Abstract: Devices, computer-readable media, and methods for pre-loading video chunks of a video program at an edge server are disclosed. For example, a processor may receive a manifest file for a video program, determine a bitrate for a first segment of the video program, request a video chunk of the first segment at the first bitrate from an edge server in accordance with the manifest file, and request a subset of a video chunk of a second segment of the video program from the edge server.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of establishing a conversation between intelligent assistants includes subdividing content of a user's conversation monitored over a predetermined period of time into a plurality of segments, and associating a time stamp with each segment; hashing each of the plurality of segments wherein a hash value is associated with each segment; matching pairs of the hash values and their time stamps with hash values and time stamps received from one or more intelligent assistants associated with the one or more other persons; and establishing a connection between the user's intelligent assistant and an intelligent assistant of at least one of the one or more other persons, when the user's hash value and time stamp for one or more segments of the conversation match hash values and time stamps of one or more conversation segments of the at least one of the one or more other persons.

Abstract: A multiprocessor computer system facility is provided for selectively reallocating a logical processing unit. The logical processing unit is one logical processing unit of multiple logical processing units backed by a socket of a plurality of sockets of a multiprocessor computer system. The selectively reallocating includes: monitoring, during execution of program code, a performance metric of a hardware resource of the socket, the hardware resource being shared by the multiple logical processing units; and reassigning the logical processing unit, based on the monitoring, to a different socket of the plurality of sockets of the multiprocessor computer system to, in part, improve the performance metric of the hardware resource of the socket. The reassigning includes reassigning the logical processing unit based on the monitoring determining that a differential between a resource utilization rate of the socket and a resource utilization rate of the different socket exceeds a set threshold.

Abstract: An electronic device is configured with a social contact group aggregation system that operates to identify similar groups of contacts that are associated with different social applications and aggregate those groups into a single, unified group with which the device user may interact. When the device user uses a social application to create or import a new group of social contacts, the aggregation system can apply one or more of various aggregation factors to determine if the new group matches a pre-existing group and then aggregate the new group into the existing group if a match is identified. The aggregation factors illustratively include the similarity of names between the new and an existing group, the degree to which social contacts in the groups are already linked, the similarity of profile information among members of the groups, and other associative factors.

Abstract: A service consumer may receive a market data message associated with a security. The market data message may be parsed to determine health status reference data identifying a service provider or a subprovider of the service provider. A health status subscription request may be generated using the determined health status reference data. The service consumer may receive a health status message in response to the health status subscription request. The service consumer may determine health status information associated with the service provider or the subprovider by analyzing the health status message, and may utilize the determined health status information in a selected application.

Abstract: Disclosed are aspects of resource allocation diagnosis for distributed computer systems. In one example, a user interface creates a user-modified version of a snapshot of a distributed computing system. A hypothetical resource allocation is determined for the user-modified version of the snapshot. The hypothetical resource allocation is calculated based on at least one of load balancing and resource scheduling. The hypothetical resource allocation for the user-modified version of the snapshot is implemented in the distributed computing system.

Abstract: Announcing new users of an electronic communications system includes receiving an indication of a new user of an electronic communications system. The new user has an identifier for the electronic communications system. Existing users of the electronic communications system that are known to the new user are identified. The identified existing users are sent a message notifying the identified existing users of the identifier of the new user. The identified existing users may be enabled to add the identifier of the new user to participant lists used by the identified existing users. The new user may be enabled to add identifiers of the identified existing users to a participant list of the electronic communications system used by the new user.

Abstract: Read-only nodes of a distributed database system may perform replicated database startup for common database storage. A read-only node may request a view of a database from a master node to initialize the read-only node for servicing queries. An indication of the view may be received and portions of data maintained for the distributed database may be read from a common data store maintaining the data for the database according to the indicated view of the database. In-memory data structures at the read-only node for servicing queries may be initialized based on the portions of data read from the common data store. The read-only node may then be made available for servicing queries.

Abstract: Techniques for migrating a plurality of communications services in a data communication network are disclosed. Aspects include accessing a migration map for the plurality of communications services in the data communication network; identifying a communications dependency between a first service and a second service in the plurality of communications services, wherein according to the migration map the first service is configured to migrate from a first route to a second route, the second service is configured to migrate from a third route to a fourth route, and the third route overlaps with the second route; determining, based on the identified communications dependency, a migration sequence for migrating the plurality of communications services in the data communication network; and migrating the plurality of communications services from a first plurality of configurations to a second plurality of configurations according to the migration sequence.

