Patent Publication Number: US-2021194943-A1

Title: Reporting platform system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     An embodiment of the present subject matter relates generally to data reporting and, more specifically, to a reporting platform system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Communications have transformed rapidly in the past 10 years as traditional phone lines are replaced by Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), instant messaging, video, etc. This transition to providing communications using the Internet has allowed Software as a Service (SasS) providers to provide communication services for their clients. Providing communication as a service frees customers from having to purchase and manage the hardware needed to provide communications. Providing communication services for multiple customers provides challenges, however, as each individual customer may have specific needs regarding managing and reporting of their data. This is problematic as each client&#39;s data may be in a different format and the clients may wish to have their data processed and managed differently. Accordingly, improvements are needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     A cloud-based communication platform provides communication services for multiple accounts of the cloud-based communication platform. Each account may be associated with a different customer of the cloud-based communication platform (e.g., individual user, set of users, company, organization, online service, etc.). The communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform may include a variety of cloud-based communication services, such as facilitating communication sessions between endpoints (e.g., client devices), managing incoming communication requests, routing communication requests to an appropriate endpoint, logging data associated with communication sessions, etc. 
     The communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform may be incorporated into a customer&#39;s application or website such that users of the customer&#39;s application or website may utilize the communication services facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform through use of the customer&#39;s application or website. For example, a customer that provides a ride sharing application may incorporate the communication services facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform into their application to enable users of the application to establish a communication session (e.g., phone call, chat session, etc.) with their assigned driver. As another example, a customer that provides a dating application may incorporate the communication services facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform to enable users of the dating application to establish communication session with other users. 
     Users of the application may not have knowledge that the communication services they are using through the application are being facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform. That is, the communication services may be presented as being a part of the application itself rather than provided by the cloud-based communication platform. In this way, the communication services facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform are provided as SaaS. 
     The communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform may also include a call center service. For example, the cloud-based communication platform may facilitate various aspects of a call center for a company. The cloud-based communication platform allocates a contact identifier (e.g., phone number, URL, etc.) to the call center provided for an account. The contact identifier enables users to contact the contact center, such as by calling the phone number, initiating an instant message chat session, etc. A company or other entity utilizing the functionality of the cloud-based communication platform may provide the contact identifier to their users by, for example, posting the contact identifier on their website, including it in their application, etc. 
     As part of the call center service, the cloud-based communication platform receives and manages incoming communications (e.g., calls, messages, etc.) directed to the call center. For example, the cloud-based communication platform may route the incoming communications to an appropriate agent associated with the account, establish communication session between a client device of the agent and a client device of a user, etc. The cloud-based communication platform may also provide a call center interface that may be accessed by employees, administrators, and/or other agents associated with the account to utilize the functionality of the call center. For example, the call center interface may present an agent with a listing of their active communication sessions, allow for the agent to switch among and participate in the active communication sessions, etc. 
     The cloud-based communication platform provides customizable reporting functionality for customers. For example, the cloud-based communication platform utilizes a reporting platform system that converts a customer&#39;s communication data into a format specified by the customer. Converting the communication data may include extracting specified portions of the communication data and entering the extracted data into defined data tables. The reporting platform system provides customers with query functionality in relation to the converted data. For example, the reporting platform system allows customers to search the converted data, generate reports, set alerts, automate actions, etc. 
     The reporting platform system uses a configuration object to allow a customer to customize the reporting functionality provided by the reporting platform system to the customer&#39;s specific needs. The configuration object is a data object that defines an initial format in which communication data for the customer will be received by the reporting platform system, as well as a subsequent format into which the reporting platform system is to convert the received communication data. For example, the configuration object may include instructions for parsing the received communication data to extract desired portions of the communication data, as well as how the extracted data should be formatted and/or added to data tables. 
     A customer prepares the configuration object based on their specific needs and provides the configuration object to the reporting platform system. In turn, the reporting platform system uses the configuration object to convert the customer&#39;s communication data as specified. For example, the reporting platform system receives a stream of communication data for the customer and converts the communication data based on the configuration object. That is, the reporting platform system converts the communication data from the initial format defined by the configuration into the subsequent format defined by the configuration object. The reporting platform system may perform this process in real-time or near real-time, thereby allowing customers to monitor communication performance and react quickly if needed. 
     The reporting platform system provides a query functionality in relation to the converted communication data. For example, the reporting platform system allows users to define data dimensions and measures to execute search queries, generate reports, etc. The reporting platform system also allows users to set notifications and/or alerts in response to user specified events. For example, the user may set threshold values or combination of values that, if met, cause an alert or notification. As another example, the reporting platform system allows users to automate actions in response to user specified events. For example, the user may define an action or set of actions to be performed if certain conditions are met. 
     Some customers may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data. For example, a customer may wish to simply store the converted communication data within their local system for recording purposes. As another example, a customer may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data for use in customer-developed or third-party tools. Accordingly, the reporting platform system may provide the converted communication data to an external computing system defined by the customer. For example, the external computing system may be an external computing system of the customer or a third-party external computing system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an example system for a communication platform providing a reporting platform system, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a system diagram of a reporting platform system, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  shows communications within a system for providing customized reporting functionality, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  shows communications within a system for providing query functionality on converted communication data, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing an example method of converting a communication data stream, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing an example method of providing query functionality, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine, according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine, according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation, various details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some example embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present subject matter may be practiced without these specific details, or with slight alterations. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present subject matter. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
     For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present subject matter. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the subject matter described may be practiced without the specific details presented herein, or in various combinations, as described herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the described embodiments. Various examples may be given throughout this description. These are merely descriptions of specific embodiments. The scope or meaning of the claims is not limited to the examples given. 
     Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media for a communication platform providing a reporting platform system.  FIG. 1  shows an example system  100  for a communication platform providing a reporting platform system, according to some example embodiments. As shown, multiple devices (i.e., client device  102 , client device  104 , online service  106 , and cloud-based communication platform  108 ) are connected to a communication network  110  and configured to communicate with each other through use of the communication network  110 . The communication network  110  is any type of network, including a local area network (LAN), such as an intranet, a wide area network (WAN), such as the internet, or any combination thereof. Further, the communication network  110  may be a public network, a private network, or a combination thereof. The communication network  110  is implemented using any number of communication links associated with one or more service providers, including one or more wired communication links, one or more wireless communication links, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the communication network  110  is configured to support the transmission of data formatted using any number of protocols. 
     Multiple computing devices can be connected to the communication network  110 . A computing device is any type of general computing device capable of network communication with other computing devices. For example, a computing device can be a personal computing device such as a desktop or workstation, a business server, or a portable computing device, such as a laptop, smart phone, or a tablet personal computer (PC). A computing device can include some or all of the features, components, and peripherals of the machine  800  shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     To facilitate communication with other computing devices, a computing device includes a communication interface configured to receive a communication, such as a request, data, and the like, from another computing device in network communication with the computing device and pass the communication along to an appropriate module running on the computing device. The communication interface also sends a communication to another computing device in network communication with the computing device. 
     In the system  100 , users interact with the online service  106  to utilize the services provided by the online service  106 . Users communicate with and utilize the functionality of the online service  106  by using the client devices  102  and  104  that are connected to the communication network  110  by direct and/or indirect communication. The online service  106  may be any type of service provided online, such as a ride-sharing service, reservation service, retail service, news service, etc. 
     Although the shown system  100  includes only two client devices  102 ,  104 , this is only for ease of explanation and is not meant to be limiting. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the system  100  can include any number of client devices  102 ,  104 . Further, the online service  106  may concurrently accept connections from and interact with any number of client devices  102 ,  104 . The online service  106  supports connections from a variety of different types of client devices  102 ,  104 , such as desktop computers; mobile computers; mobile communications devices, e.g., mobile phones, smart phones, tablets; smart televisions; set-top boxes; and/or any other network enabled computing devices. Hence, the client devices  102  and  104  may be of varying type, capabilities, operating systems, and so forth. 
     A user interacts with the online service  106  via a client-side application installed on the client devices  102  and  104 . In some embodiments, the client-side application includes a component specific to the online service  106 . For example, the component may be a stand-alone application, one or more application plug-ins, and/or a browser extension. However, the users may also interact with the online service  106  via a third-party application, such as a web browser, that resides on the client devices  102  and  104  and is configured to communicate with the online service  106 . In either case, the client-side application presents a user interface (UI) for the user to interact with the online service  106 . For example, the user interacts with the online service  106  via a client-side application integrated with the file system or via a webpage displayed using a web browser application. 
     The online service  106  is one or more computing devices configured to provide an online service. The online service  106  may be any type of service, such as a banking service, travel service, retail service, etc. As a part of its provided functionality, the online service  106  may incorporate communication services that enable users of the online service  106  to communicate with agents of the online service  106 , other users of the online service  106 , etc. That is, the online service  106  may enable users to initiate communication sessions with agents and/or other users in which the participants of the communication session may communicate with each other via one or more communication channels, such as voice, text, etc. For example, a banking service may allow a user to initiate a communication session with an agent to discuss banking issues, check account balances, transfer funds, etc. Likewise, a retail service may allow users to initiate a communication session with an agent to place an order, initiate a return, etc. 
     A communication session is any type of communication between two or more client devices  102 ,  104 , such as text communication, voice communication (e.g., phone call), video communication (e.g., video conference), etc. Implementing communication functionality may be difficult, particularly for an online service  106  that provides services unrelated to communications, such as banking services, retail services, etc. The cloud-based communication platform  108  alleviates this issue by providing cloud-based communication functionality that can be easily implemented by an online service  106  to provide communication services as part of the online service  106 . Accordingly, the cloud-based communication platform  108  is a SaaS provider that concurrently provides communication services for multiple online services  106 . 
     To utilize the communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108 , an online service  106  creates an account with the cloud-based communication platform  108  and uses an API provide by the cloud-based communication platform  108  to modify a programming application and/or website of the online service  106 . Inclusion of the API causes the programming application and/or website to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  to provide communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108  through the application and/or website of the online service  106 . 
     As an example, an online service  106  that provides a ride sharing application may utilize the communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108  to enable users and drivers of the ride sharing application to communicate with each other. As another example, an online service  106  that provides a dating application may utilize the communication services provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108  to enable users and drivers of the dating application to communicate with each other. To accomplish this, the online service  106  may use the API provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108  to cause the online service  106  to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  to initiate a communication session between specified users. For example, the online service  106  transmits an API call to the cloud-based communication platform  108  to execute the communication session. The API provided by the cloud-based communication platform  108  may define the syntax and format for the API call, including the parameters to include in the API call to initiate the desired communication session. 
