Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Mark Gilbert

Ron J Mevissen

David Michael Sauntry

Olivier Nano

Donovan Allen Isaak

Michael E Markley

Divyachapan Sridharan Padur

Ilker Celikyilmaz

Esha Sharma

Vadivelan Ramalingam

Methods and systems for managing a flighted software feature. One embodiment provides a system for disabling a flighted software feature enabled for selected users in a computing environment. The system includes a memory storing instructions and an electronic processor coupled to the memory. The electronic processor configured to execute the instructions to determine a set of related service requests submitted by a plurality of users in the computing environment, and, for each of the plurality of users, query a server servicing the user for a list of flighted software features enabled for the user during a predetermined time period. The electronic processor is also configured to determine, based on the list of flighted software features enabled for each of the plurality of users during the predetermined time period, a common flighted software feature, and automatically disable the common flighted software feature for at least one of the plurality of users.

Automated recovery of flighted features based on service requests

The invention provides for authorization of devices entering a network. A new device entering a network sends an authorization request. Another device in the network may receive the request and display a User Interface (UI) which prompts the user to approve the device. The user can use a device identifier provided by the new device in approving the new device. Assuming the identifier provided by the new device matches an identifier accessible by the authorizing device, the user authorizes the new device. A key is then generated for the new device, which allows access to an appropriate range of network services. Authorization decisions can be synchronized among the various devices in a network, so even if an authorizing device leaves the network, the new device key can be validated. A security service can be replicated in a new device once the device is authorized to access the network.

Authorization of device access to network services

Techniques are disclosed for authorization of devices entering a network. A new device entering a network sends an authorization request. Another device in the network may receive the request and prompt the user to approve the device. The user can use a device identifier provided by the new device in approving the new device. Assuming the identifier provided by the new device matches an identifier accessible by the authorizing device, the user authorizes the new device. A key is then generated for the new device, which allows access to an appropriate range of network services. Authorization decisions can be synchronized among the various devices in a network, so even if an authorizing device leaves the network, the new device key can be validated. A security service can be replicated in a new device once the device is authorized to access the network.

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that provide a centralized model to assign, monitor, and manage security on home electronic devices. A three-dimensional security matrix uses a role-based model that allows users to map security into groupings. Users can be assigned security levels based on application role (what activity is involved), user role (what each family member or guest is allowed to do), and device role (what this device is allowed to do while preserving system integrity). An authorization service determines whether a particular activity requested by the user should be granted or denied based upon whether the user has authorization to access the particular activity and whether the particular device can support the particular activity without comprising the security of the network.

Authorization scheme to simplify security configurations

Monitoring of service provider performance is improved by providing detailed instructions for evaluating metrics relating to categories in which the service provider's performance is to be measured. Such instructions describe the metrics in sufficient detail such that they can be evaluated by a monitoring component without having to obtain monitoring data from the service provider, thereby decreasing the level of trust that must be placed in the service provider to monitor itself. The ability to evaluate metrics independent of service provider monitoring data further reduces the size of code which must be generated for the service provider and the number of tasks which must be performed by the service provider, thereby decreasing operating expenses and freeing up resources for other aspects of the service provider's operations.

Monitoring of service provider performance

Described is a system and method that separates a managed code runtime library or program into four parts, comprising a header, resources, metadata and method implementations. The metadata and some or all of the resources are maintained in system memory (RAM) the entire time that the program is running. The method implementations and any non-maintained resources are loaded on demand, and then discarded such as via garbage collection. The amount of memory consumed by a managed code program is thus reduced relative to non-separated environments, but because the metadata and selected resources are in memory, the program execution is highly efficient due to significantly reduced access of data in non-volatile storage. The parts of the assembly that are maintained in RAM can be saved as code library files, providing shared use by programs and efficient loading by eliminating any need to again parse a program to identify the separate parts.

Method and system for caching managed code for efficient execution on resource-constrained devices

An incremental garbage collector is disclosed. Upon termination of a function or program, the incremental garbage collector scans the object heap for objects allocated by the function or program that are not referenced outside the function or program that allocated the objects. Memory occupied by such objects is immediately reclaimed without having to wait for the garbage collector.

Incremental garbage collection

An inlining code generator, executing external to a runtime environment, reproduces the processing of an innerloop of an interpreter for the runtime environment. The inlining code generator processes a program in the interpreted language and produces a corresponding program in a compiled language. The compiled language program is compiled into a native language program using a standard compiler specific to the underlying hardware. Because the native language program operates within the framework of the runtime environment, functions and routines provided by the runtime environment are available to the native language program.

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Aachen, Germany

Mark Gilbert