Abstract: A method associated with the exchange of information over a network may include receiving a request for information from a first entity, identifying a second entity based on the request and receiving information from the first entity defining data or a type of data to be provided by the second entity. The method may also include modifying the request to a format compatible with the second entity and forwarding the modified request to the second entity. The method may further include receiving data from the second entity in response to the modified request, modifying the data from the second entity and forwarding the modified data to the first entity.

Abstract: A method, associated with a platform that includes a number of distributed proxies and a hub, includes receiving, at a first proxy, a communication from a first entity intended for a second entity and forwarding control information to the hub. The method may also include identifying parameters associated with communications between the first and second entities and forwarding the parameters to the first proxy. The method may further include processing, by the first proxy, the communication in accordance with the parameters, forwarding, by the proxy, the processed communication to a second proxy, and forwarding, by the second proxy, the processed communication to the second entity.

Abstract: A license storage key is provided for securely storing information regarding which licenses have been purchased for a network of computers, how many of each license have been purhcased, and any time limits associated with each license. An application program to be run on a computer must be assigned a license in the license storage key associated with the computer before it will be permitted to run. If a license cannot be found on the local key, a license may be found on another key in the network of computers and transferred to the local key so that the application program may be run in this case, when the license is released. The license storage key contains a hardware clock which is used to determine whether a license has expired.