Abstract: In order to allow a single user registered on a single local host or other machine to access multiple shared resources on a remote host, an aliasing mechanism is employed so that multiple concurrent connections can be established by the user to a single remote host, with each connection using a different identity. Each connection can therefore be used to access a different shared resource on the remote host. In some illustrative examples, a user's identifier such as his or her machine log-in identification may be associated with two or more resource sharing aliases. As a result, two or more resource sharing sessions can be established by the user with a single remote host, with each of the sessions using a different one of the aliases. The resource sharing sessions are usually established in accordance with a resource sharing protocol such as the Server Block Message (SBM) protocol.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to a mechanism for seamlessly changing a network mode of a network device that is connected to multiple nodes. In aspects, agents reside on the nodes. A master agent communicates with the other agents and receives the capabilities of the nodes on which they execute. The master agent creates a data structure that includes the settings needed to connect using the new network mode. The master agent distributes this data structure to the other agents and each agent stores settings associated with the current network mode in case a rollback is needed. The master agent then instructs the other agents to begin communicating using the new network mode and the network device is reconfigured. If the master agent does not receive success acknowledgments from all of the other agents, the master agent initiates a rollback procedure.

Abstract: Use of software applications is detected by categorizing components of applications into a usage manifest and implementing a usage detection background service on a client PC that monitors the components according to the usage manifest. The application components are categorized based on the mode of user interaction as well as the component's correlation to active use of an application. The background service tracks events and activities associated with the application components to generate usage metrics that include the frequency of unique launches of an application and the duration of each unique use. A usage manager for the background service may utilize the usage metrics for a component independently, or combine metrics for multiple components in cases where applications work in an interactive manner (such as a plug-in to a web browser) in order to compute application usage by comparing the metrics against predefined thresholds.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods for deploying and implementing data loss prevention (DLP) policy definition that may encapsulate the requirements, control objectives and directives, and/or the definitions of sensitive data types as stipulated directly or indirectly by the regulatory policy are disclosed. In one embodiment, DLP policies may be identified by an organization to run on top of a set of electronic file systems (e.g., email systems, file systems, web servers and the like). Organizations and their administrators may implement a set of DLP policy instance which are derived from DLP policy templates. DLP policy templates may comprise both structure and meaning—and may acquire a given DLP policy by the replacement of parameterized expressions with desired parameter values. In another embodiment, the state of the DLP policy instance may change according to the lifecycle of the policy instance deployment.

Abstract: System and methods for the implementation and/or enforcement of an email policy for an organization's email system are presented. A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy may be implemented on top of the email system. In one embodiment, the DLP policy may comprise modules and/or processing that tests emails for such sensitive data within emails. If an email comprises such sensitive data, then the DLP policy directives may specify processing to be applied as part of each stage of mail processing, from authoring to mail processing on the server and delivery. A single policy may be authored and managed that will apply the policy directives uniformly across all aspects of the message lifecycle. Each of the message policy enforcement systems may evaluate the single policy definition and apply the policy directives in a manner consistent with the contextual evaluation of the policy.

Abstract: A simple mail transfer protocol (“SMTP”) computer fails to deliver a multi-recipient e-mail to another SMTP computer. The SMTP computer generates a multi-line SMTP response including a per-recipient delivery status for each recipient of the multi-recipient e-mail message. The multi-line SMTP response may include a line for each recipient of the e-mail message. The multi-line SMTP response alternatively may include a line only for recipients for which delivery of the e-mail message has failed.

Abstract: Similarity is determined between documents based on a method for identifying documents that are likely to be based on another document. The method can include the determination of a containment coefficient, which can indicate when a template document is a subset or substantially a subset of another document. Based on this determination, an appropriate document management action can be taken, such as implementing a security policy or modifying the display of messages from a user interface.

Abstract: Conflicts among programs are detected, and advice is given based on the detected conflicts. A set of conflict rules defines what constitutes a conflict, and a set of advice rules defines what advice is to be given in response to a conflict that has been detected. The conflict rules may be provided by a different party from the action rules, so the decision as to what constitutes a conflict can be made separately from the decision as to what advice should be given when a conflict is detected.

