Cisco Technology, Inc.

Paul J Russell

Ryan J Schuft

Christopher S Warren

Manjunatha N Ramanathpura

Thomas N Cobb

Shmuel Shaffer

Mukul Jain

Joseph Khouri

Laurent Philonenko

Michael Paul Lepore

Paul Robert Schechinger

Steven Morrison

John Hernandez

Jay Ferrandini

William Finnerty

A method or apparatus determines an order for installing software patches by comparing information in the software patches. The information may include files created or modified to fix software errors in a software program and metadata referring to the files. By comparing the information, the method or apparatus may determine whether at least two of the software patches include files in common. Based on the results of comparing the information, the method or apparatus may automatically determine an order for installing the software patches into the software program. The files in a given software patch may be used to fix unrelated software errors. The metadata may refer to a time at which the files in the software patches were created or modified, and the order of installation may occur in a chronological manner based on creation or modification dates.

Method and apparatus for determining least risk install order of software patches

A method in one embodiment includes receiving input identifying a plurality of callers within a listening or speaking range of a phone device being used to place a call. The input is then sent over a packet-based network to a server that authenticates and authorizes each of the callers to the call. Following authentication and authorization by the server, a name or caller ID of each of the callers is sent to a destination endpoint device of the call. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Identification of multiple persons on a phone call

A method or corresponding apparatus manages deployment of a software patch ('patch') by creating a given patch comprising at least one file and associating information with the given patch that prevents other patches from being installed over the given patch. In one some embodiments, patches are no longer delivered directly from a software engineer to a customer. Instead, the software engineer works with a patch manager that, among other tasks, may track a state of software on the customer's machine, allowing for installing another patch without producing adverse effects that may be caused by installing over the given patch. To install another patch, software on the customer's machine is set into a known state by uninstalling the given patch. Once in the known state, the other patch may be installed.

Method and apparatus for managing patchable software systems

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) receiving a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen; (ii) accessing information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and (iii) establishing an interaction path between the contact center and a viewer. The method can further include providing information to the user via the interaction path in response to a request by the user for the information. The device can be a set-top box (STB) or a cable card and the display screen can be a television, for example. Also, the content provider can be a cable or satellite television provider, for example.

Set-top box initiated contact center interaction

Mechanisms and techniques provide the system that allows a sending computer system to capture and store event information related to events that transpire on a sending computer system in event batches. The event information can include event functionality related to event object in the timestamp related to the event. Periodically, in response to the occurrence of the batch transfer condition, the sending computer system transmits an event batch monthly computer network for receipt by a receiving computer system. The event batch may be processed through a collaboration adapter on the networks while prior to being send to the receiving computer system. Upon receipt of an event batch at the receiving computer system, the receiving computer system can compute a lag time required to receive the event batch. The receiving computer system can then recreate events based on the event information in the event batches while compensating for network lag time incurred during transmission of the event batch between a sending and receiving computer systems. By compensating for network lag during the recreation or playback of events, the system of the invention avoids the receiving computer system from reproducing events in a choppy or discontinuous manner or from getting left behind during event recreation due to accumulations of network lag time.

Method and apparatus for exchanging event information between computer systems that reduce perceived lag times by subtracting actual lag times from event playback time

Mechanisms and techniques allow computer systems to create and exchange uniquely identified shared objects. Using this invention, a client computer system can operate client software to generate local object definitions in a local object specification. To assure that the local object definitions created by the client are uniquely identifiable by this client, as well as by a server and possibly other clients which may require access to such object definitions (e.g., other clients in a collaboration software system), the invention allows the client to send the local object specification to the server for unique identification of the object definitions. The server receives the local object specification containing the local object definitions created by the client and can convert each local object definition within the local object specification to a global object definition in a global object specification. Each global object definition includes a system-wide unique global object identification assigned by the server that uniquely identifies the global object definition on the server, as well across any clients in communication with the server. The server then returns the global object specification containing the uniquely identified global object definitions to the client. The client then compares the global object specification to the local object specification to determine if the server properly created the global object specification based on the local object specification. Assuming the server properly creates the global object specification, the client replaces the local object specification with the global object specification such that the client can operate on global object definitions that are guaranteed to be uniquely identified.

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Clinton, MA, United States of America

Paul J Russell