Abstract: A system for providing policy-controlled communication between a plurality of different cloud computing environments includes a user interface that receives configuration settings to be applied to a plurality of first instances and a plurality of second instances. A plurality of collectors of the system that retrieve information from a first cloud computing environment and a second cloud computing environment, and a controller determines policies for the plurality of first instances and the plurality of second instances. A configurator of the system applies the policies to the plurality of first instances and the plurality of second instances, a first tester that inspects operations of the plurality of first instances and detects violations of the policies, and an enforcer responds to the detected violations. The controller instructs the configurator to apply the first policy to the first instance again, shut down the first instance or cut off communications with the first instance.

Abstract: A system for providing policy-controlled communication between a plurality of different cloud computing environments includes a user interface that receives configuration settings to be applied to a plurality of first instances within a first cloud computing environment and a plurality of second instances within a second cloud computing environment. The system also includes a plurality of collectors that retrieve information from the first cloud computing environment and the second cloud computing environment, and a controller that determines policies for the plurality of first instances and the plurality of second instances as functions of the configuration settings and the information. Further, the system includes a configurator that applies the policies to the plurality of first instances and the plurality of second instances; a first tester that inspects operations of the plurality of first instances and detects violations of the policies; and an enforcer that responds to the detected violations.

Abstract: A content delivery network transcodes content objects from a content provider for transmission to end users. The content delivery network includes network storage and servers. When a content object is uploaded, the network storage stores a copy of the content object, and a copy of the content object is directed to external file-based storage. At least one of the servers directs segments of the content object to a plurality of transcoding servers. Each of the transcoding servers informs a segment engine about which of the segments the transcoding server has received, transcodes the received segment to form a transcoded segment receivable by at least one of the end users, and transmits the transcoded segment to a permanent storage location. The content delivery network verifies that the copy of the content object is stored in the external file-based storage, and deletes the local copy of the content object.

Abstract: A content delivery network (CDN) performs time varying traffic allocation. The network includes: one or more edge servers that store content corresponding to a domain name that is associated with a content provider, and are configured to deliver the content to end users in response to requests received at the edge servers from the end users; analytics information characterizing the CDN; and a traffic engine that periodically evaluates a service function as having a serve value or a shunt value for the domain name, based at least in part on the analytics information. The traffic engine transmits one or more IP addresses of the edge servers to an interface to a domain name service (DNS) while the service function has the serve value for the domain name; and transmits alternate domain name information of a different network to the interface while the service function has the shunt value.

Abstract: A machine-implementable method for managing cloud-based transcoding resources available to a content delivery network includes maintaining a queue of video transcoding jobs that may be executed by internal transcoders of the content delivery network or by external transcoders of a plurality of cloud-based resources, utilizing a server of the content delivery network. The method further includes determining, at first and second times, corresponding first and second transcoder supply deviations, and a trend indicator; and determining whether to activate, deactivate, or make no change to the number of transcoders that are currently activated for transcoding, based at least on the second transcoder supply deviation and the trend indicator.

Abstract: A content delivery network (CDN) performs time varying traffic allocation. The network includes: one or more edge servers that store content corresponding to a domain name that is associated with a content provider, and are configured to deliver the content to end users in response to requests received at the edge servers from the end users; analytics information characterizing the CDN; and a traffic engine that periodically evaluates a service function as having a serve value or a shunt value for the domain name, based at least in part on the analytics information. The traffic engine transmits one or more IP addresses of the edge servers to an interface to a domain name service (DNS) while the service function has the serve value for the domain name; and transmits alternate domain name information of a different network to the interface while the service function has the shunt value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing access to resources of a network device is provided. A user instructs a network device to generate a user password that is concealed from the user of the network device. The network device generates the user password based on, at least in part, public input provided by the user, and an algorithm which is concealed from the user, but known to a support service provider. The user communicates the public input to the support service provider. The support service provider uses the public input to generate a provider password based on, at least in part, the algorithm. The support service provider may access the network device via a network by providing the provider password to the network device. If the provider password matches the user password generated, then the support service provider is granted access to resources of the network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing the delivery of electronic messages using bounce profiles is provided. A bounce profile is a set of data that may be used by a mail server in redelivering an electronic message that was not successfully delivered (i.e., bounced) to a recipient of an electronic message. A sender mail server, upon determining that an electronic message sent to a recipient mail server bounced, may select a bounce profile, among a plurality of bounce profiles, that is associated with a trait of the bounced electronic message, such as a domain of the recipient or a message type of the bounced electronic message. The sender mail server determines whether, and how, to redeliver the bounced electronic message to the recipient mail server based on information specified by the selected bounce profile.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing access to resources of a network device is provided. A user instructs a network device to generate a user password that is concealed from the user of the network device. The network device generates the user password based on, at least in part, public input provided by the user, and an algorithm which is concealed from the user, but known to a support service provider. The user communicates the public input to the support service provider. The support service provider uses the public input to generate a provider password based on, at least in part, the algorithm. The support service provider may access the network device via a network by providing the provider password to the network device. If the provider password matches the user password generated, then the support service provider is granted access to resources of the network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing the delivery of electronic messages using bounce profiles is provided. A bounce profile is a set of data that may be used by a mail server in redelivering an electronic message that was not successfully delivered (i.e., bounced) to a recipient of an electronic message. A sender mail server, upon determining that an electronic message sent to a recipient mail server bounced, may select a bounce profile, among a plurality of bounce profiles, that is associated with a trait of the bounced electronic message, such as a domain of the recipient or a message type of the bounced electronic message. The sender mail server determines whether, and how, to redeliver the bounced electronic message to the recipient mail server based on information specified by the selected bounce profile.