Recovery of Information from Commercial Web Portals

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for automated recovery of information from commercial web portals, including commercial web portals requiring credentials for access. In some instances images are captured and pushed to external processes for improving system performance. In some instances access to automated software agent remote control modules is balanced across a system comprising a plurality of processors hosting the automated software agent remote control modules. Some instances provide provisioning of credentials, in particular indicating credentials available for an unlimited or a select limited number of users and monitoring credential use of those credentials usable by a select number of users. Some instances provide cache management optimizes retrieval of data by external processes and ensures reliability of such data to reduce unnecessary web portal inquiries.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of load balancing automated software agent remote control module reservations across an automated software agent grid comprising more than one cloud processor hosting automated software agent remote control modules, the method comprising:
 providing a global automated software agent remote control module pool database, the global automated software agent remote control module pool database comprising a list of web browsers supported by the automated software agent;   providing an automated software agent remote control module provisioner database, the software agent remote control module provisioner database comprising a list of processors hosting automated software agent remote control modules;   providing a remote control database comprising a list of automated software agent remote control modules associated with each processor;   receiving, with a computer system, a user request for an automated software agent remote control module;   matching, with the computer system, the user request to one of the set of web browsers;   querying, with the computer system, the software agent remote control module provisioner database to identify a processor of the list of processors having the fewest active automated software agent remote control modules supporting the matched web browsers;   selecting an automated software agent remote control module hosted by the identified processor; and   returning, in response to the request, a reference to the selected automated software agent remote control module.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the step of selecting an automated software agent remote control module hosted by the identified processor further comprises skipping any software agent remote control modules that are marked as non-functioning. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining if a selected automated software agent remote control module is functioning properly; and 
 if the selected automated software agent remote control module is not functioning properly, marking the selected automated software agent remote control module. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 selecting another automated software agent remote control module while skipping any marked automated software agent remote control modules. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 setting a timer when marking the selected automated software agent remote control module; and 
 when the timer expires, deleting the marking from the selected automated software agent remote control module. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising repeating the selecting step as necessary until an automated software agent remote control module that functions properly is selected. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising returning to the user an error message if an automated software agent remote control module that functions properly cannot be identified. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the user request is from an external process. 
     
     
         9 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a database operatively associated with at least one of the one or more processors;   an automated software agent operatively associated with at least one of the set of processors;   a set of instructions executable by at least one of the one or more processors, to cause the at least one of the one or more processors to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:   instructions for generating a global automated software agent remote control module pool database, the global automated software agent remote control module pool database comprising a list of web browsers supported by the automated software agent;   instructions for generating an automated software agent remote control module provisioner database, the automated software agent remote control module provisioner database comprising a list of processors hosting automated software agent remote control modules;   instructions for generating a remote control database comprising a list of automated software agent remote control modules associated with each processor;   instructions for processing, with at least one of the one or more processors, a user request for an automated software agent remote control module;   instructions for matching, with at least one of the one or more processors, the user request to one of the set of web browsers;   instructions for querying, with at least one of the one or more processors, the software agent remote control module provisioner database to identify a processor of the list of processors having the fewest active automated software agent remote control modules;   instructions for selecting an automated software agent remote control module hosted by the identified processor; and   instructions for returning, in response to the user request, a reference to the selected automated software agent remote control module.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions executable by one or more computers to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:   instructions for generating a global automated software agent remote control module pool database, the global automated software agent remote control module pool database comprising a list of web browsers supported by the automated software agent;   instructions for generating an automated software agent remote control module provisioner database, the automated software agent remote control module provisioner database comprising a list of processors hosting automated software agent remote control modules;   instructions for generating a remote control database comprising a list of automated software agent remote control modules associated with each processor;   instructions for processing a user request for an automated software agent remote control module;   instructions for matching the user request to one of the set of web browsers;   instructions for querying the software agent remote control module provisioner database to identify a processor of the list of processors having the fewest active automated software agent remote control modules;   instructions for selecting an automated software agent remote control module hosted by the identified processor; and   instructions for returning, in response to the user request, a reference to the selected automated software agent remote control module.