Abstract: A videoconferencing apparatus includes a multi-point (MP) conference application that enables the apparatus to combine and distribute audio and video signals received from a plurality of remote conference endpoints, thereby obviating the need to provide a separate multi-point control unit having hardware-based inverse multiplexers (IMUXs). The MP conference application is configured to generate, for each remote conference endpoint participating in a conference, discrete instances of a signal processing train by means of dynamically allocable IMUXs, each processing train including a communication process and audio/video/data codecs. The processed audio and video signals are subsequently conveyed to an audio mixer and video switching module for combination with locally-generated audio and video signals.

Abstract: A separate device or subsystem which contains its own processor is coupled to a host computer system and operates using specific information stored in the host system. The separate device, which may be management logic, requests the host system-specific information from the host system prior to run-time (e.g., during POST). The requested information is generally information in the form of industry standard tables that are present in the host system and used by the operating system. In addition, the separate device may have a battery to keep it operational even when the host system is non-operational. Because the separate device has information about its host, such information can be provided to external devices even when the host system is non-operational.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for subscription computing using spare resources of subscriber computing platforms are provided. In the apparatus, system, method, computation and storage, intensive tasks of subscription computing are performed with subscriber resources in a peer-to-peer model rather than with centralized resources owned by a service provider. Resources may be allocated on unused workstations, workstations not currently in active use, or on workstations elsewhere in the enterprise or in other subscriber enterprises. Moreover, workstations in the enterprise may be equipped with extra resources for use in providing the subscription computing services of the present invention.

Abstract: Systems and method for selecting open shortest path first (OSPF) aggregates and aggregate weights for a particular area. In one embodiment, an aggregate selecting system includes: (1) a database for containing data pertaining to candidate OSPF aggregates and corresponding weights and (2) an aggregate selector, associated with the database, that selects at least a subset of the OSPF aggregates such that the shortest path length between the particular source and destination subnets resulting from advertisement of a set of weighted aggregates approaches the shortest path length between the particular source and destination subnets irrespective of the advertisement.

Abstract: In a virtual space system, it is made possible to freely set a region where a chat is recorded, without reducing a chat feasible region and complicating the system. A server is provided with user objects for holding latest position information of a transmitter in a virtual space and transmission region definition information for defining a transmission region, and chat reception objects for holding latest position information of application objects and reception region definition information for defining a reception region, and only contents of a chat issued from the transmitter in the reception region or only contents of a chat issued from the transmitter when the reception object enters the transmission region are stored in a chat storage file.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method within a high availability network for monitoring and managing cluster membership. The cluster membership monitor provides the ability to maintain a list of current cluster members, monitor status of each peer node on the cluster, stay apprised of each nodes viability, elect a master node for the cluster when necessary, and coordinate reformation as members join and leave the cluster.

Abstract: A system (800) improves a network designer's ability to analyze a data network having several routers. The system (800) accesses static routing information and/or open shortest path first route summarization information, determines an identity of a network prefix using the accessed information, and analyzes the data network using the determined identity. The network designer can use this determined identity for traffic analysis or modeling of the data network.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring data flow in a web application includes a data collector which collects data about transactions on a server that hosts components of the web application. The transactions on the server are initiated through an HTTP request from a client. The apparatus further includes a graphical display which displays the collected data.

Abstract: A system for providing real-time cluster configuration data within a clustered computer network including a plurality of clusters, including a primary node in each cluster wherein the primary node includes a primary repository manager, a secondary node in each cluster wherein the secondary node includes a secondary repository manager, and wherein the secondary repository manager cooperates with the primary repository manager to maintain information at the secondary node consistent with information maintained at the primary node.

Abstract: A system of data transfer between a first processing device and a second processing device which speeds data transfer by eliminating intermediate storage steps. A plurality of memory storage devices are provided between the first and second processing devices for the purpose of synchronization and alignment. One of the memory storage devices is associated with the second processing device. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a new instruction is provided to implement a data transfer function for transferring data directly between a first memory storage device and a second memory storage device, without intermediate storage in a processor register. Thereafter, the data is transferred from the second memory storage device to the memory storage device associated with the second processing device.

