Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for data synchronization. A first identifier for a portion of data on a primary volume is determined, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each portion of data at the primary volume. A second identifier for a portion of corresponding data at a secondary volume is determined, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each portion of data at the secondary volume. The first and second identifiers are compared. When the first and second identifiers do not match, the portion of corresponding data at the secondary volume in a storage device is replaced with the portion of data at the primary volume.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved digital data processing system, e.g., storage area network (SAN), of the type having a first digital data processor, e.g., a SAN server, and a second digital data processor, e.g., a SAN client, coupled to one another and to one or more storage units, e.g., disk drives. A volume is stored on one or more of the storage devices, with at least two of its blocks residing at locations that are not contiguous with one another. The improvement is characterized, according to aspects of the invention, by transmission from the first to the second digital data processor of one or more addresses. These can constitute, in total, fewer such addresses than would be provided in a canonical map of the volume and, indeed, can comprise (by way of non-limiting example) a start address for each file and/or a portion of the volume on each storage device where the volume resides.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing a technique for incrementally maintaining pre-computed aggregate views. In general, the technique includes: receiving a pre-computed aggregate view derived from one or more base tables. The pre-computed aggregate view including a pre-computed aggregate table and a view definition. The view definition including aggregation functions that can be any combination of sum, sum distinct, count(*), count distinct, min, and max. The view definition further including expressions that may be nullable. The technique includes receiving changes to the base table, the changes being non-minimal. The technique includes analyzing the view definition, including the type of aggregation functions and the nullability and data type of columns and expressions in the view definition, to reduce or eliminate the use of information in base tables in order to define the incremental modifications to the pre-computed aggregate table.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for enabling SQL statement access to remote system specific data and functions is provided. A method is developed to utilize wrapper stored procedures and the table formatted output of native commands in order to access the output via direct SQL statements. The output of native commands is generated by wrapper stored procedures and then directed to a temporary file by the method. The client may then access the contents of the file with direct SQL queries. This procedure allows the transformed access procedure to perform more efficiently than conventional procedures, while providing same results.

Abstract: An integrated data mining and relational database management system is provided on a server. The data mining engine determines characteristics of relationships between input data values and an output data value that are obtained from a relational database (managed by the relational database management system). The integration allows direct conversion of data values from the relational database to data mining identifiers used for data mining operations by the data mining engine, and vice-versa. The integrated server also makes patterns uncovered during data mining (e.g., “understand” and “predict” information) available in virtual relational database tables that can be queried.