Abstract: The present disclosure is based on a multi-core or multi-processor virtualized environment that comprises both time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive tasks. The present disclosure describes techniques that use a plurality of criteria to choose a processing resource that is to execute tasks. The present disclosure further describes techniques to re-schedule queued tasks from one processing resource to another processing resource, based on a number of criteria. Through load balancing techniques, the present invention both (i) favors the processing of soft real-time tasks arising from media servers and applications, and (ii) prevents “starvation” of the non-real-time general computing applications that co-exist with the media applications in a virtualized environment. These techniques, in the aggregate, favor the processing of soft real-time tasks while also reserving resources for non-real-time tasks.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables the avoidance of a processor overload of a telecommunications endpoint device that is susceptible to traffic floods. An enhanced network switch sets the speed on one of its data ports as a specific function of the speeds of the devices that are connected to one or more of its other data ports. This behavior is different from that of network switches in the prior art, in which the data rate of a port in the prior art is auto-negotiated to the highest speed that can be supported by the network elements at either end of the port's connection, regardless of the other devices present. By considering the specific devices that are connected, the enhanced network switch is able to limit the amount of traffic that is directed by an upstream device, such as a router, towards a device with limited processor capability, such as a packet-based phone.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enable migration for state of an application, from a primary machine to a backup machine in platform virtualization systems. The migration employs a hybrid approach, wherein both a hypervisor, and an application itself determine states that are to migrate from the primary machine to the backup machine. Based on a direct communication between the application and the hypervisor—without assistance of local operating system—the hypervisor arranges for migration of the required states over to the backup virtual machine.

Abstract: A system evaluates callers, into a contact center, for possible employment. The evaluations occur while the caller waits in a contact center queue and provide a rating of the callers as potential employees. Ratings may be generated or accumulated from one or more interactions with the contact center, where each interaction with the caller can provide information about the caller's suitability as an employee. Good candidates may be interviewed automatically and/or by a manager. Those candidates that receive good ratings/evaluations and are interested in the position may be hired or provided incentives to help the call center respond to calls.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that enables the run-time behavior of a data-processing system to be analyzed and, in many cases, to be predicted. In particular, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises i) transforming the messages that constitute an unstructured log into a numerical series and ii) applying a time-series analysis on the resultant series for the purpose of pattern detection. Indeed, it is recognized in the illustrative embodiment that the problem really is to detect patterns that depict aspects of system behavior, regardless of the textual content of the individual log messages. In other words, by analyzing the totality of the messages in the log or logs—as opposed to looking for pre-defined patterns of the individual messages—system behavior can be mapped and understood. The mapping helps in characterizing the system for the purposes of predicting failure, determining the time required to reach stability during failure recovery, and so forth.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables the transmission of a digital message along with a corresponding media information signal, such as audio or video. A telecommunications device that is processing the information signal from its user, such as a speech signal, encodes the information signal by using a model-based compression coder. One such device is a telecommunications endpoint. Then, based on an evaluation of the perceptual significance of each encoded bit, or on some other meaningful characteristic of the signal, the endpoint's processor: (i) determines which encoded bits can be overwritten; and (ii) intersperses the digital message bits throughout the encoded signal in place of the overwritten bits. The endpoint then transmits those digital message bits as part of the encoded information signal. In this way, no additional bits are appended to the packet to be transmitted, thereby addressing the issue of compatibility with existing protocols and firewalls.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables the transmission of a digital message along with a corresponding information signal, such as audio or video. The supplemental information contained in digital messages can be used for a variety of purposes, such as enabling or enhancing packet authentication. In particular, a telecommunications device that is processing an information signal from its user, such as a speech signal, encrypts the information signal by performing a bitwise exclusive-or of an encryption key stream with the information signal stream. The device, such as a telecommunications endpoint, then intersperses the bits of the digital message throughout the encrypted signal in place of those bits overwritten, in a process referred to as “watermarking.” The endpoint then transmits the interspersed digital message bits as part of a composite signal that also comprises the encrypted information bits. No additional bits are appended to the packet to be transmitted, thereby addressing compatibility issues.

