Abstract: A computing device includes program instructions to select, based on indicia of interest for media content for each of a plurality of users, a first user and second user to engage in an interaction related to a media content item. The computing device further includes programming to select a topic related to the media content item for the interaction and initiate the interaction between the first and second user based on the topic.

Abstract: Techniques for generating structured data containers via templates associated with a communication platform are described herein. For example, the communication platform may in response to receiving a request from a first user, generate an object in a virtual space, wherein the request is received via a template or workflow and the object contains at least one field of a plurality of fields. The networking system may generate a structured data container associated with the communication platform, wherein the structured data container comprises the plurality of fields. The communication platform may receive, from a second user, an input to at least one field and may associate the input to at least one field of the plurality of fields of the structured data container. The communication platform may then present, via a graphical interface and to the first user, the input to the at least one field of the plurality of fields.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for enabling real-time conversational dialog among a large population of networked human users while facilitating convergence on groupwise decisions, insight extraction, and solutions, and amplifying collective intelligence. A plurality of computing devices associated with members of a population of participants is provided, wherein the plurality of computing devices is networked via a computer network and in communication with a central server. In some cases, the central server divides the population into a plurality of subgroups and enables an LLM-powered conversational surrogate agent associated with each subgroup. The conversational surrogate agent is configured to repeatedly observe a conversation among members of its assigned subgroup and store content of the conversation to extract insights from the conversation at appropriate intervals.

Abstract: A method for overcoming intermittent, temporary, or other fetching failures by using multiple attempts for retrieving a content from a web server to a client device is disclosed. The URL fetching may use direct or non-direct fetching schemes, or a combination thereof. The non-direct fetching method may use intermediate devices, such as proxy server, Data-Center proxy server, tunnel devices, or any combination thereof. Upon sensing a failure of a fetching action, the action is repeated using the same or different parameters or attributes, such as by using different intermediate devices, selected based on different parameters or attributes, such as different countries. The repetitions are limited to a pre-defined maximum number or attempts. The fetching attempts may be performed by the client device, by an intermediate device in a non-direct fetching scheme, or a combination thereof. Various fetching schemes may be used sequentially until the content is retrieved.

Abstract: A Smartblock that has at least two Blockchains that originates from it and terminates at a second Smartblock to create a Blockstrand where the blocks of the Blockchains contain data that is public, semi-private, or private and enable secure collaboration with the control and security provided for the collaborative work via the blocks of the Blockstrand.

Abstract: Object path planning in a sorting facility is disclosed, including: obtain data describing a trajectory associated with a target object; generate a control signal for a sorting device to perform a sorting operation on the target object based at least in part on the trajectory associated with the target object; and provide the control signal to the sorting device, wherein the sorting device is configured to execute the control signal with respect to the target object.

Abstract: Coordination and management of workflows in parallel among a plurality of approval applications executing on machines within an enterprise network by receiving, at a central location, workflows from an initiating application, determining a set of approvals for each respective workflow and respective approval routes, performing an initial distribution of the respective workflows from the central location by propagating the workflows across their respective approval routes to respective members of the set of approval applications, applying at respective approval applications a set of approval rules to the workflow to determine a workflow's approval status as either approved or rejected, returning the workflow's approval status to the initiating application via the central location, and performing one or more follow-up distributions of workflows from the central location until either all approval applications indicate a status of approved or a number of follow-up distributions reaches a pre-defined maximum numbe

