The present invention divides processing across multiple nodes to escape limitations placed by the processing power of commonly available application server platforms. The solution processing divides the problem into independently processed batches. Coordination of processing between nodes is achieved using a relational database tables and coordination for algorithm startup and initialization may be accomplished through a messaging system. The database table is loaded with rows to represent batches to be processed, and the independent processing nodes are given a message via the messaging system to start processing various jobs at a particular level. The nodes may then signal back when they can no longer find batches to process at that level. Once all nodes have completed a level, a message is sent to the nodes starts on to the next level. In this way, the messaging between the nodes is generally limited to two messages per level per node. The solution may be applied to supply chain problems by dividing the supply chain into separate levels and using separate nodes for calculations at each of the levels.

A video conferencing system and process is presented that employs a distributed computer network, such as the Internet or a proprietary intranet, to conduct virtual conferences. Each conference has a computer that has access to the network, as well as audio equipment and a video camera for capturing audio and video (A/V) at the conferencee's site. Conducting a conference generally entails each of the conferencee's computers multicasting the A/V data captured at the conferencee's location over the network. At the same time, each conferences subscribes to A/V data multicoated by other conferences participating in the conference. The A/V data received by a conference over the network from the other conferences is rendered and played by the conferencee's computer. In this way, each conference can see and hear the other participating conferences during the conference.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for accessing related computer objects. In one embodiment, computer objects related to a user's current task by a metric are listed. In another embodiment, other users related to a user's current task by a metric are listed. In one embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object determines whether the user accessed the computer object. In another embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object determines whether the user is referenced in the computer object. In other embodiments, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object involves other measures of relatedness. In one embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a computer object is related to another computer object determines whether the computer objects have a related user in common.

An external storage medium storing a computer readable access control program and a plurality of files. The access control program performs a first accessing process permitting a computer to access only the access control program when the computer attempts to access any of the files. A file view process is performed so as to display a view of the files when the computer accesses the information via the access control program. A second accessing process is performed when the computer accesses the information via the access control program while a user designates a prescribed file from the file view. The access control program stores information related to accessing executed by the second accessing process in the storage medium as access usage information.