Abstract: A computer-implemented method for provisioning computing systems with applications may include (1) identifying a request to provision a computing system with an application in a pre-determined configuration state, where the pre-determined configuration state of the application is separated from a prior configuration state of the application by at least one configuration step, (2) locating a backup system that stores a pre-configured instance of the application that has been configured to the pre-determined configuration state at least in part by the configuration step, (3) retrieving the pre-configured instance of the application from the backup system, and (4) provisioning the computing system with the application in the pre-determined configuration state without performing the configuration step by copying the pre-configured instance of application that was retrieved from the backup system to the computing system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for controlling content distribution includes forwarding information associated with a user to a device operated by the user, the information being configured for use in selecting content from any of multiple content providers for a content distribution to the user. The method includes receiving, in response to the information, an edit of the information forwarded from the device. The edit identifies a first content provider and including a first modification of the content distribution regarding the first content provider. The method includes storing the edit in association with the information such that the first modification is taken into account in the content distribution. The method can be implemented using a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for using a reconfigurable computing system are disclosed. For example, one method involves identifying a first application to be executed, configuring a computing node in a first configuration, and executing, according to a first workflow, at least a portion of a first application and at least another portion of the first application. The method also involves identifying a second application to be executed, configuring the computing node in a second configuration, and executing, according to a second workflow, at least a portion of a second application and at least another portion of the second application.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for establishing a chat group. The method performed by a server includes: obtaining an identifier of a user of a first client terminal, an identifier of a chat group to be established and a geographic position of the first terminal; beginning to establish a chat group; selecting at least one second client terminal from a predetermined geographic scope; and inviting a user of the at least one second client terminal to the chat group; receiving authentication information input by the user of the second client terminal from the second client terminal; determining whether the authentication information is correct; if the authentication information is correct, adding the user of the second client terminal into the chat group; and sending information of the second user to the first client terminal; finishing establishing the chat group when a preset finish condition is met.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining media engagement information related to client devices that do not support cookies. In some embodiments, a server may receive a request for a portion of live media content from a client device that does not support cookies. The server may identify a unique identifying characteristics associated with the media request. The server may determine a number of concurrent downloads of the live media content that are associated with the unique identifying characteristic. The server may further estimate a number of client devices associated with the unique identifying characteristic that have downloaded the live media content based on the number of concurrent downloads. In some embodiments, the server may also determine a number of computing devices that support cookie information and have downloaded the live media content to determine a total number of computing devices that have downloaded the live media content.

Abstract: There is provide a computing system configured to receive an object identifier and contextual information from an end-user, to compute the object identifier and contextual information based on pre-defined set of rules, to map said object identifier and contextual information to an entry point associated with a specific computer application among a plurality of applications, and to provide access to said specific computer application to said end-user. There is also provided a method to do the same, and a tag for use with a physical object, the tag comprising a redirection identifier embodying a unique identifier of the object and an HTTP address of a server permitting to redirect or provide access to the user to a specific computer application about the object.

Abstract: A system includes a local social media context server aboard a vehicle, the local social media context server including logic to implement a local social media context for a passenger aboard the vehicle, the local social media context being configured with a duration commensurate with a duration of a trip by the passenger on the vehicle; an antenna coupled to the local social media context server; and logic to prioritize content posted to the local social media context by the person for promotion to the person's global social media context.

Abstract: A control node of a multi-tenant stream management service receives a request to initialize a data stream to be comprised of a plurality of data records. The control node determines, based on a partitioning policy, parameters to be used to configure subsystems for ingestion, storage and retrieval of the records. The control node identifies resources to be used for a node of retrieval subsystem The retrieval node is configured to implement programmatic record retrieval interfaces, including respective interfaces to implement non-sequential and sequential access patterns. The control node configures the retrieval node using the selected resources.

Abstract: A system performs operations including detecting a request to present a game application, receiving a resources identifier from a second communication device, determining from the resources identifier that the second communication device has one of a computing resource, a presentation resource, or both, selecting a configuration from a plurality of configurations according to an identity of the gaming application and the resources identifier, selecting according to the configuration at least one resource from one of the computing resource, the presentation resource, or both of the second communication device, and delegating processing by the first communication device of a portion of the gaming application according to the at least one resource of the second communication device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of this disclosure can operate to synchronize timing between communication devices and can include a timing server. The timing server can provide a communications interface for the exchange of timing messages to a first communication device. Using existing protocol messages defined in the M-CMTS architecture, additional communication devices can intercept, snoop, and extract timing information from messages between the first communication device and the timing server to adjust their internal clocks to maintain timing synchronization thereby reducing the number of communication interfaces required from a timing server.

