Abstract: Sharing content between users of different social networks includes: in a source social network implemented by at least one processor, receiving shared content uploaded by a source user with an indication of a number of recipients of the shared content; establishing a trusted communication link between the source social network and at least one external social network; and allowing the number of recipients to retrieve the shared content from the source social network via the trusted communication link.

Abstract: A method for dynamically managing a social network group performed by a group management system having at least one physical processing apparatus includes receiving, with the group management system, data from a number of source providers over a computer network; identifying a basis for creating a new social network group from the data with the group management system; creating the new social network group with the group management system; and automatically inviting a number of members to join the new social network group with the group management system, each of the members being associated with the basis identified in the data for creating the new social network group.

Abstract: Sharing content between users of different social networks includes: in a source social network implemented by at least one processor, receiving shared content uploaded by a source user with an indication of a number of recipients of the shared content; establishing a trusted communication link between the source social network and at least one external social network; and allowing the number of recipients to retrieve the shared content from the source social network via the trusted communication link.

Abstract: A method for dynamically managing a social network group performed by a group management system having at least one physical processing apparatus includes receiving, with the group management system, data from a number of source providers over a computer network; identifying a basis for creating a new social network group from the data with the group management system; creating the new social network group with the group management system; and automatically inviting a number of members to join the new social network group with the group management system, each of the members being associated with the basis identified in the data for creating the new social network group.

Abstract: Under the present invention, a set of filters (e.g., one or more) is associated with a hierarchical tree, which includes sets of namespace nodes, element nodes and variable nodes. Once the set of filters is associated with the hierarchical tree, a network document is parsed and compared to the hierarchical tree to identify a set of corresponding filters. Each corresponding filter is then evaluated based on the network document to determine which, if any, are “satisfied.” The network document is then communicated to the user(s) that correspond to the satisfied filter(s).

Abstract: The invention provides a software construct, herein termed a Web service container, for managing Web services at a network node and an adaptive model for the dynamic configuration of a plurality of Web service containers distributed throughout a network, such as the Internet or an intranet, in a software and hardware platform-independent manner. Containers can communicate with each other via the network to determine contextual information such as the identity of each other, the capabilities of each other, the operating system or platforms of each others, the contents of the container (i.e., the available Web services at that location), etc. By providing a container framework and the ability to exchange contextual information, the present invention allows servers as well as clients to dynamically exchange Web services software as well as contextual information, such as current workload, so that servers and clients are virtually limitlessly reconfigurable based on context.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus that, upon receipt of a Web service deployment artifact, attempts to determine a deployment strategy for the Web service and deploy the Web service using that strategy. The invention stores a plurality of deployment strategies and corresponding deployment identifiers. When it receives a deployment artifact, it checks if it is a recognized deployment descriptor object that is registered with it as a deployment identifier, and, if so, runs the corresponding deployment strategy to deploy the Web service. If this scheme does not work, it tries a second scheme in which it assumes that the artifact is a URL or URI character string and attempts to parse the artifact to determine the extension of the provided resource and use it as its deployment identifier. If it determines and recognizes the extension, it attempts to deploy the Web service utilizing the deployment strategy that it has registered as corresponding to that extension/identifier.

Abstract: Under the present invention, a set of filters (e.g., one or more) is associated with a hierarchical tree, which includes sets of namespace nodes, element nodes and variable nodes. Once the set of filters is associated with the hierarchical tree, a network document is parsed and compared to the hierarchical tree to identify a set of corresponding filters. Each corresponding filter is then evaluated based on the network document to determine which, if any, are “satisfied.” The network document is then communicated to the user(s) that correspond to the satisfied filter(s).

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus that, upon receipt of a Web service deployment artifact, attempts to determine a deployment strategy for the Web service and deploy the Web service using that strategy. The invention stores a plurality of deployment strategies and corresponding deployment identifiers. When it receives a deployment artifact, it checks if it is a recognized deployment descriptor object that is registered with it as a deployment identifier, and, if so, runs the corresponding deployment strategy to deploy the Web service. If this scheme does not work, it tries a second scheme in which it assumes that the artifact is a URL or URI character string and attempts to parse the artifact to determine the extension of the provided resource and use it as its deployment identifier. If it determines and recognizes the extension, it attempts to deploy the Web service utilizing the deployment strategy that it has registered as corresponding to that extension/identifier.

Abstract: The invention provides a software construct, herein termed a Web service container, for managing Web services at a network node and an adaptive model for the dynamic configuration of a plurality of Web service containers distributed throughout a network, such as the Internet or an intranet, in a software and hardware platform-independent manner. Containers can communicate with each other via the network to determine contextual information such as the identity of each other, the capabilities of each other, the operating system or platforms of each others, the contents of the container (i.e., the available Web services at that location), etc. By providing a container framework and the ability to exchange contextual information, the present invention allows servers as well as clients to dynamically exchange Web services software as well as contextual information, such as current workload, so that servers and clients are virtually limitlessly reconfigurable based on context.