Patent ID: 8209760
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for estimating a risk factor associated with a focus computing resource, the method comprising: determining, by a computing system, that a risk factor applied to a negative potential of a focus computing resource is to be estimated; identifying one or more distance-1 computing resources that have the capability to alter a state of the focus computing resource; for at least a first distance-1 computing resource of the one of the one or more distance-1 computing resources, accessing a negative potential for the first distance-1 computing resource, wherein the negative potential is estimated based at least upon a risk factor for one or more distance-2 computing resources, the one or more distance-2 computing resources being distance-2 computing resources to the focus computing resource, but being distance-1 computing resources to the first distance-1 computing resource; and estimating the risk factor applied to the negative potential of the focus computing resource at least using the negative potential for the first distance-1 computing resource at least in part by: using the negative potential for the first distance-1 computing resource as a weighted input, based on a first propagation weight factor, to quantify the negative potential of the focus computing resource; using the negative potential for at least one of the one or more distance-2 computing resources as a weighted input, based on a second propagation weight factor, to quantify the negative potential of the first distance-1 computing resource, wherein: the first and second propagation weight factors are properties of respective connections between computing resources such that each propagation weight factor modifies a negative potential based on the negative potential being propagated along the respective connection in proportion to the propagation weight factor.