Abstract: A connection bridge mechanism for adding arbitrary protocols into a middleware-based application without accessing the source code for the middleware or producing a new version of the middleware source code. Using a connection bridge allows the plugged in protocol to be utilized by the middleware without requiring that the same O/S primitives which are utilized internally by the middleware be supported by the plugged in protocol. The plugged in protocol can be utilized in addition to the internally supported middleware protocols or it can replace the existing middleware protocols. The connection bridge provides the communication between the protocols and the middleware package. The connection bridge queues the requests from the protocols and notifies the middleware when there are requests pending for action by the middleware.

Abstract: A multicast network device, such as a route may support a plurality of multicast routing protocols. A single multicast routing table may be provided to store the multicast routes for each multicast routing protocol and a selected set of unicast routes from a unicast routing table. In order to synchronize route changes in the multicast routing table with the plurality of multicast routing protocols, a route ID value is assigned to each route in the multicast routing table. Each multicast routing protocol is assigned a bookmark in a route change queue, where the bookmark is assigned the route ID value of the last route processed by the multicast routing protocol. When a route is changed, the route is assigned a new route ID value and stored in the route change queue. A multicast routing protocol may determine if a route change has occurred by comparing its bookmark to the highest route ID value in the route change queue.

Abstract: A network-based distributed application system is provided in accordance with the present invention for enabling services to be established locally on a client system. The system may include an application and presentation logic, at least a portion of which is interchangeably processed by a server or a client without modification to the portion. The core functionality provided by the application may be preserved between the client and the server wherein improved network performance may provided along with improved offline service capabilities.

Abstract: A server federation cooperatively interacts to fulfill service requests by communicating using data structures that follow a schema in which the meaning of the communicated data is implied by the schema. Thus, in addition to the data being communicated, the meaning of the data is also communication allowing for intelligent decisions and inferences to be made based on the meaning of the data. Cooperative interaction is facilitated over a wide variety of networks by messaging through a common API that supports multiple transport mechanisms. Also, mid-session transfer between client devices is facilitated by schema and the transport-independent messaging structure. The user interfaces of the client devices will appear consistent even if the client devices have different user interface capabilities.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a process for managing priorities of access of applications to resources of devices linked by a communication network. The process is characterized in that the said process comprises the steps: of allocating, to each application, a level of priority of access to the resources of the network, the said levels comprising at least the following levels: (a) a first access priority level for an application which is not under the direct control of a user, (b) a second access priority level for an application which can be commanded directly by a user, of authorizing preemption by a first application of access to a resource, which access was obtained previously by a second application, as a function of the respective access priorities of the first and second applications.

Abstract: An IP/PSTN hybrid multimedia conferencing system in which standard telephone and user station participants establish voice communications over the PSTN, and then exchange IP addresses in-band over the PSTN. User stations then negotiate capabilities over the IP network. All users can participate at a base voice level over the PSTN while user stations can also establish extra-audio media streams over an IP network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a distributed service at a router within a network are disclosed. A first router executes a distributed service on a first virtual machine. The first virtual machine receives lease constraints associated with a request to use the distributed service and determines to move the distributed service to a second virtual machine at a second router based on the lease constraints.

Abstract: A status reporting system (SRS) automatically reports updated status of a project to an interested party based on status information stored in a status system. The SRS is communicatively coupled to the status system and includes a monitoring device that contacts the status system to determine whether such status system has new status information stored therein and obtains such new status information from the status system. An internal mail device receives the obtained status information, ascertains from the received status information the interested party, locates an electronic mail address for the interested party, formats the received status information into a piece of electronic mail which includes the received status information and the located electronic mail address, and forwards the piece of electronic mail to the interested party by way of an electronic mail service.

Abstract: A technology for indicating and determining the availability of a multitude of application servers. The method comprises for each of application server a first step of inserting into an availability database a notification period defining an upper time limit for a repetition period of an availability signal, which is repeated as long as the application server is available. In a second step for each availability signal its corresponding time stamp is inserted as availability time into the availability database. The difference of the current time and a recent availability time compared to said notification period is representing a measure of availability for the application servers.

Abstract: A method and a system for notifying a subscriber of the occurrence of an event, which may be a messaging event, in which a message is received by a messaging service associated with the particular subscriber; or a non-messaging event, such as the occurrence of a particular stock price. For example, an e-mail message is optionally received by the mailbox of the subscriber, which is detected by the notification request sender according to the present invention. The notification request sender then prepares a notification request according to a standard network protocol, such as HTTP for example, for transmission to a notification server for the subscriber. This server parses the notification request, and notifies the subscriber with a message according to a particular messaging service, such as an SMS (short message system) message sent to a cellular telephone of the subscriber, for example.