International Business Machines Corporation

Eric Marshall Nelson

Richard V Hom

David C Roxin

Tova Roth

Paul Turquand Keyser

Douglas Neil Kimelman

Ian D Simmonds

Bard Bloom

Steven R Abrams

John M Vlissides

Steven Tang

James C North

Wendy D Neuberger

Clay Edwin Williams

Matthew N Kaplan

Richard V Horn

Steve Abrams

Steven Shu Hsiang Tang

John Matthew Vissides

A method and system are disclosed for manipulating a model, where that model represents some or all of a design. The design includes a multitude of design elements, the model includes a multitude of model elements, and each of the design elements is represented by a single model element. The method comprises the steps of generating a suite of documents from the model, each of the documents describing a view of the model; and displaying the documents to a user as a series of forms. The user provides information to the forms to change the documents, and changes to the documents result in both changes to the model and consistent changes across the suite of documents. In the preferred embodiment, the model identifies specific relationships between the elements of the model, and each of the model elements has defined properties.

Manipulating design models by editing generated reports

The invention is directed to just-in-time (JIT) retrieval of directory information to reduce network traffic and load on directory servers and/or data sources by requesting only the information that is currently needed from the directory server. In the invention, a request handler operating with the directory server provides this capability. Specifically, the request handler and directory server are configured to receive a request for directory information from a client and to determine a location corresponding to a set of current attribute values for responding to the request. The request handler retrieves the set of current attribute values from at least one of the following: the directory server and an external source. A set of current attributes is returned to the client from the directory server. The request handler propagates information in a JIT manner so that only the information that will be currently used by the client is propagated across the network.

Integrated just-in-time synchronization

The present invention may comprise a system and method for a Virtual Attribute Federation System (VAFS) and may be composed of a Virtual Attribute Federation Manager (VAFM) and a system of Virtual Attribute Enabled Directories (VAED) modified to accept federation of virtual attributes. The VAFM produces signed and trusted calculation methods and coordinates a synchronized dispersal of these methods to the VAEDs. The VAEDs may have local mappings which allow for federation-time configuration of the calculation methods.

Virtual attribute federation system

Approaches for using the historical party reputation data to calculate an access decision rating are provided. Specifically, one or more approaches provide a method, including: collecting reputation information of a first user that is requesting access to one or more assets, the reputation information based on at least an association of the first user with an organization and an association of the first user with one or more other users associated with one or more other organizations; storing the requester's reputation information; determining a change in the requester's reputation information, wherein the change comprises at least one of: the first user forming a new association with another organization, and the first user forming a new association with a second user, wherein the second user is affiliated with another organization; and causing an access decision rating to be calculated based upon the determined change in the requester's reputation information.

Gathering, storing and using reputation information

The invention is directed to just-in-time (JIT) retrieval of directory information to reduce network traffic and load on directory servers and/or data sources by requesting only the information that is currently needed from the directory server. In the invention, a wrapper operating with a directory server and an application programming interface (API) provides this capability. The wrapper is configured to receive a request from a client and to determine a location corresponding to a set of current attribute values for responding to the request. The wrapper retrieves the set of current attribute values in a JIT manner from at least one of the following: the directory server and an external source. A set of current attributes is returned to the client from the wrapper. By propagating information in a JIT manner, only the information that will be currently used is propagated across the network.

Just-in-time wrapper synchronization

An approach for connecting the inputs and the outputs of multiple services in such a way that the entire transaction can be tracked from beginning to end and from service to service is provided. The pipeline architecture of the present invention passes information through a sequence of nodes, each node providing some processing or filtering before passing information to the next node in the pipe. A transaction's token passes down a pipe of services. The pipe can have forks and branches, so a transaction's token is passed from node to node carrying messages from one node to another. The overall transactional information is not lost from service to service; instead it is carried up and down the length of the pipeline. As the transaction's token is passed up and down the pipeline, its history passes with it. The pipe links a chain of nodes connected end-to-end.

Transactional service pipeline

A method and a system for collecting and maintaining historical party reputation data and for using the historical party reputation data to calculate an access decision rating and recalculating the access decision rating when the historical party reputation data has changed has a reputation updater for updating a reputation when a party's reputation has changed, a reputation storer for storing the party's reputation, an access decision rating maker for making a rating on a party's access abilities based upon the party's reputation and reputation history storage for storing a party's reputation having access decision rating storage for storing previous and present access decision storage ratings.

A method and system are disclosed for creating a hyperlink together with an associated semantic link between a source entity, and a target entity. The source entity includes descriptive text. The system includes means for selecting text within the source entity, and means for selecting the target entity. Also, means are provided for selecting a type of semantic link, and means are provided for creating a hyperlink between said selected text and said target entity. The system further includes means for creating a semantic link of said type between said source entity and said target entity, including means for including in the hyperlink a reference to said semantic link. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for selecting the type of semantic link includes means for prompting a user to select from among a plurality of candidate types of semantic links.

Method and system for creating semantic relationships using hyperlinks

The invention is directed to off-peak and just-in-time (JIT) retrieval of directory information to reduce network traffic and load on directory servers and/or data sources by requesting only the information that is currently needed from the directory server, while subsequently updating the directory information during an off-peak period in the case that the directory information retrieved in a JIT manner is outdated. In these embodiments, a hybrid integrator operable with an integration directory capable of retrieving directory information in a JIT manner provides this functionality.

Hybrid off-peak and just-in-time integration

A method (and system) for generating a structured representation from an unstructured description includes receiving, by a computer, an unstructured description, and generating, by the computer, a structured representation based upon the unstructured description.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Eric Marshall Nelson