Oracle America, Inc.

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Topix LLC

Other

Terraspring, Inc.

Thomas Markson

Ashar Aziz

Martin Patterson

Christopher Mark Eppstein

Bryn Robert Dole

Robert N Truel

Richard Skrenta

Keith Peters

Robert Torres

Mark Gray

Mike Sawka

Joy Su

Osman Abdoul Ismael

Christopher J Conway

Patrick A Tickle

Jean-Michel Gerard Leon

David John Martin Patterson

A plurality of content items are retrieved from multiple network sites. Content from each content item is programmatically analyzed in order to associate that content item with one or more categories. The one or more categories may be part of a larger set of predefined categories. A network page is assigned to one or more corresponding categories in the set of predefined categories. At least some content is provided on the network page using one or more content items that were associated with the one or more categories assigned to that network page.

System and method for automating categorization and aggregation of content from network sites

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus generally involves a resource allocator receiving a request that specifies one or more characteristics for the apparatus. A resource allocator determines the logical devices to be included in the apparatus so that the apparatus has the specified characteristics. For at least one logical device, the resource allocator determines whether a physical device is available that corresponds to the logical device. If a physical device is available, the resource allocator allocates the physical device to the apparatus. If a physical device is not available, the resource allocator does not allocate the physical device to the apparatus.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on suspendable resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator determining that a particular resource requirement for an apparatus is to no longer be satisfied, such as for a suspendable resource requirement. The resource allocator de-allocates the one or more resources that satisfy the particular resource requirement from the apparatus. The resource allocator obtains and stores state information for a de-allocated resource so that another resource, which may or may not be the same as the resource that was de-allocated, can be allocated to the apparatus based on the stored state information with an acceptable loss of state.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on suspendable resource requirements

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator receiving a request that specifies resource requirements for the apparatus. A resource allocator determines whether resources are available that satisfy the resource requirements. If resources are available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is fulfilled and the resources are allocated to the apparatus. If resources are not available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is not fulfilled and the resources are not allocated to the apparatus. The apparatus is implemented based on the allocated resources.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on resource requirements

Embodiments provide for the creation of network pages or presentations that include pages on which programmatically selected/categorized content and manually-identified content from website users may be combined and displayed.

System and method for presenting categorized content on a site using programmatic and manual selection of content items

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on alternative resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator determining that a resource that satisfies a resource requirement is not available, and based on the resource not being available, the resource allocator determines that another resource that satisfies another resource requirement is available. The resource allocator allocates the other resource to the apparatus, thereby allowing the apparatus to be implemented based on the other resource. The resource requirements are alternatives so that if the one alternative resource requirement cannot be fulfilled, the other alternative resource requirement can be fulfilled. Some alternatives can be preferred over other alternatives in a set of alternative resource requirements. In general, in a set of 'n' alternative resource requirements, 'm' resource requirements can be specified to be fulfilled, where &#x201c;m&#x201d; is less than &#x201c;n&#x201d; and &#x201c;n&#x201d; is two or greater.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on alternative resource requirements

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on preemptable resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator determining that a resource that satisfies a resource requirement for one apparatus is not available but that another resource that currently satisfies another resource requirement for another apparatus does satisfy the resource requirement. The resource allocator determines that the other resource requirement for the other apparatus is characterized in that resources that currently satisfy the other resource requirement may be de-allocated from the other apparatus, such as a preemptable resource requirement. The resource allocator de-allocates the resource from the other apparatus and allocates the resource to the one apparatus. A preemptable resource requirement can be based on a suspendable resource requirement or a set of alternative resource requirements.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on preemptable resource requirements

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator receiving a request that specifies resource requirements for the apparatus. A resource allocator determines whether resources are available that satisfy the resource requirements. If resources are available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is fulfilled and the resources are allocated to the apparatus. If resources are not available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is not fulfilled and the resources are not allocated to the apparatus. The apparatus is implemented based on the allocated resources. A resource requirement can be optional so that if the optional resource requirement is not fulfilled, the apparatus can still be implemented. Conversely, a resource requirement can be necessary so that if the necessary resource requirement is not fulfilled, the apparatus is not implemented.

Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on optional resource requirements

A novel approach for determining an amount to be billed to a customer for the use of resources is based upon usage data and value data. The usage data indicates usage, by the customer, of a set of one or more resources during a specified period of time. The set of one or more resources may be dynamically selected and de-selected from a plurality of resources at any time. For example, the set of one or more resources may comprise a VSF as described herein. The value data indicates generally value provided by each resource from the set of one or more resources used during the specified period of time. The value provided by each resource may be expressed in service units per unit time and a charge may be applied for each service unit consumed during a specified period of time. Example billing schemes to which the approach is applicable include, without limitation, basic billing, flex billing, event flex billing and open flex billing.

Approach for determining an amount to bill a customer for the use of resources

Methods and apparatus providing, controlling and managing a dynamically sized, highly scalable and available server farm are disclosed. A Virtual Server Farm (VSF) is created out of a wide scale computing fabric ('Computing Grid') which is physically constructed once and then logically divided up into VSFs for various organizations on demand. Each organization retains independent administrative control of a VSF. A VSF is dynamically firewalled within the Computing Grid. Allocation and control of the elements in the VSF is performed by a control plane connected to all computing, networking, and storage elements in the computing grid through special control ports. The internal topology of each VSF is under control of the control plane. A request queue architecture is also provided for processing work requests that allows selected requests to be blocked until required human intervention is satisfied.

Request queue management

One or more datasets of a computer data storage device that participates in a dynamically changing virtual server farm are backed up without involving or affecting operation of servers in the virtual server farm that use the data storage device, and without receiving information about the structure or content of data in the datasets, the topology of the virtual server farm, or the type of server, file system, or operating system in use by the servers. A restore operation provides restored data on an address that is linearly related to and separated from a backup address. Data can be restored to a storage device without interfering with operation of the servers that use the data and without regard to structure or content of the data.

Backup and restore of data associated with a host in a dynamically changing virtual server farm without involvement of a server that uses an associated storage device

A call handling mechanism provides a resource manager for controlling the allocation of functional modules to process a received call. Each of the functional modules can be implemented as a software application, preferably implemented in the form of a bean, such as a Java bean. The resource manager allocates the functional modules in accordance with the priority order. Different types of applications are given priority numbers within different ranges so that, for example, a voice application such as a voicemail application will always precede a facsimile application, which in turn will precede a data application. In this manner, reliable call answering can be provided using third party supplied call handling applications which are pre-allocated priority numbers in an appropriate range for the type of application.

Call handling mechanism

A method and apparatus are provided for dynamically configuring authorized clients with the address of a protected host and the key and address of an intermediate device (e.g., encrypting firewall, encrypting router, secure gateway) which is protecting a number of hosts on a private network located topologically behind that intermediate device. The registered name server for a domain is configured to return a new resource record type, herein called an SX record, in response to requests for information needed for secure communications with protected hosts in that domain. The resolver on (or otherwise associated with) the authorized client is configured to use the data in the SX record to dynamically update the information used by the client to handle secure communications.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Thomas Markson