Abstract: The present invention provides several methods and apparatuses for transmitting multimedia data using streaming media protocols such as real-time transfer protocols (RTP) and real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) in a computer network environment. In one exemplary embodiment, a request for RTP data and its associated extension is sent from the caching proxy server to the server. The request may be for one specific type of data or multiple unrelated types of data. The server responds to the request indicating its support for the requested RTP extension data. The caching proxy server determines whether to proceed or terminate the data transmission process based on the response provided by the server. If it is determined to proceed with the data transmission process, the caching proxy informs the server to send the requested and supported RTP data. The server sends the requested data in a variable and extendible header format.

Abstract: A method for content storage on behalf of participating content providers begins by having a given content provider identify content for storage. The content provider then uploads the content to a given storage site selected from a set of storage sites. Following upload, the content is replicated from the given storage site to at least one other storage site in the set. Upon request from a given entity, a given storage site from which the given entity may retrieve the content is then identified. The content is then downloaded from the identified given storage site to the given entity. In an illustrative embodiment, the given entity is an edge server of a content delivery network (CDN).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically provisioning at least a portion of a computer system to meet a specification provided in a provisioning request. In one embodiment, the provisioning includes provisioning at least one resource from each of at least one host computer, at least one storage system, and at least one connectivity resource that connects the at least one host computer to the at least one storage system. In another embodiment, the provisioning includes selecting and configuring at least one logical volume of storage and configuring the computer system to provide access to the selected volume. In another aspect, a computer-readable provisioning transaction is created to provision the computer system, and a computer-readable undo transaction is created to undo it. In a further embodiment, an existing computer system is reverse engineered to create a specification that is modified to create the specification in the provisioning request.

Abstract: A method of providing network access across a shared communications medium between competing users pursuant to SLAs of the users includes the steps of: (a) monitoring network access usage by each user during a time interval; (b) comparing the monitored network access usage by each user with a predetermined threshold value; and (c) soliciting a user to modify the user's SLA if the user's monitored network access usage varies from the predetermined value by a predetermined tolerance. The solicitation is conducted via email, instant messaging, redirection of a web browser of the user to a solicitation web page, generation and mailing of literature, telephonic communication, or other communication avenue.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a channel model capable of generating a runtime communication channel with pluggable modular channel components. These channel components implement one of a set of standard interfaces that allow processing details of communication semantics between components to be represented in a polymorphic way. A message and corresponding communication semantics are recursively passed through the channel components using the standard interface, thereby abstracting other modules and components from specific implementation details of how the communication semantics are performed. The message may then be sent to the next appropriate module for further processing, or the processing may be completed at that particular component or module. Note also that the message can also be de-multiplexed on the service side in a similar fashion as that described above.

Abstract: A real time notification for updating online identities, known as avatars, is disclosed. For example, when a user updates his or her avatar(s), the changes are stored in a user database. The changes are also detected by an event router that sends a change notification in real time to all pertinent servers that are currently supporting on-line applications for the user. The servers will send the change notification in real time to pertinent clients, e.g., an instant messenger client, a mobile instant messenger client, an interactive game client and the like.

Abstract: A service sends rich content messages including text and photos between any mobile device and potentially across a heterogeneous network. Furthermore, to enhance the user experience, content can be delivered based on personal preferences and device display capabilities.

Abstract: A method for migrating information, and a migrator for migrating information, are disclosed. The method may include extracting organizational information from at least two service providers, accessing a first at least one of the at least two service providers upon selection of a migration selection interface by the user, receiving of a first plurality of information related to the user from one of the service providers, accessing a second at least one of the at least two service providers, and writing the first plurality of information to the second at least one of the at least two service providers.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for interacting with and controlling infrastructure devices within an IM environment. The method comprises registering at least one infrastructure device at an IM server, registering at least one computing device at the IM server, and delivering one or more of infrastructure device characteristics, status information, and service information from a registered infrastructure device to the IM server, wherein the IM server is configured to publish and update the infrastructure device characteristics, status information, and service information from the at least one registered infrastructure device to registered computing devices.

Abstract: An application level gateway allows computers on a local area or “internal” network to serve data (e.g., web pages, files or other constructs) to computer systems on an external or public network such as the Internet, even though references such as hostnames and/or network addresses within the internal network that are contained within the data (e.g., URLs in web pages) might not be compatible (e.g., DNS resolvable or routable) with the external network. The system detects, in a portion of data (e.g., a web page), a local reference to a computer system on the internal network, determines whether a computer system identifier is mapped to the computer system specified in the local reference, and replaces the local reference with a translated reference obtained from the mapping.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the overall performance of a system which processes transactions and provides connections in an enterprise environment are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for processing a transaction in an enterprise environment includes receiving a request to start the transaction, storing information which indicates that the request to start the transaction was received, and accessing a first resource manager associated with the transaction. Typically, a container receives the request to start a transaction from a component such as an enterprise bean. Once the first resource is accessed, the transaction is initiated as a local transaction on the first resource manager, and, eventually, the transaction is completed. In one embodiment, completing the transaction includes using a local transaction mechanism of the first resource manager to complete the local transaction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes identifying encoded content to be presented. The method also includes loading the content into a content player. The content player is configured to dynamically identify a local decoder that is operable to decode the content. The method further includes providing the identified content to the local decoder during playback of the content; and presenting the decoded content.

