Abstract: A digital object delivery/management system includes a library of stored digital objects and a shared database containing web server access codes and a mapping indicating which users are authorized to access which stored digital objects. The shared database is coupled to a file transfer protocol (FTP) server and a web server. The FTP server is additionally coupled to the library. The web server presents at least one web page providing instructions for users seeking access to digital objects contained in the library, authenticates users according to the web server access codes, generates temporary FTP access codes for use by authenticated users in accessing authorized objects at the FTP server, and redirects authenticated users to the FTP server. The FTP server authenticates users according to the temporary FTP access codes, and, upon successful authentication, makes digital objects contained in the library available to requesting users pursuant to the mapping.

Abstract: Described is a system and method that protect certain classes of sensitive data traveling across an accessible transmission medium, such as an internal bus in a device, from automated attacks. The protection is particularly useful for resource-constrained and/or security constrained components. Automated attacks depend on analyzing data characteristics such as bit pattern signatures and/or frequency distributions to succeed. To preclude such automated attacks, various alternatives of the present invention internally alter the sensitive data at a data source prior to transmission, in a synchronized way such that the altered data is internally reversible at the destination resource. Data alteration includes interspersing random data into a data stream (e.g., bitstream or stream of packets), and interspersing data of varying length on the bus.

Abstract: Process data to a client is provided for process data to a client from a server in an Industrial Automation System. An incompletely determined and/or extensible request for process data from the client by the server is received. The structure and kind of process data to be sent to the client by a server application is determined. An XML type message of meta data being descriptive on structure and kind of the process data and the process data are generated. The XML type message is then sent to the client.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique is provided to share resources among data flows. An apparatus receives a request for a new data flow where the new data flow is associated with a session group (ID). The apparatus determines that the session group ID of the new data flow matches a session group ID of one or more existing data flows, and that the one or more existing data flows are not already sharing resources with another data flow that has a session group ID different from the first session group ID. Provided this is true, the apparatus shares resources reserved for the one or more existing data flows with the new data flow.

Abstract: An OPC redirection manager maintains the information necessary for taking appropriate action when the target OPC server fails and for ensuring that no bad status is returned to the client. Any existing OPC client needing seamless failover between target OPC data access and/or alarm and event servers will connect to a uniquely configured instance of the redirection manager instead of connecting to the primary server. The client application continues to perform OPC related tasks as usual. Because each client connection is unique, the redirection manager itself is not a single point of failure. Each configured redirection manager instance monitors the health of the target server mode and the target server itself by subscribing to failure events.

Abstract: A computing system architecture is based upon a peer-to-peer, asynchronous model. The architecture specifies a set of infrastructure facilities that comprise an inter-prise operating system. The inter-prise operating system provides all the facilities that make application coding as easy in the peer-to-peer asynchronous model as it is in a hierarchical, synchronous model. Services, which reside in containers, are linked asynchronously by an inter-prise bus and use data from a virtual data store.

Abstract: An invention is provided for provisioning services to client devices. In one embodiment, discovery transactions are included that allow an adapter software component to retrieve information regarding services available to a client device from a provisioning application. A service comprises a plurality of content files capable of being installed on the client device. Also included are subscription transactions that allow an adapter software component to manage content in service directories. A service directory comprises a plurality of services. In addition, delivery transactions are included that allow an adapter to facilitate downloading of data related to services to the client device.

Abstract: The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed at transmitting elementary streams in a broadcast environment. The mechanisms provide a buffer controller and packet scheduler that allow a media format to be transmitted through the broadcasting environment in a manner resulting in a low channel switch delay. A buffer-fullness indicator allows the operation with various types of decoders. A lower bound and an upper bound are calculated for each frame within the elementary stream. The lower bound corresponds to an earliest time for sending the frame without causing an overflow condition within a decoder buffer. The upper bound corresponds to a latest time for sending the frame without causing an underflow condition within the decoder buffer. A send time is then scheduled based on the lower bound and the upper bound that determines when a packet associated with the frame is transmitted over a channel in a broadcast environment.

Abstract: A method of operating a network system may involve receiving data indicating a configuration of components that are included in the network system, detecting a failure of one of the components, computing an availability (e.g., by calculating the instantaneous availability) of the network system from the data in response to detecting the failure, and storing data indicative of the availability of the network system.

Abstract: A generator mechanism for generating an administration framework for server systems. In one embodiment, the administration framework may be generated from meta-information that describes elements of configuration data and relationships among the elements. The mechanism may provide automatic generation of the administration framework. In one embodiment, the administration framework may be a stack on an administration server that includes several layers each including one or more generated components. In one embodiment, the generation mechanism may generate management beans of a management layer, representing business logic of the server; configuration beans of a data representation layer; and a presentation layer for accessing and administering generated components. The data representation layer may provide transparency to the persistent store for the other layers. A production generation of the administration framework may be performed and instances of generated components may be deployed on other servers.

