Abstract: Techniques for facilitating a real-time virtual interaction between two or more users are provided. The techniques include extracting a dynamically changing context from two or more users, wherein the context comprises at least one of user-provided information and one or more items related to at least one of current activity and past activity of the two or more users, analyzing the context from each user to create a classification for each user, comparing the classification for each user with a classification for each additional user, wherein comparing comprises ordering each user in terms of closeness to each additional user, and using the ordering of each user in terms of closeness to each additional user to facilitate a real-time virtual interaction between two or more users. Techniques are also provided for generating a database of one or more user classifications.

Abstract: A query including one or more keywords is received from a client device, and an advertisement relevant to the one or more keywords is identified, wherein the advertisement is associated with a video. Display data for displaying the advertisement at the client device is generated. Video selection data for displaying a video element proximate to the advertisement at the client device is also generated. The display data and the video selection data are provided to the client device, and an account of an advertiser associated with the advertisement is updated an amount in response to receiving data indicating a selection of the advertisement or the video element.

Abstract: A query including one or more keywords is received from a client device, and a content item (e.g., an advertisement) relevant to the one or more keywords is identified. A video is selected from one or more videos associated with the content item, the selection based on the one or more keywords. Display data is generated for displaying the content item at the client device, and video selection data is generated for displaying the video proximate to the content item at the client device. The display data and the video selection data are provided to the client device.

Abstract: A query including one or more keywords is received. An advertisement associated with the one or more keywords is identified, and display data for displaying the advertisement is generated and a determination is made as to whether the advertisement is associated with a video. Video selection data is generated for displaying the video proximate to the advertisement if the advertisement is determined to be associated with the video, and the display data and the video selection data are provided.

Abstract: A system for predicting an occurrence of a critical even in a computer cluster includes: a control system that includes an event log, a system parameter log, a memory for storing information related to occurrences of critical events, and a processor. The processor implements a hybrid prediction system; loads the information from the event log and the system performance log into a Bayesian network model; uses the Bayesian network model to predict a future critical event; makes future scheduling and current data migration selections; and adapts the Bayesian network model by feeding the scheduling and data migration selections.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating creatives includes creating a first composite template. The method also includes defining one or more template elements for use with the first composite template. The method further includes assigning data to each of the one or more template elements. The method also includes generating a first creative based on the first composite template and the assigned data. The first creative comprises one or more creative elements corresponding to the one or more template elements.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a content item with a media item are described. The techniques include receiving user input indicating a placement preference for a content item to be presented with a media item. The placement preference indicates a presentation preference of the content item relative to presentation of the media item. The placement preference is used to influence selection of a media item with which the content item is to be presented.

Abstract: An absorption spectroscopy instrument is provided with a re-injection mirror to greatly increase the optical power coupled into an optical cavity, comprised of two or more mirrors, for the purpose of increasing the quality of absorption and extinction measurements made in the cavity. Light reflected from the first cavity mirror upon which a light beam is incident, can be efficiently collected and back reflected onto the same mirror, effectively producing a plurality of optical injections into the cavity. The instrument can be used for off-axis cavity ringdown spectroscopy, off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy, or other cavity-based spectroscopy applications.

Abstract: A problem determination system and method reduces the time and effort required by system administrators to trouble shot transaction processing difficulties in a large distributed I/T environment by monitoring system component performance and computing operational performance threshold limits based on dependency graphs for the system. Using this data, a prioritized list of suspect components for the I/T system is generated.

Abstract: A hybrid method of predicting the occurrence of future critical events in a computer cluster having a series of nodes records system performance parameters and the occurrence of past critical events. A data filter filters the logged to data to eliminate redundancies and decrease the data storage requirements of the system. Time-series models and rule based classification schemes are used to associate various system parameters with the past occurrence of critical events and predict the occurrence of future critical events. Ongoing processing jobs are migrated to nodes for which no critical events are predicted and future jobs are routed to more robust nodes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and program product for optimizing a distributed (software) application are provided. Specifically, a configuration of a target computing environment, in which the distributed application is deployed, is discovered upon deployment of the distributed application. Thereafter, based on a set of rules and the discovered configuration, one or more optimization techniques are applied to optimize the distributed application. In a typical embodiment, the set of rules can be embedded in the distributed application, or they can be accessed from an external source such as a repository.