Abstract: Various techniques of managing storage devices in a computing system are described in this application. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an input containing consumption data representing consumption of a storage device in one of the processing units and determining if the storage device in one of the processing units is consumed excessively. In response to determining that the storage device is consumed excessively, an indicator may be generated to indicate a potential program migration from the one of the processing units to another one of the processing units in the computing system.

Abstract: Abandonment indicator data is used to customize the user experience of an interactive software system, by monitoring and obtaining data about whether a user is at risk of abandoning the interactive software system. The resulting abandonment indicator data is analyzed and used to dynamically modify the user's experience by selecting user experience components based on the analysis of the user's abandonment indicator data. In this way, different types of user experience components can be utilized to provide the user with an individualized user experience that is customized to the user. Different types of user experience components can be utilized to adjust the user experience to adapt to the individual user.

Abstract: Predictive, multi-layer caching architectures may be used to predict which elements a user is most likely to navigate to within a collection of elements associated with a predefined layout and, in response, to increase the accessibility of these elements to a client device of the user. For instance, the techniques may utilize a predictive, multi-layer caching architecture for storing these predicted elements to decrease the latency to render these images if the user navigates within the collection of elements in the predicted manner. The collection of elements may comprise images (e.g., a 3D model, a map, etc.), video files, audio files, text files, or any other type of file that is consumable on a client device.

Abstract: A resource manager is tasked with monitoring and managing information technology (IT) resources in a virtual environment. The IT resources are assigned tags that correspond to conditions that alert the resource manager when to begin actively managing the IT resource. The resource manager may monitor events occurring in the virtual environment that have conditions that match the predefined tags. When such an event occurs, the resource manager identifies an appropriate resource by searching a data store that includes the tags and the corresponding resource. The resource manager then begins to actively manage the resource and assigns the resource to a workload. By tagging the resources, the resource manager does not need to actively manage all of the IT resource in the virtual environment. Furthermore, the tags permit the resource manager to automatically select which resources to actively manage without receiving instructions from a system administrator.

Abstract: A method is operable in a network comprising multiple service endpoints, the service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, wherein the multiple service endpoints form one or more sub-clusters. The method includes defining a group from an arbitrary set of nodes comprising service instances across the machines of the one or more sub-clusters, wherein each node in the group assumes one or more discrete responsibilities involved in processing of a request across the group. In response to a request made at a node the group, the service type of the request is dynamically determined; and, based on the type of the request, one or more nodes in the group are selected to be responsible for processing the request.

Abstract: A network-based publication system, to publish data over a communications network, includes an interface to receive, via the communications network and from a first user, user data to be published by a network-based publication system. The publication system further includes a publisher component to generate publication data (e.g., an HTML document) including the user data and function modifying code. The publisher component generates the publication data in accordance with a publication format. The interface publishes the publication data via the communications network. The function modifying code is interpreted and executed, at a browser application, to disable (or modify) least one function of programming language supported by the browser application.

Abstract: A physiological test credit method determines if test credits are available to the monitor and checks if a Wi-Fi connection is available. If test credits are less than a test credit threshold, the monitor connects to a test credit server, processes server commands so as to download test credits and disconnects from the server. In various embodiments, the monitor is challenged to break a server code, the server is challenged to break a monitor code. The server validates monitor serial codes, and saves monitor configuration parameters.

Abstract: An asynchronous transport enables decoupling the delivery of an operation's request and response messages, from the request and response cycle of a single exchange on the transport. The response message need not be delivered as the response to the initial transport request, but can instead be delivered by the web service to a response endpoint or other location selected by the client, using a new connection originating from the service. In accordance with an embodiment, the client communicates with the web service via request messages that include a SOAP header, formatted according to an XML format, and conveyed using the HTTP. The asynchronous transport automatically deploys, for a client, an endpoint reference that will ultimately receive corresponding response messages. This allows the response to ultimately return to the client application in a manner consistent with the JAX-WS specification, without the developer having to change their original client application.

Abstract: A shared infrastructure environment system is provided that includes a capability to notify individual nodes of notifications, events, and alerts. The system receives, via a management fabric, a subscription from an event client module for information associated with a component. The system also receives a component update associated with the component. The system identifies if any event client module operating on any node has subscribed to receive component updates associated with the component, and sends the component update, via the management fabric, to the identified event client modules.

Abstract: A resource manager is tasked with monitoring and managing information technology (IT) resources in a virtual environment. The IT resources are assigned tags that correspond to conditions that alert the resource manager when to begin actively managing the IT resource. The resource manager may monitor events occurring in the virtual environment that have conditions that match the predefined tags. When such an event occurs, the resource manager identifies an appropriate resource by searching a data store that includes the tags and the corresponding resource. The resource manager then begins to actively manage the resource and assigns the resource to a workload. By tagging the resources, the resource manager does not need to actively manage all of the IT resource in the virtual environment. Furthermore, the tags permit the resource manager to automatically select which resources to actively manage without receiving instructions from a system administrator.