Abstract: A system and method permits the selection of services from multiple cloud vendors. The system receives parameters relating to a plurality of services offered by a plurality of vendors in a plurality of cloud computing environments. The parameters relate to an actual cost charged by each of the vendors and a cost relating to an environmental impact of each of the vendors. The system calculates a value for each of the vendors as a function of the received parameters, and selects one or more vendors as a function of the calculated value. The system outputs to a display device one or more of the selected vendors and the calculated values for each of the vendors. In another embodiment, the system establishes a communication connection with one or more of the cloud computing environments, and invokes one or more applications or services from the one or more cloud computing environments.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for conducting automatic teller machine (ATM) transactions without the use of an ATM card, using a mobile user device. The mobile user device communicates with an ATM, a provider interface or a network. The ATM communicates with the mobile user device through a contact or contactless means, which may include communication through any wireless connection such as RFID, Bluetooth™ or other near field communication means, or through a USB port or other means of contact. A mobile user device may provide transaction information or authentication information to an ATM or to an authentication system in communication with an ATM. The transaction may be associated with the user's ATM account or another account. The mobile user device may generate a dynamic value which may be used as a password, an authentication value, an account identifier or a transaction identifier.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of collecting and reporting exceptions associated with information technology services includes receiving exceptions associated with a service, including receiving exceptions associated with an infrastructure and exceptions associated with an application; formatting the exceptions into an exceptions list; correlating at least one of the exceptions associated with the infrastructure and at least one of the exceptions associated with the application to identify a service error condition; and storing the exceptions list and an identifier of the service error condition for presentation to a client associated with the service.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a system and method for summarizing jobs for a user group. In one embodiment, a job manager is operable to identify a state of a first job, the first job associated with a first job scheduler. A state of a second job is identified. The second job is associated with a second job scheduler. The first job scheduler and the second job scheduler are heterogeneous. A summary of information associated with at least the first job scheduler and the second job scheduler is determined using, at least in part, the first job state and the second job state. The summary is presented to a user though a dashboard.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for service level management, wherein business processes are composed of services. A state of the service is defined by one or more service parameters, and the service parameters depend upon performance of network components that support the service, e.g., component parameters. The state of the service may depend, for example, on a collection of service parameter values for availability, reliability, security, integrity and response time. A service level agreement is a contract between a supplier and a customer that identifies services supported by a network, service parameters for the services, and service levels (e.g., acceptable levels) for each service parameter.

Abstract: A hybrid software component and service catalog is disclosed. A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes identifying a plurality of existing information technology services in an enterprise, wherein each of the plurality of existing information technology services includes a plurality of attributes. The method also includes assigning a quality metric associated with one or more attributes of each of the respective identified existing information technology services. The method also includes identifying a plurality of potential information technology services, wherein each of the plurality of potential information technology services includes a plurality of attributes. Additionally, the method includes receiving a quality metric associated with one or more attributes of each of the respective identified potential information technology services from a source external to the enterprise.

Abstract: A system that includes one or more computer processors is configured to receive parameters relating to non-functional attributes of a proposed software component, parameters relating to non-functional attributes of one or more available software components, and a weight for each of the non-functional attributes. The system calculates a quality and a risk for each available software component as a function of the parameters of the proposed software component, the parameters for the one or more available software components, and the weight for each of the non-functional attributes. The system outputs to a display device one or more of the quality and the risk for the one or more available software components.

Abstract: A method for installing software includes receiving configuration information at a server and installing a server software module on the server. The method further includes transmitting a client software module associated with the server software module to a plurality of clients and initiating, from the server, installation of the client software module on the plurality of clients. Additionally, the method includes configuring the client based, at least in part, on the configuration information received by the server.

Abstract: A method and system for updating an archive of a computer file to reflect changes made to the file includes selecting one of a plurality of comparison methods as a preferred comparison method. The comparison methods include a first comparison method wherein the file is compared to an archive of the file and a second comparison method wherein a first set of tokens statistically representative of the file is computed and compared to a second set of tokens statistically representative of the archive of the file. The method further includes carrying out the preferred comparison method to generate indicia of differences between the file and the archive of the file for updating the archive of the file.

