Abstract: A method and structure for using a materials requirements planning (MRP) tool is disclosed. The invention runs a simulation using a MRP tool for at least one preselected component to produce simulated order levels for a preselected component. The invention then identifies deviations of the simulated order levels from the historical order levels for the preselected component. Next, the invention analyzes the MRP tool to determine whether the deviations are appropriate or are errors. The invention corrects the MRP tool to correct for errors and runs the MRP tool after correcting.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for facilitating a preferred parts plan for an enterprise over a computer network utilizing a parts review process tool. The method comprises: receiving a bill of material from a client system that includes a non-preferred part; storing the bill of material in a bill of material review database; periodically searching and extracting non-preferred parts records from the bill of material review database; importing the non-preferred parts records into a deviation database; evaluating risk factors associated with non-preferred parts usage; developing an action plan to mitigate risks in using the non-preferred parts; developing a preferred parts strategy for use in minimizing requests to use non-preferred parts; and communicating the preferred parts strategy over a computer network to enterprise client systems.

Abstract: A method, computer product, and system for rewriting database without decreasing pushdownability is provided. First, a pushdown analysis of the query in its entirety is performed prior to the application of any query rewrite rules in order to establish a baseline on pushdownability for the query. The results of this analysis is stored with the internal query representation. After each rule is applied to rewrite a portion of a query, that rewritten portion is analyzed again for pushdownability. If pushdownability is not decreased, then the rewritten query remains and the internal representation of the query is updated to reflect the pushdownability of that portion. If pushdownability is decreased, then an undo operation is applied to the rewritten portion of the query to back out the effects of the rule and leave the query in the same state as before the rewrite. Finally, additional rewrite rules that are directed to the heterogeneous database environment are also provided.

Abstract: An inherently serial program is processed in parallel, thus leading to higher processing speeds, while maintaining a close approximation to the specific result obtained through a serial running of the program. This goal has been attained based on the fact that the desired degree of closeness between a parallel result and the serial result depends on the particular inherently serial program being run and the type of analysis being performed. That is, some inherently serial processes require a “fine-tuned” result while for others a “coarser” result is acceptable. The frequency at which the parallel branches consolidate their respective results is changed accordingly to alter the degree of closeness between the parallel processed result and the serially processed result.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reproducible sampling of data items of a dataset which is shared across a plurality of nodes of a parallel data processing system.In data mining of large databases, segmentation of the database is often necessary either to obtain a summary of the database or prior to an operation such as link analysis. A sample of data records are taken to create an initial segmentation model. The records of this sample and the initial model created from them can be critical to the results of the data mining process, and the initial model may not be reproducible unless the same sampling of data records is repeatable. Reproducible sampling is enabled without polling of all nodes to locate particular records. Parametric control information with a small number of control parameters is generated which describes the particular partitioning of the dataset. The parametric control information enables computing of the location of a data record.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of computerized transaction of a collection of a multitude of potentially distributed transactions ensuring the atomicity of the collection of transactions. Besides offering atomic processing behavior the invention optimizes the communication traffic for the coordination of said transactions and the concurrency behavior and throughput of said collection of transactions. The fundamental concept of the current invention for the processing of a collection of potentially distributed transactions encompassed by a global transaction is based on the approach to split the collection of transactions into groups of transactions. Each of the groups is called a transactional stratum or stratum for short. Each stratum is processed and synchronized via an atomic-commit-protocol, thus guaranteeing an ACID processing outcome for each individual stratum. The global transaction, hence structured as a resulting collection of groups of transactions, i.e.