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for providing extensibility in an analytic applications environment, including a semantic layer that enables the use of custom semantic extensions to extend a semantic data model (semantic model). In accordance with an embodiment, the system enables use of a fragmented query model—when customizations are made to the semantic model, the system can dynamically merge the changes from the various deltas when queries are generated at runtime, to dynamically surface appropriate data based on the extended semantic model.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for distributed transactions across multiple consensus groups are disclosed. A distributed transaction system comprises a proposer and a plurality of consensus groups, including a first consensus group comprising a first plurality of members and a second consensus group comprising a second plurality of members. The proposer proposes a transaction to at least a portion of the first consensus group and at least a portion of the second consensus group. A majority of the members in the first consensus group agree to perform the transaction, where the transaction is selected from a plurality of proposed transactions involving the first consensus group. A majority of the members in the second consensus group also agree to perform the transaction. The members of the first and second consensus groups perform the transaction to update a plurality of stored replicas.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for adjusting content shared during communication sessions, comprising: obtaining, through a first device, a content to share, determining a primary portion of the content to share, adjusting the content to share based on the primary portion to generate a first adjusted content to share and causing the first adjusted content to share to be displayed on a second device.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for tracking communications channels and determining triggers and actions in role-based collaborative systems is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for stateless stream handling and resharding. In one implementation, a first shard including one or more messages is generated. The first shard is associated with a first shard version attribute. The first shard and the first shard version attribute are provided as a first atomic update within a data stream. The first shard is resharded into at least a second shard. The second shard is associated with a second shard version attribute. The second shard and the second shard version attribute are provided as a second atomic update within the data stream.

Abstract: A technology to identify processing paths of untrusted input data received by applications that are vulnerable to attacks and to further detect and prevent actual attacks that try to exploit those vulnerabilities is disclosed. Application code is augmented at run-time with sensor code which detects the entry of input-data into the application and further traces the propagation, manipulation and, sanitization of this input-data until its usage in a data sink. The so generated data-flow traces reveal data-flow paths that lack required sanitization measures to neutralize potentially harmful input-data. Such data-flow paths are reported as vulnerabilities. Further, input-data that reaches data-sink interfaces is scanned by data-sink sensors to identify harmful input data. On identification of harmful input data, an attack is reported, and countermeasures are applied to prevent the identified attack.

Abstract: Method starts with a processor receiving first media content item from first client device and selection of invitation media overlay to be applied to first media content item. Processor generates modified first media content item by overlaying invitation media overlay on first media content item. Processor generates shared collection of media content items comprising modified first media content item. Processor receives selection of second and third user and causes modified first media content item to be displayed by second and third client devices. Processor receives selection of invitation media overlay from second and third client devices and causes shared collection to be displayed second and the third client devices. Processor receives second media content item from second client device, updates shared collection to comprise second media content item and causes updated shared collection to be displayed by first and third client devices. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Provided method and system allow dynamic rendering of a reflexive questionnaire based on a modifiable spreadsheet for users with little to no programming experience and knowledge. The method comprises receiving a modifiable spreadsheet with multiple rows, each row comprising rendering instructions for a reflexive questionnaire from a first computer, such as a data type cell, statement cell, logic cell, and a field identifier; rendering a graphical user interface, on a second computer, comprising a label and an input element corresponding to the rendering instructions of a first row of the spreadsheet; receiving an input from the second computer; evaluating the input against the logic cell of the spreadsheet; in response to the input complying with the logic cell of the spreadsheet, dynamically rendering a second label and a second input element to be displayed on the graphical user interface based on the logic of the first row.

Abstract: An authentication system includes processing circuitry that is configured to receive an indication of a number of interconnected devices that are in communication with a user device, compare the number of interconnected devices that are in communication with the user device to a threshold, and grant access to an application on the user device in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold.

Abstract: A controller device is configured to (1) transmit, to a first remote computing device associated with a first music service, a request for a session token that is to be used for identifying an audio playback system with the first music service, (2) receive a first token for authenticating communications from the audio playback system to the first music service, (3) receive first user input indicating a query, (4) transmit a request comprising the first token to the first remote computing device to perform a search in accordance with the query, (5) present indications of music content provided by the first music service, (6) receive second user input indicating selection of given music content provided by the first music service, and (6) based on the second user input and a respective identifier for the given music content, cause at least one playback device to play back the given music content.

Abstract: A system continuously monitors, by at least one inspector, an inspection work queue for a class of inspection operation request, detects, by the at least one inspector, the class of inspection operation request in the inspection work queue, removes, by the at least one inspector, the class of inspection operation request from the inspection work queue, determines, by the at least one inspector, one of a class of inspection tool and a specific level of inspection to perform for the class of inspection operation request that references a data object, and executes, by the at least one inspector, the one of the class of inspection tool and the specific level of inspection for the class of inspection operation request that references the data object at one of a certain time and a certain event during a data lifecycle of the data object.

