Abstract: Discussion threads may be ranked based a factor other than a time since a most recent post of the discussion thread. For example, discussion threads may be ranked based on a likelihood of each discussion thread being helpful to a broad range of users and/or based on how likely each discussion thread is to draw users to participate in the respective discussion thread.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing logging functionalities to code executing in an on-demand code execution system while minimizing the need to define such functionalities within the code. A logging endpoint is provided that can be called by an execution of code and passed information for logging. The logging endpoint can enrich the information with additional information, such as information regarding a state of an execution environment for the code (which additional information may not be accessible to the execution of code itself). The logging endpoint can then facilitate storage of the enriched logging information, such as by handling authentication to a storage endpoint. Thus, users of the system may author code that provides robust logging functionalities while minimizing the implementation of such functionalities within the authored code.

Abstract: A system that implements a data storage service may store data for a database table in multiple replicated partitions on respective storage nodes. In response to a request to back up a table, the service may back up individual partitions of the table to a remote storage system independently and (in some cases) in parallel, and may update (or create) and store metadata about the table and its partitions on storage nodes of the data storage service and/or in the remote storage system. Backing up each partition may include exporting it from the database in which the table is stored, packaging and compressing the exported partition for upload, and uploading the exported, packaged, and compressed partition to the remote storage system. The remote storage system may be a key-value durable storage system in which each backed-up partition is accessible using its partition identifier as the key.

Abstract: Fault-tolerant storage of cryptographic information maintained on a fleet of HSMs may be provided by dividing the cryptographic information into a number of stripes which are distributed and stored on individual HSMs in the HSM fleet. Parity information is generated which allows one or more stripes to be regenerated if one or more stripes becomes corrupt or is lost. The parity information may be stored on an HSM in the HSM fleet, or outside the fleet on a storage service, HSM management hub, tangible computer-readable media, or other device. If an HSM in the HSM fleet fails, resulting in the loss of a stripe, an HSM in the fleet can recover the missing stripe by re-creating the missing stripe from the remaining stripes combined with the parity information. In some examples, stripes are mirrored within the fleet of HSMs.

Abstract: Described is an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), that includes a plurality of sensors, such as stereo cameras, mounted along a perimeter frame of the aerial vehicle and arranged to generate a scene that surrounds the aerial vehicle. The sensors may be mounted in or on winglets of the perimeter frame. Each of the plurality of sensors has a field of view and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged and/or oriented such that their fields of view overlap with one another throughout a continuous space that surrounds the perimeter frame. The fields of view may also include a portion of the perimeter frame or space that is adjacent to the perimeter frame.

Abstract: Three-dimensional models (or avatars) may be defined based on imaging data captured from a customer. The avatars may be based on a virtual mannequin having one or more dimensions in common with the customer, a body template corresponding to the customer, or imaging data captured from the customer. The avatars are displayed on displays or in user interfaces and used for any purpose, such as to depict how clothing will appear or behave while being worn by a customer alone or with other clothing. Customers may drag-and-drop images of clothing onto the avatars. One or more of the avatars may be displayed on any display, such as a monitor or a virtual reality headset, which may depict the avatars in a static or dynamic mode. Images of avatars and clothing may be used to generate print catalogs depicting the appearance or behavior of the clothing while worn by the customer.

Abstract: Encoding of a video file includes determining a plurality of scenes associated with a video file, and determining at least one group of pictures (GOP). Starting sequentially from a beginning frame of the video file, the system identifies a first GOP having a first encoding error characteristic. The system changes a bitrate allocation setting from a first setting to a second setting based on the encoding error characteristic. The system identifies a second frame having a second encoding error characteristic, and changes a second bitrate allocation setting from the second setting to a third setting based on the second encoding error characteristic. The system generates an encoded video file that includes an encoded plurality of scenes.

Abstract: A system that implements a scalable data storage service may maintain tables in a non-relational data store on behalf of clients. The system may provide a Web services interface through which service requests are received, and an API usable to request that a table be created, deleted, or described; that an item be stored, retrieved, deleted, or its attributes modified; or that a table be queried (or scanned) with filtered items and/or their attributes returned. An asynchronous workflow may be invoked to create or delete a table. Items stored in tables may be partitioned and indexed using a simple or composite primary key. The system may not impose pre-defined limits on table size, and may employ a flexible schema. The service may provide a best-effort or committed throughput model. The system may automatically scale and/or re-partition tables in response to detecting workload changes, node failures, or other conditions or anomalies.

Abstract: A method of preparing a packaging laminate includes conveying a mesh of paper material having perforations against a rigid edge causing, at substantially each perforation, a mesh portion at the leading side to have an average elevation lower than that of a mesh portion on the trailing side of the perforation. The method includes expanding the perforations into cells separated from one another by legs interconnected by nodes defined in the mesh Top and bottom surfaces of the legs and nodes are reoriented from an initial orientation substantially parallel with a direction of conveyance of the mesh to an expanded orientation oblique to the direction of conveyance, such that, in the expanded orientation, the top surfaces of the nodes are substantially parallel with each other. The method includes attaching an outer liner to at least some of the bottom surfaces so as to form the packaging laminate.