     The cloud-based communication platform  108  provides customers (e.g., online services utilizing the functionality of the cloud-based communication platform  108 ) with customizable reporting functionality. For example, the cloud-based communication platform  108  includes a reporting platform system  112  that provides customizable reporting functionality. Although the reporting platform system  112  is shown as being incorporated within the cloud-based communication platform  108 , this is only one embodiment and is not meant to be limiting. In some embodiments, the reporting platform system  112  may be partially or completely independent of the cloud-based communication platform system  108 . 
     To provided customizable reporting functionality, the reporting platform system  112  converts a customer&#39;s communication data into a format specified by the customer. Converting the communication data may include extracting specified portions of the communication data and entering the extracted data into defined data tables. The reporting platform system  112  provides customers with query functionality in relation to the converted data. For example, the reporting platform system  112  allows customers to search the converted data, generate reports, set alerts, automate actions, etc. 
     The reporting platform system  112  uses a configuration object to allow a customer to customize the reporting functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112  to the customer&#39;s specific needs. The configuration object is a data object that defines an initial format in which communication data for the customer will be received by the reporting platform system  112 , as well as a subsequent format into which the reporting platform system  112  is to convert the received communication data. For example, the configuration object may include instructions for parsing the received communication data to extract desired portions of the communication data, as well as instructions for formatting and/or adding the extracted data to data tables. 
     A customer prepares the configuration object based on their specific needs and provides the configuration object to the reporting platform system  112 . For example, a customer of the cloud-based communication platform  108  uses a client device  102  to prepare the configuration object, as well as to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  to provide the configuration object to the reporting platform system  112 . 
     In turn, the reporting platform system  112  uses the configuration object to convert the customer&#39;s communication data as specified in configuration object. For example, the reporting platform system  112  receives a stream of communication data for the customer and convert the communication data based on the configuration object. The reporting platform system  112  may receive the stream of communication data from the cloud-based communication platform  108  and/or the online service  106  associated with the customer. 
     The configuration data received in the configuration data stream may be in the initial format defined by the configuration object provided by the customer. The reporting platform system  112  uses the configuration object to convert the communication data from the initial format defined by the configuration object into the subsequent format defined by the configuration object. The reporting platform system  112  may perform this process in real-time or near real-time, thereby allowing customers to monitor performance of communications and react quickly if an issue is detected. 
     The reporting platform system  112  provides query functionality in relation to the converted communication data. For example, the reporting platform system  112  allows customers to define parameters (e.g., data dimensions, measures, etc.) to execute search queries, generate reports, etc. A customer may use a client device  102  to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  to provide data defining the data dimensions, measures, etc., for executing the search query and/or generating a desired report. In some embodiments, the reporting platform system  112  may provide a query interface that may be accessed by using a client device  102  to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108 . A customer may use the query interface to provide data and use the query functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112 . 
     As another example, a customer may prepare a file (e.g., JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file) defining parameters (e.g., data dimensions, measures, etc.) to use the query functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112 . The customer may use a client device  102  to prepare the file, as well as to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  and provide the file to the reporting platform system  112 . 
     The reporting platform system  112  also allows users to set notifications and/or alerts in response to occurrence of user specified events. For example, the user may set conditions that, if met, cause an alert or notification. The condition may be any type of condition, such as threshold or set of thresholds being met (e.g., exceeded). As another example, the reporting platform system  120  allows users to automate actions in response to occurrence of user specified events. For example, a user may user a client device  102  to define an action or set of actions to be performed if certain conditions are met. 
     Some customers may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data. For example, a customer may wish to simply store the converted communication data within their local system for recording purposes. As another example, a customer may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data for use in customer-developed or third-party tools. Accordingly, the reporting platform system  112  may provide the converted communication data to an external computing system defined by the customer. For example, the external computing system may be an external computing system of the customer (e.g., online service  106 ) or a third-party external computing system. 
       FIG. 2  is a system diagram of a reporting platform system  112 , according to some example embodiments. To avoid obscuring the inventive subject matter with unnecessary detail, various functional components (e.g., modules) that are not germane to conveying an understanding of the inventive subject matter have been omitted from  FIG. 2 . However, a skilled artisan will readily recognize that various additional functional components may be supported by the reporting platform system  112  to facilitate additional functionality that is not specifically described herein. Furthermore, the various functional modules depicted in  FIG. 2  may reside on a single computing device or may be distributed across several computing devices in various arrangements such as those used in cloud-based architectures. 
     As shown, the reporting platform system  112  includes an interface module  202 , an administration module  204 , a data intake module  206 , an indexing module  208 , a query module  210 , an output module  212 , and a datastore  214 . 
     The interface module  202  provides a user interface that allows users to communicate with and utilize the functionality of the reporting platform system  112 . For example, a user may use a client device  102  to communication with the reporting platform system  112  and the interface module  202  may provide a user interface to be presented on a display of the client device  102 . The user interfaces provided by the interface module  202  may include user interface elements, such as buttons, text fields, scroll bars, etc., that allow users to provide input and utilize the offered functionality of the reporting platform system  112 . Further, the user interfaces provided by the interface module  202  may present data to the user, such as text, images, reports, etc. 
     The interface module  202  may provide various user interfaces for the different types of functionality offered by the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the interface module  202  may provide an administration interface that enables users to generally configure and manage use of the functionality of the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the administration interface may enable users to initiate and configure communication data ingestion by the reporting platform system  112 , update existing ingestions, check the status of running ingestions, cancel and/or pause existing ingestions, etc. As another example, the interface module  202  may provide a query interface that enables users to enter query parameters and other data to search converted communication data, generate reports, set alerts and/or notifications, or configure automated actions. 