Abstract: A system and method for a hybrid-interface comprises a computer comprising a processor and memory and configured to assign identify a business role relationship defined in a business role relationship model defining one or more relationships between two or more business roles, assign a first business role to a virtual assistant and a second business role to a worker associated with a user input to the virtual assistant, wherein an authorization level of a response by the virtual assistant is based, at least in part, on a relationship defined in the business role relationship model for the first business role and the second business role.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and storing metrics are described herein. In particular, a game server may receive game activity data from one or more client devices connected to the game server via a network. The game server sends the activity data to an anticheat server that uses one or more nodes to each calculate a portion of the activity data to generate one or more metrics. The metrics may indicate whether the data is indicative of cheating behavior within a parallel reality game. The nodes add their respective generated metrics to a relational database using prepared insert statements. The anticheat server may instruct the game server to take action with respect to one or more client devices if the metrics indicate that cheating behavior was exhibited within the data.

Abstract: Example aspects include techniques for implementing social media content collections. These techniques may include generating a social media content collection (SMCC) within a social media network, and assigning an administrator privilege for the SMCC to an account, the administrator privilege granting the account one or more access rights. In addition, the techniques may include generating a collection representation via a graphical user interface (GUI) wizard, and setting the collection representation as a collection thumbnail representation of the SMCC. Further, the techniques may include adding, based on the one or more access rights, one or more video content items to the SMCC, in response to selection of a GUI control in a presentation mode of the one or more content items, and reproducing, in response to selection of the SMCC, the one or more video content items in a continuous playback mode.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards a transport protocol for latency sensitive applications. The disclosed transport protocol is “semi-reliable” in that it allows for specification of an importance of data being transmitted, thereby allowing important data to be sent reliably, while other data can be dropped if necessary, e.g., under bad network conditions. A deadline can be specified for such other data, and if the other data cannot be sent prior to the deadline, it can be dropped. Furthermore, the disclosed transport protocol can allow for early discovery of network jitter. A client device can send regular acknowledgments which identify most recently received data packets as well as a number of “heartbeat transmissions” received at the client device. A server device can use the acknowledgments to discover and respond to jitter.

Abstract: A system and non-transitory computer-readable medium including security logic engine (SLE) to detect malicious objects based on operations conducted by an endpoint device and/or a malware detection system. The SLE includes formatting logic and a correlation engine. The formatting logic is configured to receive data from an endpoint device and a malware detection system via a network interface and to convert the data into a format used by logic within the SLE. The correlation engine is configured to (i) correlate a plurality of features included as part of the data with known behaviors and characteristics of at least malicious objects and (ii) correlate a first set of features of the plurality of features received from the endpoint device with a second set of features of the plurality of features received from the malware detection system to verify a determination of maliciousness by the endpoint device and/or the malware detection system.

Abstract: A digital method for tracing data from a plurality of data sources includes the steps of: a. obtaining initial data originating from a plurality of data sources, each initial datum comprising initial elements and initial connections, each initial element having a type and a value, b. determining a final datum on the basis of at least two initial data following the merging with one another of initial elements of the initial data according to a merging strategy, the merged initial elements making it possible to obtain a merged element having a type and a value, and c. determining a merging history for each merged element, the merging history comprising the type and the value of each initial element from which the merged element originates, the type and the value of the merged element, and data relating to the merging strategy.

Abstract: Techniques for scalable virtualization of an Input/Output (I/O) device are described. An electronic device composes a virtual device comprising one or more assignable interface (AI) instances of a plurality of AI instances of a hosting function exposed by the I/O device. The electronic device emulates device resources of the I/O device via the virtual device. The electronic device intercepts a request from the guest pertaining to the virtual device, and determines whether the request from the guest is a fast-path operation to be passed directly to one of the one or more AI instances of the I/O device or a slow-path operation that is to be at least partially serviced via software executed by the electronic device. For a slow-path operation, the electronic device services the request at least partially via the software executed by the electronic device.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods and computer-readable media for controlling and managing the identification and provisioning of resources within an on-demand center as well as the transfer of workload to the provisioned resources. One aspect involves creating a virtual private cluster within the on-demand center for the particular workload from a local environment. A method of managing resources between a local compute environment and an on-demand environment includes detecting an event associated with a local compute environment and based on the detected event, identifying information about the local environment, establishing communication with an on-demand compute environment and transmitting the information about the local environment to the on-demand compute environment, provisioning resources within the on-demand compute environment to substantially duplicate the local environment and transferring workload from the local-environment to the on-demand compute environment.