Abstract: A feature activation system provides a mixed computing environment that includes a server and cloud computing. The hybrid model splits the execution of a communication feature between the cloud and the enterprise server installed at or with the enterprise. Service activation is linked to a portal that can communicate with either an intermediary system or directly with an entity executing computer programs in the cloud. When the customer desires to use a feature, the customer accesses the portal and activates the feature the enterprise desires. In the background, the portal instantiates a virtual machine, on any cloud platform, and then installs the feature with virtual machine on that cloud server. To execute feature, the enterprise server and the virtual machine exchange information between the server and the cloud and allow the feature to access the enterprise server or enterprise data.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for intelligently determining when to merge transactions to backup storage. In particular, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, queued transactions may be merged based on a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: the number of queued transactions; the rate of growth of the number of queued transactions; the calendrical time; estimates of the time required to execute the individual transactions; a measure of importance of the individual transactions; the transaction types of the individual transactions; a measure of importance of one or more data updated by the individual transactions; a measure of availability of one or more resources; a current estimate of the time penalty associated with shadowing a page of memory; and the probability of rollback for the individual transactions, and for the merged transaction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving performance in high-availability systems are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, pages of memory of a primary system that are to be shadowed are initially copied to a backup system's memory, as well as to a cache in the primary system. A duplication manager process maintains the cache in an intelligent manner that significantly reduces the overhead required to keep the backup system in sync with the primary system, as well as the cache size needed to achieve a given level of performance. Advantageously, the duplication manager is executed on a different processor core than the application process executing transactions, further improving performance.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed that dynamically improve soft real-time task performance in virtualized computing environments under the management of an enhanced hypervisor comprising a credit scheduler. The enhanced hypervisor analyzes the on-going performance of the domains of interest and of the virtualized data-processing system. Based on the performance metrics disclosed herein, some of the governing parameters of the credit scheduler are adjusted. Adjustments are typically performed cyclically, wherein the performance metrics of an execution cycle are analyzed and, if need be, adjustments are applied in a later execution cycle. In alternative embodiments, some of the analysis and tuning functions are in a separate application that resides outside the hypervisor. The performance metrics disclosed herein include: a “total-time” metric; a “timeslice” metric; a number of “latency” metrics; and a “count” metric.

Abstract: A method for scheduling the execution of tasks on a processor is disclosed. The purpose of the method is in part to serve the special needs of soft real-time tasks, which are time-sensitive. A parameter ? is an estimate of the amount of time required to execute the task. Another parameter ? is the maximum amount of time that the task is to spend in a queue before being executed. In the illustrative embodiment, the preferred wait time ?i for a newly-arrived task Ti is expected to be met though the insertion of the newly-arrived task Ti into a position k in a queue such that position k respects the task's preferred wait time ?i in light of the expected execution times of the other tasks already in the queue.

Abstract: The present disclosure is based on a multi-core or multi-processor virtualized environment that comprises both time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive tasks. The present disclosure describes techniques that use a plurality of criteria to choose a processing resource that is to execute tasks. The present disclosure further describes techniques to re-schedule queued tasks from one processing resource to another processing resource, based on a number of criteria. Through load balancing techniques, the present invention both (i) favors the processing of soft real-time tasks arising from media servers and applications, and (ii) prevents “starvation” of the non-real-time general computing applications that co-exist with the media applications in a virtualized environment. These techniques, in the aggregate, favor the processing of soft real-time tasks while also reserving resources for non-real-time tasks.

Abstract: A method that enables the run-time behavior of a system to be analyzed is disclosed. By analyzing the totality of the messages in the log or logs system behavior can be better understood. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention detects patterns in message logs, clusters similar messages, and determines system behavior based on the clustering of messages.

Abstract: A method for predicting whether a telephone call that is being set up will be considered annoying by the called party and, if so, for preventing it from being established. The illustrative embodiment predicts whether a telephone call will be considered annoying by the called party based on temporal characteristics of previous calls from the same caller. For example, when a called party receives an unwanted telephone solicitation, he or she will usually hang up within the first minute. If many telephone calls are made from the same caller, and all of these calls last under a minute, then it is reasonable to predict that future calls from this caller will be considered annoying.

Abstract: A method for detecting intrusions that employ messages of two or more protocols is disclosed. Such intrusions might occur in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems, as well as in systems in which two or more protocols support some service other than VoIP. In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a stateful intrusion-detection system is capable of employing rules that have cross-protocol pre-conditions. The illustrative embodiment can use such rules to recognize a variety of VoIP-based intrusion attempts, such as call hijacking, BYE attacks, etc. In addition, the illustrative embodiment is capable of using such rules to recognize other kinds of intrusion attempts in which two or more protocols support a service other than VoIP. The illustrative embodiment also comprises a stateful firewall that is capable of employing rules with cross-protocol pre-conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting potentially-improper call behavior (e.g., SPIT, etc.) are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on finite-state machines (FSMs) that represent the legal states and state transitions of communications protocols at nodes during Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a library of FSM execution profiles associated with improper call behavior and a set of rules (or rule base) associated with improper FSM behavior over one or more calls are maintained. When the behavior of one or more finite-state machines during one or more calls matches either an execution profile in the library or a rule in the rule base, an alert is generated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting potentially-improper call behavior (e.g., SPIT, etc.) are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on finite-state machines (FSMs) that represent the legal states and state transitions of a communications protocol at a node during a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a library of FSM execution profiles associated with improper call behavior is maintained. When there is a match between the behavior of a finite-state machine during a call and an execution profile in the library, an alert is generated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of a multi-tiered security architecture that includes vendor-operated global security services and policy servers able to exchange security events and mitigation measures.

Abstract: An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document's status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface.