Abstract: Methods, apparatus and program products for a context monitor that monitors communications between components in a monitored environment. The context monitor maintains a historical context of interactions between the components and analyzes the current monitored environment using the historical context and the composition of the components in the environment and returns a situational assessment of the environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus and program products for gathering contextual history from components in an environment and applying an operation on the gathered history to assist a user in selecting which components to use in the environment.

Abstract: A system and method for assessing component capability to accept and execute mobile code includes a first component coupled via a network to a second component. The first component uses a predicate object to determine whether the second component can accept mobile code, such as a data type handler object or an applet. The instructions included in the predicate object are executed in the environment of the second component, although they can be executed in the first component environment. The execution of these instructions in the second component environment causes the second component to respond to a series of basic tests, such as whether the second component has access to required libraries, software versions and/or peripherals. Additionally, a predicate object creation module is disclosed for generating predicate objects that are specific to the objects desired, such as a data type handler object or a controller object.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and program products for using historical contextual data in a ubiquitous computing environment. The historical contextual data can be dispersed among components in an environment or logging services as well as stored on a particular component or logging service. The historical contextual data can be used to help create or re-create component configurations within the relevant environment through the use of abstract applications and abstract components. Abstract applications can be specified to create connections with specific components. Abstract applications can also be generalized so that they need not create connections with specific components, but can create component connections that perform a desired function by determining which components to use from the available components, and how to connect the selected components to perform the function.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus and program products for accumulating a historical context of interactions between components in an environment where each of the components has a component context that can be revealed. The components include a requester component and a service component. The requester component requests an operation to be performed by the service component. The requester component passes its context to the service component with the operational request. The requester component context is recorded as service component contextual metadata and becomes part of the historical context.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and program products for a context monitor that monitors communications between components in a monitored environment. The context monitor maintains a historical context of interactions between the components and analyzes the current monitored environment using the historical context and the composition of the components in the environment and returns a situational assessment of the environment.