Abstract: A set of data points is divided into a plurality of subsets of data points. A set of cluster closures is generated based at least in part on the subset of data points. Each cluster closure envelopes a corresponding cluster of a set of clusters and is comprised of data points of the enveloped cluster and data points neighboring the enveloped cluster. A k-Means approximator iteratively assigns data points to a cluster of the set of clusters and updates a set of cluster centroids corresponding to the set of clusters. The k-Means approximator assigns data points based at least in part on the set of cluster closures.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for a user of a network to locate one or more human resources, the method comprising the steps of: providing a record in a database for each of a plurality of human resources, the record including one or more keywords associated with the human resource; receiving from a first user a search request including one or more keywords; searching the records in the database to find matching records associated with one or more human resources with a keyword that matches a keyword in the received search request; and returning search results to the first user, the search results identifying the matching records.

Abstract: An estimation algorithm can generate a uniqueness metric representative of data in a database table column that is split across a plurality of data partitions. The column can be classified as categorical if the uniqueness metric is below a threshold and as non-categorical if the uniqueness metric is above the threshold. A first estimation factor can be assigned to the column if the column is classified as categorical or a larger second estimation factor can be assigned if the column is non-categorical. A cost estimate for system resources required to perform a database operation on the database table can be calculated. The cost estimate can include an estimated total number of distinct values in the column across all of the plurality of data partitions determined using the assigned first estimation factor or second estimation factor and a number of rows in the table as inputs to an estimation function.

Abstract: A plurality of users may interact with a content distribution system in order to share digital media content. The system may receive, store, and/or publish a delivery specification that includes requirements relating to digital content that a first user wishes to receive. The delivery specification for the digital content may include one or more requirements of the digital content to be received. A second user who wishes to provide the digital content may access the delivery specification. The system provides for flexible validation of the media content from the second user. For example, validation may occur at device of the first user, at a device of the second user, and/or at a device of the content distribution system. Upon validation of the media content from the second user, the system may facilitate transfer of the media content from the second user to the first user.

Abstract: A location assignment daemon (LAD) manages placement of object replicas in a distributed storage system. The distributed storage system may include a plurality of instances, which may be at distinct geographic locations. The LAD determines placement categories for objects stored in the distributed storage system. A placement category for an object corresponds to the object's placement policy and current replica locations. There are substantially fewer placement categories than objects. The LAD determines an action plan for each placement category whose associated objects require either creation or removal of object replicas. Each action plan includes either creating or removing an object replica. The LAD prioritizes the action plans and implements at least a subset of the action plans in priority order in accordance with available resources in the distributed storage system. Each action plan is applied to objects in the placement category corresponding to the action plan.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a question answering computer system determines a set of search terms for a given question. A plurality of passages that each includes at least one search term in the set of search terms is identified in response to a search of a document for search terms in the set of search terms. A passage from the plurality of passages is selected. A context based score of the selected passage that indicates the likelihood that the selected passage contains an answer to the question is generated based on criteria that specify a relationship among the set of search terms, content of the passage, and content of at least one other passage in the plurality of passages.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for query generation from a previous result set. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for query generation from a previous result set is provided. The method includes identifying commonalities in a selection of records of a result set produced by a previously issued query against a database in a database management system executing in memory by at least one processor of a host server. The method further includes deriving a query from the identified commonalities that when executed against the database management system would produce the selection of records as the result set. Finally, the method includes storing the derived query for subsequent use in querying the database.

Abstract: The punch command may be replicated in a replication environment including a production site and a replication site. The solution includes implementing a punch command to free storage received at a replication site in a replication environment by applying the punch command to storage at the replication site and writing data being freed from the storage at the replication site to an undo stream of a journal at the replication site. If the punch command is not supported, a command to write zeros may be used. Further, an unpunch command is provided for properly undoing a punch command and storing data written to the volume before the punch command freed the storage. Additionally, large punch commands may be split into a plurality to smaller punch commands for efficient journal management. Additionally, volume space may be reclaimed by writing a punch command to the journal instead of zeros.

Abstract: Solid-state storage devices may be employed to store data maintained by a database management system, but may have characteristics that reduce the efficiency of interactions between the database management system and the device. A storage subsystem may receive information indicative of internal boundaries within database data. A segment of the database data may be selected for compression, wherein the size of the segment is based at least on one or more the internal boundaries, the memory page size of the solid-state drive, and a predicted rate of compression. The compressed segment may be stored if it has a size less than the memory page size of the device. If it does not, compression may be retried with a smaller segment of data or a portion of the data may be stored in uncompressed form. Additional segments of the data may be stored on the solid-state drive in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method for managing design files shared by multiple users is provided. A plurality of design files are stored in a design library. A lock table is moved to a memory of a first computer when information of the lock table indicates that the design files were locked by a first process corresponding to a first user, wherein the memory is only accessible to performance of the first process. The lock table is moved from the memory to a common memory of the first computer when one design file is locked by a second process corresponding to a second user. The first and second processes are being performed in the first computer. The lock table is moved from the memory to the design library when the one design file is locked by the second process corresponding to the second user, wherein the second process is performed in a second computer.

