Abstract: An electronic message processing system in which routing tags are used to determine how electronic messages are routed, distributed, or otherwise processed by the system. The association of a routing tag with an electronic message indicates to the system that the tagged electronic message does not need to undergo classification in order to determine how to process the message. In particular, routing tags are associated with electronic messages which have already been classified and which are subsequently sent out of the system to return at a later time. The routing tag prevents the message from having to be re-classified upon its return to the system. Reducing the number of messages that are classified, or re-classified, is advantageous since the classifiaction process, which typically involves text analysis, is a time consuming process.

Abstract: Managing a plurality of network devices on a network by detecting the presence of at least one of the plurality of network devices on the network by using a first communication protocol, obtaining, by using the first communication protocol, an information block from each of the detected network devices, wherein the information block contains information related to the corresponding network device, formatting each information block into a directory entry, and sending each directory entry to a directory server via a second communication protocol.

Abstract: A system is described comprising: a primary root splitter to split a data stream transmitted from an upstream server into a plurality of leaf splitter streams; a plurality of leaf splitters to split each of the leaf splitter streams into a plurality of end user streams, wherein one or more of the plurality of leaf splitters is a backup root splitter; and root splitter reassignment logic for reassigning one of the backup root splitters as a new primary root splitter responsive to detecting a problem with the primary root splitter. Also described is a method comprising: monitoring a primary root splitter to ensure that the primary root splitter is operating within predefined parameters, the primary root splitter to split a single data stream into multiple data streams transmitted to multiple leaf splitters; and reassigning one of the leaf splitters as a new primary root splitter responsive to detecting that the primary root splitter is not operating within the predefined parameters.

Abstract: The current operating system on the primary computer system continues to run, i.e. the computer system on which the operating system is to be changed. A second computer or surrogate computer system with the new operating system to eventually be installed in said first computer system to replace the current operating system. The root volume group of stored data from said first or primary computer system is copied to a computer readable/writable medium external to this first computer system and this root volume group is installed from the computer readable/writable medium into the surrogate or second computer system. This second computer system is run with said root volume group of data to thereby update said root volume group. Now, the upgraded root volume group, including the new operating system, is copied back from the surrogate computer system and reinstalled into said first computer system.

Abstract: A method for designing tree-structured communication routes includes adding a predetermined point to a score of a route successively selected from the plural routes, selecting the routes in reverse order of the scores of the routes, generating trees from the route with the lowest score and the other routes, and generating other trees from the routes which are unable to generate the trees, the predetermined point being added when any node in a selected route does not appear on the other route except the egress node, and when there is a node which appears in both the selected and other routes and the selected route agrees with the other route from the node to the egress node.

Abstract: A method for providing customer services and advertising based upon device attributes is disclosed for a distributed processing system. The distributed processing system identifies and utilizes the capabilities of distributed devices connected together through a wide variety of communication systems and networks and utilize those capabilities to organize, manage and distribute project workloads to the distributed devices.

Abstract: The method and apparatus described herein provides a system for displaying personal information management (PIM) data on a personal digital assistant (PDA). The PIM data may be shared by multiple users and modified at the PDA displaying the data, at another PDA, and/or at a personal computer. When the same data field is changed by more than one device, the system displays the most recent version of the data as the primary data field with a symbol to indicate a subordinate data field is available in memory. By selecting the symbol, the user may swap the primary and subordinate data fields.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for replicating state among collaborating World Wide Web servers connected to a computer network. When a collaborating Web server needs to access state information, the collaborating Web server first determines whether the state information has been modified since the last time the collaborating Web server accessed the state information. If the state information has been modified, the collaborating Web server requests a copy of the state information from the last collaborating Web server to modify the state information. As a result, state information is only replicated among collaborating Web servers on an as-needed basis, greatly reducing the amount of data that needs to be replicated among collaborating Web servers.