Abstract: The operating system of a computer maintains an extension catalog that stores data relating extensions with information about the contracts the extensions support. Extensions are registered in this catalog according to the contract they implement. The extension catalog can be queried to identify extensions that support a given contract. An extension can be selected from among the results from a query, and the selected extension can be activated. When activated, the extension is set up by the operating system as an independent process from, and with context from, the application for which it is an extension. Information about the extension is provided to the application to enable the extension and the application to communicate according to the supported contract.

Abstract: An isolation execution environment provides an application with limited resources to execute an application. The application may require access to secured resources associated with a particular trust level that are outside of the isolation execution environment. A trust activation engine determines the trust level associated with a request for a resource and operates differently based on the trust level. A broker process may be used to execute components providing access to resources having a partial trust level in an execution environment that is separate from the isolation execution environment.

Abstract: An isolation execution environment provides an application with limited resources to execute an application. The application may require access to secured resources associated with a particular trust level that are outside of the isolation execution environment. A trust activation engine determines the trust level associated with a request for a resource and operates differently based on the trust level. A broker process may be used to execute components providing access to resources having a partial trust level in an execution environment that is separate from the isolation execution environment.

Abstract: An isolation execution environment provides an application with limited resources to execute an application. The application may require access to secured resources associated with a particular trust level that are outside of the isolation execution environment. A trust activation engine determines the trust level associated with a request for a resource and operates differently based on the trust level. A broker process may be used to execute components providing access to resources having a partial trust level in an execution environment that is separate from the isolation execution environment.

Abstract: The operating system of a computer maintains an extension catalog that stores data relating extensions with information about the contracts the extensions support. Extensions are registered in this catalog according to the contract they implement. The extension catalog can be queried to identify extensions that support a given contract. An extension can be selected from among the results from a query, and the selected extension can be activated. When activated, the extension is set up by the operating system as an independent process from, and with context from, the application for which it is an extension. Information about the extension is provided to the application to enable the extension and the application to communicate according to the supported contract.

Abstract: An isolation execution environment provides an application with limited resources to execute an application. The application may require access to secured resources associated with a particular trust level that are outside of the isolation execution environment. A trust activation engine determines the trust level associated with a request for a resource and operates differently based on the trust level. A broker process may be used to execute components providing access to resources having a partial trust level in an execution environment that is separate from the isolation execution environment.

Abstract: A network management facility is adapted so that it obtains information including connectivity data as well as the identities of discrete network elements from an associated network and then uses the information to determine the configuration of the network. The management facility then generates, for storage in a network management database, data records characterizing the configuration of the network, as defined by the components, circuits, etc., forming the network. Once the database has been created in this manner, the network management system may then use the contents of the database to provision requests entered by network users, for example, a request for additional transmission bandwidth. The database may also be used to evaluate a network condition, such as a condition characterized by a trouble alarm.