Abstract: This content development apparatus includes at least one storage medium and at least one processor. The storage medium is configured to store a plurality of resource data pertaining to content being created; and store a database pertaining to the resource data. The processor is configured to execute a plurality of editing processes; generate first information created for each type of the resource data and at least including a location of each of the resource data, and second information expressing an association between different types of the first information; store the first and the second information in the at least one storage medium; respond to a request from one of the editing processes to acquire, using a designated resource data, information indicating a different type of the resource data associated with the designated resource data; notify the editing process; and update the database.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods and computer-readable media for controlling and managing the identification and provisioning of resources within an on-demand center as well as the transfer of workload to the provisioned resources. One aspect involves creating a virtual private cluster within the on-demand center for the particular workload from a local environment. A method of managing resources between a local compute environment and an on-demand environment includes detecting an event associated with a local compute environment and based on the detected event, identifying information about the local environment, establishing communication with an on-demand compute environment and transmitting the information about the local environment to the on-demand compute environment, provisioning resources within the on-demand compute environment to substantially duplicate the local environment and transferring workload from the local-environment to the on-demand compute environment.

Abstract: One example operation may include receiving, via a collaboration server, objects from respective client devices, providing the objects to a common virtual workspace, receiving one or more modifications to the objects from one or more of the client devices, forwarding the one or more modifications to each of the plurality of client devices, and updating a master version of the common virtual workspace to include the one or more modifications.

Abstract: A method for overcoming intermittent, temporary, or other fetching failures by using multiple attempts for retrieving a content from a web server to a client device is disclosed. The URL fetching may use direct or non-direct fetching schemes, or a combination thereof. The non-direct fetching method may use intermediate devices, such as proxy server, Data-Center proxy server, tunnel devices, or any combination thereof. Upon sensing a failure of a fetching action, the action is repeated using the same or different parameters or attributes, such as by using different intermediate devices, selected based on different parameters or attributes, such as different countries. The repetitions are limited to a pre-defined maximum number or attempts. The fetching attempts may be performed by the client device, by an intermediate device in a non-direct fetching scheme, or a combination thereof. Various fetching schemes may be used sequentially until the content is retrieved.

Abstract: A computing device (e.g., a server, a cloud-based device, a network device, an item analysis device, etc.) may receive location information indicating a geographic location of a user device and image data captured by the user device of a listing (e.g., a menu, an event ticket, a content source, etc.) for a selectable item. The computing device may determine an entity offering the selectable item based on the location information. An intent indicator for the selectable item may be determined based on the entity and the information for the selectable item. An instruction to the user device may cause modification of the image data to indicate the intent indicator based on the intent indicator satisfying an intent threshold that defines a level at which an intent is classified as a positive intent.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide for indication of non-verbal cues within a video communication session. In one embodiment, a method displays, for each of a number of participants within a video communication session, a user interface including participant windows corresponding to the plurality of participants, and a video for each of at least a subset of the participants, where the video is displayed within the corresponding participant window for the participant. The method analyzes, in real time, the video to detect a non-verbal cue from a participant. The method determines that the non-verbal cue has been sustained for a duration that exceeds a designated threshold of time. The method then displays, within the UI of at least one of the participants, a prompt associated with the non-verbal cue.

