Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for context scoring adjustments for candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes scoring candidate answer passages. For each candidate answer passage, the system determines a heading vector that describes a path in the heading hierarchy from the root heading to the respective heading to which the candidate answer passage is subordinate; determines a context score based, at least in part, on the heading vector; and adjusts answer score of the candidate answer passage at least in part by the context score to form an adjusted answer score. The system then selects an answer passage from the candidate answer passages based on the adjusted answer scores.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query determined to be a question query data identifying resources determined to be responsive to the query; for each resource in a top-ranked subset of the resources: identifying a plurality of passage units in the resource; applying a set of passage unit selection criterion to the passage units, each passage unit selection criterion specifying a condition for inclusion of a passage unit in a candidate answer passage, wherein a first subset of passage unit selection criteria applies to structured content and a second subset of passage unit selection criteria applies to unstructured content; and generating, from passage units that satisfy the set of passage unit selection criterion, a set of candidate answer passages.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for context scoring adjustments for candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes scoring candidate answer passages. For each candidate answer passage, the system determines a heading vector that describes a path in the heading hierarchy from the root heading to the respective heading to which the candidate answer passage is subordinate; determines a context score based, at least in part, on the heading vector; and adjusts answer score of the candidate answer passage at least in part by the context score to form an adjusted answer score. The system then selects an answer passage from the candidate answer passages based on the adjusted answer scores.

Abstract: Topology-centric resource management for large scale service clusters is described herein. According to certain embodiments of the invention, techniques include 1) creating optimized topology with network switches to connect service modules based on application flows and bandwidth requirements, 2) providing centralized or decentralized monitoring schemes to maintain the topology view of a service cluster, and 3) using the topology information for optimizing load balancing and service information dissemination. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: Topology-centric resource management for large scale service clusters is described herein. According to certain embodiments of the invention, techniques include 1) creating optimized topology with network switches to connect service modules based on application flows and bandwidth requirements, 2) providing centralized or decentralized monitoring schemes to maintain the topology view of a service cluster, and 3) using the topology information for optimizing load balancing and service information dissemination. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.