Abstract: The invention provides for tracking and day-to-day management of technical requirements, costs and environmental details of existing computer data centers, and the creation of scenarios for determining the optimum acquisition, expansion and reconfiguration strategies of the data centers as well as the forecasting of technical requirements, costs and environmental requirements of existing and proposed configurations of the data centers. A knowledge base comprises technical and financial specifications of various storage devices and other computer hardware as provided. A modeling tool allows for the creation of various “What-If” scenarios of possible data center configurations for long term projections of the technical and financial requirements of existing, modified or proposed data center configurations. The cost of individual devices, systems or data center locations, as well as the cost of proposed new equipment including software are tracked.

Abstract: The present invention involves the creation of a website-specific electronic signature containing a personalized logo via a mechanism for on-line assembly of image parts to obtain personalized image. The present invention provides two applications of the website-specific electronic signature containing a personalized logo, a virtual payment card and an on-line binding purchase order. The present invention further provides two methods and a system for e-commerce use of the virtual payment card and the on-line binding purchase order. The safer and less costly on-line transaction methods and the more trustable on-line seller-buyer agreements offered by the present invention can help promote the trustworthiness and the brand value of an e-store or a payment institution.

Abstract: System and method for monitoring and modifying a playlist of viewable audio and/or video selections at one or more selected times to account for the effects of restrictions on the times, and number of times, a selection is viewed in an internet-based viewing system. The system implements, and monitors compliance with, the performance complement requirements and other copyright restrictions. A selection can be viewed in association with one or more selected advertisements, with limited restrictions or no restrictions on viewing times. Priority advertisements, related to the date and/or to the time of day and/or to payment amount, are given preference. A license, paid for to view a selection, may have unlimited duration or may be limited in time.

Abstract: A method and system for providing enhanced services for a network. The enhanced services use information about the network which is available to a subnet of communicating processors (such as a set of routers), collectively executing a common distributed technique for disseminating that network information. The router subnet collects network topology information and provides a service using that network topology information, responsive to requests from non-routers coupled to the network (such as a set of host processors). The router subnet also collects information advertised by hosts coupled to the network, and disseminates that host information to substantially all routers, using the common distributed technique for disseminating network topology information.