Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for monitoring a remote network segment. The apparatus may perform, and the methods (apparatus and methods, collectively, “the methods”) may include installing, on a remote segment of a packet switched network, a network component. The methods may include transmitting to the remote segment, from a transmitter on a local segment of the network a probe packet. The methods may include receiving from a receiver on the local segment a responsive packet that is responsive to the probe packet. The methods may include reconfiguring, in response to the responsive packet and diagnostic rules, a network-monitoring machine to recognize the network component. The reconfiguring may be a reconfiguring that is not responsive to a discovery signal that is (a) triggered by a process internal to the network component; and (b) transmitted by the network component.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for monitoring a remote network segment. The apparatus may perform, and the methods (apparatus and methods, collectively, “the methods”) may include installing, on a remote segment of a packet switched network, a network component. The methods may include transmitting to the remote segment, from a transmitter on a local segment of the network a probe packet. The methods may include receiving from a receiver on the local segment a responsive packet that is responsive to the probe packet. The methods may include reconfiguring, in response to the responsive packet and diagnostic rules, a network-monitoring machine to recognize the network component. The reconfiguring may be a reconfiguring that is not responsive to a discovery signal that is (a) triggered by a process internal to the network component; and (b) transmitted by the network component.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method of providing data comprises receiving an XML document. The XML document includes data from a data repository. A SOAP message is generated. The SOAP message is configured to receive a value associated with a selected one of a name-value pair and an XML attribute and configured to receive XML text. The XML document is embedded as the value within the SOAP message. The XML document is designated in the SOAP message as character data such that a SOAP parser does not parse the XML document.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method of providing data comprises receiving an XML document. The XML document includes data from a data repository. A SOAP message is generated. The SOAP message is configured to receive a value associated with a selected one of a name-value pair and an XML attribute and configured to receive XML text. The XML document is embedded as the value within the SOAP message. The XML document is designated in the SOAP message as character data such that a SOAP parser does not parse the XML document.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for conducting an auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items. The method comprises making, by offering parties, offers to potential accepting parties for the heterogeneous items. The making begins at a specified time with at least some of the potential accepting parties and at least some of the offering parties represented by software-based agents hosted on terminals connected via a communication network. Any acceptance by any accepting party of any offer from any offering party is binding on the offering party immediately, but is not binding on the accepting party until the auction closes. The method also comprises accepting, by an accepting party, a first offer from a first offering party for the heterogeneous item only if the first offer provides a surplus of at least a minimum surplus amount for the heterogeneous item.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.