     In some embodiments, the interface module  202  may provide different versions of user interfaces to users based on permission levels, roles, or other factors associated with the users. For example, the interface module  202  may present an administration interface to users that are assigned as administrators for a user account or users that have an appropriate permission level. As another example, the interface module  202  may present a version of an administration interface that provides more functionality and features to a user that is assigned as an administrator or has a high permission level, and a different version of the administration interface that provides less functionality and features to a user that is not assigned as an administrator or has a lower permission level. Similarly, the interface module  202  may limit access to and/or present different versions of a query interface based on the roles and/or permission levels of the users. 
     The administration module  204  provides for configuration and use of the functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the administration module  204  acts as a control panel that allows users to initiate and configure communication data ingestion by the reporting platform system  112 , update existing ingestions, check the status of running ingestions, cancel and/or pause existing ingestions, etc. 
     The administration module  204  performs this by gathering data from users, updating data stored in the data storage  214 , and instructing the other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the administration module  204  gathers a configuration data object from a customer to customize the reporting functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112  for the customer&#39;s specific needs. The configuration object is a data object that defines an initial format in which communication data for the customer will be received by the reporting platform system  112 , as well as a subsequent format into which the reporting platform system  112  is to convert the received communication data. For example, the configuration object may include instructions for parsing the received communication data to extract desired portions of the communication data, as well as how the extracted data should be formatted and/or added to data tables. 
     In some embodiments, the administration module  204  gathers the configuration object through use of an administration interface provided by the interface module  202 . For example, the customer uses a client device  102  to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  and access the administration interface. The administration interface may prompt the customer data, which is used to generate the configuration object. Alternatively, the customer may prepare the configuration object, which is transmitted to the reporting platform system  112  and received by the administration module  204 . 
     The configuration object provides data used by the various modules of the reporting platform system  112  to enable communication data ingestion, conversion and reporting. Accordingly, the administration module  204  makes the configuration object available to the various modules. For example, the administration module  204  stores the configuration object in the data store  214 , where it can be accessed by other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . 
     The configuration object defines an initial format in which communication data for the customer will be received by the reporting platform system  112 , as well as includes instruction regarding how to parse the communication data and convert the communication data into a revised format desired by the customer. This may include instructions identifying how to parse specified data from the communication data, such as parsing the timestamp, root account identifier, etc. The configuration object also identifies how the data parsed from the communication data is to be stored and organized into data tables, including defining the data tables (e.g., rows, columns, data types, etc.), relationships between the various data tables, a period of time the data is to be retained in the data tables, a location of the data table, name of the data table, etc. 
     The configuration object may also identify the communication data for the customer, such as how to access the communication data, an identifier for the communication data, etc. 
     The data intake module  206  receives communication data streams for the various customers of the reporting platform system  112 . The communication data stream includes data generated from communications facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform  108  for the customers. For example, the communication data may include data describing call, messages, emails, video and/or other media transmitted for the customer by the cloud-based communication platform  108 . This may include metadata describing the type of communication, the time at which the communication was transmitted and/or ended, the payload of the communication, the origin and destination endpoints associated with the communication, a unique identifier for the customer account, etc. 
     The customer may initiate the communication data stream to the reporting platform system  112 , which is received by the data intake module  206 . As another example, the data intake module  206  may initiate the communication data stream. For example, the data intake module  206  may access the configuration object from the data storage  214  to access data defining how to initiate the communication data stream, such as data identifying commands to initiate the communication data stream, a location or computing system from which to request the communication data stream, etc. 
     The indexing module  208  converts the communication data from the communication data stream based on the configuration objection. For example, the indexing module  208  accesses the configuration object from the data storage  214  and uses the configuration object to convert the communication data in the communication data stream from the initial format into the subsequent format defined by the customer. This includes generating the data tables as defined by the configuration object, parsing data from the communication data steam, and populating the data tables with the extracted data as dictated by the configuration object. The indexing module  208  may perform this functionality in real-time or near real-time as the communication data stream is received by the reporting platform system  112 . The data tables are stored in the data storage  214  and made accessible to other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . 
     The query module  210  provides query functionality in relation to the converted communication data stored in the data tables. Query functionality includes executing search queries, generating custom reports, setting conditions for notifications and/or automated actions. To provide query functionality, the query module  210  gathers query parameters from a user. The query parameters define the scope of the data requested by the user. For example, the query parameters may include data dimensions and measures. A data dimension is data type or field stored in the data tables. For example, a data dimension may be calls, messages, users, etc. A data measure is a mathematical function to generate a numerical value. For example, a data measure may be a mathematical function, such as calculating a sum, average, difference, etc. Accordingly, a user that wants to know the number of calls that were executed may provide a data dimension “calls” along with a data measure “sum,” which would provide a sum of all the calls. 
     In addition to the data dimensions and measure, the query parameters may further include data defining the scope of the query. For example, the query parameters may indicate a time frame, geographic region, and/or other limitation on the scope of the query. Accordingly, a user may limit a query for the number of calls to the number of calls within a certain time frame and/or that occurred within a specified geographic region. 