Abstract: A method for building a security monitor includes identifying one or more objects of a microkernel Operating System (OS) participating in transmission of an Inter Process Communication (IPC) message. The one or more OS objects include one or more processes and/or one or more applications executed by the microkernel OS. One or more security policies associated with the identified microkernel OS objects are selected from a security policy database. A policy verification module is configured based on the selected security policies to generate a decision related to controlling the transmission of the IPC message. A security monitor is generated using the configured policy verification module to control the transmission of the message based on the decision generated by the policy verification module.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for supporting queries having sub-select constructs in a multidimensional database computing environment. The system enables a sub-select construct to be provided as part of an input query, for example using a Multidimensional Expressions (MDX), or other type of query. The inner sub-select, specified by the input query, is not executed by the system before the main query, but is used to restrict the data space for execution of the main select. The approach to processing the sub-select enables support for security-sensitive or other types of aggregation use cases.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a network service based on a correlation including network traffic metrics experienced by the network service and infrastructure operational metrics of the network service, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining periodic data including the network traffic metrics, the infrastructure operational metrics, and social media metrics, the social media metrics including content associated with one or more services provided by the network service; storing the network traffic metrics, the infrastructure operational metrics, and social media metrics in a storage for use as historical data representing a predefined period of time; providing a correlation defining a relationship between metrics content of the periodic data; receiving the periodic data during operation of the network service and using the correlation to process the received periodic data to determine an output representing an infrastructure operational metric; comparing the infrastructure operational metric to a predefined o

Abstract: Provided are a method and system of providing personal information on the basis of a blockchain. The blockchain-based personal information providing method includes making a data privacy-related contract with a user and providing user data, which corresponds to personal information of the user according to the data privacy-related contract, to a service for accessing the user data using a contract with the service.

Abstract: A payment system includes: a merchandise reading unit that reads merchandise; a merchandise information acquisition unit that obtains a merchandise information about the read merchandise; a confirmation information output unit that outputs a confirmation information for confirming with a customer an intention of payment of the merchandise; a receiving unit that receives an input from the customer for the confirmation information; a face acquisition unit that obtains a face image of the customer; an iris acquisition unit that obtains an iris image of the customer; and a payment processing unit that performs a payment process for the merchandise on the basis of the input from the customer and on the basis of at least one of the face image and the iris image. According to such a payment system, the payment process for the merchandise can be properly performed.

Abstract: A system that receives a request for resources from a first system of a plurality of systems having different levels of priority; identifies resources that are available in a second system different from the plurality of systems based on the received request; and determines whether to adjust a resource assigned to the plurality of systems based on the priority level of the first system and the resources that are available in the second system.

Abstract: A system to perform latency compensation techniques to facilitate synchronous sharing of video content during a communication session. The system enables video content that is being shared during the communication session to be played synchronously across numerous different client devices that are being used to participate in the communication session, notwithstanding variations in networking latency associated with the different client devices. The disclosed technologies provide improvements over existing screen sharing techniques which include continuously uploading streams of shared media content from a sharer's device and distributing these uploaded streams to other devices. For example, the techniques described herein enable a system to facilitate sharing of video content during a communication session without initially rendering video content at and simultaneously uploading the rendered video content from a sharer's device.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for shared folder backed integrated workspaces. In some implementations, a content management system can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates communications and content management into a single user interface. The user interface can include mechanisms that allow a user to provide input to generate a new workspace. The user interface can provide a mechanism to allow a user to view conversations related to the workspace and/or content items associated with the workspace. The user interface can present representations of content items associated with the workspace and allow the user to provide input to generate, view, edit, and share content items associated with the workspace.

Abstract: Described is a creative work contribution system. The system includes a server, a creator computing device and a plurality of contributor computing devices. The creator computing device and the plurality of contributor computing devices may be coupled to the server. The server may be programmed to receive and store a creative work request from the creator computing device; automatically process the creative work request and send the creative work request to the plurality of contributor computing devices for display and for entering contributions to the creative work request; receive and store the contributions entered by the plurality of contributor computing devices; and automatically deliver the received contributions entered by the plurality of contributor computing devices for display on the creator computing device. The system allows for crowd sourcing of creative input into specific types of creative works to help a creator overcome mental obstacles.

Abstract: This invention is a bus communication protocol. A master device stores bus credits. The master device may transmit a bus transaction only if it holds sufficient number and type of bus credits. Upon transmission, the master device decrements the number of stored bus credits. The bus credits correspond to resources on a slave device for receiving bus transactions. The slave device must receive the bus transaction if accompanied by the proper credits. The slave device services the transaction. The slave device then transmits a credit return. The master device adds the corresponding number and types of credits to the stored amount. The slave device is ready to accept another bus transaction and the master device is re-enabled to initiate the bus transaction. In many types of interactions a bus agent may act as both master and slave depending upon the state of the process.

