Abstract: A search system (10) employing a scheme of meta-folders (14) in which conventional objects (18) and search objects (20) may be stored in an intermingling manner. Upon opening a meta-folder (14) the search objects (20) are resolved into conventional static pointers, and thus into conventional objects (18). Optionally, an unresolved meta-folder (14a) may very fleetingly appear while this occurs. A resolved meta-folder (14a) then results, presenting only conventional objects (18). In particular, the search objects (20) may be search criteria which the process of resolving causes to produce only such searched out conventional objects (18) which are currently available. Users (80) of the search system (10) my employ it in large network environments (82), including the Internet (96).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an e-commerce outsourcing system and method that provides hosts with transparent, context sensitive e-commerce supported pages. The look and feel of a target host is captured for future use. The look and feel is captured by receiving the identification of an example page on the target host, retrieving the page, identifying the look and feel elements of the identified page and storing the identified elements. The host is provided with links correlating the host with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website for serving to a visitor computer, wherein the provided link correlates the host website with a selected commerce object contextually related to material in the page. The commerce object can be a product, a product category or a dynamic selection indicator.

Abstract: A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, includes a module for selectively adding, deleting, and editing a location object, and a module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object. The location object represents all location-specific information for the portable device and includes an information object including information management tasks that must be performed for a specific location for the portable device to connect to a remote network.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems are provided in a multi-level computer architecture which provides improved capabilities for managing courseware and other content in a shared use operating environment such as a computer network. In particular, the invention provides a commercial networked instruction content delivery method and system which does not exclude synchronous sharing but is focused on asynchronous sharing. Security means in the architecture provide content property holders with the ability to know how many minutes of use an individual made of licensed material and with increased certainty that their material cannot be used, copied, or sold in usable form unless and until a user site is connected or reconnected to a minute-by-minute counter which is located off the premises of the user. This security link helps protect software and other works which are being sold or licensed to an individual, organization, or entity, and creates income opportunities for owners of such content.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein enables a collection of computers and associated communications infrastructure to offer a new communications process which allows information providers to broadcast information to a population of information consumers. The information may be targeted to those consumers who have a precisely formulated need for the information. This targeting may be based on information which is inaccessible to other communications protocols. The targeting also includes a time element. Information can be brought to the attention of the consumer precisely when it has become applicable, which may occur immediately upon receipt of the message, but may also occur long after the message arrives. The communications process may operate without intruding on consumers who do not exhibit the precisely-specified need for the information, and it may operate without compromising the security or privacy of the consumers who participate.

Abstract: The present invention is method and system capable of delivering video across the Internet using the hypertext transfer protocol. Client objects periodically request to view a uniform resource locator that is aliased to a servlet. For each request, the servlet retrieves and delivers a video image to the requesting client object. The invention can simultaneously deliver images to a variety of client objects, regardless of whether they are requesting the images at the same rate.

Abstract: This invention provides an information sharing system management apparatus which efficiently manages a TV conference without requiring the user to join it. When a terminal A1 is started, a first system acquires information such as the start time, participants, and the like of a video conference system from that video conference system, and transmits the acquired information to a second system on a terminal A0. The second system stores the received information. When the operator inputs a conference record command on the terminal A1, the first system requests the video conference system to send a conference record including speech and the like, and transmits the received conference record to the second system. The second system stores the received conference record. The operator at the terminal A0 can display and observe the conference information and conference record stored by the second system as needed. Such information is updated every required times.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for simplifying the process of access to a network for a roaming computer user, divides the responsibility of servicing a given user wanting to access the network between multiple parties wanting to access the network between multiple parties and minimizes the possibility of improper dissemination of email header data as well as improper use of network resources (including server systems) by non-clients.

Abstract: Downloading code for communicating with a device that joins a network. When the device joins the network, it transmits a multicast packet including a reference to code for use in communicating with the device. Receivers in the network use the reference to download the code for constructing objects to communicate with the device, and the receivers respond with a reference to a lookup service in the network. Using the reference from the receivers, the device registers with the lookup service.

Abstract: A method of monitoring in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers. The method begins by deploying a management infrastructure across a given subset of the managed computers, the management infrastructure comprising a runtime environment installed at a given managed computer. At the given managed computer, the routine executes a monitoring agent in the runtime environment to determine whether a given threshold has been exceeded. Then, a given action is taken if the given threshold has been exceeded. The monitoring agent is executed upon receipt of an external event or as a result of an internal timer. Execution of the monitoring agent involves taking a measurement, comparing the measurement against the given threshold, and then taking some corrective action if possible.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for requesting data from one of a plurality of servers. A virtual network of nodes is generated in response to a data request. A first node on the virtual network of nodes is chosen randomly, and a path generated from the first node to the root on the virtual network. At least one node on the path is mapped to a respective one of the plurality of servers and data is requested from a server. The node may be mapped to the server using the method and apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources of the present invention.

