Abstract: A multi-tiered server management architecture is employed including an application development tier, an application operations tier, and a cluster operations tier. In the application development tier, applications are developed for execution on one or more server computers. In the application operations tier, execution of the applications is managed and sub-boundaries within a cluster of servers can be established. In the cluster operations tier, operation of the server computers is managed without concern for what applications are executing on the one or more server computers and boundaries between clusters of servers can be established. The multi-tiered server management architecture can also be employed in co-location facilities where clusters of servers are leased to tenants, with the tenants implementing the application operations tier and the facility owner (or operator) implementing the cluster operations tier.

Abstract: A design tool includes a service definition model to enable abstract description of distributed computing systems and distributed applications. The design tool also includes a schema to dictate how functional operations within the service definition model are to be specified. The functional operations include design of distributed applications, deployment of distributed applications, and management of distributed applications.

Abstract: A system facilitates the design and implementation of large-scale applications, such as Internet Services and Websites, for distributed computer systems, such as server data centers, Internet data centers (IDCs), Web farms, and the like. The system has a modeling system and a deployment system. The modeling system permits developers to architect the hardware and software used to implement the applications in an abstract manner. The modeling system defines a set of components used to describe the functionality of an application. The model components are arranged and interconnected to form a scale-independent logical model of the application. Once a logical model is created, the deployment system uses the logical model to automatically deploy various computer/software resources to implement the application. The deployment system converts each of the model components into one or more instances that correspond to physical resources.

Abstract: A stateless distributed computer architecture allows state-caching objects, which hold server state information, to be maintained on a client or network rather than on a server. In one implementation, the computer architecture implements object-oriented program modules according to a distributed component object model (DCOM). Using an object-oriented network protocol (e.g., remote procedure call), a client-side application calls through an application program interface (API) to a program object residing at a server computer. The program object, responsive to the call, creates a state caching object that contains state information pertaining to the client connection. The server inserts the state-caching object into a local thread context and processes the request to generate a reply. The server subsequently attaches the state-caching object to the reply and returns them both to the client. The client stores the state-caching object for later communication with the server.

Abstract: A modeling system permits developers of applications for distributed computer system, such as those used in server data centers or Internet data centers (IDCs), to architect their hardware and software in an abstract manner. The modeling system defines a set of components that represent abstract functional operations of the application that will eventually be physically implemented by one or more computers and one or more software programs executing on the computers. Associated with the model components is a schema that dictates how the functional operations are to be specified. From the model components, the developers can create logical, scale-independent models of the applications that may be implemented by the distributed computer system. The application is scale-independent in that the application is invariant in respect to the number of computers and software programs that my eventually be used to implement it.

Abstract: Systems and methods to enforce policy in a multi-computer service application are described. In one aspect, a scale-independent logical model of an application is generated. The application is for implementation in a distributed computing system. The scale-independent logical model includes multiple components representing logical functions of the application and intercommunication protocols. The model components are converted into one or more instances representative of physical resources used to implement the logical functions. The instances specify information such as communication ports on the physical resources and communication paths that link the physical resources.

Abstract: A network mediator corresponding to a computing device uses packet filters to restrict network communications. The network mediator includes a set of one or more filters, each filter having parameters that are compared to corresponding parameters of a data packet to be passed through the network mediator. The network mediator determines whether to allow the data packet through based on whether the data packet parameters match any filter parameters. The set of filters can be modified by a remote device, but cannot be modified by the computing device whose communications are being restricted. When a data packet is sent from the computing device, the data packet will include the virtual address which is changed to the network address by the network mediator prior to forwarding the packet on the network, and vice versa. By virtualizing the addresses, the computing device is restricted in accessing other devices over the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods to enforce policy in a multi-computer service application are described. The application includes multiple software modules that execute on multiple computers. The multi-computer service application has access to a communications medium that allows data communications between different ones of the computers. The software modules have logical input and output ports and logical data connections between modules. Each logical port is defined by port software. In one aspect, a particular module sends a notification to a policy module. Responsive to the notification, the policy module (a) determines a request for one or more destination modules, and (b) provides the request to an output port of the policy module. The output port forwards the request to input ports of a plurality of the modules in accordance with the logical data connections.

Abstract: A design tool includes a service definition model to enable abstract description of distributed computing systems and distributed applications. The design tool also includes a schema to dictate how functional operations within the service definition model are to be specified. The functional operations include design of distributed applications, deployment of distributed applications, and management of distributed applications.

Abstract: A controller, referred to as the “BMonitor”, is situated on a computer. The BMonitor includes a plurality of filters that identify where data can be sent to and/or received from, such as another node in a co-location facility or a client computer coupled to the computer via the Internet. The BMonitor further receives and implements requests from external sources regarding the management of software components executing on the computer, allowing such external sources to initiate, terminate, debug, etc. software components on the computer. Additionally, the BMonitor operates as a trusted third party mediating interaction among multiple external sources managing the computer.

