Abstract: Mechanisms that dynamically check availability of hardware resources for applications of virtual environments are provided. One or more computing devices have various hardware resources available to applications of a virtual environment. Hardware resources may comprise, for example, amounts of memory, amounts or units of processing capability of one or more processors, and various types of peripheral devices. The mechanisms store hardware data pertaining to a specified amount of hardware recommended or required for an application to execute within the virtual environment. The mechanisms monitor for changes to the hardware configuration that may affect amount of hardware available to the virtual environment and/or application. If the changes to the hardware reduce the amount of available hardware to a point beyond the specified amount of hardware, the mechanisms prevent the application from being executed or prevent the changes to the hardware configuration.

Abstract: It has been discovered that instances of an item to be sold in online auctions may be linked to an already created online auction listing for the item. The associating propagates the online auction listing to these other item instances. The propagating allows junior bidders (i.e., losing bidders) to continue pursuing purchase of the associated item instances and allows the junior sellers of the associated item instances to leverage the information of the online auction listing.

Abstract: Some example embodiments include a method that includes generating an indication of a first item being auctioned in an online auction system. Responsive to locating an online auction in the online auction system for a second item having one or more attributes that exceed a matching threshold with the first item, the method includes associating the first item with the located online auction using the generated indication of the first item. Also, after the online auction for the second item ends and in response to determining a bid of a junior bidder and data about the junior bidder satisfy a set of one or more conditions for sale of the first item, the method includes notifying the junior bidder in the online auction of the first item in the online auction system, wherein the junior bidder is junior to a winning bidder in the online auction for the second item.

Abstract: Embodiments that dynamically check availability of hardware resources for applications of virtual environments are contemplated. Various embodiments comprise one or more computing devices having various hardware resources available to applications of a virtual environment. Hardware resources may comprise, for example, amounts of memory, amounts or units of processing capability of one or more processors, and various types of peripheral devices. The embodiments may store hardware data pertaining to a specified amount of hardware recommended or required for an application to execute within the virtual environment. The embodiments may generally monitor for changes to the hardware configuration, which may affect amount of hardware available to the virtual environment and/or application.

Abstract: It has been discovered that instances of an item to be sold in online auctions may be linked to an already created online auction listing for the item. The associating propagates the online auction listing to these other item instances. The propagating allows junior bidders (i.e., losing bidders) to continue pursuing purchase of the associated item instances and allows the junior sellers of the associated item instances to leverage the information of the online auction listing.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically providing a Web site resource for a broken Web link are provided. Mechanisms are provided for locating Web site resources that have been moved to a new location in a Web site structure in response to receiving a request directed to an old location of the Web site resource, such as via a broken link. Index data structures of Web site structures are used to identify the structure of the Web site at various times. The index data structures are compared to determine how the Web site structure has been changed and these changes are stored as entries in a differences data structure. The differences data structure is then used to locate a moved Web site resource in the event that a request directed to an old location of the Web site resource is received, such as by selection of a broken link.

Abstract: The system and method of this invention configures the protocols of a network architecture as an expert system. The expert system utilizes the knowledge of the network architecture, and offers intelligent advice to system users in the event of an invalid request to enable the entry of a valid request to establish communications through the network.