Abstract: The preferred method involves receiving user generated content from an end user terminal at a web server; inserting an advertisement into the beginning of the user generated content; monitoring each occasion on which the user generated content is accessed from the web server; adjusting the length of the advertisement after the user generated content is accessed a threshold number of times; adjusting the quality of the user generated content after the user generated content is accessed a threshold number of times; and increasing the number of distribution channels for the user generated content after the user generated content is accessed a threshold number of times.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting offending or illegal download activity. An agency, such as a law enforcement agency, generates a list of checksums over a designated area of each of a set of computer files. The agency provides the list of checksums and an identification of the designated area to an administrator of a packet switch. The checksum of the designated area of packets passing through the switch are calculated. If a calculated checksum is found in the list of offending checksums, then the packet is flagged. In order to keep processing overhead manageable, a checksum for only some packets may be calculated. Although only known offending computer files can be detected in this manner, the use of known checksums of known offending computer files greatly reduces the likelihood of false positive detection of packets.

Abstract: A method is provided for equalizing latency among a group of connections that are being used by the same latency-sensitive application, such as for multi-player network gaming. Delay is added to the packet flow in each connection as necessary at the provider edge router connecting the application server to the network. An NMS connected to the provider edge router continuously monitors the round-trip delay of each connection, determines the additional delay of each connection required to equalize the delays, and informs the provider edge router. The provider edge router buffers traffic on each connection for the respective duration as indicated by the NMS. The NMS may also reroute some of the connections over higher latency resources to reduce the amount of buffering required, which provides the additional advantage of using what might otherwise be less used or economically less valued resources.

Abstract: A method of informing operations management personnel of the impact of an operations management action about to be performed is presented. Responsive to a request for the operations management action to be performed, a logic module ascertains the real world impact the operations management action will have when performed, and an informative message is formulated. In ascertaining the impact the operations management action, the logic module queries at least one managed entity roster tracking currently provisioned services and/or transactions, client lists, policies, etc. The formulated message is displayed to operations management personnel in obtaining confirmation of the request to perform the operations management action. Implementations of the logic module relate to network management systems, system management systems, transaction management system, transaction clearance systems, as well as to service provisioning applications.

Abstract: Alarm information reporting methods are presented. The method includes encapsulating alarm tokens constituent of a reported alarm in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) tags at communication network equipment reporting alarms. An XML aware parser associated with a network management system, extracts alarm tokens based on the encapsulating XML tags and triggers diverse network management functions based specified presence of alarm token groups in respect of a reported alarm. Each XML tag includes: a specification regarding compliance with of a standard and a recommendation, a specification regarding an alarm type, and a specification regarding an alarm tag name.