Abstract: An item categorization service is described that automatically categorizes items of interest to a user. The user may possess an item that they wish to offer for sale using a network-based service. The user may submit item information to the item categorization service to categorize the item of interest. Upon receipt, the categorization service may assess the relevance of the item information to hierarchically organized categories maintained by the network-based service. Categories having the highest relevance may be identified as first category candidates. The deepest common ancestor of the first category candidates may be identified the first category. One or more categories, representing sub-categories of the first category, may be identified and subjected to relevance assessment. Those sub-categories having the highest relevance may be identified as second category candidates. The deepest common ancestor of the second category candidates may be identified as a second category for the item of interest.

Abstract: Transmitting or storing subsegments is disclosed. A data stream or a data block is received and broken into a plurality of segments. For at least one segment, the segment is broken into a plurality of subsegments. A previously stored or transmitted segment similar to the at least one segment is identified. A fingerprint is computed for at least one subsegment. And, using the fingerprint for the at least one subsegment, determining whether the at least one subsegment is identical to a subsegment of the previously stored or transmitted segment without directly comparing the content of the at least one subsegment with the content of the subsegment of the previously stored or transmitted segment.

Abstract: A map update data delivery method includes: storing update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element; searching for base update data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at a terminal as a map data update target; searching for related update data with a relation to contents of update data included in the base update data searched; and transmitting the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

Abstract: To enhance the targeting accuracy in providing services such as provision of samples for members by performing management of member information and authentication while securing personal anonymity. There is provided a center server and a store terminal. The center server gives a unique ID to a member application, sends it to a particular mobile information terminal and manages it as authentication information about a member who is the user of the mobile information terminal. In response to purchases of a particular article by the member, the store terminal inputs the ID from the mobile information terminal and inputs purchase information about the article the member purchases. The center server then acquires attribute information about a member identified by the ID.

Abstract: A method and system for users to connect, extract, query and transform data from multiple databases, independent of their format, type, and location. The system comprises a setup portion, a meta database, and a user portion. The setup portion establishes datasets for use by the system with the user portion. The meta database stores the datasets. The user portion allows a user to input a query and processes the query to gather information from at least one data source and generate a response.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information collection apparatus, an information collection method, and a program capable of collecting information from information resources on a network effectively as well as a search engine that searches the information resources collected.

Abstract: Systems and methods for weighting a search query result are described. In one described system, a program, such as a query system, determines a first article identifier associated with a source and receives an input signal indicating an interest in the first article identifier. The query system then determines a second article identifier associated with the source and determines a score associated with the second article identifier based at least in part on the input signal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that include generating a first application by providing a definition of an object representing a first set of attributes of a first collection of data elements and a first set of operations on the first collection, each data element in the first collection having the attributes and a list of the operations in common with other data elements from the first collection.

Abstract: A workload specification is obtained for the database. Based on the workload specification, candidate ones of the tables are identified and ranked. Compression impact is evaluated for the candidate ones of the tables. A design for the database is developed, specifying at least one of: (i) which of the tables should be compressed, and (ii) which of the tables should not be compressed.

Abstract: As method is disclosed for retrieving data from a relational database management system (RDBMS). An object-oriented environment submits a query to an object relational layer to access data contained in the RDBMS. The object query can result in at least one logical object description that is defined using one or more predetermined expressions. The logical object descriptions are translated to corresponding relational descriptions, and a relational query is subsequently generated. The relational query is applied to the RDBMS in order to retrieve data satisfying the object query. Various error checks can be performed to detect correctness of the query. Additionally, the relational queries can be optimized to improve processing by the RDBMS.

Abstract: In order to enable hierarchized resource-managing functions to mutually request processing and maintain the uniqueness of processing performed by each of the resource-managing functions, a process is performed as follows. When a first action request is inputted, an action-handler search unit analyzes the request condition indicated in the first action request, and searches an action-handler table for an action handler corresponding to the request condition. An action execution unit starts the action handler detected by the action-handler search unit and performs processing defined in the started action handler. In the case where all or part of the processing requested by the first action request is not performed by the action execution unit, the action execution unit produces and transmits a second action request indicating a request condition of all or the part of the processing in a common data form.

