Abstract: A high-density low power computer cluster enables high bandwidth video streaming within a small physical footprint. A plurality of low power motherboards are densely arranged in a chassis compatible with a standard server rack. The motherboards are oriented vertically within the chassis and arranged into rows. Each motherboard serves as a node in live streaming network. External ports and indicators on the chassis enable convenient access and control of the motherboards from outside the chassis. Furthermore, a fan-based cooling system provides simultaneous cooling to the plurality of motherboards in the computing cluster.

Abstract: A web-based education system enables instructors to prepare and present online education courses and enables students to locate and participate in available courses. A machine learning algorithm generates a topic-based representation of courses and generates a topic-based representation of user interests. The web-education system then enables users to find relevant courses using the topic-based representations. Recommended courses are ranked according to factors such as relevance to the user, popularity, and course rating.

Abstract: A network membership management protocol manages membership in a peer-to-peer networking environment. To join the peer-to-peer network, a new client is introduces itself to a deputy node assigned by the server to act as a point of contact for the new client. The deputy node forwards subscription requests to other neighboring nodes which probabilistically determine whether to accept the subscription request from the new client or forward the message to other neighboring nodes. In this way, a new client gains connections to a random subset of nodes on the network. The membership management protocol further includes a protocol for reassigning neighboring relationships between nodes when an active node leaves the network. Furthermore, the membership management protocol allows nodes to periodically re-subscribe to the network in order to rebalance the network graph.