Abstract: Reputation based firewall policy techniques are described, in which, a computer-implemented method may be employed to collect data from a plurality of clients regarding an application attempting to access a network via the clients. The collected data may be exposed to a community of users to obtain feedback on the application which is used to produce a reputation for the application. The reputation may then be provided to the plurality of clients to determine whether to permit the attempt by the application.

Abstract: A contextually sensitive user interface for defining an e-mail message handling rule is provided. The user interface includes one or more user interface objects for specifying conditions for the rule and one or more user interface objects for defining the actions to be performed if the specified conditions are met. The conditions that are displayed within the user interface for selection are chosen, at least in part, based upon the context in which a request to create the e-mail handling rule is received. The displayed conditions may be based, in part, upon the contexts of reading an e-mail message, creating an e-mail message, creating an alert subscription, or selecting a user name.

Abstract: Use of software applications is detected by categorizing components of applications into a usage manifest and implementing a usage detection background service on a client PC that monitors the components according to the usage manifest. The application components are categorized based on the mode of user interaction as well as the component's correlation to active use of an application. The background service tracks events and activities associated with the application components to generate usage metrics that include the frequency of unique launches of an application and the duration of each unique use. A usage manager for the background service may utilize the usage metrics for a component independently, or combine metrics for multiple components in cases where applications work in an interactive manner (such as a plug-in to a web browser) in order to compute application usage by comparing the metrics against predefined thresholds.

Abstract: In order to allow a single user registered on a single local host or other machine to access multiple shared resources on a remote host, an aliasing mechanism is employed so that multiple concurrent connections can be established by the user to a single remote host, with each connection using a different identity. Each connection can therefore be used to access a different shared resource on the remote host. In some illustrative examples, a user's identifier such as his or her machine log-in identification may be associated with two or more resource sharing aliases. As a result, two or more resource sharing sessions can be established by the user with a single remote host, with each of the sessions using a different one of the aliases. The resource sharing sessions are usually established in accordance with a resource sharing protocol such as the Server Block Message (SBM) protocol.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to a mechanism for seamlessly changing a network mode of a network device that is connected to multiple nodes. In aspects, agents reside on the nodes. A master agent communicates with the other agents and receives the capabilities of the nodes on which they execute. The master agent creates a data structure that includes the settings needed to connect using the new network mode. The master agent distributes this data structure to the other agents and each agent stores settings associated with the current network mode in case a rollback is needed. The master agent then instructs the other agents to begin communicating using the new network mode and the network device is reconfigured. If the master agent does not receive success acknowledgments from all of the other agents, the master agent initiates a rollback procedure.

Abstract: Conflicts among programs are detected, and advice is given based on the detected conflicts. A set of conflict rules defines what constitutes a conflict, and a set of advice rules defines what advice is to be given in response to a conflict that has been detected. The conflict rules may be provided by a different party from the action rules, so the decision as to what constitutes a conflict can be made separately from the decision as to what advice should be given when a conflict is detected.

Abstract: Targeted rules and action based support techniques are described, in which, operational data collected from a plurality of clients is used to generate support instructions for troubleshooting operational problems of the clients. Clients are provided targeted access to support instructions based upon information included in the support instructions which matches the support instructions to the clients. In an implementation, clients may be placed in one or more groups based on the analysis of the operational data and may receive support instructions corresponding to the group automatically and without user intervention.

Abstract: Reputation based firewall policy techniques are described, in which, a computer-implemented method may be employed to collect data from a plurality of clients regarding an application attempting to access a network via the clients. The collected data may be exposed to a community of users to obtain feedback on the application which is used to produce a reputation for the application. The reputation may then be provided to the plurality of clients to determine whether to permit the attempt by the application.

Abstract: Targeted rules and action based support techniques are described, in which, operational data collected from a plurality of clients is used to generate support instructions for troubleshooting operational problems of the clients. Clients are provided targeted access to support instructions based upon information included in the support instructions which matches the support instructions to the clients. In an implementation, clients may be placed in one or more groups based on the analysis of the operational data and may receive support instructions corresponding to the group automatically and without user intervention.