International Business Machines Corporation

Giancarlo Carbone

Luigi Pichetti

Stefano Sidoti

Giuseppe Ciano

Francesco Lecciso

Luisa Attanasio

Bernardo Pastorelli

Fabio Cerri

Antonio Perrone

Francesco Censi

Calogero Bufalino Marinella

Thomas Frank Cierech

Predetermined multimedia services are provided to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). A request is received at a placement server of a multimedia service by at least one user, and the placement server retrieves on a presence server information about the at least one user. The placement server identifies application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service, and the placement server selects an application server that is located a minimum average distance from at least one user. In response to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, a local application server is selected with an average distance from the user that is less than the predetermined threshold. A virtual image of the multimedia application is created on the selected local application server, and a connection is established between the user and the selected local application server.

Optimization of multimedia service over an IMS network

A method includes connecting a communications device to an Internet Multimedia Subsystem network. The method includes transmitting presence information indicating multimedia capabilities of the communications device and requesting multimedia content from a multimedia server to cause the multimedia server to transmit multimedia content. The method includes detecting connection of a peripheral device to the communications device and determining that the multimedia capabilities have increased due to the connection of the peripheral device. The method includes updating the presence information to indicate the increased multimedia capabilities and transmitting the updated presence information to cause the multimedia server to transmit the multimedia content adjusted for the increased multimedia capabilities indicated in the updated presence information. The method includes receiving the multimedia content adjusted for the increased multimedia capabilities and presenting at least some of the adjusted multimedia content on the peripheral device.

Dynamically optimizing delivery of multimedia content over a network

A solution for discovering shared software components (C-C) of software products (PROD-PROD) installed on a data processing system is proposed. In order to achieve this result, for each software product the corresponding software components are aggregated into groups (G-G); each group includes software components that must be linked by a corresponding relationship (such as a co-location on the same operating system image). In this way, it is possible to assign a software component available on the system to its software product even when it may be used by more of them. Particularly, the operation is performed deterministically when the available software component is included in a single valid group (i.e., a group including all the required software components); in this case, the available software component (C) is assigned to the software product (PROD) associated with the single valid group (G). Alternatively, when an (ambiguous) available software component (C, C, C) is included in more valid groups, a score is calculated for each associated (eligible) software product according to the corresponding available software components; the eligible software product with the highest score (PROD) is then selected for assigning the ambiguous software component.

Discovering multi-component software products

Communication device capabilities may change during an established multimedia session due to connection of a peripheral device. For example, a user listens to an Internet radio service on a mobile phone through a set of headphones. Later, the user connects the mobile phone to stereo system in a car. The mobile phone can leverage the car's stereo system to present higher quality audio than it could present with the headphones. Functionality can be implemented in a communication device to detect connection of a peripheral device and determine multimedia capabilities of the peripheral device. The communication device updates its presence information to indicate the multimedia capabilities of the peripheral device. In response, a multimedia server determines multimedia capabilities indicated in the presence information have changed and optimizes delivery of multimedia content based on the updated multimedia capabilities.

A solution for discovering shared software components (C-C) of software products (PROD-PROD) installed on a data processing system is proposed. In order to achieve this result, for each software product the corresponding software components are aggregated into groups (G-G); each group includes software components that must be linked by a corresponding relationship (such as a co-location on the same operating system image). In this way, it is possible to assign a software component available on the system to its software product even when it may be used by more of them. Particularly, the operation is performed deterministically when the available software component is included in a single valid group (i.e., a group including all the required software components); in this case, the available software component (C) is assigned to the software product (PROD) associated with the single valid group (G). Alternatively, when an (ambiguous) available software component (C,C,C) is included in more valid groups, a score is calculated for each associated (eligible) software product according to the corresponding available software components; the eligible software product with the highest score (PROD) is then selected for assigning the ambiguous software component.

Discovering multi-component software products based on weighted scores

A heterogeneous environment having applications and application enablers operating on application servers organized as a cluster is managed. The application servers are managed by a cluster management application. A system management application permits access to computing performance data provided by an operating system and reported to the system management application. Performance data of the applications and application enablers is collected from an application agent through the application servers. Topology information regarding the application servers is collected via the cluster management application. The performance data and the topology information are retrieved and sent to the system management application. Access to the performance data via the system management application is permitted. The system management application links to the computing performance data using the topology information.

Efficient monitoring of heterogeneous applications

A method and a corresponding apparatus for metering usage of software products on a computer are proposed. The solution of the invention is based on the idea of associating each product with an installation signature (indicative of the installation of the product on the computer) and with a running signature (indicative of the running of the product on the computer). The products that are installed on the computer are asynchronously determined according to their installation signatures; in this way, any ambiguities (for example, caused by different versions and/or configurations of a product sharing the same executable modules) can be resolved in advance. Therefore, when at run-time the invocation of an executable module is detected it is possible to use only the running signatures to identify the corresponding product uniquely (without the need of additional information about the executable module, such as its size).

Method and apparatus for metering usage of software products using multiple signatures

A method () and system for controlling use of software programs on a client workstation; the programs (such as an operating system or a network stack) are started before completion of a bootstrap process. Each program requests () an execution authorization to a system agent of a licensing management system, which grants () the authorization according to a verification of a (simplified) local license certificate for the program stored on the client workstation before completion of the bootstrap. A full-function agent of the licensing management system revises () the granted authorization according to a verification of a license certificate stored on a server workstation after completion of the bootstrap. Preferably, an execution environment of the programs (such as a power of the CPU on the client workstation) is monitored () in order to revise () compliance of the conditions of use of the programs with the respective license certificates dynamically.

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Rome, Italy

Giancarlo Carbone