Abstract: A storage virtualization environment is provided that includes a system for providing one or more virtual volumes. The system may include a host system and a set of storage devices, each of which includes physical block addresses that stores data. Further, the system includes a network switch system connecting the host system and the set of storage devices and is configured to define and manage a virtual volume associated with data distributed across the physical block addresses. The network switch system includes a first virtualization layer that maintains first tier objects including information reflecting a relationship between the physical block addresses and one or more logical partitions of virtual volume data. Moreover, the network switch system includes a second virtualization layer that maintains second tier objects including information reflecting a logical configuration of the virtual volume.

Abstract: A videoconferencing method having corresponding apparatus and computer programs comprises receiving exchanging audiovisual data for a videoconference with a videoconference server; identifying a physical location of a videoconference client; and either sending an indicator of the location to the server, which obtains physical location video data for the location comprising satellite photographs of the location and sends the data to other videoconference clients, or obtaining the data and sending the data to the server, which sends the data to other videoconference clients in the videoconference.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a communication function monitoring module comprising a communication function call detecting module to detect communication function calls generated by one or more applications, and a communication function call reporting module to send information describing one or more of the communication function calls to a traffic monitoring module; and a packet monitoring module comprising a packet detecting module to detect packets handled by a network interface hardware driver for the one or more applications, and a packet reporting module to send information describing one or more of the packets to the traffic monitoring module. The functionality and variations thereof of such apparatus are also embodied in methods and computer programs.

Abstract: When transmitting multimedia data associated with a multimedia application, a TCP/IP connection is established between a client application and a server application. UDP data is intercepted at an application level from one or more UDP data ports and channeled into one or more tunneling TCP data connections. TCP data is intercepted at the application level from one or more TCP data ports and re-directed to a tunneling TCP port. The channeled UDP data is received and dispatched to one or more local UDP data ports. Re-directed TCP data is received and then further re-directed to one or more local TCP data ports.

Abstract: A firewall protects an Ethernet network from a first larger network, e.g., the Internet. A first server on the Ethernet network stores an encrypted private key, decrypts the private key using a passphrase, and communicates with clients on the first network using the private key. A second server on the Ethernet network determines whether an intrusion has occurred from the first network into the first server and provides the passphrase to the first server only when no intrusion has occurred from the first network into the first server. The invention can be realized in apparatuses, methods, and/or instruction sets.

Abstract: Methods and systems for tunneling data associated with a packet based multimedia communication standard are provided. The method includes intercepting a library call associated with the multimedia communication standard in a modified TCP/IP stack and registering identification data associated with the library call. A modified Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) header is appended over a pre-existing header of a data packet related to the identification data. The method also provides for transmitting the data packet having the TCP/IP header through a firewall. The TCP/IP header includes a TCP SEQ number and a TCP ACK number to provide a stateful connection.

Abstract: A communication protocol, and a method and system of communication exchange between systems over a communication network includes establishing a connection between a first system and a second system. Data is formatted by the first system into an IP datagram with an IP header and one of a TCP and a UDP header. A connectionless TCP/IP header is constructed to add to the formatted data. The connectionless TCP/IP header includes a pre-defined identifying value in a designated field, and a checksum to validate that a connectionless TCP/IP header has been identified. The formatted data having the connectionless TCP/IP header is transmitted from the first system to the second system, and the pre-defined identifying value in the designated field is verified to identify the connectionless TCP/IP header. The connectionless TCP/IP header is then removed from the IP datagram, and the IP datagram is processed.

Abstract: A communication protocol stack for enabling multimedia communication between communicating devices where multiple port communication data is tunneled through a single TCP port is provided. The communication protocol stack includes, at an application level, the capability to identify whether received communication data is for a communication port. If the received communication data is for the communication port, then the communication protocol stack includes the ability to forward identification data regarding the received communication data to a table in advance of forwarding the received communication data to a driver level of the communication protocol stack. A method, computer readable medium, and a system for tunneling port traffic through a single HTTP port are also provided.

Abstract: A method for converting Microsoft® PowerPoint® (PPT) presentation files into compressed image files is provided. The method includes reading and parsing a PPT presentation file to identify each presentation slide and each presentation object in each presentation slide. The attributes of each presentation object are examined to determine whether effects are applied, and to identify animated GIF objects. The method provides for capturing the end-point effect applied to any presentation object and rendering the presentation object in as many compressed image files as necessary to capture the end-point effect. Additionally, each image of an animated GIF object is analyzed to determine the most complex image to render in a compressed image file.

Abstract: Vanadium-containing superconducting oxides are disclosed having critical temperature (T.sub.c) values of above about 100.degree. K. and preferably about 110.degree.-150.degree. K., together with predicted current density (J.sub.c) values on the order of 10.sup.4 -10.sup.5 amperes/cm.sup.2. The oxides hereof are moreover relatively ductile and easily bulk sintered to give end products having desirable superconductivity characteristics. Certain preferred oxides of the invention are defined by the general formula:(V.sub.1-x M.sub.x).sub.i (A.sub.1-y M.sub.y).sub.j Q.sub.k Cu.sub.m O.sub.r.+-.t I.