Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Wind River Systems, Inc.

Marc Shepard

David C James

David Michael Sauntry

Mazhar Naveed Mohammed

Brad R Anderson

Yordan Ivanov Rouskov

Edward F Reus

Larry Alan Morris

Gaurav Raghu Dhawan

Hakki Tunc Bostanci

John Eldridge

Michael J Thomson

Siddharth Mantri

David B Dehghan

Venkata Raghuram Pampana

David Cris Hennessey

Jason J Roberts

Prabagar Ramadasse

Jason Robert Githens

Susan A Dey

Jonathan M Tanner

Mick Healy

Ramachandra Ravitej Vennapusa

Aleksandr Tokarev

Namrata Shankar Puri

Anna Barhudarian

Aaron H Averbuch

Christopher Scott Gouge

David E Kays

David S Bakin

Thottam Sriram

Bryston Mitsuo Nitta

Upender Sandadi

Hung Minh Dang

Derek Menzies

Andrew L Nicholson

Chen Liang

Brett D A Flegg

Varadarajan Thiruvillamalai

Brett Damon Alan Flegg

Nirmal Rajesh Soy

Cy H Myers

Jianbo Hou

Ramasubramanian Shastri

Dennis Craig Marl

Xiang He

Craig C Marl

Steve P Shih

Krishnan Rangarajan

Vidyasankar Raman

Anthony A Mowers

Christopher J Schille

Marc-Andrea Klimaschewski

Brett Da Flegg

Richard B Levien

Walter Wittel

Oana Silvia Nica

Seong Kook Khang

Jeanette R Fisher

Lie Ma

Brett DA Flegg

Mazhar Mohammed

A solution is disclosed for computer hardware replacement using performance analytics that selects replacement computer hardware based on actual user needs and enterprise priorities. Key performance data is collected and compared with various baselines, thereby identifying hardware that is performing below acceptable levels. Enterprise data and collected data are received from an instrumented operating system on a computing device. The collected data includes boot performance, application performance, and hardware performance. Based at least on the collected data, a usability score is determined by performing a weighted calculation on the collected data. Based at least on the usability score and the enterprise data, it is determined whether a score improvement is required. Based at least on the enterprise data, a score improvement selection is determined. The score improvement selection is reported based at least on determining that a score improvement is required.

Optimizing hardware replacement using performance analytics

Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for binding with cryptographic key attestation. A method can include generating, by hardware of a device, a device public key and a device private key, based on the device private key, signing a first attestation resulting in a signed first attestation, the first attestation claiming the device private key originated from the hardware, based on the device public key and the signed first attestation, registering the device with a trusted authority, generating, by the hardware, a first application private key and a first application public key, and based on the device private key, signing a second attestation resulting in a signed second attestation, the second attestation claiming the first application private key originated from the hardware, and based on the first application public key and the signed second attestation, registering a first application of the device to a first server.

Binding with cryptographic key attestation

Techniques are described herein that are capable of estimating a result of configuration change(s) in an enterprise. Enterprise information regarding a designated enterprise is gathered. The enterprise information is combined with anonymized information that is received from multiple enterprises to provide combined information. An actual impact of configuration changes in at least one enterprise (e.g., with regard to a first subset of the machines therein) is determined and/or a predictive impact of the configuration change(s) in at least one enterprise (e.g., with regard to a second subset of machines therein) is inferred. An estimate of a net financial result of implementing the configuration change(s) (e.g., with regard to the second subset of the machines) in the designated enterprise is generated based at least in part on the actual impact and/or the predictive impact.

Estimating a result of configuration change(s) in an enterprise

Remote administration of initial computer operating system setup options is facilitated by systems and mechanisms that provide such initial setup options to a computing device during an earlier stage of the operating system setup. An administrator defines, in a profile, how such initial setup options are to be set and when an operating system is being set up it communicates with licensing servers to validate the copy of the operating system. If authorized, and if set up by an administrator, initial setup options are provided to the computing device at such an early stage of the operating system setup. Processes executing on the computing device then utilize software licensing application program interfaces to not only validate the copy of the operating system, but also to set the initial setup options in the manner pre-specified by the administrator. A customized directory service login user interface is one such initial setup option.

