transmit time for data on that path.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for writing data directly onto a product to record each ownership transfer. As a result, the product itself now carries a traceable, auditable, non-forgeable, non-repudiable proof of ownership (and, optionally, ownership history) that can be used in a variety of ways. This recorded ownership transfer information provides an electronic receipt, which may be used by the present owner to prove his or her ownership. (Optionally, other types of transfers may be recorded in addition to, or instead of, ownership transfers.) A transfer agent or registrar creates a unique transaction identifier to represent the transfer, and preferably creates a cryptographic signature over fields representing the transfer. This information is then recorded in a repository that is external from the product.

Abstract: In a method and system for matching learning objects with a user profile, a top-level concept structure, including a keyword hierarchy for each of one or more top-level concepts, can be used to determine the complexity of a learning object. The learning object can include one or more learning object keywords related to one or more top-level concepts contained in the top-level concept structure. The learning object keywords can be assigned a complexity score based upon their location within the keyword hierarchy, and the complexity scores for all of the learning object keywords relating to a top-level concept can be aggregated to generate a learning object top-level concept complexity score. The learning object top-level concept complexity score can be compared with a user's experience rating for that top-level concept and be used to select an appropriate learning object.

Abstract: Creating and managing an editable cache of unsent message fragments during conversations using real-time messaging systems (such as instant messaging, text messaging, chat sessions, and so forth). Using this cache, a user participating in a real-time messaging conversation can cache at least one message fragment, and can then recall selected fragments for review and/or editing (as desired by the particular user) before sending to other conversation participants. Preferably, any unsent message fragment from the cache can be sent, upon request of the user, through a mouse click or keystroke.

Abstract: Display of message flow interactions corresponding to service invocations in a computing environment based on a service-oriented distributed computing model. Aggregations are created, where multiple instances of a particular deployed service operation may be represented by a single node (even though those instances may be hosted on different application servers). Links are depicted between the nodes, where the links represent call paths or invocations among the service operations. A user obtains a high-level, in-context view of the as-observed interactions among service operation instances, and may drill down for further details. A presentation to the user can be automatically scoped to the set of services which are observed as interacting (i.e., via their call relationships), so that the user can be shown that part of the environment that is immediately relevant to a context in which the user launches the view.

Abstract: Task switching among windows on a graphical user interface. Responsive to user action (such as simultaneously pressing the ALT and TAB keys), a task selection window is displayed in which an iconic representation is provided for a plurality of windows, including at least one child window, and the iconic representations are arranged according to how recently the associated window had focus. Responsive to user action (such as pressing the TAB key while the ALT key remains depressed), a selection indicator moves through the selectable iconic representations in the order of the recency of the focus.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for determining the behavioral mood of an electronic messaging system user. User input is provided through one or more input receptors of an electronic device. The user input is collected by the mood identification system. The collected input is processed to generate behavioral biometrics, which are in turn correlated to predetermined behavioral moods, each of which has a corresponding behavioral mood indicator. The behavioral mood of the recipient user is indicated by applying text attributes to the user's identifier (ID) or by displaying an icon proximate to the user's ID.

Abstract: Tamper detection of audit records comprises configuring a proxy for adding tamper evidence information to audit information by obtaining audit records from at least one audit record generating source, grouping obtained audit records into subsets of audit records and providing tamper evidence processing to the subsets utilizing a cryptographic mechanism to calculate a signature over each subset of audit records. The proxy groups the subsets such that each subset contains at least one designated carryover audit record that overlaps into a next subset so that each carryover audit record is associated with at least two signatures. As such, the proxy creates an overlapping chain of digitally signed audit records subsets. The proxy further forwards the tamper evident audit records from the tamper evidence adding proxy to a corresponding audit log storage subsystem for storage, storing the calculated signatures.

Abstract: Problem diagnostics may be obtained from components that log messages using a unique component identifier which is provided within each message so as to enable routing of callbacks to the component that originated the message. Similarly, problem diagnostics may be obtained from components that generate alerts, where the alerts contain the unique identifier of the component that generated the alert. Each component supports a diagnostic provider interface comprising operations which may be dynamically invoked, for example to solicit information from the component such as its configuration data, its state information, to execute self-diagnostic tests, and so forth. In addition or instead, operations may be provided that can be invoked to cause the component to alter its configuration data (such as notifying the component to change its level of message logging) or its behavior.