Abstract: An automatic distributed partitioning system (ADPS) determines which unit exposes an interface. The ADPS detects a reference to an interface. For the interface, the ADPS assures that the unit that exposes the interface is identified. In some embodiments, a data structure such as a hash table associates interfaces with identified units. An interface wrapper for the interface stores the identity of the unit that exposes the interface, as well as information about the interface and a reference to instrumentation. When a client unit calls a member function of an interface, the interface wrapper intercepts the call and invokes the instrumentation. The instrumentation performs an operation such as profiling the application or classifying a unit. The ADPS detects when an interface is undocumented, and handles undocumented interfaces without invoking the full instrumentation capabilities of the ADPS.

Abstract: A controller, referred to as the “BMonitor”, is situated on a computer. The BMonitor includes a plurality of filters that identify where data can be sent to and/or received from, such as another node in a co-location facility or a client computer coupled to the computer via the Internet. The BMonitor further receives and implements requests from external sources regarding the management of software components executing on the computer, allowing such external sources to initiate, terminate, debug, etc. software components on the computer. Additionally, the BMonitor operates as a trusted third party mediating interaction among multiple external sources managing the computer.

Abstract: An instrumentation system performs operations such as profiling an application and partitioning and distributing units of the application using different versions of metadata describing the application. Performing an operation on an executing application generates overhead. Detailed metadata used in operations such as profiling create unnecessary overhead during other operations. By removing metadata detail unnecessary for a particular operation, an instrumentation system using reduced metadata generates less overhead for that particular operation. Different instrumentation packages include different versions of metadata for performing operations on the application.

Abstract: An instrumentation system profiles an application using structural metadata description of the application. Units (such as COM objects) of the application have strongly-typed, binary-standard interfaces, and are profiled, for example, using an executable file and DLLs for the application. A structural metadata description of the application includes compiled, interface-level type information used to identify and measure interaction between units of the application. For example, the type information is produced by analyzing IDL information. Profiling results in an application profile that includes description of the static relationships and/or dynamic interactions between units of the application. The application profile is combined with a network profile that describes a distributed computing environment. Analysis of the result yields a distribution plan, which, for example, reduces costs associated with communication between the units.

Abstract: Dynamic classification of sections of software using a profile-based optimization system optimizes management of the sections of software. Software executes under expected usage conditions. After execution, a set of usage profiles describes the dynamic properties of sections of the software. Each usage profile includes information identifying a section of software. Each usage profile maps to an outcome meant to optimize management of the sections of the software during later execution. During such later execution, a usage background describes the dynamic properties of a section of the software. The usage background includes information identifying the section of software. By matching the usage background to a usage profile in the set of usage profiles, the section is dynamically classified during later execution. Based on this dynamic classification, the section maps to the outcome meant to optimize management of the sections of software.

Abstract: A system and procedure to automatically enforce policy in distributed multi-computer service applications. Such service applications include multiple software modules that execute on multiple computers. The computers have access to communications media that allow data communications between the computers. Logical ports are configured on different modules according to a logical model of the multi-computer service application. Each logical port is defined by port software. Logical data connections between the logical ports are configured in accordance with the logical model. Each port is configured to communicate through different numbers of logical data connections without modifying the port software. In response to the occurrence of a condition, a module sends an event notification to a policy module. The policy module responds to the notification by formulating a request for one or more destination modules. The policy module provides the request to an output port of the policy module.

Abstract: A system facilitates the design and implementation of large-scale applications, such as Internet Services and Websites, for distributed computer systems, such as server data centers, Internet data centers (IDCs), Web farms, and the like. The system has a modeling system and a deployment system. The modeling system permits developers to architect the hardware and software used to implement the applications in an abstract manner. The modeling system defines a set of components used to describe the functionality of an application. The model components are arranged and interconnected to form a scale-independent logical model of the application. Once a logical model is created, the deployment system uses the logical model to automatically deploy various computer/software resources to implement the application. The deployment system converts each of the model components into one or more instances that correspond to physical resources.

Abstract: A controller, referred to as the “BMonitor”, is situated on a computer. The BMonitor includes a plurality of filters that identify where data can be sent to and/or received from, such as another node in a co-location facility or a client computer coupled to the computer via the Internet. The BMonitor further receives and implements requests from external sources regarding the management of software components executing on the computer, allowing such external sources to initiate, terminate, debug, etc. software components on the computer. Additionally, the BMonitor operates as a trusted third party mediating interaction among multiple external sources managing the computer.

Abstract: A procedure identifies a program image and generates a basic block flow graph associated with the program image. Execution of the program image is benchmarked and the basic block flow graph is annotated with the results of the benchmarking of the program image. Basic blocks of the program are then grouped into bins. When the program image is executed, a drafting scheduler stops threads before they leave a bin and schedules any threads queued for the same bin.

Abstract: A method for improving the performance of a distributed object model over a network is disclosed. A client computer contains a client object which can call an interface on a server object located on a server computer. Rather than copying all of the call parameters into an RPC buffer for transmission across the network, a network interface card with scatter-gather capability can be used. The RPC data can contain only a list of pointers into the client memory and a size of each parameter. The network interface card can then grab the parameters directly from the client memory using the list in the RPC buffer without the need to copy the data itself. At the server side, the network interface card can place the parameters into an RPC buffer, or if the size is known beforehand, directly into the server memory. The server can also access the parameters directly from the RPC buffer.