Abstract: A number of directory servers non-exclusively engage a first plurality of servers to serve as master servers for hosting one or more application services, and a second plurality of servers to serve as slave servers for facilitating clients accesses to the one or more hosted application services. During operation, the directory servers receiving requests from clients to access a selected one or selected ones of the one or more hosted application services. In response, the directory servers select and assign selected ones of their non-exclusively engaged master servers to host the one or more accessed application services as well as select and assign selected ones of their engaged slave servers to facilitate the clients to access the one or more hosted application services. In one embodiment, the hosted application service is a hosted Internet Talk Radio System and its hosted multi-party talk radio shows.

Abstract: Views and view controls are used to display and access data created from multiple applications. Namespaces, folders, items, views and view control objects are used to abstract the data type of the data, contained in items. Therefore, data can be displayed in multiple views and the same view can be used to display data independent of the data type. To display a view, a user selects a folder that contains items. A folder, item, view, and view control work together to define the fields and data to display and the format to display them. The user can generate many views by editing one view, thereby creating a new view. An edit interface is provided allowing the user to modify a view. Modifications include entering new data in a view, defining new fields, and entering calculations based on other data. A new view control can be installed by determining what information to pass, conforming to OLE standards and entering the view control in the operating system's database registry.