     The query module  210  may generate a report, graph, or other visual output based on the requested query. For example, the query module  210  may generate the report based on user specified parameters regarding the data to be included, format, etc. In some embodiments, a customer may request that recurring reports be generated. Accordingly, the query module  210  may regenerate the requested report at specified time intervals or based on certain events. For example, the customer may specify the time intervals, such as weekly, daily, hourly, etc. As another example, the user may specify that the report be generated each time a user or set of specified users logs into a certain system. This type of embodiment may be used to provide the user with the report within a user interface dashboard incorporated into the client&#39;s system. 
     The query module  210  further allows customers to set auto generated alerts and/or notifications, as well as configure performance of automated actions. For example, the query module  210  may enable the customer to define conditions that, if met, result in execution of a notification, alert and/or action. For example, the conditions may be time-based conditions and/or communication data-based conditions. A time-based condition may include setting specified times or intervals of times in which the customer would like a notification, alert and/or action to be performed. A communication data-based condition may include occurrence of certain events as determined from the communication data. For example, the customer may define query parameters as well as thresholds to define the communication data-based conditions, such as a threshold number of calls being performed within a specified time frame, a threshold number of call failures occurring within a specified time frame, etc. 
     The customer may also define the notification, alert and/or action to be performed if the user defined condition is met. For example, the customer may define the type of data to be included in the notification and/or alert, as well as recipients that should receive the alert. Similarly, the customer may specify the automated action to be performed if a condition is met, such as modifying communication settings associated with a user account, blocking a specified user from using communication functionality, engaging use of a backup system or resource, allocating new resources, blocking an endpoint device, etc. 
     The output module  212  outputs data for the reporting platform system  112 . This may include transmitting notifications and/or alerts, such as by sending emails, initiating phone calls, sending text or direct messages, etc. The output module  212  may also output reports or other data directly to a user. For example, the output module  212  may transmit a generated report using any of the above described communication methods. 
     In some embodiments, a customer may wish to maintain a local copy of the converted communication data generated by the reporting platform system  112 . Accordingly, the output module  212  may transmit the converted communication data to a computing device or computing system defined by the customer. For example, the output module  212  gathers the converted communication data from the data storage and transmits the converted communication data to the defining computing device or computing system. 
       FIG. 3  shows communications within a system  300  for providing customized reporting functionality, according to some example embodiments. To avoid obscuring the inventive subject matter with unnecessary detail, various functional components (e.g., modules, devices, databases, etc.) that are not germane to conveying an understanding of the inventive subject matter have been omitted from  FIG. 3 . However, a skilled artisan will readily recognize that various additional functional components may be supported by the system  300  and/or the reporting platform system  112  to facilitate additional functionality that is not specifically described herein. Furthermore, the various functional components depicted in  FIG. 3  may reside on a single computing device or may be distributed across several computing devices in various arrangements such as those used in cloud-based architectures. 
     As shown, the system  300  includes a client device  102 , a communication data stream  302 , and a reporting platform system  112 . The reporting platform system  112  includes an administration module  204 , a data intake module  206 , an indexing module  208 , and a data storage  214 . The data storage  214  includes an object store  304 , a dataset store  306  and a table store  308 . 
     The client device  102  communicates  310  with the administration module  204  to initiate a data communication intake for providing reporting. For example, a customer uses the client device  102  to provide the administration module  204  with a configuration object that includes data used by the reporting platform system  112  to initiate intake of the communication data stream and convert the communication data stream from an initial format into a format desired by the customer. 
     As the configuration object will be used by the various modules of the reporting platform system  112 , the administration module  204  stores  312  the configuration object in the object store  304 , where it can be accessed by other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the administration module associated the configuration object with a unique identifier for the corresponding client. The other modules may use the unique identifier to access the configuration object from the object store  304 . 
     The administration module  204  further notifies  314  the data intake module  206  to initiate ingestion of the communication data stream  302 . Accordingly, the data intake module  206  initiates ingestion  316  of the communication data stream  302 . The data intake module  206  stores the ingested communication stream data in the dataset store  306 , where it may be accessed by other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . 
     The indexing module  208  converts the communication data stream from is initial format into a subsequent format specified by the customer in the configuration object. To accomplish this, the indexing module retrieves  320  the configuration object associated with the customer from the object store  304 . The indexing module  208  also gathers the customer&#39;s communication data stream from the data set store  306 . The indexing module  208  converts the communication data stream into the subsequent format based on the configuration object. This includes parsing the communication data stream to extract specified data values and storing  320  the extracted data values in corresponding data tables stored in the table store  308 . 
       FIG. 4  shows communications within a system  400  for providing query functionality on converted communication data, according to some example embodiments. To avoid obscuring the inventive subject matter with unnecessary detail, various functional components (e.g., modules, devices, databases, etc.) that are not germane to conveying an understanding of the inventive subject matter have been omitted from  FIG. 4 . However, a skilled artisan will readily recognize that various additional functional components may be supported by the system  400  and/or the reporting platform system  112  to facilitate additional functionality that is not specifically described herein. Furthermore, the various functional components depicted in  FIG. 4  may reside on a single computing device or may be distributed across several computing devices in various arrangements such as those used in cloud-based architectures. 
     As shown, the system  400  includes a client device  102 , a computing system  402 , and a reporting platform system  112 . The reporting platform system  112  includes an interface module  202 , a query module  206 , an output module  212 , and a data storage  214 . The data storage  214  includes an object store  304 , a dataset store  306  and a table store  308 . 
