Abstract: Repositioning of a display on a touch screen based on touch screen usage statistics. Usage information of the touch screen is obtained, based on using the touch screen, which includes a plurality of contact points. Based on the usage information, positioning information for a display to be depicted on the touch screen is determined. The display is to be used to enter data and includes multiple contact points. Based on the positioning information, the display is repositioned on the touch screen. The repositioning includes moving one or more contact points of the multiple contact points from one or more locations on the touch screen to one or more other locations on the touch screen.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling access to a protected resource in a computing system, which includes storing an indication of a selection of an access image type, receiving an access request for accessing the protected resource, and determining one or more access locations of an access grid of images, the access locations (and possibly the corresponding images) changing along a sequence of access requests. The method also includes generating the access grid to include corresponding access images of the access image type for the access locations and one or more other image types different from the access image type, displaying the access grid, and controlling the access to the protected resource according to a selection of one or more selected images in the access grid.

Abstract: Repositioning of a display on a touch screen based on touch screen usage statistics. Usage information of the touch screen is obtained, based on using the touch screen, which includes a plurality of contact points. Based on the usage information, positioning information for a display to be depicted on the touch screen is determined. The display is to be used to enter data and includes multiple contact points. Based on the positioning information, the display is repositioned on the touch screen. The repositioning includes moving one or more contact points of the multiple contact points from one or more locations on the touch screen to one or more other locations on the touch screen.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling access to a protected resource in a computing system, which includes storing an indication of a selection of an access image type, receiving an access request for accessing the protected resource, and determining one or more access locations of an access grid of images, the access locations (and possibly the corresponding images) changing along a sequence of access requests. The method also includes generating the access grid to include corresponding access images of the access image type for the access locations and one or more other image types different from the access image type, displaying the access grid, and controlling the access to the protected resource according to a selection of one or more selected images in the access grid.

Abstract: A solution is proposed for analyzing a test of a software program comprising a plurality of software components, the test comprising a plurality of test cases each one for exercising a set of corresponding exercised software components. A corresponding method comprises the steps of receiving an indication of each failed test case whose current execution has failed, retrieving a suspicion attribute of each failed test case indicative of a change to the corresponding exercised software components since a previous execution of the failed test case, retrieving a change attribute of each failed test case indicative of a change to the failed test case since the previous execution thereof, retrieving a regression attribute of each failed test case indicative of a regression of the failed test case since the previous execution thereof, and classifying each failed test case into a plurality of disjoint classes according to the corresponding suspicion attribute, change attribute and regression attribute.

Abstract: A solution is proposed for analyzing a test of a software program comprising a plurality of software components, the test comprising a plurality of test cases each one for exercising a set of corresponding exercised software components. A corresponding method comprises the steps of receiving an indication of each failed test case whose current execution has failed, retrieving a suspicion attribute of each failed test case indicative of a change to the corresponding exercised software components since a previous execution of the failed test case, retrieving a change attribute of each failed test case indicative of a change to the failed test case since the previous execution thereof, retrieving a regression attribute of each failed test case indicative of a regression of the failed test case since the previous execution thereof, and classifying each failed test case into a plurality of disjoint classes according to the corresponding suspicion attribute, change attribute and regression attribute.

Abstract: A request from an installer of a software application to configure the computer system for installation of the software application is received at a configuration client. Upon receiving the request, a message is sent to a local agent of the computer system to request a configuration for the installation of the software application. The message includes an identifier of the software application used by a configuration management server to identify the configuration corresponding to the software application. A configuration element is received from the local agent in response to the message. The configuration element includes a variable for holding a value that represents a characteristic of the computer system. The value of the variable is configured as a function of the computer system. The configuration element, including the configured variable value, is provided to the installer of the software application and is used for the installation of the software application.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for minimizing 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: A mechanism is provided for minimizing 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: The invention proposes a solution for controlling logical guest machines, such as virtual machines or logical partitions, in a system management application (and especially in a licensing application). There is provided an enabler running in a physical host machine implementing the guest machines or in a corresponding console; this enabler gathers information relating to the hardware configuration of the host machine (which information is not available inside the guest machine). The hardware configuration information is then passed to a licensing agent of the guest machine; for example, the desired result may be achieved by means of dedicated variables or registry keys that are accessible without providing any user credentials. The licensing agent directly gathers other information, for example, indicating the software products that are used by the guest machine. The available information is then transmitted by the licensing agent to a runtime server for the correct management of the guest machine.

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: A request from an installer of a software application to configure the computer system for installation of the software application is received at a configuration client. Upon receiving the request, a message is sent to a local agent of the computer system to request a configuration for the installation of the software application. The message includes an identifier of the software application used by a configuration management server to identify the configuration corresponding to the software application. A configuration element is received from the local agent in response to the message. The configuration element includes a variable for holding a value that represents a characteristic of the computer system. The value of the variable is configured as a function of the computer system. The configuration element, including the configured variable value, is provided to the installer of the software application and is used for the installation of the software application.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for installing a shared software component on a computer are proposed. The process is driven by an exploiter of this (new) shared component. If the required shared component is not available on the computer, it is installed at the desired location (specified by the exploiter). On the contrary, if another shared component is already available (for further exploiters), the process verifies whether this available shared component is at the required level. If not, the available shared component is upgraded accordingly; for example, this result can be achieved by causing the available shared component to refuse any new request and then waiting for the completion of any pending request. In this case, the install location of the available shared component is returned to the exploiter, so as to have it point to the available shared component automatically.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a cost associated with a test scenario, which test scenario comprises one or more branches making up a use case, the method comprising the steps of: determining a first parameter based on the complexity of the use case; determining a second parameter which indicates the criticality of the use case; determining a third parameter which indicates an execution cost of each action and decision point of the use case; determining a fourth parameter which indicates the priority of each branch of the use case; determining a fifth parameter which indicates the classification of each test parameter for each branch of the use case; determining a cost associated with the test scenario, based on a predetermined calculation using two or more of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth parameters.

Abstract: The invention proposes a solution (200) for controlling logical guest machines (110), such as virtual machines or logical partitions, in a system management application (and especially in a licensing application). For this purpose, there is provided an enabler (220;270) running in a physical host machine (115) implementing the guest machines or in a corresponding console (125); this enabler gathers information relating to the hardware configuration of the host machine (which information is not available inside the guest machine). The hardware configuration information is then passed to a licensing agent (235) of the guest machine; for example, the desired result may be achieved by means of dedicated variables or registry keys (260) that are accessible without providing any user credentials. The licensing agent directly gathers other information, for example, indicating the software products (230) that are used by the guest machine.

Abstract: A method (300) for installing a shared software component on a computer is proposed. The process is driven by an exploiter of this (new) shared component. If the required shared component is not available on the computer, it is installed (384) at the desired location (specified by the exploiter). On the contrary, if another shared component is already available (for further exploiters), the process verifies (312) whether this available shared component is at the required level. If not, the available shared component is upgraded (339-378) accordingly; for example, this result can be achieved by causing the available shared component to refuse (345) any new request and then waiting (348-351) for the completion of any pending request. In this case, the install location of the available shared component is returned (336,381,387) to the exploiter, so as to have it point (390) to the available shared component automatically.