Abstract: A mechanism to provide debugging and optimization in policy and knowledge controlled distributed computing system through the use of tagged policies is provided. An aspect of the mechanism tags one or more policies, for instance, at their creation time, execution time and/or at any other time an event that affects the policies occur. Decisions made according to policy execution or evaluation may be traced using the tags.

Abstract: A mechanism to provide debugging and optimization in policy and knowledge controlled distributed computing system through the use of tagged policies is provided. An aspect of the mechanism tags one or more policies, for instance, at their creation time, execution time and/or at any other time an event that affects the policies occur. Decisions made according to policy execution or evaluation may be traced using the tags.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for multi-protocol digital communications conducts a first portion of a communication between a first information processing device and a second information processing device in accordance with a first communication protocol. A second portion of the communication is conducted in accordance with at least a second communication protocol, where the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol. The communication may be divided into further portions, where each portion of the communication is conducted in accordance with a different communication protocol.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for providing identification and monitoring of entities. A distributed data processing system includes one or more distributed publishing entities, which publish computer readable announcements in a standard language. These announcements may contain a description of a monitoring method that may be used to monitor the behavior of one or more distributed monitored entities. These announcements also may include information used to identify a monitoring method that may be used by the distributed monitored entity to monitor its own behavior or by a distributed consumer entity to monitor the behavior of the distributed monitored entity. The monitoring also may be performed by a third-party distributed monitoring entity.

Abstract: A physical token is provided that is used to assign an activity or role to a specific device by virtue of a physical relationship with the device. By associating the token with a device, through electrical connection or by mere proximity relative to the device, an administrator informs the device of the intended role for the device in an enterprise. In conjunction with some bootstrapping or other appropriate software on the computing device, the act of placing the token in the proper physical relationship with the device is all that is necessary to configure and deploy the device in a data center. A device may be assigned roles from a plurality of tokens. Computing devices may also be assigned roles based upon their proximity to other devices. Roles may also include a concept of seniority, wherein one device may be assigned a more senior role to another device.