Abstract: A mechanism is provided for configuring different computers of a network. Each computer plays a specific physic role (defined by an architecture of the network) and/or a specific logic role (defined by the applications running in the network). A reference model and a transition table are associated with each product to be installed in the network; the reference model specifies a target configuration for each role (defined by the components of the product to be installed), while the transition table specifies the actions required to reach each target configuration from each current configuration of the computers. A server identifies the role and the current configuration of each computer; the actions required to enforce the desired target configuration on the computer are then established and executed.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for minimising network resource overhead consumption by reports from one or more agents distributed in an electronic data network of nodes having a hierarchical reporting structure. Reports are received from other nodes in an electronic network of nodes or one or more agents further from a network root node in the electronic network of nodes. The reports are submitted to another node closer to the network root node in response to another node existing between the node and the network root node. The reports are submitted to the network root node in response to no other node existing between the node and the network root node. The node is adapted to only report variations in the expected report flow associated with the received reports.

Abstract: Mechanisms for securing dynamic discovery of an enterprise computing infrastructure is provided. One implementation involves maintaining enterprise credential information in a secured trust store, receiving an access request through a secure connection for access to a remote infrastructure component, determining the type of the access request, for a root-level type access request, responding to the request via the secure connection with enterprise root credentials from the trust store, and for an unprivileged type access request, responding to the request via the secure connection with unprivileged access enterprise credentials from the trust store.

Abstract: Building a package for installing a software application on a data processing system with a distributed architecture is provided. The installation package is built using an authoring tool based on a declarative model. A descriptor is used to define a desired configuration of the system. The installation package is built declaring a discoverer element, a producer element and a consumer element into the wizard tree. During the installation process, the discoverer element detects a current configuration of the system. The producer creates a working queue dynamically, inserting the installation operations that are needed for reaching the desired configuration from the current configuration of the system. The producer then executes the installation operations defined in the working queue. In this way, the installation operations are determined at runtime.

Abstract: A method of managing a shared electronic mail account co-owned by at least two owners includes intercepting electronic mail account configuration settings received from the at least two owners; combining the intercepted electronic mail account configuration settings based on a shared electronic mail account profile so as to generate shared e-mail account configuration settings; and applying the shared e-mail account configuration settings so as to affect the operation of the shared electronic mail account.

Abstract: Browsing the World Wide Web may expose a user's system to malicious attacks that can lead to data loss and/or system failure. Sometimes a user desires to access information on a web page that may contain malicious content. For example, a college student researching computer hacking may need information provided on a hacking website even though the site is potentially dangerous. Although techniques are employed to install potentially harmful executable files into a sandbox (e.g., virtual machine), these techniques do not address navigation of harmful sites. Functionality can be implemented to instantiate a web browser within a controlled virtual environment (“sandbox”) that simulates the host system while restricting the virtual environment to designated space(s) and/or resources of the host system to prevent harmful effects. Instantiating the web browser in the sandbox allows web navigation of risky web sites without deleterious effects on the host system.

Abstract: A method and system for user contact information in electronic devices is provided. One implementation involves detecting a change in a user contact information at a first electronic device, determining effective date of the change in the contact information, storing the contact information change and effective date in a memory store, automatically communicating the contact information change and effective date to a second electronic device, and applying the received contact information change to a contact information list in a memory store of the second device, on or after the effective date.

Abstract: A method and system for securing dynamic discovery of an enterprise computing infrastructure is provided. One implementation involves maintaining enterprise credential information in a secured trust store, receiving an access request through a secure connection for access to a remote infrastructure component, determining the type of the access request, for a root-level type access request, responding to the request via the secure connection with enterprise root credentials from the trust store, and for an unprivileged type access request, responding to the request via the secure connection with unprivileged access enterprise credentials from the trust store.

Abstract: A method is presented for managing resource licensing. The method may include detecting an installed web server and/or application server to identify a container installation path, and identifying a resource associated with the container installation path. A resource installation path and a licensing structure may be determined for the resource. The method may further include building an application representation associating the resource installation path with the licensing structure, and determining the instances of resource use. The instances of resource use may be compared to the application representation to determine a licensing state for the resource.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems for protecting a document from access by one or more users based on one or more document access rules. In one embodiment, the method includes creating a data set representing the one or more document access rules, storing the document and the associated data set, determining and storing a key for opening the document when one or more document access rules from the data set are met, and releasing the key to open the document to one or more users in response to a request from a user which meets one or more document access rules, thereby enabling the user to access the document.

Abstract: A vehicle-mountable system is provided for monitoring road surface defects. The system may include a detector to detect a surface defect in a road surface along which a vehicle is traveling. A positioning system may determine an instant location of the vehicle, and a repository may store a location of the surface defect with reference to the instant location. A controller unit may receive and compare the instant location with the location of the surface defect to identify an imminent surface defect encounter. The controller unit may also identify guidance instructions to minimize an effect of the imminent surface defect encounter. Finally, an interface may relay the guidance instructions to the vehicle.

Abstract: Monitoring road surface conditions using a mobile computer unit carried by a vehicle operating on a road network and adapted to detect information about the road surface conditions. The detection may be done by means of bump sensors which may also provide information on the size and the depth of the bump according to a detected shock with respect to the vehicle speed. Such information may then be transmitted to a central controller server. The central server may use the collected information for several purposes, such as help in planning maintenance of the road network; forwarded to users and vehicles for journey planning purposes; and to deviate traffic in case of extreme surface damage.

Abstract: A method is presented for monitoring software product usage in a data processing system. The method may include installing an instance of a software product on a target entity of a data processing system. A usage condition applicable to the instance may be identified. Reconciliation information may be generated upon installation of the instance. This reconciliation information may correlate the usage condition with the instance to facilitate later determining compliance of the software product with applicable usage conditions.

Abstract: Building a package for installing a software application on a data processing system with a distributed architecture is provided. The installation package is built using an authoring tool based on a declarative model. A descriptor is used to define a desired configuration of the system The installation package is built declaring a discoverer element, a producer element and a consumer element into the wizard tree. During the installation process, the discoverer element detects a current configuration of the system. The producer creates a working queue dynamically, inserting the installation operations that are needed for reaching the desired configuration from the current configuration of the system. The producer then executes the installation operations defined in the working queue. In this way, the installation operations are determined at runtime.

Abstract: Building a package for installing a software application on a data processing system with a distributed architecture is provided. The installation package is built using an authoring tool based on a declarative model. A descriptor is used to define a desired configuration of the system. The installation package is built declaring a discoverer element, a producer element and a consumer element into the wizard tree. During the installation process, the discoverer element detects a current configuration of the system. The producer creates a working queue dynamically, inserting the installation operations that are needed for reaching the desired configuration from the current configuration of the system. The producer then executes the installation operations defined in the working queue. In this way, the installation operations are determined at runtime.

Abstract: A method and system for populating a software catalogue in software applications which monitor the presence of software products on a plurality of computers. The proposed method aims at populating a software catalogue with a limited manual intervention of an administrator. The present invention reduces the cost of producing and maintaining a comprehensive knowledge base (the catalogue) which contains definitions of software products and the related signature. Information about software products and their related signature is obtained through a process using some special files (e.g. XML files) which contains information and/or pointers to other products.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for configuring different computers of a network. Each computer plays a specific physic role (defined by an architecture of the network) and/or a specific logic role (defined by the applications running in the network). A reference model and a transition table are associated with each product to be installed in the network; the reference model specifies a target configuration for each role (defined by the components of the product to be installed), while the transition table specifies the actions required to reach each target configuration from each current configuration of the computers. A server identifies the role and the current configuration of each computer; the actions required to enforce the desired target configuration on the computer are then established and executed.

Abstract: A solution for distributing software products is proposed. Typically, a software distribution infrastructure controls the deployment of software packages to selected endpoints; each software package includes commands and resource images, which are used to install a corresponding software product. For this purpose, an e-mail service is exploited. Particularly, a new e-mail message is created for each software package to be deployed; the software package is embedded into the e-mail message as an attachment and tags for controlling the software distribution process (such as a desired target state of the software package) are inserted into its body section. A plug-in of a mail client on each endpoint receives that e-mail message; the software package is then extracted and passed to an application engine, which controls its application according to the target state indicated by the corresponding control tag.

Abstract: A method of managing a shared electronic mail account co-owned by at least two owners includes intercepting electronic mail account configuration settings received from the at least two owners; combining the intercepted electronic mail account configuration settings based on a shared electronic mail account profile so as to generate shared e-mail account configuration settings; and applying the shared e-mail account configuration settings so as to affect the operation of the shared electronic mail account.

Abstract: A solution (403-481) is proposed for metering the usage of Java programs. For this purpose, each Java program to be metered is associated (406) with a fingerprint defined by a reference sequence of classes that must be loaded for its execution. The sequence of classes that are actually loaded by the JVM is monitored (409-436)—for example, by means of a wrapper for a class loader of the JVM. The sequence of loaded classes is then used to identify (439-475) the Java program in execution (which fingerprint matches this sequence of loaded classes).