A search that is efficient and lightens the load on servers is conducted. An original program list containing IP addresses of a number of servers is stored in a center server. The center server supplies the original server list to a client computer, which proceeds to divide the list into a plurality of divided server lists. The divided server lists, together with a search command, are applied to respective ones of master servers. The master servers further divide the divided server lists into subdivided server lists, and each master server transmits the subdivided server lists, together with the search command, to respective ones of slave servers. These operations of dividing the server list and transmitting the divided server lists to subsequent servers are repeated. A search is conducted by the master and slave servers in accordance with the search command, data representing the search results are sent back to a transmit-source server and this server supplies the data to the client computer.

The present invention facilitates a model driven, scalable and integrated software method for publishing digital information in a convenient, coordinated and proper manner. The present invention includes a workflow open model that offers flexibility for very complex software publishing business processes and scalability and extensibility for a variety of software publishing datamodels (e.g. via XML technology). The architecture and implementations enable many different software publishing data models to seamlessly work together. This model-driven software publishing system is compatible with open standard workflow models and extensible XML language. It can publish software images according to different software data management models including software user authentication and authorization models, software information models, software product models, software composite models, software entitlement models, etc. In one embodiment each model will is described as business workflow tasks and defined as different Extensible Markup Language Document Type Definition (XML DTD) metadata for software models.

The invention comprises a computer-implemented system and method for refining the order and/or content of a list of items. In one embodiment, the amount of user activity associated with each item displayed to users in a given context is monitored, used is to generate context-specific item weights. The weights for the same item in different contexts may be different. The selection of items included in a list presented to users, as well as the order in which the items in the list are displayed, may be adjusted over time based upon the relative weights associated with the items. This allows the items generating the greatest user interest in a particular context to be presented to first, or otherwise emphasized.

The presently claimed invention relates generally to methods and apparatus associated with steganographic encoding (e.g., data hiding). One claim recites a method including: obtaining plural-bit auxiliary information; and during communication between a first computer and a second computer over a network, modulating timing or phase of a clock signal generated by the first computer so as to steganographically hide the plural-bit auxiliary information in a communications signal sent between the first computer and the second computer. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.