Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from an application for access to a service. The application is one of a number of applications that each includes software for accessing the service. The method includes selecting one of the applications to use to access the service, and providing the requesting application access to the service through the selected application's software for accessing the service.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from an application for access to a service. The application is one of a number of applications that each includes software for accessing the service. The method includes selecting one of the applications to use to access the service, and providing the requesting application access to the service through the selected application's software for accessing the service.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from an application for access to a service. The application is one of a number of applications that each includes software for accessing the service. The method includes selecting one of the applications to use to access the service, and providing the requesting application access to the service through the selected application's software for accessing the service.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing access to federation infrastructure-based resources. Various different layers within a federation infrastructure can signal location change events indicating the hosting location and/or access location for a resource is to be optimized. In response to a location change event, redirection information for accessing the resource is updated within the federation infrastructure. The redirection information is used to redirect resource access requests to appropriately optimized locations within the federation infrastructure. Redirecting resource access requests reduces communication within the federation infrastructure.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for distributed aggregation on an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention utilize tiers of nodes that are cascaded in a layered system. Each tier reduces the size of data by orders of magnitude through pre-aggregation. Thus, high volume streams of messages can be reduced to lower volume streams at large scales, such as, for example, the Internet. No central coordination is used; thus there is no central point of failure or bottleneck. When a node fails, other nodes in the same tier as the failing node automatically take over the responsibilities of the failed node.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for synchronizing clocks in an asynchronous distributed system. Embodiments of the invention facilitate creation of a trustable and practical common time (time of day) reference across a set of peer nodes (observers), such as, for example, members within a common asynchronous (distributed) system. A class of pseudo synchronous system can be created via tracking and accumulating worst case relativistic time skews amongst pairs of nodes (observers), without reference to a common master. As such, cooperating nodes can essentially guarantee a lower bound on the time-of-day that one node will observe, given an observation on another node. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be applied to provide a consistent (essentially safe) view of the worst case (i.e., greatest variance in) current time across such an asynchronous system—without a common external time-of-day clock entity being used.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed timers in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate timers within an overlay network and can be used to make progress towards completing a portion of work within the overlay network based on a replicated timer. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of timer data as well as compensate for node failures within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for fitness based routing. Embodiments of the invention significantly improve the likelihood that routing nodes contained in routing table have adequate (or even relatively increased) ability to transfer and process messages in an overlay network. Thus, when the node is to make a routing decision for a message, the node has some assurances that any selected routing node is adequate (or is at least the best currently available). Further, a sending node can take preference to routing nodes with higher fitness values when sending a message. Preference to higher fitness metric values further insures that messages are adequately transferred and processed. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to route messages in a manner that optimizes bandwidth and provides efficient routing capability.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed queues in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate queue state (e.g., inserted and/or deleted messages) within an overlay network and can be used to continue a process at a different node within the overlay network based on replicated queue state. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of queue state, compensate for node failures within an overlay network, and promote replication of consistent queue state between nodes within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using distributed timers in an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention can be used to replicate timers within an overlay network and can be used to make progress towards completing a portion of work within the overlay network based on a replicated timer. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the availability of timer data as well as compensate for node failures within an overlay network.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for distributed aggregation on an overlay network. Embodiments of the invention utilize tiers of nodes that are cascaded in a layered system. Each tier reduces the size of data by orders of magnitude through pre-aggregation. Thus, high volume streams of messages can be reduced to lower volume streams at large scales, such as, for example, the Internet. No central coordination is used; thus there is no central point of failure or bottleneck. When a node fails, other nodes in the same tier as the failing node automatically take over the responsibilities of the failed node.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing access to federation infrastructure-based resources. Various different layers within a federation infrastructure can signal location change events indicating the hosting location and/or access location for a resource is to be optimized. In response to a location change event, redirection information for accessing the resource is updated within the federation infrastructure. The redirection information is used to redirect resource access requests to appropriately optimized locations within the federation infrastructure. Redirecting resource access requests reduces communication within the federation infrastructure.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for synchronizing clocks in an asynchronous distributed system. Embodiments of the invention facilitate creation of a trustable and practical common time (time of day) reference across a set of peer nodes (observers), such as, for example, members within a common asynchronous (distributed) system. A class of pseudo synchronous system can be created via tracking and accumulating worst case relativistic time skews amongst pairs of nodes (observers), without reference to a common master. As such, cooperating nodes can essentially guarantee a lower bound on the time-of-day that one node will observe, given an observation on another node. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be applied to provide a consistent (essentially safe) view of the worst case (i.e., greatest variance in) current time across such an asynchronous system—without a common external time-of-day clock entity being used.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for fitness based routing. Embodiments of the invention significantly improve the likelihood that routing nodes contained in routing table have adequate (or even relatively increased) ability to transfer and process messages in an overlay network. Thus, when the node is to make a routing decision for a message, the node has some assurances that any selected routing node is adequate (or is at least the best currently available). Further, a sending node can take preference to routing nodes with higher fitness values when sending a message. Preference to higher fitness metric values further insures that messages are adequately transferred and processed. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to route messages in a manner that optimizes bandwidth and provides efficient routing capability.

Abstract: An application is built in accordance with a particular application framework. A component is incorporated into the application. When an asynchronous operation is to be performed, the component is configured to issue a standard function call in a manner that is independent of the particular application framework used to build the application. An asynchronous operations manager is configured to detect the particular application framework used to build the application, receive the standard function call, perform the asynchronous operation in accordance with a threading and concurrency model of the application framework, and cause a notification to be issued to the component in a manner that is in accordance with the threading and concurrency model when the asynchronous operation is complete. The asynchronous operations manager may determine the application framework by receiving a notification or function call from the application framework itself.