A method for managing user authentication within a distributed data processing system, wherein a first system and a second system interact within a federated computing environment and support single-sign-on operations in order to provide access to protected resources, at least one of the first system and the second system comprising a processor, the method comprising; triggering a single-sign-on operation on behalf of the user in order to obtain access to a protected resource that is hosted by the second system, wherein the second system requires a user account for the user to complete the single-sign-on operation prior to providing access to the protected resource; receiving from the first system at the second system an identifier associated with the user; and creating a user account for the user at the second system based at least in part on the received identifier associated with the user after triggering the single-sign-on operation but before generating at the second system a response for accessing the protected resource, wherein the created user account supports single-sign-on operations between the first system and the second system on behalf of the user. view more

The method of claim 1 further comprising: in response to a determination at the second system that the second system does not have sufficient user attribute information to complete creation of a user account for the user at the second system, sending a request message from the second system to the first system to retrieve user attribute information; and receiving at the second system from the first system a response message that contains user attribute information that is employed by the second system to complete creation of a user account for the user at the second system. view more

A method for presenting interactive applications on a computer network, the network including a multiplicity of user reception systems at which respective users may request a multiplicity of available applications, the respective reception systems including a monitor at which the applications requested can be presented as one or more screens of display, the method comprising the steps of: a. generating a screen display at a respective reception system for a requested application, the screen display being generated by the respective reception system from data objects having a prescribed data structure, at least some of which objects may be stored at the respective reception system, the screen display including a plurality of partitions, the partitions being constructed from objects, the objects being retrieved from the objects stored at the respective reception system, or if unavailable from the objects stored at the respective reception system, then from the network, such that at least some of the objects may be used in more than one application; b. generating at least a first partition for presenting applications; and c. generating concurrently with the first partition at least a second partition for presenting a plurality of command functions, the command functions including at least a first group which are selectable to permit movement between applications. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein the data structure of the objects includes a header and one or more data segments and wherein generating the second partition includes providing the first group of command functions with a first subgroup of command functions which are selectable to permit random movement between applications. view more

A computerized method for preserving state information in a conversation via a stateless protocol between a client adapted to request services from one or more servers, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a service request including state information, via the stateless protocol; identifying all continuations in an output from said service and recursively embedding the state information in all identified continuations, in response to said request; and communicating a response including the continuations and embedded state information, wherein the continuations enable another service request and one of the continuations must be invoked to continue the conversation. view more

The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of dynamically downloading computer program code to the client to perform said embedding step, in response to said step of communicating the output to the client.

A method for presenting advertising obtained from a computer network, the network including a multiplicity of user reception systems at which respective users can request applications, from the network, that include interactive services, the respective reception systems including a monitor at which at least the visual portion of the applications can be presented as one or more screens of display, the method comprising the steps of: a. structuring applications so that they may be presented, through the network, at a first portion of one or more screens of display; and b. structuring advertising in a manner compatible to that of the applications so that it may be presented, through the network, at a second portion of one or more screens of display concurrently with applications, wherein structuring the advertising includes configuring the advertising as objects that include advertising data and; c. selectively storing advertising objects at a store established at the reception system. view more

A method for presenting advertising in a computer network, the network including a multiplicity of user reception systems at which respective users can request applications that include interactive services, the method comprising the steps of: a. compiling data concerning the respective users; b. establishing characterizations for respective users based on the compiled data; and c. structuring advertising so that it may be selectively supplied to and retrieved at the reception systems for presentation to the respective users in accordance with the characterizations established for the respective reception system users, wherein structuring advertising includes supplying advertising data to the reception system and storing a predetermined amount of the advertising data in a store established at the respective reception systems. view more