Abstract: Technical solutions are described for transportation of a shipment container. An example method includes receiving, by a first client device, a document schema from a document schema server, the document schema corresponding to a second client device. The method further includes creating, by the first client device, an electronic document according to the document schema, the electronic document created for transmission to the second client device. The creating includes generating, by the first client device, the electronic document including data-fields as specified by the document schema, and filling the data-fields of the electronic document as specified by the document schema. The computer-implemented method also includes transmitting, by the first client device, the electronic document for receipt by the second client device.

Abstract: A tiering service that supports multiple cold tier quality of service (QoS) policies includes a configuration manager that receives a specification for one or more QoS parameters for a cold tier and reserves resources of a provider network to implement the cold tier in accordance with the specified QoS parameters. The QoS parameters may specify one of a plurality of supported cold tier access level policies for the cold tier. Also other QoS parameters may be specified. The cold tier access level policies may specify combinations of local and/or remote resources to be used for the cold tier. In some embodiments, a client may specify or modify cold tier QoS policies in order to perform different tasks. Also a client may modify the specified QoS policies for the cold tier after completion of the tasks or to perform other tasks.

Abstract: Aspects described herein allow for systems and methods to monitor production changes to resources in a cloud computing environment and determine whether those changes were performed in accordance with a change management policy. A change order monitoring application receives data from cloud computing audit logs to detect infrastructure changes and combines that data with application information to determine which application was affected. The change order monitoring application then uses a machine learning algorithm to cluster multiple change events together when it is likely that the change events were part of the same change. If cluster of change activity does not appear to be authorized, the change order monitoring application sends an alert to a change management team and an application team to get more information about the activity.

Abstract: A system designed for increasing network communication speed for users, while lowering network congestion for content owners and ISPs. The system employs network elements including an acceleration server, clients, agents, and peers, where communication requests generated by applications are intercepted by the client on the same machine. The IP address of the server in the communication request is transmitted to the acceleration server, which provides a list of agents to use for this IP address. The communication request is sent to the agents. One or more of the agents respond with a list of peers that have previously seen some or all of the content which is the response to this request (after checking whether this data is still valid).

Abstract: An aspect includes generating instrumentation data for software that is executing on a computer and writing the instrumentation data to a memory located on the computer. An analytics application is provided with access to the instrumentation data. The writing the instrumentation data and the providing access are performed in real-time with respect to the generating. A request is received from the analytics application for at least a subset of the instrumentation data. Based on receiving the request, at least a subset of the instrumentation data is transmitted to the analytics application. A portion of the instrumentation data is migrated on a periodic basis to a non-volatile memory device that is external to the computer.

Abstract: As disclosed herein a computer-implemented method includes providing a plurality of resource allocation zones corresponding to a plurality of overcommit policies. The method further includes receiving a request for a resource for a tenant, and determining a selected overcommit policy corresponding to an anticipated resource need. The method further includes selecting a resource allocation zone for the tenant from the plurality of resource allocation zones, and providing the resource to the tenant. A computer program product and a computer system corresponding to the above method are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Network services may include data associated with one or more entities. An aggregator service may host respective application programming interfaces (APIs) of the services at a single endpoint of the network such that the entities, including associations and relationships between entities, may be federated. For example, the services may register the entities of which the data of each of the services is associated with through a declarative entity model to establish an API schema for each of the services, which may be published at the aggregator service. In response to receipt of a request for entity related data from a client, the aggregator service may employ the declarative entity model to determine which of the services are associated with the entity related data such that a query may be submitted to the services, and how to aggregate responses to the query received from the services for transmission to the client.

