A system, method, and computer program product discover relationships among items and recommend items based on the discovered relationships. The recommendations provided by the present invention are based on user profiles that take into account actual preferences of users, without requiring users to complete questionnaires. An improved binomial log likelihood ratio analysis technique is applied, to reduce adverse effects of overstatement of coincidence and predominance of best sellers. The invention may be used, for example, to generate track lists for a personalized radio station.

Relationship discovery engine

Enforcing network service level agreements in a network infrastructure element comprises receiving, at the network infrastructure element, an application-layer message comprising one or more of the packets; forwarding the application-layer message toward a destination endpoint and concurrently copying the application-layer message without disrupting the forwarding; using the copied application-layer message, discovering one or more applications or services that are using the network; using the copied application-layer message, identifying one or more network-layer condition metrics, and identifying one or more application-layer condition metrics; determining, based on the identified network-layer condition metrics and the application-layer condition metrics, whether one or more conditions of a service level agreement are violated; and in response to determining a violation, performing one or more responsive operations on one or more network elements.

Enforcing network service level agreements in a network element

A method for entertaining individuals according to a community having similar tastes. Information derived from user accounts form the basis of a community and collateral preferences allow other subscribing individuals to enjoy the benefit of wider-ranging tastes according to the preferences expressed by the other members of the community. Additionally, assuming that individuals sharing one preference in common may be likely to share others, the present method allows those who choose to listen to the “fan station” the ability to enjoy similar music or other data streams according to preferences expressed by the fan community as a whole.

Online playback system with community bias

Intelligent monitoring systems and methods for virtual environments are disclosed that understand various components of a virtual infrastructure and how the components interact to provide improved performance analysis to users. In certain examples, a monitoring system assesses the performance of virtual machine(s) in the context of the overall performance of the physical server(s) and the environment in which the virtual machine(s) are running. For instance, the monitoring system can track performance metrics over a determined period of time to view changes to the allocation of resources to virtual machines and their location(s) on physical platforms. Moreover, monitoring systems can utilize past performance information from separate virtual environments to project a performance impact resulting from the migration of a virtual machine from one physical platform to another.

Systems and methods for analyzing performance of virtual environments

A method is disclosed for generating a network topology representation based on inspection of application messages at a network device. According to one aspect, a network device receives a request packet, routes the packet to the destination, and extracts and stores correlation information from a copy of the request packet. When the network device receives a response packet, it examines the contents of a copy of the response packet using context-based correlation rules and matches the response packet with the appropriate stored request packet correlation information. It analyzes recorded correlation information to determine application-to-application mapping and calculate application response times. Another embodiment inserts custom headers that contain information used to match a response packet with a request packet into request packets.

Method and apparatus for generating a network topology representation based on inspection of application messages at a network device

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for dynamically monitoring and visualizing metrics within a system that has values which change over time. The values associated with these metrics can be specific to entities within the system or they can be common system-wide metrics. Various attributes can be defined for the metrics to be visualized. The values can then be determined in conformance with these defined data attributes. The values can be mapped to appropriate unique indicators which can be used to represent a visual indication of the determined value. The graphical representation of the entities within the system can be displayed along with unique indicator used to represent the value associated with the metric to be displayed. The metrics to be displayed can be selected from a list. Additionally, the measurements can be periodically made and the display accordingly updated.

Method and apparatus for visualizing metrics in a data space

An enterprise model associated with an operational environment within an operational dashboard can be identified. The model can include an entity which can be an operational node, an architecture component node, a resource, a goal, or a constraint of an enterprise organization. The environment can include element which can be a computing resource and a computing resource state associated with the organization. An operational state change within the operational environment can be performed. A result of the change can be presented within an architectural view of the model within the dashboard. The result can include a context, a policy, a function, or a relationship affecting the model.

Enabling real-time opertional environment conformity to an enterprise model

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for efficiently and dynamically collecting and reporting performance metrics from components within a dynamic complex heterogeneous system, such as a content delivery network (CDN). Update messages containing fields for each metric to reported can be used to update the values for the metric associated with each component or entity in the system. For each field within a message communicating updated values of metrics, codes can be predefined. Update messages can contain updated metric values and/or predefined codes. By using these predefined codes, more than one agent can be used to interrogate and report determined and undetermined values for a specified component within the system to collect information. For example, a update message having five fields can be used to update 5 corresponding performance metrics. In a interrogation by a first agent, a first update message can contain actual updated values in the first, second and third fields of the metrics. Codes can be inserted into the fourth and fifth fields of the update message to instruct a recipient graphical display not the set these fields. In a second subsequent interrogation, a second update message can have actual updated values for the metrics represented in the fourth and fifth fields of the update message. The first, second and third data fields of the second update message can contain code instructing the recipient graphical display not the set these fields.

Method and apparatus for efficiently and dynamically updating monitored metrics in a heterogeneous system

The present invention provides a method and system for providing dynamic workload transition. A servlet can be configured as a core (main) workload driver that dynamically monitors certain system parameters to determine the current state of the system. A servlet is a Java program that can extend the functionality of a Web server, generating dynamic content and interacting with web clients using a request-response paradigm. Here, the web clients can include external applications each of which can issue hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests for workload processing. Based on the monitored system parameters, the servlet can dynamically determine whether a particular workload should be processed or whether a lighter workload should be processed in order to prevent further system overload. Upon determining that the current workload being processed is causing an overload condition, the servlet can reallocate system resources, for example by diminishing processing of the current workload and transition to a lighter workload that will lighten the load on the system. This transition to a lightened load will not add additional load to the overload condition, thereby causing the system performance to return to optimal operation.

Method and apparatus for providing dynamic workload transition during workload simulation on e-business application server

A method for providing a virtual cloud service at the lowest actual cost can begin with an optimal transaction handler of a federated virtual service cloud maintaining a virtual resource pool of transactional units. Each transactional unit can represent a service application deployed to a cloud service provided by a cloud service provider having a usage-based service cost model that allows transactional units to be placed in an inactive state to suspend its operating expense. Operational metrics data for the cloud service providers can be continuously captured. In response to a service request, the transactional unit that meets fulfillment requirements of the service request and incurs a lowest actual cost can be determined based upon cost factors derived from the operational metrics data, the usage-based service cost model, and a current usage state of the virtual resource pool. The received service request can be routed to the determined transactional unit.

Leonard S. Hand

Papers

Method and apparatus for visualizing metrics in a data space

Enabling real-time opertional environment conformity to an enterprise model

Method and apparatus for efficiently and dynamically updating monitored metrics in a heterogeneous system

Method and apparatus for providing dynamic workload transition during workload simulation on e-business application server

Routing service requests based on lowest actual cost within a federated virtual service cloud