Abstract: An object of the present invention is to suppress fragmentation occurring due to repeated storing and deleting small capacity file data, while effectively storing large capacity real time file data. To achieve this object, according to the present invention, a block relying on a physical storage area, and a continuous plurality of the blocks, constitute a unit. The unit is set at a capacity at which real time processing is guaranteed. Image data or other such real time file data is stored with in units. Further, in a case of data processed in non-real time, the data is stored in blocks. A unit attribute table for managing the unit is arranged, and based on this unit attribute table, a determination is made as to whether or not the unit can be used at the time of storage.

Abstract: Method and system for delivery of personal search services and advertising. The method includes collecting information from the user about the user's personal search engine, including, but not limited to digital content data sources, link crawl depth of those digital content data sources, and time interval to refresh the index of the digital content data sources created. In one embodiment of the present invention user's do not pay a fee in return for allowing the provider to present advertising to the user as the user uses the invention. In another embodiment, advertisers purchase advertising display services from the provider to be displayed to specific users.

Abstract: Disclosed are a sort processing method and a sort processing apparatus, which, in a computer or data processing, compare magnitudes of pieces of data input by hardware, rearrange the pieces of data in accordance with a predetermined order and output the rearranged pieces of data. The sort processing apparatus includes first basic cells, each of which is composed of a first data comparator for comparing magnitudes of pieces of input data with each other and for outputting a first select signal, and a first data selector for rearranging said compared pieces of input data in a magnitude order on the basis of said first select signal, wherein said first basic cells having the same number as that of combinations of pieces of input data to be compared are arranged in a pipeline configuration.

Abstract: An information acquisition apparatus receives summary information and displays the outline information included in the summary information. When a document information acquisition request is given, the information acquisition apparatus determines, based on the current date and time and the validity period information included in the summary information, whether or not the document information corresponding to the received summary information is within its validity period. When it is within the validity period, the information acquisition apparatus acquires the corresponding document information from a databases in an information management apparatus. When it is outside the validity period, the information acquisition apparatus creates and transmits a communication document to an information registration apparatus that registered the document information.

Abstract: A user based computer system for information storage and retrieval in which information data items are stored in a persistent memory for later searching, retrieval and/or browsing and related in the memory by a frame system wherein the stored information includes primary information from outside the system and additional information derived from primary information and inherited from stored information.

Abstract: Multi-table access control is disclosed that limits access to tables when a requirement for access to multiple columns is detected, where the multiple columns includes at least one column from one table and another column from another table. In an embodiment, the detection of the requirement for access to multiple columns triggers a policy to rewrite the query to include a condition expression that limits access to the multiple columns to those that are entitled to access.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for matching paint on a vehicle, having the steps of receiving in a central computer, from a remote terminal, vehicle identifying information relating to a specific vehicle and a first set of paint color data from a portion of the body of the vehicle. The central computer includes a processor, an electronic storage means in which a database is stored. The database includes vehicle identifying information for a plurality of vehicles, paint color data associated with respective vehicle identifying information, and paint formulations associated with paint color data. A first process by software in the computer determines a first best match paint formulation which relates submitted vehicle identifying information and submitted paint data to a paint formulation. The software in the computer determines a first best match paint formulation which is transmitted to the remote terminal.

Abstract: A system and method to schedule data for transmission. The system comprises data generating means, developing means, and transmission scheduling means. The data generating means generates data comprising content data and metadata relating to the content data. The developing means develops a set of input data. The transmission scheduling means produces a continuously updating schedule for transmission of copies of the content data based on the metadata and the set of input data.

Abstract: A method for providing workload information in a structured workload information data structure format that is organized according to a workload schema to be conducive to a given end usage of the information. The structured workload information can be made accessible using standard database analytical server applications to facilitate ad-hoc querying of the structured workload information to summarize and analyze the database workload or to facilitate exchange of workload information. A structured workload information (SWI) is constructed according to a SWI schema to facilitate a desired end usage of the workload information. The query information is extracted from the workload and stored in a structured workload information (SWI) data structure according to the schema based on the desired end usage of the information such as ad hoc querying or information exchange.

Abstract: A system and method directed to a matching engine for finding the best match for an input string from among a group of predefined string patterns is disclosed. The predefined patterns may include one or more wildcard characters. A metric value is computed for every predefined string pattern. If the input string matches more than one predefined pattern, then the pattern with the highest metric value is determined as the best match to the input string. Additionally, information of different types may be attached to the predefined patterns and used for further processing of information, for example, to make routing decisions or to run a program module.