Abstract: A method for downloading an application includes, after learning an application downloaded by a second user equipment, sending, by a first user equipment that has an association relationship with the second user equipment, a downloading request for the application downloaded by the second user equipment to an application server, where the downloading request carries capability information of the first user equipment, and receiving, by the first user equipment, an application to be downloaded, where the application matches the capability information of the first user equipment and is sent by the application server. Using the foregoing technical solution, the application does not need to be manually downloaded for the user equipment, thereby saving manual operation and improving flexibility of downloading an application.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing electronic messages of users in a social network. One method includes an operation for receiving attributes of a profile of a person with a person account that has started following an entity with an entity account, in the social network. Further, the person is added to one or more groups in the entity account based on the attributes. Each of the groups is associated with defined properties for adding persons to each group. Furthermore, messages, created by the entity and addressed to the one or more groups, are distributed to a stream of the person account.

Abstract: A remote maintenance system capable of reducing user's time and effort required to establish communication between an image processing apparatus and an operator terminal. An operator terminal performs remote maintenance communication with an image processing apparatus via a relay server, for performing a maintenance operation of the image processing apparatus. A connection request for connecting to an operator terminal is received from an image processing apparatus, and the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus and the operator terminal is established based on the connection request. When the connection request is received, an operator terminal that has not established the remote maintenance communication is assigned to an image processing apparatus that has sent the connection request, and the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal is established.

Abstract: There is provided a method for recalling a message. The method comprises receiving a message from a publisher, sending the message to a durable subscriber for queuing pending consumption by a subscriber. When a message recall request identifying the message is received, the unconsumed message is deleted from the durable subscriber.

Abstract: Heterogeneous cloud controllers are employed to communicatively couple a plurality of service providers to a publisher-subscriber queue. The heterogeneous cloud controllers may provide a unified communication framework for clients to communicate with the service providers, as well as for the service providers to communicate with one another. A global language may be established by the heterogeneous cloud controller, and a mapping may be created between the global language and the local language of each of the service providers. Each of the heterogeneous cloud controllers may form a bridge between the global language employed at the publisher-subscriber queue and the local language employed at a corresponding service provider.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for programmatically performing group matching and facilitating subsequent interaction. An example apparatus may be configured to receive a request event, the request event comprising at least an indication of user profile associated with the first mobile device and an indication of a current personality profile, access a database, utilizing the indication of the user profile and the indication of the current personality profile, to determine at least a first group with which the user profile is associated, access a second database, utilizing information indicative of the first group to identify a set of one or more candidate groups with which to match the first group, select a second group with which to match the first group, transmit information indicative of the second group, receive an indication of a type of feedback, facilitate an interaction with the second group.

Abstract: A method and federated publish/subscribe system for data transfer in the federated publish/subscribe system. The federated publish/subscribe system includes a processor, a first message broker, and a second message broker. The second message broker transmits, via the processor, a message A to a first subscribing application and a message (A+?) to a second subscribing application. The message (A+?) differs from the message A by changes ?. The first subscribing application and the second subscribing application are different subscribing applications. Prior to the transmitting by the second message broker, the second message broker receives, from the first message broker via the processor, either (i) a message (A, ?) comprising the message A and the changes ? or (ii) the message A and a message ? comprising the changes ?.

Abstract: Examples associated with data validation are disclosed. One example includes a sensor attribute data store having information describing attributes of a set of distributed sensors. A pattern data store stores information describing patterns indicating anomalous sensor activity. A data aggregation module flags data received from a tested sensor as anomalous data when the anomalous data exceeds a variance level described by an attribute of the tested sensor. A data validation module validates the anomalous data by comparing the anomalous data to the patterns indicating anomalous sensor activity. A learning module updates the pattern indicating anomalous sensor activity based on a result received from the validation logic after the validation logic validates data received from the tested sensor.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system, method, and computer readable medium for providing information of a calling party to an alert party, wherein the calling party is in communication with the receiving party in a communications network. The method includes receiving a message from a calling party to a receiving party and performing a lookup of information relating to the calling party in a database, wherein the lookup is based on an identifier associated with the message, Thereafter, an alert is sent to the alert party if the calling party information is unavailable in a contact list of the receiving party.

Abstract: A method to reconcile multiple instances of a single computer resource identified by resource discovery operations includes: (1) accessing information describing one or more resources; (2) identifying, via the accessed information, at least one resource that has been detected or discovered by at least two of the discovery operations; and (3) merging attributes associated with the identified resource from each of the at least two discovery operations into a single, reconciled resource object. Illustrative “resources” include, but are not limited to, computer systems, components of computer systems, data storage systems, switches, routers, memory, software applications (e.g., accounting and database applications), operating systems and business services (e.g., order entry or change management and tracking services).