Remote administration of initial computer operating system setup options

Examples described herein generally relate to device analytics. Specifically, the present disclosure provides resource deployment at an organization including one or more devices. The present disclosure provides for receiving telemetry data from the one or more devices associated with the organization. The present disclosure further provides for generating a set of deployment rings for the deployment of the software resource at the one or more devices of the organization. Additionally, the present disclosure provides for deploying the software resource within the organization based on the set of deployment rings.

Resource deployment using device analytics

Sending installation information. A method may be performed, for example, in a network computing environment including one or more servers connected to one or more clients. The method includes signing a package including installation information. A hash of the package is created. A metadata data set is created. The metadata data set includes a description of the package, an identification for the package, applicability rules describing intended recipients of the installation information, the hash of the package, and installation instructions for the package. The metadata data set is sent to a target group of systems in the network computing environment.

Secure content publishing and distribution

A hierarchical software update distribution system and method for distributing software updates is presented. The update distribution system includes a root update service node and at least one update service node. In an update distribution system, each update service node, except the root update service node, has one parent update service node. Each update service node may function as a parent update service node to child update service nodes.

Update distribution system architecture and method for distributing software

A system and method for logging events processed by an operating system is provided. The events logged can include interrupt and non-interrupt events, and can include user-defined events. Information concerning the interrupt events is initially written, during event handling time, into a first buffer while information concerning non-interrupt events is initially written, during event handling time, into a second buffer. Information from the two buffers is then written to a third buffer not during event handling time. Separating the interrupt event buffer from the non-interrupt event buffer rather than having one buffer, and writing relatively small amounts of data during event handling time to memory, rather than transporting data to slower non-memory mapped devices allows the event logger to be less intrusive and facilitates greater accuracy in event logging. Data stored in the third buffer can be accessed by a viewing component, which facilitates displaying data in a manner useful to diagnose operating systems.

Operating system event tracking and logging

A tag-based structure for communicating software update metadata information to client computers and to update service nodes is presented. An update metadata file includes: an identifier tag including a software update identifier that uniquely identifies the software update; zero or more general properties tags that carry general property information relating the software update; zero or more localized properties tags that carry localized property information organized according to language; zero or more relationship tags that identify dependency relationships the current software update, as described in the update metadata, has with other software updates; zero or more applicability rules tags that carry information for determining the applicability of the software update to a client computer; zero or more files tags that carry information relating to the software update's payload files; and handler specific data tags that carry information directed to the software handler for installing the software update.

Tag-based schema for distributing update metadata in an update distribution system

The present invention is directed to a system and method for managing software updates. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and method for facilitating the selection and implementation of software updates while minimizing the bandwidth and processing resources required to select and implement the software updates. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a software update service controls access to software updates stored on servers. In accordance with another aspect, the software update service synchronizes with client machines to identify applicable updates.

Managing software updates and a software distribution service

Methods, functional components and structures are disclosed for carrying out management of client/server processes operating within separate process spaces within a computer system. The disclosed methods, functional components facilitate and carry out management of client and server processes within a computer system such that a greater degree of control can be exhibited over their execution. An active server component process maintains a list structure identifying each client process that is currently using one of the server component process's interfaces. When a new client references a server, the list structure is augmented to include the system identification (e.g., handle) assigned by the operating system to the client process. A thread within the server process blocks while awaiting a triggering event (e.g., a client process in the list terminates). When the client process terminates, the block on the thread releases and the thread processes the change in client references. If the list of clients within the structure reaches zero, then the server process can immediately terminate.

Method and system for effective management of client and server processes

A project analysis system and method is described to allow for automated generation of scalable bootable applications and downloadable applications, preferably in connection with an integrated development environment (IDE). The project analysis system and method includes facilities for automatically identifying and including software components in application development projects based on symbol dependencies and component dependencies. The project analysis system and method also includes facilities for automatically identifying and removing software components in application development projects where no symbol dependencies or component dependencies exist, thereby removing unused code. A graphical user interface is provided for user display and selection of includable and excludable components.

System and method for implementing a project facility

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Marc Shepard