Abstract: Techniques are presented for (a) securely maintaining, by a computing device, a set of correspondences between encryption keys and key identifiers, (b) receiving, by the computing device, a cryptographic request from a remote device received across the network, the cryptographic request including credentials, data to be cryptographically processed, and a key identifier to be used for cryptographic processing, and (c) in response to successfully authenticating the cryptographic request: (1) obtaining, by the computing device with reference to the set of correspondences, an encryption key corresponding to the key identifier, (2) cryptographically processing, by the computing device, the received data using the obtained encryption key to generate cryptographically-processed data, and (3) sending the cryptographically-processed data from the computing device across the network to the remote device.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for (a) securely maintaining, by a computing device, a set of correspondences between encryption keys and key identifiers, (b) receiving, by the computing device, a cryptographic request from a remote device received across the network, the cryptographic request including credentials, data to be cryptographically processed, and a key identifier to be used for cryptographic processing, and (c) in response to successfully authenticating the cryptographic request: (1) obtaining, by the computing device with reference to the set of correspondences, an encryption key corresponding to the key identifier, (2) cryptographically processing, by the computing device, the received data using the obtained encryption key to generate cryptographically-processed data, and (3) sending the cryptographically-processed data from the computing device across the network to the remote device.

Abstract: A file handle produced by a file server is encoded into a pseudo-pathname used as a substitute for a pathname in a network file access protocol for accessing a file in the file server. The method avoids repeating a directory lookup and may permit the network file access protocol to access a file that has been renamed since the file handle was produced. The method is particularly advantageous for enabling a file server to use a CIFS client for virus checking or backup of a file modified by an NFS client. In a preferred implementation, the encoding of the file handle into a pseudo-pathname involves converting the file handle to an ASCII hexadecimal format to produce a component name, and appending the component name to a special name of a pseudo-directory of file handles of files in a file system.

Abstract: Event management techniques for use in a computer system comprising an event generating component generating at least one event and an event handling component to apply one or more business process rules in response to the event. In one embodiment of the invention, an event generation component provides to an event handling component not only notification of an event but also context information about the event, in the same communication. The context information may provide all the information necessary for the event handling component to apply one or more business policy rules to determine how to handle the event. In some implementations having multiple event handling components of different types, the event generating component may be configured to provide notification of events to the event handling components in a specified order. In some implementations, multiple event handling components may be joined in a logical pool, sharing responsibility for handling events.

Abstract: Event management techniques for use in a computer system comprising an event generating component generating at least one event and an event handling component to apply one or more business process rules in response to the event. In one embodiment of the invention, an event generation component provides to an event handling component not only notification of an event but also context information about the event, in the same communication. The context information may provide all the information necessary for the event handling component to apply one or more business policy rules to determine how to handle the event. In some implementations having multiple event handling components of different types, the event generating component may be configured to provide notification of events to the event handling components in a specified order. In some implementations, multiple event handling components may be joined in a logical pool, sharing responsibility for handling events.

Abstract: Event management techniques for use in a computer system comprising an event generating component generating at least one event and a plurality of event handling components applying one or more business process rules in response to the event. In one embodiment of the invention, an event generation component provides to an event handling component a notification of an event and context information about the event, in the same communication. The context information may provide all the information necessary for the event handling component to apply one or more business policy rules to determine how to handle the event. In some implementations having multiple event handling components of different types, the event generating component may be configured to provide notification of events to the event handling components in a specified order. In some implementations, multiple event handling components may be joined in a logical pool, sharing responsibility for handling events.

Abstract: Performance parameters are obtained for distributed processing units. The performance parameters include a utilization value, of each distributed processing unit. Respective weights are obtained for the distributed processing units by applying a mapping function to the utilization values. The respective weights are used for weighted round-robin load balancing of work requests upon the distributed processing units. In one implementation, a set of utilization values of the processing units are collected in response to a periodic heartbeat signal, a set of weights are produced from the set of utilization values, a distribution list is produced from the set of weights, and the distribution list is randomized repetitively for re-use during the heartbeat interval.

Abstract: When a network client accesses a file in a network file server, the network file server invokes a conventional virus checker program in an NT file server to transfer pertinent file data from the network file server to random access memory in the NT file server to perform an anti-virus scan. Users may interact with the virus checker program in the usual fashion, to select file types to check, and actions to perform when a virus is detected. This method eliminates the need for porting the virus checker program to the network file server, and avoids maintenance problems when the virus checker program is updated or upgraded. Moreover, a kernel mode driver in the NT file server may provide an indirect interface to the virus checker program for initiating an anti-virus scan. Therefore, the driver supports a wide variety of virus checker programs and ensures continued operation when the virus checker program is upgraded.

Abstract: Performance parameters are accumulated on distributed processing units and analyzed in an analysis engine. The parameters include response time measurements and workload across intervals of time. The parameters are stored in a standard instrumentation database for each processing unit. The analysis engine accesses the distributed databases over a standard interconnect network. The analysis engine uses the parameters to determine metric entropy, response time, and utilization. The analysis engine triggers an alarm if maximum limit values are exceeded, and estimates additional processing resources needed to alleviate bottlenecks and optimize system performance.

Abstract: When a network client accesses a file in a network file server, the network file server invokes a conventional virus checker program in an NT file server to transfer pertinent file data from the network file server to random access memory in the NT file server to perform an anti-virus scan. Users may interact with the virus checker program in the usual fashion, to select file types to check, and actions to perform when a virus is detected. This method eliminates the need for porting the virus checker program to the network file server, and avoids maintenance problems when the virus checker program is updated or upgraded. Moreover, a kernel mode driver in the NT file server may provide an indirect interface to the virus checker program for initiating an anti-virus scan. Therefore, the driver supports a wide variety of virus checker programs and ensures continued operation when the virus checker program is upgraded.

Abstract: In a method and system for monitoring the performance of servers across a network and for suggesting an appropriate server to a client requesting a service, a plurality of probes are placed in various clients in the network by a Broker-Performance Mechanism. The probes request that the servers perform various network functions and measure the response times of the servers in satisfying those requests. The Broker-Performance Mechanism retrieves, analyzes, and stores the response time data. The stored data can be made available to a user for system diagnostic purposes. In addition, when a particular client requests a particular service, the Broker-Performance Mechanism examines the analyzed data and determines which server is best suited, at that particular time, to provide the requested service to the requesting client.