     As show, the client device  102  communicates  404  with the interface module  202  to utilize query functionality provided by the reporting platform system  112 . For example, a user uses the client device  102  to communicate  404  with the reporting platform system  112  and access a query interface provided by the interface module  202 . The query interface is presented on a display of the client device  102  and allows the user to enter query parameters to initiate a query, generate a report, set alerts, etc. The query parameters define the scope of the data requested by the user. For example, the query parameters may include data dimensions and measures. 
     The interface module  202  communicates  406  the query parameters to the query module  206 . In turn, the query module  206  uses the query parameters to execute a query  408  on the converted data stored in the table sore  308 . This includes searching the converted data and retrieving corresponding search results. The query module  206  may use the retrieved data to generate a report or other requested data output. 
     The query module  206  provides the generated data output  410  to the output module  212 . In turn, the output module  212  returns the generated output  412  to the client device  102 . 
     In some embodiments, customers may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data. For example, a customer may wish to simply store the converted communication data within their local system for recording purposes. As another example, a customer may wish to maintain a copy of the converted communication data for use in customer-developed or third-party tools. Accordingly, the reporting platform system  112  may provide the converted communication data to an external computing system  402  defined by the customer. an external computing system  402  is a computing system that is external to the reporting platform system  112 . For example, the external computing system  402  may be an external computing system  402  of the customer or a third-party. To provide the converted communication data to the customer, the output module  212  communicates  414  with the table store  308  to access the converted communication data. The output module  212  then transmits  416  the converted communication data to the external computing system  402  defined by the customer. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing an example method  500  of converting a communication data stream, according to some example embodiments. The method  500  may be embodied in computer readable instructions for execution by one or more processors such that the operations of the method  500  may be performed in part or in whole by the reporting platform system  112 ; accordingly, the method  500  is described below by way of example with reference thereto. However, it shall be appreciated that at least some of the operations of the method  500  may be deployed on various other hardware configurations and the method  500  is not intended to be limited to the reporting platform system  112 . 
     At operation  502 , the administration module  204  receives a configuration object for an account. The configuration object is a data object that defines an initial format in which communication data for the customer will be received by the reporting platform system  112 , as well as a subsequent format into which the reporting platform system  112  is to convert the received communication data. For example, the configuration object may include instructions for parsing the received communication data to extract desired portions of the communication data, as well as how the extracted data should be formatted and/or added to data tables. 
     In some embodiments, the administration module  204  gathers the configuration object through use of an administration interface provided by the interface module  202 . For example, the customer uses a client device  102  to communicate with the cloud-based communication platform  108  and access the administration interface. The administration interface may prompt the customer data, which is used to generate the configuration object. Alternatively, the customer may prepare the configuration object, which is transmitted to the reporting platform system  112  and received by the administration module  204 . 
     The configuration object provides data used by the various modules of the reporting platform system  112  to enable communication data ingestion, conversion and reporting. Accordingly, the administration module  204  makes the configuration object available to the various modules. For example, the administration module  204  stores the configuration object in the data store  214 , where it can be accessed by other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . 
     At operation  504 , the data intake module  206  receives a stream of communication data associated with the account. The communication data stream includes data generated from communications facilitated by the cloud-based communication platform  108  for the customers. For example, the communication data may include data describing call, messages, emails, video and/or other media transmitted for the customer by the cloud-based communication platform  108 . This may include metadata describing the type of communication, the time at which the communication was transmitted and/or ended, the payload of the communication, the origin and destination endpoints associated with the communication, a unique identifier for the customer account, etc. 
     At operation  506 , the indexing module  208  converts the stream of communication data based on the configuration object. For example, the indexing module  208  accesses the configuration object from the data storage  214  and uses the configuration object to convert the communication data in the communication data stream from the initial format into the subsequent format defined by the customer. This includes generating the data tables as defined by the configuration object, parsing data from the communication data steam, and populating the data tables with the extracted data as dictated by the configuration object. The indexing module  208  may perform this functionality in real-time or near real-time as the communication data stream is received by the reporting platform system  112 . The data tables are stored in the data storage  214  and made accessible to other modules of the reporting platform system  112 . 
     At operation  508 , the reporting platform system  112  provides query functionality on the converted communication data. For example, the reporting platform system  112  allows a user to execute queries, generate reports, set alerts and/or notification, automate actions, etc. An example or providing query functionality is described in greater detail in relation to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing an example method  600  of providing query functionality, according to some example embodiments. The method  600  may be embodied in computer readable instructions for execution by one or more processors such that the operations of the method  600  may be performed in part or in whole by the reporting platform system  112 ; accordingly, the method  600  is described below by way of example with reference thereto. However, it shall be appreciated that at least some of the operations of the method  600  may be deployed on various other hardware configurations and the method  600  is not intended to be limited to the reporting platform system  112 . 
     At operation  602 , the interface module  202  receives query parameters from a client device  102 . For example, a user uses a client device  102  to communicate with the reporting platform system  112  and access a query interface provided by the interface module  202 . The query interface is presented on a display of the client device  102  and allows the user to enter query parameters to initiate a query, generate a report, set alerts, etc. The query parameters define the scope of the data requested by the user. For example, the query parameters may include data dimensions and measures. 
     The interface module  202  communicates the query parameters to the query module  206 . In turn, at operation  604 , the query module  206  executes a query of converted communication data based on the query parameters. That is, the query module  206  uses the query parameters to execute a query on the converted data stored in the table sore  308 . This includes searching the converted data and retrieving corresponding search results. The query module  206  may use the retrieved data to generate a report or other requested data output. 