Abstract: A method and system for distributing work load in a cluster of at least two service resources. Depending upon the configuration, a service resource may be an individual process, such as a single instance of a computer game, or a node on which multiple processes are executing, such as a Server. Initial connection requests from new clients are directed to a single entry-point service resource in the cluster, called an intake. A separate intake is designated for each type of service provided by the cluster. The clients are processed in a group at the service resource currently designated as the intake to which clients initially connected, for the duration of the session. Based upon its loading, the current intake service resource determines that another service resource in the cluster should become a new intake for subsequent connection requests received from new clients. Selection of another service resource to become the new intake is based on the current work load of each resource in the cluster.

Abstract: A process and system for evaluating the deterministic behavior of a packet switching network including subscriber stations connected to each other through at least one switch, the behavior defined as deterministic if any packet sent on the network from a source subscriber station joins the destination subscriber station(s) within a limited time.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system for determining link weights that when utilized will optimize the performance of a network in the event of a link failure without the need to alter the link weights. The method includes determining two sets of links, one that includes links with a significant amount of loading and one that includes links with a modest amount of loading. A set of permissible solutions is generated utilizing one randomly chosen link from each set. After omitting recent best permissible solutions, the remaining permissible solutions are evaluated by analyzing for the complete network topology and for the topologies corresponding to all single-link failure states and the best permissible solution is found. If the best permissible solution is better than the current optimal solution, then the best permissible solution is made the optimal solution. These steps are repeated until a predetermined number of iterations have been evaluated without a change in the optimal solution.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for checking the deterministic behavior of a packet switching network comprising subscriber stations connected to each other through at least one switch, this behavior being said to be deterministic in the sense that every packet sent on the network from a source subscriber station joins the destination subscriber station(s) within a limited time, characterized in that the following relation is satisfied for each output port on each switch on the network: ? ? [ 1 + int ? ( ( Jitter ? ? In ) i ? i + max ? ? Latency BAGi ) ] * ( max ? ? ? frame ? ? duration ) ? max ? ? latency i = number ? ? of ? ? virtual ? ? links ? ? passing ? ? through ? ? the ? ? buffer in which: the max latency value is the maximum residence time in the output buffer of a switch, this value may be different for each switch in the network.

Abstract: A system and method for fault containment and error handling within a domain in a partitioned computer system includes a system manager having read and write access to a resource definition table. The system manager is adapted to quiesce the system when failure occurs within a domain, identify an allocated resource associated with the failed domain, identify a non-failed domain, and exit the quiesce mode for the non-failed domain, thereby containing a failure within the failed domain. The system manager further handles an error within the failed domain by deallocating a resource allocated to the failed domain so that the resource becomes available to non-failed domains.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for balancing a load of clients of a network across a plurality of communications providers. Connection data that includes information on attempts to connect to the network and whether each attempt was successful is collected. A time-independent demand curve for each of the communications providers representing a likelihood of successful connection as against client load is determined, based on the collected connection data. The load of clients is then apportioned across the communications providers based on the time-independent demand curve for each of the communications providers.

Abstract: For use with a computer network, a media (perhaps music) and advertisement distribution and tracking system and a method of distributing and tracking media and advertisements. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a media server that distributes media to remote players via the computer network according to corresponding playback rules, (2) an advertisement server that distributes advertisements to the remote players via the computer network according to corresponding advertising schedules and (3) a tracking subsystem that retrieves as-run logs from the remote players via the computer network and generates media and advertisement play reports and advertisement billing reports therefrom.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that allows a user to access life event information. Publicly accessible computer kiosks are provided. An individual user may make selections on the publicly accessible computer as to information or data the user is interested in viewing. The selection may be made by activating one of a number of touch screen buttons. The user may be directed to an ultimate item of information by going through a succession of screens that narrow the user's selection. When the user has identified an item of information the request is routed through a life event server to an appropriate content server. A content server may be a computer of a government entity where life event information is stored. The content server selects the requested information and returns it to the user.

Abstract: Described herein is a session reuse approach that reuses a session already established on a remote participant to execute an autonomous transaction. The session is reused in a manner that avoids affecting the session's state in a way adverse to later execution of the containing transaction. When beginning an autonomous transaction on a local participant, a request to initiate an autonomous transaction on a remote participant is deferred or not sent at all if the containing transaction is a distributed one. The request may be sent later, piggybacked to another message, using a piggyback messaging system. When ending an autonomous transaction, a local participant may send a request to a remote participant requesting that the remote participant commence execution of its respective containing transaction. The request is piggybacked to another message, and is thus transmitted without having to transmit the request separately, avoiding a message round trip.

Abstract: An example communication apparatus is capable of performing communication with an information server in first and second communication modes. After establishing a connection with the information server in the first communication mode and receiving an information acquisition request, the communication apparatus stores a condition of the communication connection with the information server as connection information, disconnects the communication in the first communication mode, establishes a connection with the information server in the second communication mode, and restores the communication connection with the information server based on the stored connection information.