Abstract: A method for determining locations in a predefined area for placing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader in order to obtain a full coverage of the predefined area is provided. The method includes arranging a plurality of hexagonal area to form a combined area until the total area of the combined area is equal or larger than the predefined area, aligning the predefined area within the combined area, and determining the hexagonal area which is fully or partially covered by the predefined area. Each hexagonal area represents an area of coverage of the RFID reader, and the center of the hexagonal area which is determined to be fully or partially covered by the predefined area corresponds to one of the locations for placing the RFID reader.

Abstract: A problem determination system and method reduces the time and effort required by system administrators to trouble shot transaction processing difficulties in a large distributed I/T environment by monitoring system component performance and computing operational performance threshold limits based on dependency graphs for the system. Using this data, a prioritized list of suspect components for the I/T system is generated.

Abstract: Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for determining run-time dependencies between logical components of a data processing environment. Components of the data processing environment are monitored by monitoring agents accessing run-time activity data via APIs of the managed system. A dependency generator identifies correlations between the run-time activity of the monitored components. For synchronous monitored systems, the dependency generator calculates an activity period for monitored components and determines which component's activity periods contain the activity periods of other components. Containment is used as an indicator of a likely dependency relationship, and a weighting is computed for each dependency relationship based on the consistency of containment.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a set of stack elements that are stackable and connected to form a ring. In one embodiment, the stack Media Access Control (MAC) address is stored in each stack element of the ring; and responsive to an assessment that communication with a primary stack element is lost, a determination is made whether to replace the first MAC address with a second MAC address or to retain the first MAC address in each stack element remaining of the set of stack elements.

Abstract: Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for determining run-time dependencies between logical components of a data processing environment. Components of the data processing environment are monitored by monitoring agents accessing run-time activity data via APIs of the managed system. A dependency generator identifies correlations between the run-time activity of the monitored components. For synchronous monitored systems, the dependency generator calculates an activity period for monitored components and determines which component's activity periods contain the activity periods of other components. Containment is used as an indicator of a likely dependency relationship, and a weighting is computed for each dependnecy relationship based on the consistency of containment.

Abstract: Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for determining run-time dependencies between logical components of a data processing environment. Components of the data processing environment are monitored by monitoring agents accessing run-time activity data via APIs of the managed system. A dependency generator identifies correlations between the run-time activity of the monitored components. For synchronous monitored systems, the dependency generator calculates an activity period for monitored components and determines which component's activity periods contain the activity periods of other components. Containment is used as an indicator of a likely dependency relationship, and a weighting is computed for each dependency relationship based on the consistency of containment.

Abstract: A method and a system for resolving problems in an enterprise system which contains a plurality of servers forming a cluster coupled via a network. A central controller is configured to monitor and control the plurality of servers in the cluster. The central controller is configured to poll the plurality of servers based on pre-defined rules and identify an alarm pattern in the cluster. The alarm pattern is associated with one of the servers in the cluster and a possible root cause is identified by the central controller with labeled alarm pattern in a repository and a possible solution is recommended to overcome the identified problem that has been associated with the alarm pattern. Information in the repository is adapted based on feedback about the real root cause obtained from the administrator.

Abstract: A platform (300) that supports (101) voice over Internet Protocol services for an Internet Protocol-compatible telephone (401), in response to detecting (102) that a given telephone-side capability of supporting the voice over Internet Protocol services for the Internet Protocol-compatible telephone is impaired, can automatically substitute (103) a standard telephone (402) for the Internet Protocol-compatible telephone such that a same telephone number as is used for the Internet Protocol-compatible telephone is also used for the standard telephone. This can comprise, at least in part, automatically interacting with a Session Initiation Protocol proxy server to facilitate the redirection of calls for the Internet Protocol-compatible telephone.

Abstract: A user's preference structure in respect of alternative “objects” with which the user is presented is captured in a multi-attribute utility function. The user ranks these competing objects in order of the user's relative preference for such objects. A utility function that defines the user's preference structure is provided as output on the basis of this relative ranking. This technique can be used to assist a buyer in selecting between multi-attribute quotes or bids submitted by prospective suppliers to the buyer.