Abstract: A virtual storage server and library manager are configured to avoid a lengthy check-in process for selected physical volumes. In one embodiment, the selected physical volumes are volumes that were in a checked-in state previous to a disaster. Other volumes are checked-in normally. The present invention leverages information within the virtual storage server to efficiently recovery from disasters that destroy state information within the library manager. The improved recovery method, apparatus, and system, reduce the downtime associated with disasters within removable media virtual storage systems.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product communicate data dictionary information of database objects through a redo stream in the form of metadata, which provides the association between the internal numbers used by a database schema to identify database objects and the corresponding user-defined names of the database objects, in the redo stream itself, so that the association information may be easily and quickly used in the analysis of the redo stream of the database transactions. A method of communicating data dictionary information of database objects through a redo stream comprises the steps of performing a change to a first database data table, logging redo information representing the change to the first database data table to a redo stream, and logging information relating to internal identifier mapping information associated with the first database data table to the redo stream.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for an information management system (IMS) having an underlying relational database management system (RDBMS) that allows applications to access the RDBMS directly for improved performance without going through the IMS, while maintaining access control. An access control list (ACL) is generated, with tables in the RDBMS being bound using codes in the ACL. At run time or, more preferably, pre-run time, user-defined functions (UDF) evaluate access control attributes and generate an access authorization table, which is joined with the appropriate information table(s) in response to a query against a view on the table. The view is presented to the querying user. Thus, access control rules are encapsulated in the view that is presented to the user.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for accessing information within an electronic system. The method includes formatting a searchable database into a directory tree structure, the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes. Each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more set parameters, the parameters being specific to the node in which the related data is included. The method accesses a node within the directory tree structure using a query string, wherein the query string defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure. The method can include manually traversing the navigation path by utilizing keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search methodologies. Manually traversing the navigation path can be saved as the query string.

Abstract: A document management system can access a necessary document fast when necessary and accurately limit access in accordance with various security levels. An access control list shown in FIG. 2 mainly functions when access to a document is limited. One row in the access control list includes a plurality of fields which are described at the head row of each column. Information in each field included in one row (record) indicates the overall information necessary for setting predefined access control to the document including one character string. A “character string” field means that the document including the character string described in the field, of many documents stored in a database, is a document to which the access is limited.

Abstract: A system and method for document filtering and selection based on quality automatically operates to make value judgments for document retrieval. Items of data, e.g. documents, are automatically associated a value. Items of data may be then selected based upon value, which is not only for the specific subject or topic requested, but also desirable according to certain criteria, including each document's quality. A specific application of the invention is to a filter for computerized bulletin boards. Many of these systems, also known as discussion groups, have thousands of new messages per day. Readers and human editors do not have time to classify new messages by quality quickly. Messages may be ranked by quality automatically, to perform the same function performed by a human editor or moderator. Values and qualities may be assigned by interestingness, appropriateness, timeliness, humor, style of language, obscenity, sentiment, and any combinations thereof, for example.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for deterministically classifying and indexing objects that are perceived arbitrarily and subjectively, such as digital media and file representations of photographs, in a database. A user establishes various personalized descriptive category sets to organize media, such as digital photographs, video, and audio. The descriptive category sets include categories to describe some aspect or attribute of the objects of the user. Each category may be arbitrarily definable and contain a finite number of descriptors, constituting values within the category. Objects are entered into collections by filtering the objects according to the descriptors of the descriptive category set. A user may thus arbitrarily define a schema of classification according to perceptions, links, experiences, and the like, according to the subjective memory, vocabulary, and mental connections of a user.

Abstract: A method for duplicating transactions in a disaster recover system is disclosed. In this method, transactions and queries input to a primary database system are copied to a secondary database system and both database systems execute the queries and save the results permanently to each database, thereby maintaining duplicated data. When executing a query on the primary database system, if the query is a commit, the primary system simultaneously copies uncopied queries placed in a queue to the secondary database system and then executes the query. By using this processing procedure, the invention realizes a disaster recovery system which carries out copying transactions from one site to another site without losing the transactions, while reducing the influence of copy operation on the transaction processing performance.

Abstract: A method and system for managing access information for users and other entities in a distributed computing system is disclosed. An aspect is directed to sharing schemas across multiple users. This can be accomplished by mapping multiple global users to the same local schema. Any users mapped to that local schema would, upon logging in, receive the set of privileges associated with the global user and the local schema. In this manner, separate schemas would not need to be defined for each global user.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture to aggregate automated transaction processing and facilitate database integrity. In one embodiment of the invention, identified transactions are interrogated and their associated processing requirements determined. Once determined, transaction processing logic relating to database connection, startup steps, end of step, commit or roll back are removed with the resulting transaction stored as a callable DLL. The resultant DLL or DLLs further modified to re-sequence validation logic to on input data appropriately ordered sequence. The invention additionally comprises first logic which connects to a database in advance of referencing any callable DLL functions; second logic commits to updating a database following successful execution of any called DLL functions and third logic which rollbacks updates to a database following unsuccessful execution of called DLL functions as well as startup step and end of step processing logic.