Abstract: A method, computer program product and/or computer system assigns access to a quorum disk in a split-storage cluster environment when a communication link between storage systems fails. Access to the quorum disk is based on storage system I/O performance. Priority is given to the storage system that has a higher performance before the link failure. When the communication link fails, both storage systems attempt to access the quorum disk. If the system that first attempts to access the quorum disk is the non-priority storage system, a timer is started. If the priority system attempts to access the quorum disk within a predetermined time interval, the priority system locks the quorum disk and forms the cluster. If the priority system does not attempt to access the quorum disk within the predetermined time interval, the non-priority system locks the quorum disk and forms the cluster.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable medium for reducing redirects of a client device are disclosed. A method for directing a user to a destination page includes detecting, by one or more servers, interaction with a digital component at a client device, identifying, by the one or more servers, a different server to which the one or more servers are to redirect the client device and a destination page being requested through the interaction with the digital component, redirecting, by the one or more servers, the client device to a destination page without redirecting the client device to the different server, and pinging, by the one or more servers, the different server with a request that includes interaction data corresponding to the interaction with the digital component.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a packet analyzer to determine that a first virtualized server is preparing to migrate to a second virtualized server based on a data packet, a packet flow path generator to identify a set of network switches between the first virtualized server and the second virtualized server when the first virtualized server is in a different rackmount server than the second virtualized server, and a policy adjustor to adjust a policy of one or more network switches in the set to prioritize a packet flow corresponding to the migration.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for identifying member profiles containing disallowed content in an online social network. During operation, the system scans member profiles looking up words from one or more fields in “bad-word” and/or “good-word” dictionaries. These dictionaries were previously generated by examining member profiles that were judged by a human reviewer to be “good” profiles or “bad” profiles, and determining whether a word belongs in a specific dictionary based on frequencies of occurrence of the word in the good profiles and the bad profiles. Next, the system computes a score for each member profile based at least partially on occurrences of words from the dictionaries in the member profile. Finally, the system identifies a member profile as containing disallowed content based on the score.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a server instructs one or more networking devices in a local area network (LAN) to form a virtual network overlay in the LAN that redirects traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to the server. The server identifies a configuration for the particular node based on a node profile for the particular node. The server accesses a configuration interface of the particular node and instructs the particular node to use the identified configuration via the accessed configuration interface.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method in a content delivery network (CDN) having multiple delivery servers. The CDN delivers content on behalf of at least one content provider. Distinct delivery servers are logically grouped into delivery server groups. One or more CDN name servers are associated with some of the delivery server groups. Network map data are determined using network data determined by the CDN name servers associated with at least some of the deliver server groups. The network data with respect to a CDN name server relative to a resolver is based on an estimated popularity of that CDN name server for that resolver. Responsive to a client request, including a hostname associated with a content provider, at least one CDN name server determines, using network map data, at least one delivery server to process the client request.

Abstract: A request intermediary processing system which implements techniques to allow tracking of responses to requests when there is an intermediary. In an embodiment, the intermediary includes an internal exchange. The internal exchange may manage one or more content item providers and select content items from among the one or more internal content item providers to respond to requests. The intermediary may include, when responding to a request, inserting or embedding a token or other means so that the integrity of a content item provider-specific tracking data is maintained, while including request intermediary processing system-specific tracking data.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to new network device source entity triggered device configuration setup. Specifically, various techniques and systems are provided for efficient setup of a acquired device on a network using information generated by a new network device source entity. More specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for receiving, at a computing device connected to an established network device on a network, an acquisition communication including an indication that a new network device has been acquired; transmitting data to the established network device, wherein the data includes identification information associated with the new network device; receiving a join query, wherein the join query includes a request to authorize the new network device to join a network; and transmitting a response to the join query, wherein the response includes an authorization for the new network device to join the network.

