Abstract: The present invention describes a system and a method for dynamically optimising the computing resources allocated to a client application in different data regions of one or more service providers. A number of monitoring modules are provided in each data regions, which are configured to collect operational information from each data region, which is communicated to the other data regions. As such, all data regions are aware of the operational environment of the other data regions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a set of routes using a graph having nodes and links connecting the nodes. The routes are determined for one or more tokens, and each token is associated with an origin node and a destination node included in the graph and with a token weight. Token constraints, which include at least one constraint relative to the token weight, are received for each token. Candidate routes satisfying at least some of the token constraints are received for each token. Each candidate route includes at least one route link included in the graph and the each route link is associated with a link weight. Shared route links are those route links that share at least two tokens. The candidate routes are filtered based on a condition related to the link weight of each shared route link and to the weights of the tokens sharing the link.

Abstract: A method includes: maintaining, for a pool of items, an available quantity indicator; selecting a transferrable quantity associated with the pool of items; updating the available quantity indicator according to the transferrable quantity; obtaining a set of unique item identifiers equal in number to the transferrable quantity; publishing a set of transferrable item definitions equal in number to the transferrable quantity, each transferrable item definition including (i) a respective unique identifier, (ii) a cost, and (iii) an expiry time; receiving, prior to the expiry time, a conversion request including a unique identifier from a published transferrable item definition; and responsive to authentication of the conversion request, receiving purchaser identification data associated with the conversion request, and generating a purchase record corresponding to an item from the pool, the purchase record linking the purchaser identification data with the item.

Abstract: A device, system and method for changing a topology of a geographically distributed system is provided. One or more computing devices determine resource usage of an initial topology of a geographically distributed system that includes data stored at one or more initial locations and applications, that consume the data, being implemented at the one or more of initial locations. The computing device(s) determine projected resource usage of additional topologies of the geographically distributed system, the additional topologies defining respective locations, different from the one or more initial locations, where respective portions of the data and/or the applications are located. In response to an additional topology having a respective projected resource usage that is less than the resource usage of the initial topology, the computing device(s) control a respective portion of the data and/or the applications to move to the respective locations defined by the additional topology.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system and a method for dynamically optimising the computing resources allocated to a client application in different data regions of one or more service providers. A number of monitoring modules are provided in each data regions, which are configured to collect operational information from each data region, which is communicated to the other data regions. As such, all data regions are aware of the operational environment of the other data regions.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for optimising Virtual Machine (VM) instances (121) of a Virtual Machine (VM) cluster (120) in a cloud computing platform (100) to avoid the use of VM instances (121) with degraded performance. The optimisation process of the VM instances (121) comprises the steps of identifying and optimising VM instances (121) with degraded performance in VM clusters (120). The performance of the deficient VM instances may be optimised by requesting for each deficient VM instance (121) a corresponding replacement VM instance (121) to be created by the IaaS (170), and accordingly maintain the best performing VM instance from each pair of deficient and replacement VM instances (121).

Abstract: Methods, caches, database systems and computer program products for processing database requests and retrieving results from the cache of a database system. The cache stores a representation of a data space of one or more databases of the database system, including one or more results for any database request for which the data space is able to output a result. In response to receiving a database request from a client, the cache determines by utilizing the stored representation whether the data space is able to output one or more results for the database request. If affirmative, one or more results are returned to the client from the representation of the cache. Otherwise, the cache returns an invalidity notification.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a set of routes using a graph having nodes and links connecting the nodes. The routes are determined for one or more tokens, and each token is associated with an origin node and a destination node included in the graph and with a token weight. Token constraints, which include at least one constraint relative to the token weight, are received for each token. Candidate routes satisfying at least some of the token constraints are received for each token. Each candidate route includes at least one route link included in the graph and the each route link is associated with a link weight. Shared route links are those route links that share at least two tokens. The candidate routes are filtered based on a condition related to the link weight of each shared route link and to the weights of the tokens sharing the link.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for optimising Virtual Machine (VM) instances (121) of a Virtual Machine (VM) cluster (120) in a cloud computing platform (100) to avoid the use of VM instances (121) with degraded performance. The optimisation process of the VM instances (121) comprises the steps of identifying and optimising VM instances (121) with degraded performance in VM clusters (120). The performance of the deficient VM instances may be optimised by requesting for each deficient VM instance (121) a corresponding replacement VM instance (121) to be created by the IaaS (170), and accordingly maintain the best performing VM instance from each pair of deficient and replacement VM instances (121).

Abstract: Methods, caches, database systems and computer program products for processing database requests and retrieving results from the cache of a database system. The cache stores a representation of a data space of one or more databases of the database system, including one or more results for any database request for which the data space is able to output a result. In response to receiving a database request from a client, the cache determines by utilizing the stored representation whether the data space is able to output one or more results for the database request. If affirmative, one or more results are returned to the client from the representation of the cache. Otherwise, the cache returns an invalidity notification.

Abstract: A query processing device implemented in a server device, the query identifying query parameters and being received from a client device, the query being processed by the server device at the query date, the server device being configured to determine a set of candidate products meeting at least some of the parameters of said query, each candidate product being associated with a current numerical value defined by the current value of the candidate product at the query date, and to transmit to the client device at least a proportion of the candidate products and the respective current numerical value thereof. The query processing device furthermore comprises a processing unit configured to determine at least one future numerical value of the selected candidate product which is equal to an estimate of the current numerical value of the candidate product at a date subsequent to the query date.