Abstract: The deployment of content and computing resources for implementing a distributed software application can be optimized based upon customer location. The volume and geographic origin of incoming requests for a distributed software application are determined. Based upon the volume and geographic origin of the incoming requests, content and/or one or more instances of the distributed software application may be deployed to a geographic region generating a significant volume of requests for the distributed software application. Content and/or instances of a distributed software application might also be speculatively deployed to a geographic region in an attempt to optimize the performance, cost, or other attribute of a distributed software application.

Abstract: Implementation resources are operated in a manner furthering a particular purpose while excluding use of the implementation resources for other purposes. At least some of the implementation resources have capacity that is usable to implement multiple other resources. The capacity of the implementation resources is allocated in a manner that satisfies one or more conditions on the capacity of the implementation resources that is used. Generally, the capacity is allocated in a manner that reduces the likelihood that resources initiated close in time will fail together should underlying implementation resources fail. The implementation resources may be hardware devices that implement virtual computer systems.

Abstract: Virtual resources may be provisioned in a manner that is aware of, and respects, underlying implementation resource boundaries. A customer of the virtual resource provider may specify that particular virtual resources are to be implemented with implementation resources that are dedicated to the customer. Dedicating an implementation resource to a particular customer of a virtual resource provider may establish one or more information barriers between the particular customer and other customers of the virtual resource provider. Implementation resources may require transition procedures, including custom transition procedures, to enter and exit dedicated implementation resource pools. Costs corresponding to active and inactive implementation resources in a dedicated pools associated with a particular customer may be accounted for, and presented to, the customer in a variety of ways including explicit, adjusted per customer and adjusted per type of virtual resource and/or implementation resource.

Abstract: Virtual resources may be provisioned in a manner that is aware of, and respects, underlying implementation resource boundaries. A customer of the virtual resource provider may specify that particular virtual resources are to be implemented with implementation resources that are dedicated to the customer. Dedicating an implementation resource to a particular customer of a virtual resource provider may establish one or more information barriers between the particular customer and other customers of the virtual resource provider. Implementation resources may require transition procedures, including custom transition procedures, to enter and exit dedicated implementation resource pools. Costs corresponding to active and inactive implementation resources in a dedicated pools associated with a particular customer may be accounted for, and presented to, the customer in a variety of ways including explicit, adjusted per customer and adjusted per type of virtual resource and/or implementation resource.

Abstract: Users intending to launch instances or otherwise access virtual resources in a multi-tenant environment can specify a launch configuration. For each type of instance or each type of user, at least one launch configuration is created that includes parameters and values to be used in instantiating an instance of that type, the values being optimized for the current environment and type of instance. Launch configurations can be optimized for different types of users, such as to account for security credentials and access levels. Such an approach enables users to launch instances by contacting the resource provider directly without need for a proxy, which can function as a choke point under heavy load. The use of an appropriate launch configuration can be enforced for any type of user at any level, such as at the sub-net level, by modifying a request that does not specify an appropriate launch configuration.

Abstract: The deployment of content and computing resources for implementing a distributed software application can be optimized based upon customer location. The volume and geographic origin of incoming requests for a distributed software application are determined. Based upon the volume and geographic origin of the incoming requests, content and/or one or more instances of the distributed software application may be deployed to a geographic region generating a significant volume of requests for the distributed software application. Content and/or instances of a distributed software application might also be speculatively deployed to a geographic region in an attempt to optimize the performance, cost, or other attribute of a distributed software application.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating use of software components by software applications in a configurable manner. In some situations, the software components are fee-based components that are made available by providers of the components for use by others in exchange for fees defined by the components providers, and in at least some situations, the software components may have various associated restrictions or other non-price conditions related to their use. The described techniques facilitate use of such software components by software applications in a configured manner. Furthermore, in at least some situation, the execution of such software applications is managed by an application deployment system that controls and tracks the execution of the software application on one or more computing nodes, including to manage the execution of any software components that are part of the software application.

Abstract: Users intending to launch instances or otherwise access virtual resources in a multi-tenant environment can specify a launch configuration. For each type of instance or each type of user, at least one launch configuration is created that includes parameters and values to be used in instantiating an instance of that type, the values being optimized for the current environment and type of instance. Launch configurations can be optimized for different types of users, such as to account for security credentials and access levels. Such an approach enables users to launch instances by contacting the resource provider directly without need for a proxy, which can function as a choke point under heavy load. The use of an appropriate launch configuration can be enforced for any type of user at any level, such as at the sub-net level, by modifying a request that does not specify an appropriate launch configuration.

Abstract: The deployment of content and computing resources for implementing a distributed software application can be optimized based upon customer location. The volume and geographic origin of incoming requests for a distributed software application are determined. Based upon the volume and geographic origin of the incoming requests, content and/or one or more instances of the distributed software application may be deployed to a geographic region generating a significant volume of requests for the distributed software application. Content and/or instances of a distributed software application might also be speculatively deployed to a geographic region in an attempt to optimize the performance, cost, or other attribute of a distributed software application.

Abstract: Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to for managing the configuration and security policies of hosted virtual machine networks. Hosted virtual machine networks are configured in a manner such that a virtual machine manager component can establish service manifests that correspond to information required by the virtual machine network from a user/customer. The virtual machine manager component can also publish in the service manifests contractual information, such as security risk assessments, that are deemed to have been provided and accepted by the user/customer in instantiating virtual machine networks. If the processed service manifest information remains valid, a substrate network process requests or independently instantiate services or components in accordance with the configuration information and security risk information included in the processed service manifest.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating use of software components by software applications in a configurable manner. In some situations, the software components are fee-based components that are made available by providers of the components for use by others in exchange for fees defined by the components providers, and in at least some situations, the software components may have various associated restrictions or other non-price conditions related to their use. The described techniques facilitate use of such software components by software applications in a configured manner. Furthermore, in at least some situation, the execution of such software applications is managed by an application deployment system that controls and tracks the execution of the software application on one or more computing nodes, including to manage the execution of any software components that are part of the software application.