Abstract: The example embodiments are directed to an application and a system capable of identifying levels of secure data within electronic message content. In one example, the method includes at least one of: receiving an electronic message from a user device, the electronic message including message content and at least one recipient, determining that the message content includes a plurality of different levels of secure content corresponding to a plurality of different authentication levels, shielding each portion of the secure content, and providing an indicator indicating a level of authentication associated with each respective shielded portion of secure content from among the plurality of different levels of authentication, and transmitting the electronic message to the at least one recipient including the shielded secure content and the indications of the plurality of different levels of authentication.

Abstract: A system is provided for tracing end-to-end transactions. The system uses bytecode instrumentation and a dynamically injected agent to gather web server side tracing data, and a browser agent which is injected into browser content to instrument browser content and to capture tracing data about browser side activities. Requests sent during monitored browser activities are tagged with correlation data. On the web server side, this correlation information is transferred to tracing data that describes handling of the request. This tracing data is sent to an analysis server which creates tracing information which describes the server side execution of the transaction and which is tagged with the correlation data allowing the identification of the causing browser side activity.

Abstract: A computing apparatus configured in the communication system to store data about advisers, including availability status of the advisers for real time communications with customers, ratings of the advisers by prior customers, compensate rates of the advisers, probability of being connected within a period of time for real time communication with customers, etc. The computing apparatus customizes the selection of lists of advisers for presentation to customers and/or the sequences of the lists to reduce collisions in concurrent requests for connections to same advisers for real time communication connections. The customization may include randomizing top portions of the lists, selecting and/or ranking the advisers in real time based on probability of advisers being connected within a period of time for real time communication with customers, etc.

Abstract: The technologies described herein identify multiple electronic devices belonging to the same group. A computer system receives, from network accessing applications of a plurality of electronic devices, internet protocol (IP) trajectory information about the network accessing applications via a network. The IP trajectory information includes a user identifier, a list of IP addresses associated with each of the network accessing applications, and timestamps specifying times each of the network accessing applications accesses the network. The computer system identifies and removes commercial IP addresses from the list of IP addresses, analyzes IP trajectory information to retrieve a most commonly used IP address for each of the network accessing applications during a certain period, and determines that different network accessing applications belong to the same group if the most commonly used IP addresses for the different network accessing applications are the same.

Abstract: An operator creates a function table on an analyzing device, a computer for analysis or a server. In the function table, an instruction is described which includes designation of the computer(s) for analysis or the server, and a process to be executed by the designated computer(s) for analysis or server, and optionally includes parameter information required for execution. For analysis, the function table is displayed on a display screen of the analyzing device. When the operator selects an instruction in the table and instructs execution, the analyzing device causes the designated computer(s) for analysis or server described in the instruction to execute a process associated with the instruction. Such instruction can include a process of powering on the computer(s) for analysis. By previously describing expected processes and the computer(s) for analysis scheduled to perform the processes the processes to be executed can be instructed from the analyzing device.

Abstract: A natural language query can be processed via a main natural language processor. A request to produce an intent of the query can be dispatched from the main natural language processor to an extension natural language processor. An intent of the query can be generated via the extension natural language processor in response to the dispatched request, with the generating of the intent being performed independently of the main natural language processor. The intent of the natural language query can be passed from the extension natural language processor to the main natural language processor in response to the request to produce the intent of the query. A selection of a conversation query processor for responding to the intent can be produced via the main natural language processor. Additionally, an instruction to respond to the intent of the query can be passed to the selected conversation query processor.

Abstract: A resource management method and apparatus are provided. The resource management method includes: selecting, by a resource manager RM, according to a type and a quantity of application masters AMs that need to be started in advance, resources from resources registered by a node manager, encapsulating the resources into multiple containers matching the AMs, and starting the AMs in the matching containers; and when the RM receives a job submitted by a client, checking, in the AMs according to information about the job, whether there is a matching AM to be used to execute the job, and if there is a matching AM, submitting the job to the matching AM for execution. Such that, when a client submits a job, the job can be submitted to an AM that has been started in advance for execution, thereby reducing latency resulting from resource allocation and AM startup.

Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods systems and methods for managing network health, including optimizing a network. In one implementation, an alarm list for a subnetwork of a telecommunications network is obtained. The alarm list has alarm data captured from a plurality of network elements forming the subnetwork. Network data associated with a subset of the network elements is captured by traversing a circuit path in the subnetwork from a source to a destination. The subset of network elements disposed is along the circuit path. The alarm list is correlated with the network data to identify a related network issue. A root cause of the related network issue is determined. One or more recommendations for resolving the root cause of the related network issue are generated, and at least one of the recommendations is deployed in the subnetwork.

