Abstract: A computer-implemented method for execution of a service in a distributed environment, the method comprising performing a speculative execution of a service and storing a related result, wherein a decision whether the speculative execution of the service is performed is dependent on a dynamically changing score value and receiving a request for an execution of the service at a request proxy. Additionally, the method comprises upon determining that a valid result of the execution of the service is available from an earlier speculative execution of a comparable service, returning the valid result by the request proxy, and upon determining that a valid result of the execution of the service is not available from an earlier speculative execution of a comparable service, executing the service in a non-speculative manner, and returning a received non-speculative result by the request proxy.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for controlling state updates in a cloud service environment may be provided. The method includes maintaining a set of state provider definitions, wherein each state provider definition comprising a set of required input variable definitions, a set of output variable definitions and related metadata. The method also includes determining a set of input variable definitions required by an invoked service, receiving the determined set of input variable definitions by the state provider management service, selecting a state provider definition, wherein the selected state provider definition is to be compatible with the received set of input variable definitions, determining a set of matching state provider services matching the selected state provider definition, scoring the determined set of state provider services, invoking the highest scoring state provider service, and passing the state data to the invoked service.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for controlling state updates in a cloud service environment may be provided. The method includes maintaining a set of state provider definitions, wherein each state provider definition comprising a set of required input variable definitions, a set of output variable definitions and related metadata. The method also includes determining a set of input variable definitions required by an invoked service, receiving the determined set of input variable definitions by the state provider management service, selecting a state provider definition, wherein the selected state provider definition is to be compatible with the received set of input variable definitions, determining a set of matching state provider services matching the selected state provider definition, scoring the determined set of state provider services, invoking the highest scoring state provider service, and passing the state data to the invoked service.

Abstract: A data processing method is disclosed. The data processing method comprises the step of receiving a request for a service interface description of a service from a client at a server, wherein the service is implemented via a first service endpoint at the server, and wherein the first service endpoint is associated with a first service endpoint interface description. In a further step, a given set of correlations is employed for the determination of service endpoints correlated with the first service endpoint with respect to the service, wherein each of the correlated service endpoints is associated with a service endpoint interface description. Furthermore the service interface description is generated by aggregating the first service endpoint interface description with the service endpoint interface descriptions of the correlated service endpoints and the service interface description is provided to the client.

Abstract: The inventive offering creation and validation (OCAV) component identifies all available resource types contained in a resource catalog, invokes a “get timetable” resource management action for each of those resource types, and finally receives a timetable containing all resource types with their assigned resources and their assigned free, reserved, and used time slots. By using that timetable, the OCAV component generates a new timetable including all resource types with their assigned resources having a common free time slots. Then, the OCAV component invokes a “get cost” resource management action for each resource type in that new timetable and assigns the calculated costs to the respective resource types, resulting in a final timetable.

Abstract: A data processing method is disclosed. The data processing method comprises the step of receiving a request for a service interface description of a service from a client at a server, wherein the service is implemented via a first service endpoint at the server, and wherein the first service endpoint is associated with a first service endpoint interface description. In a further step, a given set of correlations is employed for the determination of service endpoints correlated with the first service endpoint with respect to the service, wherein each of the correlated service endpoints is associated with a service endpoint interface description. Furthermore the service interface description is generated by aggregating the first service endpoint interface description with the service endpoint interface descriptions of the correlated service endpoints and the service interface description is provided to the client.

Abstract: The idea of the present invention is to provide a method for automatically transforming a provider offering describing a customer specific service environment in business terms into a machine readable form which can be automatically processed by resource management systems. The input for the transformation is the provider's offering in business terms as well information from the resource catalog. The result of the transformation is a customer specific service environment topology that states all the necessary resource types, their configurations and their dependencies. Based on that customer specific service environment topology and information from the resource management catalog, a customer specific service environment definition (SED) is automatically generated which contains all the configuration information and definitions of the resource management actions in order to instantiate and drive the operation of the service environment.

Abstract: The inventive offering creation and validation (OCAV) component identifies all available resource types contained in a resource catalog, invokes a “get timetable” resource management action for each of those resource types, and finally receives a timetable containing all resource types with their assigned resources and their assigned free, reserved, and used time slots. By using that timetable, the OCAV component generates a new timetable including all resource types with their assigned resources having a common free time slots. Then, the OCAV component invokes a “get cost” resource management action for each resource type in that new timetable and assigns the calculated costs to the respective resource types, resulting in a final timetable.

Abstract: According to the present invention a device, also called appliance or streaming appliance, and a method for operating the device is provided. The device is prepared for delivering information through a distributed information system to an external client unit in response to a request from an external server unit. A first interface, e.g., a system administration Web service interface, allows configuring and administering the device and a device control unit facilitates controlling the device, whereby the device control unit is configured to register the device with an external service directory via the first interface. Advantageously, the device only needs to be connected to a respective distributed information system, such as the Internet, and it automatically starts offering its services within such information system.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system and process for controlling input and output devices, in particular scanners or cameras, through application programs, where each input or output device can communicate with every application without modification of or addition to the application program and/or the input or output device software. For this, the input or output device is announced to the operating system by way of the application program as a file. The input or output device is started by means of the application program's "Open file" function. The input or output device is announced to the operating system as a drive. A data management function takes over the communication with the driver software for the input and output as well as for the preparation of the required image formats. In this way the data access functions of the application for enabling the reading of data from files are eliminated and, in addition, its own functions for accessing input or output devices through a special interface.