Abstract: One embodiment of a disclosed method and computer-readable storage medium provides customizable application search. Partner systems leverage search functionality of an application search system configured to perform searches for applications. In one embodiment, partner systems select filters to be applied to queries submitted to the application search system via the partners' websites, and specify particular attributes to be displayed with each search result returned by the application search system. When users submit queries to the application search system via a partner system, the users' queries are associated with the partner system's custom filters and attribute display preferences. In response to receiving the queries, the application search system returns search results filtered and formatted according to the partner system's custom preferences.

Abstract: An interface for users to gain access and manipulate unstructured data is provided. In response to receiving a user query associated with a first database format, a system can request unstructured data associated with a second database format from a second database. The unstructured data can include a set of data groups where each data group has a set of values. Each value can be associated with a different tag. To generate a structured database, some embodiments can determine the number of data groups and the number of unique tags across the data groups and populate the table with data from the unstructured data. Subsequently, the system can apply the user query to the table to obtain a query result and transmit the query result to the user device.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for low loss database backup and recovery. The method commences by transmitting, by a first server to a third server, a copy of a database snapshot backup, the transmitting commencing at a first time. Then capturing, by the first server, a stream of database redo data, the capturing commencing before or upon transmitting the database snapshot backup, and continuing until a third time. The stream of database redo data is received by an intermediate server after which the intermediate server transmits the stream of database redo data to the third server. Now, the third server has the database snapshot backups and the database redo data. The third server can send to a fourth server all or portion of the database redo data to be applied to the copy of the database snapshot backup restored there to create a restored database.

Abstract: A method for file conversion includes obtaining an original file including content, that includes objects. The method further includes rendering each object of the multiple objects into a page description language (PDL) format to obtain rendered objects, and extracting, from the original file, a tag for an object of the multiple objects. The method further includes generating object composition metadata based on a composition rule corresponding to the tag. The object composition metadata includes a description of a composition of the object in the original file, and is added with the rendered objects to a PDL file.

Abstract: Collections identifying associated content objects, such as user-defined collections, are stored. A request to display or play a seed content object is received. A plurality of seed collections are identified based on the seed object. A plurality of candidate content objects are identified based on the identified seed collections, for instance by identifying the content objects that are identified by the seed collections. Properties of the seed object are identified, such as the categorization of the seed object, or the tags associated with the seed object. The candidate objects are ranked based on the identified seed collections and the identified properties of the seed object, and a candidate object is selected for recommendation to the user based on the ranking. The ranking of candidate objects can also be determined based on the coherence of the seed collections and the centrality of the seed object to the seed collections.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for dynamic assignment of business logic based on schema mapping metadata. A first transformation is performed using a simplified map and a structural transformation map that maps attributes between a source system and a target system to generate simplified map data that includes source attribute and target attribute pairs. A document that includes combined data is generated using the simplified map data and source system metadata containing contextual values of the source system. A second transformation is performed to generate transformed contextual metadata containing contextual values for the target system using a contextual metadata transformation map and the combined data.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a question answering computer system determines a set of search terms for a given question. A plurality of passages that each includes at least one search term in the set of search terms is identified in response to a search of a document for search terms in the set of search terms. A passage from the plurality of passages is selected. A context based score of the selected passage that indicates the likelihood that the selected passage contains an answer to the question is generated based on criteria that specify a relationship among the set of search terms, content of the passage, and content of at least one other passage in the plurality of passages.

Abstract: A method for data storage includes, in a system that includes one or more storage controllers, one or more servers and one or more storage devices, defining one or more data structures that represent thinly-provisioned user volumes used by the servers in storing data on the storage devices. One or more of the data structures are shared among the storage controllers and the servers. One or more of the user volumes are accessed by the servers, using the shared data structures and without executing code on the storage controllers.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for dynamic assignment of business logic based on schema mapping metadata. A first transformation is performed using a simplified map and a structural transformation map that maps attributes between a source system and a target system to generate simplified map data that includes source attribute and target attribute pairs. A document that includes combined data is generated using the simplified map data and source system metadata containing contextual values of the source system. A second transformation is performed to generate transformed contextual metadata containing contextual values for the target system using a contextual metadata transformation map and the combined data.

Abstract: A process for serializing and deserializing instance data from a schema is disclosed. A schema can be used to automatically and dynamically generate classes and methods. First, the raw schema may be parsed into an intermediate data structure consisting of <key,value> pairs representing object properties and attributes of the properties. Then, an exemplary process generates new parser classes and methods by iterating over the intermediate data structure's keys and generating classes or class variables based on the property type. Accessors and mutators are generated for each class variable. Additionally, a serialization method and a constructor method are generated for each class. These classes and methods are stored in memory and can be used by a host programming language to transmit, receive, and manipulate data to or from an API.