Abstract: Methods and apparatus teach a digital spectrum of a file. The digital spectrum is used to map a file's position in a multi-dimensional space. This position relative to another file's position reveals distances between the files. Closest files can be grouped together. When contemplating voluminous numbers of files for digital spectrums, various methods include: concatenating all such files together to get a single key useful for creating a file's spectrum; or compressing files individually and combining their collective dictionaries into a single dictionary that defines the digital spectrum. Each provides advantage over the other. The latter consumes considerably less run time because each compression event can be distributed to a separate processor. Method two provides better spectrums because it is more “informationally” valid than is method one.

Abstract: Techniques for workload federated timeout are presented, A federated service manages communications between service components of a system. Each component queries the federated service to determine a last activity time by the other components of the system before timing out during a session. Each component can update its last activity time based on the discovered last activity time of one of the components to prevent a premature time out from the session.

Abstract: Techniques for mapping and managing resources are presented. Hardware capacity and information is collected over multiple processing environments for hardware resources. The information is mapped to logical business resources and resource pools. Capacity is rolled up and managed within logical groupings and the information gathering is managed via in-memory and on-file caching techniques.

Abstract: A machine receives a description of the relationships among members of a data set. The machine constructs a graph that represents the relationships among the members of the data set, organizing the members of the data set into groups. The groups are analyzed to determine their relative strengths. Unbalanced groups can be balanced by splitting off heavy sub-trees that include too large a percentage of the nodes in the group. The machine can then use the graph to answer queries about members of the data set.

Abstract: Techniques for selective desktop control of virtual private networks (VPN's) in a multiuser environment are provided. A multiuser desktop/workstation includes a first user that establishes a VPN session on the desktop for accessing protected resources. Other users are permitted to simultaneously access non-protected resources of the desktop during the VPN session. Other users are also permitted to log into the desktop during the VPN session. However, if the other users attempt to access the protected resources, the access attempts are denied.

Abstract: Techniques for help desk management are provided. A user's experience with a resource is captured via a rating. The rating is recorded along with other metrics associated with a processing environment of the user and proactive action taken in response to configuration or performance problems with the user.

Abstract: Techniques for workload coordination are provided. An automated discovery service identifies resources with hardware and software specific dependencies for a workload. The dependencies are made generic and the workload and its configuration with the generic dependencies are packaged. At a target location, the packaged workload is presented and the generic dependencies automatically resolved with new hardware and software dependencies of the target location. The workload is then automatically populated in the target location.

Abstract: Techniques for distributed testing are provided. Resources are identified for performing tests over a network. The tests and policies are sent to the resources and a proxy. The proxy delivers data for the tests to the resources and enforces the policies during the tests. The proxy also gathers statistics and results from the resources, which are executing the tests, and the proxy reports the statistics and results to one or more third-party services for subsequent manipulation and analysis.

Abstract: A user authenticates a mobile device (MD) to a network-based service (NBS) for initial authentication. Policy is pushed from the NBS to the MD and the MD automatically obtains details about devices and attributes that are near or accessible to the MD in accordance with the policy. The details are pushed as a packet from the MD to the NBS and multifactor authentication is performed based on the details and the policy. If the multifactor authentication is successful, access privileges are set for the MD for accessing the NBS and perhaps for accessing local resources of the MD.

Abstract: Mechanisms to secure data on a hard reset of a device are provided. A hard reset request is detected on a handheld device. Before the hard reset is permitted to process an additional security compliance check is made. Assuming, the additional security compliance check is successful and before the hard reset is processed, the data of the handheld device is backed up to a configurable location.

Abstract: Techniques for evaluating and managing cloud networks are provided. Geographical locations for cloud processing environments are combined with attributes and usage metrics to form associations between each cloud processing environment's geographical location and that cloud's corresponding attributes and usage metrics. A map is organized for the associations to form a cloud network. The map is dynamically updated, supplied to services, and rendered for evaluation of the cloud network.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method can include selecting an information card from a group of identified information cards, selecting a persona from a group of identified personae that are associated with the selected information card, and generating a Request for Security Token (RST) based on the selected information card and the selected persona.

Abstract: Techniques for secure data management in a distributed environment are provided. A secure server includes a modified operating system that just allows a kernel application to access a secure hard drive of the secure server. The hard drive comes prepackaged with a service public and private key pair for encryption and decryption services with other secure servers of a network. The hard drive also comes prepackaged with trust certificates to authenticate the other secure servers for secure socket layer (SSL) communications with one another, and the hard drive comes with a data encryption key, which is used to encrypt storage of the secure server. The kernel application is used during data restores, data backups, and/or data versioning operations to ensure secure data management for a distributed network of users.

Abstract: Techniques for dynamic disk personalization are provided. A virtual image that is used to create an instance of a virtual machine (VM) is altered so that disk access operations are intercepted within the VM and redirected to a service that is external to the VM. The external service manages a personalized storage for a principal, the personalized storage used to personalize the virtual image without altering the virtual image.

Abstract: Mechanisms to persist object relations are provided. A project is defined as a series of interrelated objects having dependencies and relationships with one another. The dependencies and relationships are maintained via a storage organization for files that define the objects within a project storage environment for the project. Thus, the dependencies and relationships are not maintained via hardcoded instructions or references that are included within the files.

Abstract: Techniques for project management instantiation and configuration are provided. A master project includes policy directives that drive the dynamic instantiation and configuration of resources for a project. The resources are instantiated and configured on demand and when resources are actually requested, in response to the policy directives.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to allocating encrypted memory locations to store encrypted information, the information to be encrypted and decrypted using a single hypervisor. Further activity may include permitting access to a designated number of the encrypted memory locations to a single application executed by an associated virtual machine (VM) subject to the hypervisor, and denying access to the designated number of the encrypted memory locations to any other application executed by the associated VM, or any other VM. In some embodiments, the operational state of the associated VM may be restored using the encrypted information. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: The system and method for determining fuzzy cause and effect relationships in an intelligent workload management system described herein may combine potential causes and effects captured from various different sources associated with an information technology infrastructure with substantially instantaneous feedback mechanisms and other knowledge sources. As such, fuzzy correlation logic may then be applied to the combined information to determine potential cause and effect relationships and thereby diagnose problems and otherwise manage interactions that occur in the infrastructure. For example, information describing potential causes and potential effects associated with an operational state of the infrastructure may be captured and combined, and any patterns among the information that describes the multiple potential causes and effects may then be identified.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to construct a file system tree that includes files to be accessed according to a plurality of custom access control list (ACL) access mechanisms registered by a corresponding plurality of applications, or a default ACL access mechanism. To access the files, metadata can be read/written using a multiple protocol file system cache engine and one of the ACL access mechanisms. In some embodiments, operations may include registering, in response to a request by an application, a selected one of the plurality of custom ACL access mechanisms with a library coupled to a multiple protocol file system cache engine. Further operations may include accessing a file system through the multiple protocol file system cache engine using the selected one of the plurality of custom ACL access mechanisms, or a default ACL access mechanism. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for enhancing a reproduction of a recurring image of an first computer on a second computer in a computer network. In order to avoid transferring high color depth high volume of data for recurring images on one computer to another, the recurring image is invoked by a low bit identifier. For example, between a controlling and controlled computer, if a controlled computer detects a first screen image wherein the first screen image having a relative high color depth, it identifies the first screen image by assigning a first identifier (ID). Then, the controlled computer produces a low color depth representation of the first screen image to be stored, and sends the first screen image to the controlling computer along with the first ID. The controlling computer compresses and stores the first screen image along with the first ID.