Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Scott A Konersmann

Christopher G Kaler

Paul J Leach

Richard F Rashid

John Peter Shewchuk

Butler W Lampson

Stephen James Millet

Giovanni Moises Della-Libera

Bradford H Lovering

Steven E Lucco

Arulkumar Elumalai

Maxwell D Myrick

Patrick James Helland

Georgiy Reynya

Stanislav A Oks

Argenis Fernandez

Samer Boshra

Maciej Sarnowicz

Maciej Samowicz

Muthiah M Muthaia Chettiar

Edward W Dudenhoefer

Steven E Luocco

Methods for differencing and conversion of software application containers are performed by systems and devices. An initiation instruction that identifies an application container image associated with an operating system is received, and a request for the container image is provided to a repository. The container image is received and a converter extracts a portion of the container image and generates another container image of the application associated with a different operating system and that includes the extracted container image portion. Difference operations are performed on layers of different container images to isolate base layers, and application artifacts are identified for conversions in layers above the operating system. Similarly, container images are converted on the basis of processor instruction sets via binary translations, and applications native to different operating systems are generated based on original container images.

System and method for differencing and conversion of software application containers

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for providing consistent tenant experiences at multi-tenant database. Embodiments of the invention include an import service that facilitates data imports without any distribution logic on a tenant. A tenant (caller) provides data in essentially any order. The import service understands the distribution of data across multiple databases and determines for any given piece of import data what database the import data is to be inserted into. Accordingly, the tenant (caller) is relieved from having to know how the data is distributed across a set (of potentially hundreds or thousands) of databases. The import service can optimize an import process to provide load balancing and fairness across a dynamic distributed database system. For example, the import service can insure that a large import by one tenant does not deprive the import other tenants of appropriate resources.

Providing consistent tenant experiences for multi-tenant databases

Embodiments are directed to defining a query expression over a dynamic system model and to transforming a dynamically built query expression into a simplified, canonical form. A computer system receives various user inputs that are to be included as part of a query expression for querying a dynamic system model. The dynamic system model is queryable to determine features provided by a service hosted by a back-end server. The computer system dynamically builds the query expression based on both the received inputs and the available features provided by the service as indicated by the dynamic system model. The query expression also includes metadata structures representing those features of the service which are provided by the service. The computer system also queries across the dynamic system model using the dynamically built query expression to retrieve and provide the service features requested in the received user input.

Dynamic domain query and query translation

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for importing data into dynamic distributed databases. Embodiments of the invention include an import service that facilitates data imports without any distribution logic on a tenant. A tenant (caller) provides data in essentially any order. The import service understands the distribution of data across multiple databases and determines for any given piece of import data what database the import data is to be inserted into. Accordingly, the tenant (caller) is relieved from having to know how the data is distributed across a set (of potentially hundreds or thousands) of databases. The import service can group sets of data destined for a given database together and can use batch operations to increase efficiency.

Importing data into dynamic distributed databases

Embodiments are directed to implementing a dynamically changeable system model that is customizable per version, programmatically generating system models at runtime and to extending a programmatically generated system model. In an embodiment, a computer system determines that a dynamically changeable system model corresponds to a managed system. The dynamically changeable system model includes various managed system objects. The computer system indicates for the dynamically changeable system model which managed system objects are available in each version of the managed system. The available managed system objects are stored in a data store of the dynamically changeable system model. The computer system requests the managed system to provide current managed system information including at least a version identifier and, based on the managed system information indicated by the managed system, provides to the dynamically changeable system model those managed system objects that are provided by the indicated version of the managed system.

Model slicing and versioning

A system for managing updates of an executable component in accordance with an updating tree with multiple branches is provided. In one implementation, specific updates are provided to users with specific problems while general updates are provided to all users of the executable component. A range of lower version numbers is reserved for the general updates. When a specific update with a version number higher than those in the reserved range has been installed on a computing device, an installer may prevent a new general update with a lower version number to be installed. The installer may determine a new specific update corresponding to the general update and provide an indication to the user to install this new specific update instead of the general update. This multi-branch update delivery system enables users to elect to receive only updates that are necessary.

Multi-branch management for updating software

A distributed security system is provided. The distributed security system uses a security policy that is written in a policy language that is transport and security protocol independent as well as independent of cryptographic technologies. This security policy can be expressed using the language to create different security components allowing for greater scalability and flexibility. By abstracting underlying protocols and technologies, multiple environments and platforms can be supported.

Virtual distributed security system

A system and method for employing a key exchange key to facilitate secure communication is provided. The key exchange key can be employed, for example, to encrypt and/or decrypt dialog session key(s) that are used to encrypt and/or decrypt message(s) that form a dialog between an initiator system and target system. In one example, a key exchange key is unique to a service pair, while a dialog session key is unique to a particular dialog between the service pair. The system can facilitate end-to-end encryption of message data in a dialog&#x2014;the message data is encrypted at one dialog endpoint and not decrypted until it reaches the other dialog endpoint. The system can be employed to facilitate secure dialog with minimal performance overhead when compared with conventional system(s). Optionally, the system can facilitate load balancing (e.g., among deployed instances of a service). In this example, secured dialogs to a service can be location transparent so that a dialog targeted to a service can be able to talk to any instance of the same service transparently without any additional security setup. The system employs both public key/private key asymmetric encryption technique(s) and symmetric encryption technique(s) to authenticate and secure information exchanged between an initiator system and a target system.

Session key exchange key

A system and method that facilitate secure communication employing dialog session keys that can be shifted unilaterally is provided. A key exchange key can further be employed to encrypt and/or decrypt the dialog session keys that are used to encrypt and/or decrypt message(s) that form a dialog between services. For example, the key exchange key can be unique to a service pair, while a first dialog session key is unique to message(s) originated by a first service, and, a second dialog session key is unique to message(s) originated by a second service. The system allows the dialog session keys to be independently managed by each endpoint (e.g., service). This makes updating the dialog session key very easy and lightweight compared to other messaging systems, where both endpoints must agree on the updated session key. An endpoint can shift the dialog session key for message(s) it originates based on a dialog session key policy (e.g., time-based, upon receipt of a change in the second dialog session key, and/or receipt of shifts of shifts the second dialog session key more than a threshold quantity of times in a given time period).

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Scott A Konersmann