Abstract: A large distributed enterprise includes computing resources including a management server servicing a plurality of endpoint machines. A management infrastructure include a runtime engine is deployed on given endpoint machines. In response to a task deployment request at an administrative server, discovery agents may be launched into the computer network. When a software agent arrives at a given machine that supports the runtime engine, the agent is executed to determine whether the endpoint is a candidate for a particular task deployment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for aggregating flow records representing network flow. Specifically, flow records may be organized according to whether they are request records, response records associated with the request records, or flow records associated with neither category. A request record may represent a network flow to a particular device of a particular network flow type, for example, network flow to a standard port. The request records and flow records are then aggregated.

Abstract: A non-uniform memory access (NUMA) computer system includes at least a local processing node and a remote processing node, with a node controller, that are coupled to a node interconnect. In response to receipt by the node controller of a request transaction transmitted from the local processing node, via the node interconnect, the node controller at the remote processing node issues the request transaction on the local interconnect. If the request transaction receives a retry response at the remote processing node, the node controller reissues the request transaction on the local interconnect at least once, thus giving the request transaction another opportunity to complete successfully.

Abstract: A system and method for creating, executing, and maintaining shared, automated business processes across distributed organizations comprises capabilities that enable interoperation among heterogeneous information systems. The system includes a plurality of independent communicating subsystems called sites that have a server with common means of representing and executing shared public process definitions and private process definitions. Process execution comprises coordinated inter-site message exchanges that are coupled with controlled sequences of actions that are local to each of the sites. The public process definition or module captures interactions among the independent sites. Interactions include communication events in which one site sends a message of a known type to another site. Each definition specifies a set of valid sequences of communication events among the participating sites. Associated with any public process definition is a set of lower level or private process definitions or modules.

Abstract: A system and method that provides integrated combinations of threaded instant messages, open display bulletin boards, private bulletin boards, threaded e-mail, explicit acknowledgment of messages, and conferencing, whisper and talk modes. The system can be implemented in any Internet-based computer network, including the Internet, intranets and extranets. System components include a server application, a client application and a data repository maintained by the server. The server records in the data repository pertinent information regarding all communications between and requests issued by system users, and handles the communications and requests cooperatively with the client application in accordance with the system mode being exercised (e.g., talk, conferencing, whisper, mail, messaging, open display, private bulletin boards, etc.).

Abstract: Electronic apparatus, such as a mobile telephone, under control of a microprocessor (7) and having a set of menu-selectable functions. Each function has an address associated therewith. The user can enter a particular address using a keyboard (3) to select one of the functions. A look-up table (10) is included for converting the user-input address to a function address. For example, the look-up table may correlate input address 03 with function address 08 so that when the user enters 03 the function at location 08 is actually selected. The look-up table can easily be reconfigured to provide different sets of menu-selectable functions for different product variants without having to modify the operating software (or associated hardware) in each case.

Abstract: In an information processing system wherein a printer and a personal computer are connected together, when the printer receives a print job from a scanner, as there are a plurality of processes corresponding to the received printed job, the printer distinguishes between a print process to be performed by the printer and a print notification process to be performed for a user by the personal computer. When the printer initiates printing, it instructs the personal computer to perform the print notification process. Upon receipt of the instruction, the personal computer calls a user to notify the user that printing has been initiated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for transferring storage data and network data using the same interface circuit. Storage data is transferred from an upper layer storage driver to a lower layer storage driver. Network data is transferred from a network driver to the lower layer storage drive. The storage data and the network data are transferred to a communications link interface circuit, wherein the storage data is transferred using a storage protocol and the network data is transferred using a network protocol.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus and system for managing generic objects and storage device objects over a network. In one aspect of the invention, the management apparatus includes a management console having a graphical user interface for displaying a physical view and a logical view of a storage device. The management apparatus further includes a managed object of the storage device that is configured to communicate with the graphical user interface of the management console through a facet interface that is wrapped around the managed object. The facet interface is divided into a plurality of specific facets that communicate with the graphical user interface and enable the display of the physical view and the logical view of the storage device. In a further aspect of the present invention, the graphical user interface includes a plurality of generic views which are configured to communicate with associated ones of the plurality of specific facets of the facet interface.