Abstract: Methods, systems, an apparatus, and computer program products, for pre-caching query suggestions. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a client device a request for a search resource; providing to the client device in response to the request the search resource, the search resource including: first instructions that cause the client device to generate a search interface that includes a first query input field; initial query suggestions; second instructions that cause the client device to: store the initial query suggestions in a suggestion store on the client device; compare query characters input in the first query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store; select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the first query input field based on the comparison; and display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the first query input field.

Abstract: A system and method for applying a first filter and a second filter, such as a recommendation and a constraint filter, to a plurality of items, including determining a cost of applying the first filter and the second filter to the plurality of items, and determining an order of applying the first and second filters based on the cost of applying the first and second filters.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for deployment of a plurality of guest computing systems in two or more locations simultaneously. The individual components of the system, method, and computer programs that compose the backup, recovery, networking, license management, and security enhancements; the collection of some or all of these components into a single system are also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable and scalable architecture for data centers. Work to be performed is divided into discrete work units. The work units are maintained in a pool of work units that may be processed by any number of different servers. A server may extract an eligible work unit and attempt to process it. If the processing of the work unit succeeds, the work unit is tagged as executed and becomes ineligible for other servers. If the server fails to execute the work unit for some reason, the work unit becomes eligible again and another server may extract and execute it. A server extracts and executes work units when they have available resources. This leads to the automatic load balancing of the data center.

Abstract: An item categorization service is described that automatically categorizes items of interest to a user. The user may possess an item that they wish to offer for sale using a network-based service. The user may submit item information to the categorization service to categorize the item of interest. Upon receipt, the categorization service may assess the relevance of the item information to hierarchically organized categories maintained by the network-based service. Categories having the highest relevance may be identified as first category candidates. The deepest common ancestor of the first category candidates may be identified the first category. One or more categories related to the first category may also be identified and subjected to relevance assessment. Those related categories having the highest relevance may be identified as second category candidates. The deepest common ancestor of the second category candidates may be identified as a second category for the item of interest.

Abstract: There is provided a system including a cluster 11, a cluster 12 and an image server 20. A host 101a constituting the cluster 11 has a root file system 111a used to operate the host 101a in a local disk. The image server 20 has a root file system 221a used to operate the host 101a, and the host 101a virtually constructs a root file system 121a by mounting the root file system 221a. When the root file system 111a is varied, the host 101a synchronizes the root file system 111a with the root file system 121a. The same applies to host 102a constituting the cluster 12.

Abstract: A method for consolidating data logged in log files in a network of servers, each server running at least one application that logs data into files on the server, the method comprising: providing a consolidating message queue for receiving the log data and file name; intercepting log data being written into a log file by a file system and sending that log data and the file name of the log file to a consolidating message queue; receiving the log data and file name in a consolidating message queue; and saving the log data in the consolidating message queue from all the servers to a consolidated file or data structure associated with the file name.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for predicting object identity using an ensemble of predictors. In one aspect, a method includes selecting candidate objects that likely match a received object that is to be identified, from a database of objects, and providing attributes of the received object compared with those of the candidates to an ensemble of predictors having respective properties. Based on previous training, each predictor can predict a most likely candidate. From among the most likely candidates, a previously trained support vector machine can select a potential match candidate. If a score that the support vector machine associates with the potential match candidate, that is representative of the potential match candidate's likelihood to match the received candidate satisfies a threshold, then the potential match candidate can be determined to be the received candidate.

Abstract: A method is used in managing compression in data storage systems. A data temperature is determined for a set of data in a block-based data storage system. Based on the data temperature, data compression is applied to the set of data.