Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates issuing rights in a digital rights management system. The system operates by sending a request to perform an operation on an item of content from a client to a rights-management server, wherein the request includes a usage parameter which specifies constraints involved in performing the operation. Next, the system receives a response from the rights-management server, wherein the response indicates whether or not the client has rights to perform the operation in accordance with the constraints specified by the usage parameter. Note that the response may also include a hint that facilitates generating subsequent requests to perform the operation. Finally, if the client has rights to perform the operation, the system performs the operation on the item of content.

Abstract: A memory management system and method of managing a memory system are disclosed. The memory management system includes a plurality of physical storage media and a memory manager for generating virtual storage devices or "stores," with one or more first storage devices each having a corresponding first mapping plug-in, or device driver, associated with the plurality of physical storage media. Each first device driver scans its corresponding first storage device to determine its partitioning format and generates one or more second virtual storage devices from a partition map stored in the partitioning plug-in, or partition manager, associated with the corresponding first storage device, each second virtual storage device having one or more second partitioning formats, a second partition manager and second device driver. The first and second partition managers are independent of the first and second device drivers.

Abstract: In a computer including an operating system, an event producer for generating an event and detecting that an event has occurred in the computer and an event consumer which need to be informed when events occur in the computer, a system for distributing events including a store for storing a specific set of events of which the at least one event consumer is to be informed, an event manager control unit for receiving the event from the event producer, comparing the received event to the stored set of events, and distributing an appropriate event to an appropriate event consumer, and a distributor for receiving the event from the control unit and directing the control unit to distribute an appropriate event to an appropriate event consumer.