Abstract: A method for a secondary host to support continuous availability for an application on a primary virtual machine on a primary host is disclosed. The method includes the secondary host creating a secondary virtual machine that is identical to the primary virtual machine, the secondary host receiving activities of the primary virtual machine from the primary host, the secondary host buffering the activities, and the secondary host determining if the buffered activities are safe to replay. When the buffered activities are determined to be safe to replay, the method includes the secondary host replaying the buffered activities to the secondary virtual machine. When the buffered activities are determined to be unsafe to replay, the method includes the secondary host discarding the buffered activities and setting the secondary virtual machine as a new primary virtual machine to take over a service provided by the application.

Abstract: Techniques for facilitating secure and scalable data transfers using a hybrid blockchain-based approach are provided. In one embodiment, a first computer system at a first site can transmit a token to a second computer system at a second site, where the token includes metadata regarding a data set to be transferred from the first computer system to the second computer system and one or more cloud storage service addresses where the data set will be temporarily stored. The token can be transmitted using a blockchain network that is accessible to the first and second computer systems via a public network. The first computer system can then upload the data set to the one or more cloud storage service addresses via the public network, and the second computer system can download the data set from the one or more cloud storage service addresses via the public network.

Abstract: A method for a secondary host to support continuous availability for an application on a primary virtual machine on a primary host is disclosed. The method includes the secondary host creating a secondary virtual machine that is identical to the primary virtual machine, the secondary host receiving activities of the primary virtual machine from the primary host, the secondary host buffering the activities, and the secondary host determining if the buffered activities are safe to replay. When the buffered activities are determined to be safe to replay, the method includes the secondary host replaying the buffered activities to the secondary virtual machine. When the buffered activities are determined to be unsafe to replay, the method includes the secondary host discarding the buffered activities and setting the secondary virtual machine as a new primary virtual machine to take over a service provided by the application.

Abstract: An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment; and receiving trace information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information by identifying, from header information and payload information of the packets, particular packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by one of the plurality of forwarding devices, or a particular packet associated with the communication flow that is processed by at least two of the plurality of forwarding devices, or both.

Abstract: Techniques for facilitating secure and scalable data transfers using a hybrid blockchain-based approach are provided. In one embodiment, a first computer system at a first site can transmit a token to a second computer system at a second site, where the token includes metadata regarding a data set to be transferred from the first computer system to the second computer system and one or more cloud storage service addresses where the data set will be temporarily stored. The token can be transmitted using a blockchain network that is accessible to the first and second computer systems via a public network. The first computer system can then upload the data set to the one or more cloud storage service addresses via the public network, and the second computer system can download the data set from the one or more cloud storage service addresses via the public network.

Abstract: An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment; and receiving trace information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information by identifying, from header information and payload information of the packets, particular packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by one of the plurality of forwarding devices, or a particular packet associated with the communication flow that is processed by at least two of the plurality of forwarding devices, or both.

Abstract: An example method is provided for an electronic device, which may have a display and an input interface, to perform password authentication. The example method may include generating at least one sequence of input elements for entry during the authentication of the user's password to disguise entry of the user's password via the input interface by increasing the user's contact with the input interface and prompting, on the display, for an entry of the user's password and the at least one sequence of input elements via the input interface. The example method may further include receiving, via the input interface, entry of the user's password and the at least one sequence of input elements and determining whether the authentication is successful by checking whether the received entry is correct.

Abstract: An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment, and the SDN controller device receiving, from the plurality of forwarding devices, trace information comprising header information and payload information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information that identifies forwarding devices that processed a particular packet associated with the communication flow, or packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by a particular forwarding device, or both.

Abstract: An example method is provided for an electronic device, which may have a display and an input interface, to perform password authentication. The example method may include generating at least one sequence of input elements for entry during the authentication of the user's password to disguise entry of the user's password via the input interface by increasing the user's contact with the input interface and prompting, on the display, for an entry of the user's password and the at least one sequence of input elements via the input interface. The example method may further include receiving, via the input interface, entry of the user's password and the at least one sequence of input elements and determining whether the authentication is successful by checking whether the received entry is correct.

Abstract: An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment, and the SDN controller device receiving, from the plurality of forwarding devices, trace information comprising header information and payload information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information that identifies forwarding devices that processed a particular packet associated with the communication flow, or packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by a particular forwarding device, or both.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.

Abstract: An active management technology device may be provisioned using a live operating system stored on a disk, in one embodiment. After disk insertion, no further operator involvement may be needed in some cases.

Abstract: Machine-readable media, methods, and apparatus are described for dynamic content play control. In some embodiments, a client device (11) may receive a mark associated with a content piece from a remote system (10) connecting with the client device (11) through a network. The client device (11) may determine whether to play the content piece by checking the mark with a policy table comprising a plurality of marks. The policy table may indicate whether each of a plurality of content pieces associated with each of the plurality of marks is acceptable for play.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.

Abstract: An active management technology device may be provisioned using a live operating system stored on a disk, in one embodiment. After disk insertion, no further operator involvement may be needed in some cases.