     At operation  606 , the query module  206  generates an output based on results if the query. For example, the query module  206  may use the retrieved data to generate a report or other requested data output. 
     At operation  608 , the output module  212  provides the output to the client device  102 . The client device  102  may presented the received output on a display of the client device  102 . For example, the client device  102  may present a generated report, data output, etc. 
     Software Architecture 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating an example software architecture  706 , which may be used in conjunction with various hardware architectures herein described.  FIG. 7  is a non-limiting example of a software architecture  706  and it will be appreciated that many other architectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionality described herein. The software architecture  706  may execute on hardware such as machine  800  of  FIG. 8  that includes, among other things, processors  804 , memory  814 , and (input/output) I/O components  818 . A representative hardware layer  752  is illustrated and can represent, for example, the machine  800  of  FIG. 8 . The representative hardware layer  752  includes a processing unit  754  having associated executable instructions  704 . Executable instructions  704  represent the executable instructions of the software architecture  706 , including implementation of the methods, components, and so forth described herein. The hardware layer  752  also includes memory and/or storage modules  756 , which also have executable instructions  704 . The hardware layer  752  may also comprise other hardware  758 . 
     In the example architecture of  FIG. 7 , the software architecture  706  may be conceptualized as a stack of layers where each layer provides particular functionality. For example, the software architecture  706  may include layers such as an operating system  702 , libraries  720 , frameworks/middleware  718 , applications  716 , and a presentation layer  714 . Operationally, the applications  716  and/or other components within the layers may invoke application programming interface (API) calls  708  through the software stack and receive a response such as messages  712  in response to the API calls  708 . The layers illustrated are representative in nature and not all software architectures have all layers. For example, some mobile or special purpose operating systems may not provide a frameworks/middleware  718 , while others may provide such a layer. Other software architectures may include additional or different layers. 
     The operating system  702  may manage hardware resources and provide common services. The operating system  702  may include, for example, a kernel  722 , services  724 , and drivers  726 . The kernel  722  may act as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers. For example, the kernel  722  may be responsible for memory management, processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management, networking, security settings, and so on. The services  724  may provide other common services for the other software layers. The drivers  726  are responsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware. For instance, the drivers  726  include display drivers, camera drivers, Bluetooth® drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers), Wi-Fi® drivers, audio drivers, power management drivers, and so forth, depending on the hardware configuration. 
     The libraries  720  provide a common infrastructure that is used by the applications  716  and/or other components and/or layers. The libraries  720  provide functionality that allows other software components to perform tasks in an easier fashion than to interface directly with the underlying operating system  702  functionality (e.g., kernel  722 , services  724 , and/or drivers  726 ). The libraries  720  may include system libraries  744  (e.g., C standard library) that may provide functions such as memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions, mathematical functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries  720  may include API libraries  746  such as media libraries (e.g., libraries to support presentation and manipulation of various media format such as MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG), graphics libraries (e.g., an OpenGL framework that may be used to render 2D and 3D in a graphic content on a display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite that may provide various relational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit that may provide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries  720  may also include a wide variety of other libraries  748  to provide many other APIs to the applications  716  and other software components/modules. 
     The frameworks/middleware  718  (also sometimes referred to as middleware) provide a higher-level common infrastructure that may be used by the applications  716  and/or other software components/modules. For example, the frameworks/middleware  718  may provide various graphical user interface (GUI) functions, high-level resource management, high-level location services, and so forth. The frameworks/middleware  718  may provide a broad spectrum of other APIs that may be used by the applications  716  and/or other software components/modules, some of which may be specific to a particular operating system  702  or platform. 
     The applications  716  include built-in applications  738  and/or third-party applications  740 . Examples of representative built-in applications  738  may include, but are not limited to, a contacts application, a browser application, a book reader application, a location application, a media application, a messaging application, and/or a game application. Third-party applications  740  may include an application developed using the ANDROID™ or IOS™ software development kit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of the particular platform, and may be mobile software running on a mobile operating system such as IOS™, ANDROID™, WINDOWS® Phone, or other mobile operating systems. The third-party applications  740  may invoke the API calls  708  provided by the mobile operating system (such as operating system  702 ) to facilitate functionality described herein. 
     The applications  716  may use built in operating system functions (e.g., kernel  722 , services  724 , and/or drivers  726 ), libraries  720 , and frameworks/middleware  718  to create UIs to interact with users of the system. Alternatively, or additionally, in some systems, interactions with a user may occur through a presentation layer, such as presentation layer  714 . In these systems, the application/component “logic” can be separated from the aspects of the application/component that interact with a user. 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine  800 , according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions  704  from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Specifically,  FIG. 8  shows a diagrammatic representation of the machine  800  in the example form of a computer system, within which instructions  810  (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine  800  to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. As such, the instructions  810  may be used to implement modules or components described herein. The instructions  810  transform the general, non-programmed machine  800  into a particular machine  800  programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. In alternative embodiments, the machine  800  operates as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine  800  may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine  800  may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a PC, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine  800  capable of executing the instructions  810 , sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by machine  800 . Further, while only a single machine  800  is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include a collection of machines that individually or jointly execute the instructions  810  to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
     The machine  800  may include processors  804 , memory/storage  806 , and I/O components  818 , which may be configured to communicate with each other such as via a bus  802 . The memory/storage  806  may include a memory  814 , such as a main memory, or other memory storage, and a storage unit  816 , both accessible to the processors  804  such as via the bus  802 . The storage unit  816  and memory  814  store the instructions  810  embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions  810  may also reside, completely or partially, within the memory  814 , within the storage unit  816 , within at least one of the processors  804  (e.g., within the processor&#39;s cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine  800 . Accordingly, the memory  814 , the storage unit  816 , and the memory of processors  804  are examples of machine-readable media. 