Abstract: Adapting an asynchronous audio-visual presentation includes storing custom backdrops prior to presenting the asynchronous audio-visual presentation, assessing a degree of engagement for at least some of the participants by monitoring participant reactions and feedback while presenting the asynchronous audio-visual presentation, and modifying the asynchronous audio-visual presentation based on the degree of engagement of at least some of the participants by replacing a backdrop of the asynchronous audio-visual presentation with one of the custom backdrops. The degree of engagement of each of the participants may be positive/productive, angry/over-reacting, or indifferent. The degree of engagement of each of the participants may be based, at least in part, on non-verbal cues. The non-verbal cues may include postures, gestures, gaze direction and facial expressions that are captured by cameras of the participants and/or physiological parameters of at least some of the participants.

Abstract: An example may include identifying an initial context of a meeting based on one or more data inputs received from one or more participant devices operated by a plurality of meeting participants, querying remote data sources to identify one or more additional contexts associated with one or more of a specific period of time and a trending topic related to the initial context, forwarding a first of the one or more additional contexts to a first collaboration space of a virtual collaboration space, forwarding at least one additional context of the one or more additional contexts to a second collaboration space of the virtual collaboration space, identifying one or more sentiment actions associated with the one or more meeting participants, and overlaying the first collaboration space and the second collaboration space on an augmented reality display of a device based on the one or more sentiment actions.

Abstract: The present technology pertains to a link service that can create, maintain, and service links to objects on behalf of a content management system or other services. The link service can share administration of links with other services when desired or can even allow other services to issue the link and manage the object that is the subject of the link while providing other functions to support the link. Additionally, link service can interface with a file system that can support links as actors in the file system, whereby greater control and flexibility in supporting links is provided. Link service can also accommodate servicing and management of links issued by legacy services, where the legacy services have unique link logic that should still be utilized to maintain a consistent user experience.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of media content delivery, where the time taken to deliver each chunk of content is measured, from which the stability or consistency of delivery times are calculated. The amount of data buffered at the user's device awaiting decoding and play-back can then be adjusted (such as by playing out the content slower or quicker), in order to achieve a good compromise between continuous play-out and low end-to-end delay, taking into consideration the current network characteristics.

Abstract: In some implementations, a method includes receiving user input indicating a request to create a task and presenting a visual representation of the task. The method can also include receiving user input indicating an assignment of the task to an assignee, sending, to a second application, a first notification indicating the task and the assignment of the task to the assignee. It can further include receiving, from the second application, a second notification indicative of a change to a status of the task, and modifying the visual representation of the task to graphically illustrate the change in the status of the task in the user interface of the first application.

Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying onboard service information for vessels are described. In some embodiments, a method comprises receiving a user request to add a particular vessel to a user watch list associated with a user; adding a particular vessel identifier of the particular vessel to a set of vessel identifiers of a set of vessels included in the user watch list; and obtaining status of a service type of an onboard service provided on each vessel of the set of vessels. In response to receiving a request to display the user watch list, first graphical interface data is generated. The first graphical interface data represents: the set of vessel identifiers that corresponds to the set of vessels; a service icon for each corresponding vessel of the set of vessels; and a watch list header comprising labels for the set of vessel identifiers and the service type.

Abstract: Disclosed herein a method for configuration of semi-managed DHT based on NDN and system therefor. The method includes: managing and sharing manager nodes based on global information; generating a sub-range segment by partitioning a keyspace area, according to each group of the data peer nodes; managing the sub-range segment by distributing the sub-range segment corresponding to each group to data peer nodes of the each group; checking and analyzing liveness of the data peer node in the each group; estimating availability of the data peer nodes by predicting lifetime of data peer nodes through the checking and analyzing of liveliness; performing risk factor prediction that estimates data availability and sub-range management overhead; and performing a sub-range management decision at each of the manager nodes based on a result of the risk factor prediction, and performing a global stabilization decision required for global system stabilization.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a computer cluster system comprises a plurality of nodes and a software package comprising a user interface and a kernel for interpreting program code instructions. In certain embodiments, a cluster node module is configured to communicate with the kernel and other cluster node modules. The cluster node module can accept instructions from the user interface and can interpret at least some of the instructions such that several cluster node modules in communication with one another and with a kernel can act as a computer cluster.