Abstract: Event messages are received from a first source, each has a subscription based-sequence number and a time stamp. The order of events within the first event source are determined on the basis of the subscription based-sequence number. Additional event messages are received from a second source each having a subscription based-sequence number and a time stamp. The events from the second event source are ordered with respect to the first event source on the basis of the time stamp within each of the at least two event messages from the first event source and the another at least two event messages from the second event source.

Abstract: In a distributed system querying and navigating data structures, databases, and XML documents in uniform and extensible manner is provided. Queries are defined that provide type information to a variety of digital objects. As such, the underlying data format is abstracted thereby allowing a single query to apply to multiple digital devices even though the multiple digital devices store their data in a different native format.

Abstract: Type Description Language (TDL) is provided which is an extensible markup language (XML) based language that provides an interface description that makes the mapping between an interface specification and its wire format deterministic and simple. TDL provides seamless bridging between XML and object based views in a distributed environment. TDL leverages the duality between the type-based (objects) and XML-based views and may be used for exchanging metadata between various kinds of type (object) systems, such as Component Object Model (COM), Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Common Language Runtime (CLR), etc. In this regard, TDL proposes a new syntax for representing the behavior aspect of a type and illustrates that there is a one to one mapping from an abstract type to a schema type and vice-versa.

Abstract: In a distributed eventing system, eventing is provided at a type level system. An XML based grammar for representing the above behavior constructs may be used. Many devices and services expose properties and utilize eventing. Properties and Events are aggregate constructs built on top the above basic behavior constructs and as such are codification of common use cases. XML grammar defines short forms of expressing property and event constructs as they occur often in practice.

Abstract: In a distributed system querying and navigating data structures, databases, and XML documents in uniform and extensible manner is provided. Queries are defined that provide type information to a variety of digital objects. As such, the underlying data format is abstracted thereby allowing a single query to apply to multiple digital devices even though the multiple digital devices store their data in a different native format.