Abstract: In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.

Abstract: A secure streaming content delivery system provides a plurality of content servers connected to a network that host customer content that can be cached and/or stored, e.g., images, video, text, and/or software. The content servers respond to requests for customer content from users. The invention load balances user requests for cached customer content to the appropriate content server. A user makes a request to a customer's server/authorization server for delivery of the customer's content. The authorization server checks if the user is authorized to view the requested content. If the user is authorized, then the authorization server generates a hash value using the authorization server's secret key, the current time, a time-to-live value, and any other information that the customer has configured, and embeds it into the URL which is passed to the user. A content server receives a URL request from the user for customer content cached on the content server.

Abstract: A method for operating a gateway for wireless mobile clients in a messaging system, the messaging system being configured to comprise a plurality of mobile wireless clients (1, 1?, 1?), a core messaging system (7) and at least one gateway process or gateway (5, 5?, 5?) acting as a proxy on behalf of the clients (1, 1?, 1?), the method comprising the step of the gateway (5, 5?, 5?) storing a session context (11), which session context (11) comprises the status of a session established between the core messaging system (7) and one of the clients (1, 1?, 1?), a state of the client connection associated with the session, and a session identifier which is unique to the session.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling communications between network applications and multiple network communications protocol stacks using deferred protocol stack association are disclosed. In one method, a socket creation function call is received from an application. A socket creation function call is terminated, a pseudo communications endpoint is created, and a socket descriptor corresponding to the pseudo communications endpoint is returned to the application. At least one subsequent sockets-related function call is received. Based on the subsequent sockets-related function call, it is determined whether the application is a client or a server. In response to determining that the application is a server, communications endpoints are created on each of the network communications protocol stacks and server-related sockets function calls are made to each of the underlying protocol stacks.

Abstract: An object-based storage may employ a transactional interface and a copy on write protocol. The inode for the file (which is identified by the I-number and indicates one or more blocks storing the file data) may be copied to a working copy of the inode, and the working copy may be updated to indicate the newly allocated blocks. In response to a file commit (e.g. a file close or a file synchronization command), the working copy of the inode may be atomically written to a non-volatile storage. In this manner, the updates performed during the transaction may be atomically committed to the file. The inode itself may be stored in a file (referred to as the inode file), and the storage may perform updates to the inode file atomically as well. The inode file may be modified using the copy on write protocol described above, and the master inode (mapping the blocks of the inode file) may be atomically written to non-volatile storage to atomically update the inode file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining data consistency between a subject and an observer. In one embodiment, an observer configures an aspect with a desired update type indicator, and then instructs the aspect to attach itself to a subject. The subject sends an update to the aspect when it changes state. The aspect interrogates the update, generates a update type indication, and selectively communicates an update based on a comparison between the desired type indication and the update type indicator. Some embodiments may also selectively modify and accumulate the update.

Abstract: System and method for performing Collaborative Filtering while preserving complete user anonymity are provided. Each of a group of client devices sends a rating vector anonymously to a server. The cells in each rating vector correspond to a set of items, and selected cells have ratings provided by the user associated with the corresponding client device for the corresponding items. The server aggregates all the rating vectors into a rating matrix, and factorizes the rating matrix into a user feature matrix and an item feature matrix through approximation, such that the rating matrix equals the product of the user feature matrix and the item feature matrix. The item feature matrix is sent to the client devices. Each of the client devices calculates its own user feature vector based on its rating vector and the item feature matrix, and provides personalized recommendations on selected items based on the client's user feature vector and the item feature matrix.

Abstract: A computer is programmed to process a continuous query that is known to perform a new aggregation on one or more stream(s) of data, using one or more other aggregations on the stream(s). The computer creates an operator to execute the continuous query, and schedules the operator for execution in a specific order. In several embodiments, the computer determines the order based on dependency of the new aggregation on other aggregation(s), and on the order of performance of the other aggregation(s). The new aggregation is scheduled for performance after performance of each of the other aggregations. The computer is further programmed to pass results of the other aggregations to the new aggregation, by execution of a predetermined function. Support for use of the other aggregations results within the new aggregation eliminates redundant computation of the other aggregations within the new aggregation. The new aggregation may be user defined or built-in.