Abstract: Compute hosts and a routing system may be used for connection and application state migration for uninterrupted service availability. In response to an indication to transfer a connection from a particular compute host to another compute host, the particular compute host obtains a connection state and an application state for the connection and sends the connection state and the application state to the other compute host. The connection state includes information for a connection-oriented protocol and the application state includes information for an application-layer protocol. The other compute host receives and applies the connection state and the application state in order to establish a termination point to terminate the connection at the other compute host instead of at the particular compute host. The data for the connection is routed to the other compute host, wherein the client is unaware of transfer of the connection to the other compute host.

Abstract: A first user associated with a structure (e.g., a home, a building, etc.) may authorize a second user to access the structure when the first user is not present. The second user may request to access the structure via a text message that includes an access code that was previously provided. The second user may be verified/authenticated based on the telephone number in which the text message was received, the access code, and/or an access schedule that indicates when the second user is authorized to access the structure. The second user may send a second text message indicating a desire to lock/unlock a structure entrance (e.g., a door) to the structure that contains a smart lock. Upon receiving the second text message, a service provider sends an instruction to the smart lock, causing the structure entrance to become locked/unlocked, and allowing the second user to access or secure the structure.

Abstract: A matching record set with respect to a particular data record of a stream is identified based on output values produced by a particular band of locality sensitive hash functions. Using respective matching record sets corresponding to the particular data record and one or more other bands of locality sensitive hash functions, an estimate of a count of data records of the stream which meet a particular inter-record distance criterion is obtained. A determination as to whether the particular data record is to be designated as an outlier with respect to previously-observed records of the data stream is made using the estimated count.

Abstract: Techniques for placing virtual machines at hardware locations are described herein. A first assignment of virtual machines to hardware locations that fails to satisfy a set of placement criteria is detected, a second assignment of virtual machines to hardware locations that assigns a subset of the set of virtual machines to new hardware locations is generated, and it is determined if the second assignment of virtual machines to hardware locations satisfies a subset of the set of placement criteria.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques regarding interfaces, each configured to output network packets. The techniques can include a memory storing a first multipath group associated with the interfaces and a routing table containing routes to the first multipath group. The techniques can further include congestion detection logic configured to determine that an interface of the first multipath group is congested from a flow of network packets, the flow of network packets directed to the first multipath group from a route of the routing table. The techniques can additionally include congestion avoidance logic configured to, upon determining that the interface of the first multipath group is congested, dissociate the route from the first multipath group and associate the route with a second multipath group, the second multipath group associated with the interfaces of the first multipath group.

Abstract: In an actor system, messages communicated to and from a first actor in a first location of an actor system can be monitored. A message frequency between the first actor and a second actor in a second location of the actor system can be determined. The message frequency can be compared to a threshold message frequency. A determination can be made whether to move the first actor from the first location based on comparison of the message frequency to the threshold message frequency.

Abstract: A distributed system may include one or more interfaces, such as APIs, allowing a client to request a resource instance and further provide information about the resource instance that can be used to determine a placement domain for resource instance. For example, a compute instance may be placed in a same placement domain as a volume that provides block storage for the compute instance. In some embodiments, a resource placement manager may “jam” place a resource instance in a particular placement domain, wherein the “jam” placement causes one or more placement constraints to be temporarily violated. The resource placement manager may then perform one or more mitigating actions to return the particular placement domain to a state that satisfies the one or more placement constraints.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing communications between multiple computing nodes, such as computing nodes that are separated by one or more physical networks. In some situations, the techniques may be used to provide a virtual network between multiple computing nodes that are separated by one or more intermediate physical networks, such as from the edge of the one or more intermediate physical networks by modifying communications that enter and/or leave the intermediate physical networks. In some situations, the computing nodes may include virtual machine nodes hosted on one or more physical computing machines or systems, such as by or on behalf of one or more users (e.g., users of a program execution service). The managing of the communications may include determining whether communications sent to managed computing nodes are authorized, and providing the communications to the computing nodes only if they are determined to be authorized.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a network connection and termination system that provides managed network connection functionality to clients are described. In some embodiments, a network connection and termination system can enable service or application developers to un-bind a live network session from a specific backend server and migrate the live network session to a different backend server, without interrupting the network session and without network client cooperation. This is accomplished by a network connection manager being the actual endpoint for the network connections, instead of any backend resources. The network connection manager can be fault-tolerant. In some embodiments, it contains multiple nodes replicating the state of the network connections so that if one node fails, another can resume the connection in its place.

Abstract: Automated reconfiguration of real time data stream processing may be implemented. A processing function that describes one or more operations to be performed with respect to one or more data streams may be executed at one or more processing nodes. Performance metrics describing the performance of the processing function at the processing nodes may be collected and monitored. A reconfiguration event may be detected for the processing function. A different execution configuration for the processing function may be determined and initiated in response to detecting the reconfiguration event.