Abstract: A method of capturing a screen includes monitoring screen changes on a first display system and inserting information into a queue, the information including a first type of information and a second type of information, reading the information from the queue and maintaining a dirty region describing areas of the screen which have been changed, wherein areas affected by the first type of information are added to the dirty region and areas affected by the second type of information are subtracted from the dirty region.

Abstract: A method of tuning a database query includes selecting a database query, parsing the selected database query to determine relationships between portions of the selected database query, selecting an optimization mode from a plurality of available optimization modes, tuning the selected database query by modifying, at least one portion of the selected database query based on the determined relationships and the selected optimization mode and displaying the modified database query.

Abstract: A method and system for updating an archive of a computer file to reflect changes made to the file includes selecting one of a plurality of comparison methods as a preferred comparison method. The comparison methods include a first comparison method wherein the file is compared to an archive of the file and a second comparison method wherein a first set of tokens statistically representative of the file is computed and compared to a second set of tokens statistically representative of the archive of the file. The method further includes carrying out the preferred comparison method to generate indicia of differences between the file and the archive of the file for updating the archive of the file.

Abstract: Various embodiments include one or more of systems, methods, and software to provide a status of a logical entity between entity models in network management systems, such as for fault isolation, in an efficient manner. Some embodiments, when receiving requests for a status of a logical entity while already in the process of determining the status in response to a previously received request, include adding an identifier of the subsequent requestor to a status requestor list and not responding to or taking any further action with regard to the request from the subsequent requestor until the status in response to the first received status request is determined.

Abstract: A suite of network-based services, such as the services corresponding to Microsoft® SharePoint™, are provided to users with high availability. To maintain the availability of the services, the configuration parameters of a first server are updated on an ongoing basis, and the updated configuration parameters are used to configure a second, backup server. In the event of switchover or failover, the backup server is prepared to provide the serving functionality of the first server.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a method for discovering a new topic. The method includes identifying a first topic within a first document and comparing the first topic to a first set of topics. The method then determines whether an emergence time for the first topic can be identified. The first topic is recognized as a new topic based on the comparison between the first set of topics and the emergence time for the first topic. For example, when the first topic does not exist within the first set of topics and the emergence time for the first topic can be identified, the first topic is recognized as a new topic.

Abstract: Systems and methods for intelligent service assurance testing provided herein include receiving network infrastructure information relating to a network, receiving one or more service assurance testing parameters, determining a test schedule of one or more service assurance tests for service assurance testing of the network, the test schedule being based at least in part on the network infrastructure information and the one or more service assurance testing parameters, and deploying the one or more service assurance tests on one or more devices of the network according to the test schedule.

Abstract: A system and method for storing data associated with an extensible instrumentation layer are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving metrics from an extensible instrumentation layer in an operating system. The metrics are defined by at least one class and a plurality of properties, with each property being associated with one class. The metrics are converted into at least one database-compliant data structure and stored in a database.

Abstract: A system and method for providing wireless network services using three-dimensional access zones is provided. One or more sensors may determine signal strength information, distance, or other positional information for wireless devices. An agent may provide information relating to fixed wireless reference points, and may control underlying operating systems for the reference points based on policies defined by a manager. For example, the manager may be coupled to the sensors and to the agent, and may define a three-dimensional coordinate system for a managed environment. By collecting information from the sensors and the agent, the manager may triangulate three-dimensional locations of the wireless devices, and may enforce three-dimensional access zone policies for the wireless network via the agent.

Abstract: A method for communicating data includes selecting a portion of data for communication to a remote computer with the data portion in device-dependent format and comprising at least an integer, a real number, or a binary value. A portable buffer is generated based on the selected data portion, the portable buffer comprising at least one device-independent data representation. The portable buffer is communicated to the remote computer for processing the data portion in a second device-dependent format.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for detecting malware using a remote server. In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present disclosure a hash value for a file is generated. The hash value is transmitted to a remote server. A notification is received from the remote server indicating whether the file comprises malware. At least one operation on the file is prevented if the notification indicates the file comprises malware.