Abstract: A node at a server side of a client-server system receives a request corresponding to a user account maintained in the server side. If login credentials in the request are valid, the node generates a session and a set of values including session metadata, a timeframe, and a signature associated with the session, wherein the signature is generated from the session metadata, the timeframe, and a salt that is shared among nodes at the server side. The session and the set of values are sent to a client from which the request originated. An additional node at the server side receives a request to access the session and obtains values from a value included in the request corresponding to the signature associated with the session using the salt. Session access is granted or denied based at least in part on whether the obtained values match the session metadata and timeframe.

Abstract: Systems for achieving and maintaining a specified state of a computing resource in a distributed computing environment. A method embodiment commences upon receiving one or more specification parameters that describe a desired target state associated with a particular computing resource and/or of a particular computing environment. The specification parameters that characterize the desired target state of a resource are recorded in a target state data structure. Periodically, an agent issues a state progression query to determine if the computing resource has reached its desired target state. The query is then processed by collecting state parameters that describe the then-current state of the computing resource or environment. The target state data structure is accessed to identify one or more state differences between the desired target state and the then-current state of the particular computing resource and/or its particular computing environment.

Abstract: A system and method include receiving, by an object store virtual machine of a virtual object storage system, a user request for updating an element of an object store. The user request includes a first compare and swap value. The system and method also include updating the first compare and swap value from the second user request for obtaining an updated compare and swap value, comparing the updated compare and swap value with a current compare and swap value of the element, and updating the element upon determining that the updated compare and swap value is greater than the current swap and compare value. Updating the element comprises one of creating a new version of the element and overwriting a previous version of the element. The system and method further include replacing the current compare and swap value with the updated compare and swap value.

Abstract: A method of discovering a status of entities associated with one or more data centers of a data center cluster. The method includes receiving, a request for entity data associated with one or more data centers of a data center cluster; identifying a host machine of a data center of the one or more data centers based on the request; and sending a discovery request to the host machine of the data center. The discovery request configured to cause operations comprising generating, by the host machine of the data center, entity data associated with the host machine of the data center and a second host machine of a second data center; generating display data based on the entity data; and sending the display data to the user device. The display data configured to cause the user device to display the entity data in a window of the application.

Abstract: Systems and methods commence upon detecting certain computing system specification change events. Changes are recorded in resource usage intent specification records that characterize desired states associated with respective resources of the computing system. The change event causes generation of a data state snapshot of data stored in the computing system. A state tuple is constructed to associate the desired state with the data state. The state tuple is committed to a version control system. At any time, a user or process can select a selected system state tuple from committed tuples stored in the version control system. The tuple is analyzed to determine its associated desired state and its data state. Actions are taken to restore the data state of the tuple to the computing system, and then bringing the computing system to the state of the tuple so as to reproduce the desired system state in the computing system.

Abstract: Systems for managing shared entities between computing clusters while avoiding race conditions. Multiple clusters are interconnected over a network. When a node of a cluster intends to move a shared data item or virtual machine from its cluster to another cluster, the movement or migration can be initiated by establishing sole ownership followed by a request to an arbiter to intermediate during the movement or migration. The request explicitly includes subject entity metadata that describes sharing states pertaining to the subject entity. Upon granting a request, the arbiter generates a master copy of the entity metadata and grants itself read-write access. Any other sharers of the subject entity observe read-only access while the arbiter maintains the sole master copy. A sharer of the subject entity can cause changes to the subject entity through the arbiter. The arbiter can pass ownership to a new cluster to complete the subject entity migration.

Abstract: A system and method include receiving, by a virtual computing system, a search query via a search interface of a search computing system, converting the search query into a primary structured query that identifies a primary entity within the virtual computing system and an activity type associated with the primary entity. The system and method also include generating a subquery from the primary structured query, including associating the activity type of the primary entity with the subquery, such that the subquery identifies a related entity of the primary entity, generating search results from the primary entity and the related entity corresponding to the activity type included in the primary structured query and the subquery, and displaying the search results on the search interface for monitoring components of a datacenter.

Abstract: A system and method include receiving, by a search computing system of a virtual computing system, a search query via a search interface, converting the search query into a structured query that identifies at least one primary entity within the virtual computing system, and determining at least one related entity from the at least one primary entity. The system and method further include generating search results from the at least one primary entity and the at least one related entity, ranking the at least one primary entity and the at least one related entity by popularity, ranking the search results based on a criteria for each of the at least one primary entity and the at least one related entity while maintaining the popularity ranking, and displaying the ranked search results on the search interface.

Abstract: Synchronization techniques for computing systems that interface with external service providers. A method for accessing status and other attributes of an external service provider commences upon identifying an external service such as a firewall appliance or backup repository that provides computing-related functions to computing entities of the computing system. The external service is registered with the computing system to use the access mechanism. When the external service detects a change of state, the external service can communicate that change to the computing system through a “push” operation. The computing system processes the “pushed” data from the external service by verifying the status of the registration and authorization permissions, then modifies one or more entity attribute values of the computing resource entity together with a time stamp. Any process of the system can determine whether a value is stale, and then perform different operations based on the age of the staleness.

Abstract: Systems and methods for debugging a web service request that is dispatched to one of a set of candidate processing environments. A method embodiment commences upon detecting a web service request that is dispatched from a dispatcher or load balancer to a target web service provider. Upon detection, one or more rules are applied over the web service request to determine if the particular request is intended to be intercepted and operated over in a debug session. If such rules fire, then a debug session is established at a remote debug system that has been preconfigured with debugging software and hardware suited for debugging using network traffic such as web service requests. A user operates the remote debug system for capturing debug information pertaining to the particulars of the web service transaction messages. The web service request is forwarded to the web service provider when the debug session is closed.

Abstract: A publisher can extend existing electronic publications (e.g., formatted in EPUB format) by adding additional data such as interactive content, supplementary learning resources, etc. The extended electronic publication can then be automatically imported to create an online course that corresponds to the electronic publication.