Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for image blending and/or facilitating image transitions. In an example, a map interface displays map information, such as of a town, through a visualization. A first image having a first level of detail and a first image type (e.g., satellite imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. While zoomed into the town, a second image having a second level of detail and a second image type (e.g., aerial imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. Instead of merely transitioning the visualization from displaying the first image to displaying the second image (during zooming), which may otherwise provide a visually abrupt transition, one or more intermediate blended images, having intermediate levels of detail between the first image and the second image, may be generated and displayed during the transition between the first image and the second image.

Abstract: A centralized service communicatively links an application provider to a plurality of different message forwarding services. The centralized service receives a request and authenticates the application provider associated with the request. Further, the centralized service delivers a message embodied by the request to a first message forwarding service with a first protocol and/or to a second message forwarding service with a second protocol different than the first protocol.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for image blending and/or facilitating image transitions. In an example, a map interface displays map information, such as of a town, through a visualization. A first image having a first level of detail and a first image type (e.g., satellite imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. While zoomed into the town, a second image having a second level of detail and a second image type (e.g., aerial imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. Instead of merely transitioning the visualization from displaying the first image to displaying the second image (during zooming), which may otherwise provide a visually abrupt transition, one or more intermediate blended images, having intermediate levels of detail between the first image and the second image, may be generated and displayed during the transition between the first image and the second image.

Abstract: Scaling up and scaling out of a server architecture for large scale real-time applications is provided. A group of users may be provisioned by assigning them to a server pool and allotting them to a group. Grouped users help to reduce inter-server communication when they are serviced by the same server in the pool. High availability may be provided by choosing a primary server and one or more secondary servers from the pool to ensure that grouped users are serviced by the same server. Operations taken on the primary server are synchronously replicated to secondary servers so that when a primary server fails, a secondary server may be chosen as the primary for the group. Servers for multiple user groups may be load balanced to account for changes in either the number of users or the number of servers in a pool. Multiple pools may be paired for disaster recovery.

Abstract: A communication system has a plurality of collections. Each collection comprises a security boundary within which private data is accessible. Each collection is associated with a director. The directors receive messages that specify domains. When a director for a given collection receives a message, the director identifies one of the collections as being a home collection for the domain specified by the message. If the specified domain's home collection is the given collection or another collection within a given privacy boundary, the director forwards the message to a server pool associated with the specified domain's home collection. Otherwise, if the specified domain's home collection is not within the given privacy boundary, the director forwards the message to the director of the specified domain's home collection.

Abstract: Architecture for a scalable, pluggable multi-party, and distributed multimedia conferencing. A centralized policy and control conferencing component allows the seamless plug-in of different distributed media components (e.g., data, audio/video, messaging) to accommodate client participation in a conference session. The centralized conference control component includes the following: a conference notification service for accepting subscriptions to the conference state and notifying subscribers about changes to that state; a conference policy and roster control service for storing and manipulating conference policy and rosters; a security service for user authorization/authentication based on user identity information; a scheduling service for conference scheduling; an allocation service for allocating the most available media component(s) for a conference session; and, an MCU management service for conference policy and roster management of the distributed media components.

Abstract: Scaling up and scaling out of a server architecture for large scale real-time applications is provided. A group of users may be provisioned by assigning them to a server pool and allotting them to a group. Grouped users help to reduce inter-server communication when they are serviced by the same server in the pool. High availability may be provided by choosing a primary server and one or more secondary servers from the pool to ensure that grouped users are serviced by the same server. Operations taken on the primary server are synchronously replicated to secondary servers so that when a primary server fails, a secondary server may be chosen as the primary for the group. Servers for multiple user groups may be load balanced to account for changes in either the number of users or the number of servers in a pool. Multiple pools may be paired for disaster recovery.

Abstract: A centralized service communicatively links an application provider to a plurality of different message forwarding services. The centralized service receives a request and authenticates the application provider associated with the request. Further, the centralized service delivers a message embodied by the request to a first message forwarding service with a first protocol and/or to a second message forwarding service with a second protocol different than the first protocol.

Abstract: A communication system has a plurality of collections. Each collection comprises a security boundary within which private data is accessible. Each collection is associated with a director. The directors receive messages that specify domains. When a director for a given collection receives a message, the director identifies one of the collections as being a home collection for the domain specified by the message. If the specified domain's home collection is the given collection or another collection within a given privacy boundary, the director forwards the message to a server pool associated with the specified domain's home collection. Otherwise, if the specified domain's home collection is not within the given privacy boundary, the director forwards the message to the director of the specified domain's home collection.

Abstract: Enhanced communication systems with various resiliency and survivability aspects are provided. Data center, cluster, network, and load balancer survivability are provided for seamless communication experience in case of data center, cluster, discovery infrastructure, or hardware load balancer failures. Call, data, and authentication survivability are provided through dynamic re-routing over alternative networks, continuous data replication, and alternative authentication mechanisms. Seamless failover is ensured through use of identical signaling protocols and data carried by protocols between primary and backup clusters. Voicemail resiliency is achieved by re-routing calls directed to voicemail over alternative paths such as PSTN connections.

Abstract: Designing and executing a workflow having flow-based and constraint-based regions. A user selects one or more activities to be part of a constraint-based region. Each constraint-based region has a constraint associated therewith. The workflow is executed by executing the flow-based region and the constraint-based region. The flow-based region executes sequentially. The constraint is evaluated, and the constraint-based region executes responsive to the evaluated constraint.

Abstract: Designing and executing a workflow having flow-based and constraint-based regions. A user selects one or more activities to be part of a constraint-based region. Each constraint-based region has a constraint associated therewith. The workflow is executed by executing the flow-based region and the constraint-based region. The flow-based region executes sequentially. The constraint is evaluated, and the constraint-based region executes responsive to the evaluated constraint.

Abstract: Enhanced communication systems with various resiliency and survivability aspects are provided. Data center, cluster, network, and load balancer survivability are provided for seamless communication experience in case of data center, cluster, discovery infrastructure, or hardware load balancer failures. Call, data, and authentication survivability are provided through dynamic re-routing over alternative networks, continuous data replication, and alternative authentication mechanisms. Seamless failover is ensured through use of identical signaling protocols and data carried by protocols between primary and backup clusters. Voicemail resiliency is achieved by re-routing calls directed to voicemail over alternative paths such as PSTN connections.

Abstract: Independent telephony systems are integrated by using symmetric forking from both systems. Calls received by either system are forked to the other system. Thus, a call can be accepted by one of the systems, using its external interfaces, and presented to all devices in both systems. Each system is enabled to leverage internal call control advanced features to enhance overall user experience. Internally inserted parameters to call requests are used between the two systems for preventing endless loop of calls between the integrated systems.

Abstract: Designing and executing a workflow having flow-based and constraint-based regions. A user selects one or more activities to be part of a constraint-based region. Each constraint-based region has a constraint associated therewith. The workflow is executed by executing the flow-based region and the constraint-based region. The flow-based region executes sequentially. The constraint is evaluated, and the constraint-based region executes responsive to the evaluated constraint.

Abstract: Designing and executing a workflow having flow-based and constraint-based regions. A user selects one or more activities to be part of a constraint-based region. Each constraint-based region has a constraint associated therewith. The workflow is executed by executing the flow-based region and the constraint-based region. The flow-based region executes sequentially. The constraint is evaluated, and the constraint-based region executes responsive to the evaluated constraint.

Abstract: Extensible architecture for template-baser user setting management by creating logical groupings of per-user settings using different template types. A manageable way to assign templates to sets of users based on different criteria is provided. Templates can be defined in a declarative format (e.g., XML), which declarative format is developed such that various user interface (UI) pieces, third-party applications, and different client types can easily understand the templates. Extensibility of the architecture is supported for defining the templates such that external third-party application writers can make use of the provided infrastructure to add to existing templates or create new template types, and to seamlessly integrate into the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the per-user settings within the templates can be enforced on the server side, including the enforcement of future settings and template types.

Abstract: Independent telephony systems are integrated by using symmetric forking from both systems. Calls received by either system are forked to the other system. Thus, a call can be accepted by one of the systems, using its external interfaces, and presented to all devices in both systems. Each system is enabled to leverage internal call control advanced features to enhance overall user experience. Internally inserted parameters to call requests are used between the two systems for preventing endless loop of calls between the integrated systems.

Abstract: Extensible architecture for template-baser user setting management by creating logical groupings of per-user settings using different template types. A manageable way to assign templates to sets of users based on different criteria is provided. Templates can be defined in a declarative format (e.g., XML), which declarative format is developed such that various user interface (UI) pieces, third-party applications, and different client types can easily understand the templates. Extensibility of the architecture is supported for defining the templates such that external third-party application writers can make use of the provided infrastructure to add to existing templates or create new template types, and to seamlessly integrate into the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the per-user settings within the templates can be enforced on the server side, including the enforcement of future settings and template types.

Abstract: Architecture for a scalable, pluggable multi-party, and distributed multimedia conferencing. A centralized policy and control conferencing component allows the seamless plug-in of different distributed media components (e.g., data, audio/video, messaging) to accommodate client participation in a conference session. The centralized conference control component includes the following: a conference notification service for accepting subscriptions to the conference state and notifying subscribers about changes to that state; a conference policy and roster control service for storing and manipulating conference policy and rosters; a security service for user authorization/authentication based on user identity information; a scheduling service for conference scheduling; an allocation service for allocating the most available media component(s) for a conference session; and, an MCU management service for conference policy and roster management of the distributed media components.