Abstract: A plurality of redundant brokers may be used as intermediaries to exchange messages between one or more producers and one or more consumers. More specifically, one or more producers may enqueue messages to a primary broker. The primary broker then dispatches the received messages to one or more interested consumers. However, should the primary broker fail, messages enqueued by the producers may be lost, and thus delivery of such messages may fail. Accordingly, one or more backup brokers may be provided that can assume the responsibilities of the failed primary broker and dispatch copies of the messages that were enqueued by the producers to the failed primary broker.

Abstract: Update preferences might be utilized to specify that an update to an application should not be applied until the demand for the application falls below a certain threshold. Demand for the application is monitored. The update to the application is applied when the actual demand for the application falls below the specified threshold. The threshold might be set such that updates are deployed during the off-peak periods of demand encountered during a regular demand cycle, such as a diurnal, monthly, or yearly cycle.

Abstract: Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to for managing the configuration and security policies of hosted virtual machine networks. Hosted virtual machine networks are configured in a manner such that a virtual machine manager component can establish service manifests that correspond to information required by the virtual machine network from a user/customer. The virtual machine manager component can also publish in the service manifests contractual information, such as security risk assessments, that are deemed to have been provided and accepted by the user/customer in instantiating virtual machine networks. If the processed service manifest information remains valid, a substrate network process requests or independently instantiate services or components in accordance with the configuration information and security risk information included in the processed service manifest.

Abstract: Comparative decision systems and methods are disclosed for gathering and mining data representative of purchase decisions. One disclosed comparative decision system detects when a user is comparing items and provides the user with the ability to create a research note storing comparative information for the alternative items. The system displays information about items according to a variety of factors. The user can customize the factors and enter information for each alternative item according to the various factors. Some information may be pre-populated by the system. The research note may be made visible to other users, and may be suggested to another user based on the note's expected helpfulness and relevance to that user. One disclosed method for mining data stored within research notes identifies which factors are given higher relative priorities by users considering a purchase. Another mining method analyzes the effects of price changes on item popularity.

Abstract: Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to for managing the configuration and security policies of hosted virtual machine networks. Hosted virtual machine networks are configured in a manner such that a virtual machine manager component can establish service manifests that correspond to information required by the virtual machine network from a user/customer. The virtual machine manager component can also publish in the service manifests contractual information, such as security risk assessments, that are deemed to have been provided and accepted by the user/customer in instantiating virtual machine networks. If the processed service manifest information remains valid, a substrate network process requests or independently instantiate services or components in accordance with the configuration information and security risk information included in the processed service manifest.

Abstract: Control planes of virtual resource providers may be customized in a secure, stable and efficient manner with virtual control planes. Control planes may be modularized. Control plane modules may be supplied with data from standardized sensors, and required to generate standardized resource configuration requests responsive to solicitations with specified response latencies. Custom control plane modules may be selected to replace or complement default control plane modules. Financial and computational costs associated with control plane modules may be tracked. Competing resource configurations may be mediated by a control plane supervisor. Such mediation may be based on control plane module reputation scores. Reputation scores may be based on customer feedback ratings and/or measured performance with respect to module goals. Mediated configuration parameter values may be based on a combination of competing configuration parameter values weighted according to reputation.

Abstract: Virtual resources may be provisioned in a manner that is aware of, and respects, underlying implementation resource boundaries. A customer of the virtual resource provider may specify that particular virtual resources are to be implemented with implementation resources that are dedicated to the customer. Dedicating an implementation resource to a particular customer of a virtual resource provider may establish one or more information barriers between the particular customer and other customers of the virtual resource provider. Implementation resources may require transition procedures, including custom transition procedures, to enter and exit dedicated implementation resource pools. Costs corresponding to active and inactive implementation resources in a dedicated pools associated with a particular customer may be accounted for, and presented to, the customer in a variety of ways including explicit, adjusted per customer and adjusted per type of virtual resource and/or implementation resource.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for using proxy addresses to manage communications sent between virtual machine networks hosted by a substrate network. In some embodiments, the substrate network may identify a communication addressed from an instantiated component of a first hosted virtual network to a first proxy component of the first hosted virtual network. The substrate network may cause the communication to be received by a second instantiated component of a second host virtual network. Specifically, the substrate network may alter a destination address of the communication from a proxy address of the first proxy component to a network address of the second instantiated component. The substrate network may also alter a source address of the communication from a network address of the first instantiated component to a proxy address of a second proxy component.

Abstract: Control planes of virtual resource providers may be customized in a secure, stable and efficient manner with virtual control planes. Control planes may be modularized. Control plane modules may be supplied with data from standardized sensors, and required to generate standardized resource configuration requests responsive to solicitations with specified response latencies. Custom control plane modules may be selected to replace or complement default control plane modules. Financial and computational costs associated with control plane modules may be tracked. Competing resource configurations may be mediated by a control plane supervisor. Such mediation may be based on control plane module reputation scores. Reputation scores may be based on customer feedback ratings and/or measured performance with respect to module goals. Mediated configuration parameter values may be based on a combination of competing configuration parameter values weighted according to reputation.