     The I/O components  818  may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components  818  that are included in a particular machine  800  will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones will likely include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components  818  may include many other components that are not shown in  FIG. 8 . The I/O components  818  are grouped according to functionality merely for simplifying the following discussion and the grouping is in no way limiting. In various example embodiments, the I/O components  818  may include output components  826  and input components  828 . The output components  826  may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The input components  828  may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or other pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and/or force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like. 
     In further example embodiments, the I/O components  818  may include biometric components  830 , motion components  834 , environmental components  836 , or position components  838  among a wide array of other components. For example, the biometric components  830  may include components to detect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brain waves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, or electroencephalogram based identification), and the like. The motion components  834  may include acceleration sensor components (e.g., accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensor components (e.g., gyroscope), and so forth. The environmental components  836  may include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometer that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detect concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment. The position components  838  may include location sensor components (e.g., a GPS receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like. 
     Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The I/O components  818  may include communication components  840  operable to couple the machine  800  to a network  832  or devices  820  via coupling  824  and coupling  822 , respectively. For example, the communication components  840  may include a network interface component or other suitable device to interface with the network  832 . In further examples, communication components  840  may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, near field communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices  820  may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB). 
     Moreover, the communication components  840  may detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components  840  may include radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code, multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code, Aztec code, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information may be derived via the communication components  840  such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geo-location, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting a NFC beacon signal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth. 
     Glossary 
     “CARRIER SIGNAL” in this context refers to any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions  810  for execution by the machine  800 , and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such instructions  810 . Instructions  810  may be transmitted or received over the network  832  using a transmission medium via a network interface device and using any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols. 
     “CLIENT DEVICE” in this context refers to any machine  800  that interfaces to a communications network  832  to obtain resources from one or more server systems or other client devices  102 ,  104 . A client device  102 ,  104  may be, but is not limited to, mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, PDAs, smart phones, tablets, ultra books, netbooks, laptops, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, game consoles, STBs, or any other communication device that a user may use to access a network  832 . 
     “COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK” in this context refers to one or more portions of a network  832  that may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a LAN, a wireless LAN (WLAN), a WAN, a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, a network  832  or a portion of a network  832  may include a wireless or cellular network and the coupling may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) connection, or other type of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling may implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard setting organizations, other long range protocols, or other data transfer technology. 
     “MACHINE-READABLE MEDIUM” in this context refers to a component, device or other tangible media able to store instructions  810  and data temporarily or permanently and may include, but is not be limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, cache memory, other types of storage (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)), and/or any suitable combination thereof. The term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers) able to store instructions  810 . The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium, or combination of multiple media, that is capable of storing instructions  810  (e.g., code) for execution by a machine  800 , such that the instructions  810 , when executed by one or more processors  804  of the machine  800 , cause the machine  800  to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readable medium” refers to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as “cloud-based” storage systems or storage networks that include multiple storage apparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium” excludes signals per se. 
     “COMPONENT” in this context refers to a device, physical entity, or logic having boundaries defined by function or subroutine calls, branch points, APIs, or other technologies that provide for the partitioning or modularization of particular processing or control functions. Components may be combined via their interfaces with other components to carry out a machine process. A component may be a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components and a part of a program that usually performs a particular function of related functions. Components may constitute either software components (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware components. A “hardware component” is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors  804 ) may be configured by software (e.g., an application  716  or application portion) as a hardware component that operates to perform certain operations as described herein. A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically, electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware component may be a special-purpose processor, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A hardware component may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware component may include software executed by a general-purpose processor  804  or other programmable processor  804 . Once configured by such software, hardware components become specific machines  800  (or specific components of a machine  800 ) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and are no longer general-purpose processors  804 . It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware component mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software), may be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly, the phrase “hardware component” (or “hardware-implemented component”) should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware component comprises a general-purpose processor  804  configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor  804  may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware components) at different times. Software accordingly configures a particular processor or processors  804 , for example, to constitute a particular hardware component at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware component at a different instance of time. Hardware components can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardware components may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses  802 ) between or among two or more of the hardware components. In embodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware components may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware components have access. For example, one hardware component may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware component may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware components may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information). The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors  804  that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors  804  may constitute processor-implemented components that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented component” refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors  804 . Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors  804  being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors  804  or processor-implemented components. Moreover, the one or more processors  804  may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines  800  including processors  804 ), with these operations being accessible via a network  832  (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an API). The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the processors  804 , not only residing within a single machine  800 , but deployed across a number of machines  800 . In some example embodiments, the processors  804  or processor-implemented components may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the processors  804  or processor-implemented components may be distributed across a number of geographic locations. 
     “PROCESSOR” in this context refers to any circuit or virtual circuit (a physical circuit emulated by logic executing on an actual processor  804 ) that manipulates data values according to control signals (e.g., “commands,” “op codes,” “machine code,” etc.) and which produces corresponding output signals that are applied to operate a machine  800 . A processor  804  may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) or any combination thereof. A processor  804  may further be a multi-core processor having two or more independent processors  804  (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions  810  contemporaneously.