Abstract: A system and technique for correlating computing network events includes an event manager executable by a processor to identify computing resources to be deployed. An identification of a correlation pattern comprising a set of the resources to be deployed is received. A correlation identifier is assigned to the correlation pattern. Each resource of the correlation pattern is configured to include the correlation identifier with an event generated by the respective resource.

Abstract: A request from an application client is received at a protected application. The request includes an access token. A grant information associated with the received access token is retrieved. The grant information includes a plurality of intersecting scopes of rights granted to the application client. In another aspect, a session is established between the protected application and the application client. Furthermore, at least one scope of rights from the plurality of intersecting scopes of rights is determined to be mapped to at least one Application Programming Interface (API) from a number of APIs provided by the protected application.

Abstract: Customers can utilize resources of a multi-tenant environment to provide one or more services available to various users. In order to simplify the process for these customers, the multi-tenant environment can include an infrastructure wherein a portion of the resources provide an authentication and/or authorization service that can be leveraged by the customer services. These resources can logically sit in front of the resources used to provide the customer services, such that a user request must pass through the authorization and authentication service before being directed to the customer service. Such resources can provide other functionality as well, such as load balancing and metering.

Abstract: A resource management system comprising a computer-implemented platform running on at least one computing device, said platform for running a plurality of interoperable resource agents, each resource agent being a representation of at least an aspect of a 5 resource, wherein at least one aspect of governance of each said resource agent is distributable by a first rights holder to any one or more second rights holder; and a communications interface for interfacing said platform and at least one resource-related computing device, each resource-related computing device associated via said communications interface with at least one of said resource agents in accordance with an 10 access contract; wherein governance comprises the ability to authorize the further distribution of any one or more aspect of governance by the at least one second rights holder over at least an aspect of the resource agent over which the first user has governance.

Abstract: A networking device includes: 1) a first processor that includes a match table, and 2) a second processor that includes both a Flow Tracking Autolearning Match Table (FTAMT) as well as a synchronized match table. A set of multiple entries stored in the synchronized match table is synchronized with a corresponding set of multiple entries in the match table on the first processor. The FTAMT, for a first packet of the flow, generates a Flow Identifier (ID) and stores the flow ID as part of a new entry for the flow. The match of a packet to one of the synchronized entries in the synchronized match table causes an action identifier to be recorded in the new entry in the FTAMT. A subsequent packet of the flow results in a hit in the FTAMT and results in the previously recorded action being applied to the subsequent packet.

Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring computing devices by a monitoring server, where the computing devices send status messages to the monitoring server via a network communication link. The method includes receiving a first alert message at a monitoring console if a condition is detected by the monitoring server that is defined in an alert definition, and communicating the alert definition to an alert cache system. Based on the network failing, sending the status messages from the computing devices to the alert cache system, storing the status messages in the alert cache system until the network is back online, sending a second alert message from the alert cache system to the monitoring console, and sending the stored status messages to the monitoring server after the network communication link is back online.

Abstract: Approaches are disclosed for distributing messages across multiple data centers where the data centers do not store messages using a same message queue protocol. In some embodiment, a network element translates messages from a message queue protocol (e.g., Kestrel, RABBITMQ, APACHE Kafka, and ACTIVEMQ) to an application layer messaging protocol (e.g., XMPP, MQTT, WebSocket protocol, or other application layer messaging protocols). In other embodiments, a network element translates messages from an application layer messaging protocol to a message queue protocol. Using the new approaches disclosed herein, data centers communicate using, at least in part, application layer messaging protocols to disconnect the message queue protocols used by the data centers and enable sharing messages between messages queues in the data centers.

Abstract: Described herein is a computer implemented method for displaying a conditional control in a chat interface running on a client device. The method comprises receiving, from a collaboration platform, a conditional control descriptor which defines a conditional control, one or more conditions, and an action to be performed on activation of the conditional control; determining whether the one or more conditions are met; and in response to determining that the one or more conditions are met, displaying the conditional control in the chat interface.