Abstract: The select statement of a query is processed to determine whether any of the columns in the select statement appear in the predicate of the query. For each column in the select statement that also appears in the predicate of the query, the column may be eliminated from the result set by writing the value for the column in a side data structure. In this manner, the amount of data returned in the result set is reduced, thereby enhancing system performance in running the query.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring the performance of a computer system via an result size including a result set size of accesses to a database and a page size. Preferred embodiments are directed to a performance monitor that correlates data from existing tools that report data concerning access to the database and the use of system resources. Other embodiments are directed to a performance monitor that is included in an application server associated with the database.

Abstract: Database indexes include multiple fields that are used to track how the components of the index are used. An index component monitoring mechanism tracks how the components of the index are used, and updates fields in the index accordingly. Such component-level statistics allow a query optimizer to make more intelligent decisions regarding when to build a new index and when to discard an index, and also provide information regarding which queries are using the index, the maintenance cost of the index, and the selectivity of the index when used to process a query.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, start a timer in response to a program encountering a first breakpoint and halt the program at a second breakpoint if the timer exceeds a condition. If the timer does not exceed the condition, the program is resumed. In various embodiments, the condition may be a value retrieved from the program based on a keyword and may further include a threshold. In another embodiment, after the timer exceeds the condition an interrupt is raised and in response the program counter for the program is changed to be a specified statement. In an embodiment, a loop entry breakpoint is set at a loop entry statement in the program, a loop body breakpoint is set at a loop body statement in the program, and a loop exit breakpoint is set at a loop exit statement in the program. A timer is then started for an iteration period in response to the program encountering the loop entry breakpoint.

Abstract: An apparatus and method optimize a query in a computer database system having a DISTINCT specifier. An SQL SELECT statement with a DISTINCT specifier is analyzed to determine if the expression can be optimized, and if so, the SELECT statement is reformulated to improve system performance. In preferred embodiments, the query optimizer eliminates the DISTINCT specifier in the outer select statement to reformulate the query. In other preferred embodiments, a query optimizer reformulates the query before being sent to the database manager to optimize the query to improve system performance.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product that provide for more uniform pricing of utility computing resources, such as a computing grid. One aspect of the present invention is a method of calculating costs in a utility computing environment comprising receiving a request to process a work unit from a requester, generating at least one performance metric associated with the work unit, and debiting the requestor for processing the work unit based at least in part on the performance metric. The performance metric in this embodiment is related to an amount of resources required to process the work unit under predetermined conditions.

Abstract: A database optimizer collects statistics regarding applications accessing a database, and makes one or more changes to the database schema to optimize performance according to the collected statistics. In a first embodiment, the optimizer detects when a certain type of application accesses the database a percentage of time that exceeds a predefined threshold level, and if the data in the database is stored in a less-than-optimal format for the application, the data type of one or more columns in the database is changed to a more optimal format for the application. In a second embodiment, the optimizer detects when one type of application accesses a column a percentage of time that exceeds a first predefined threshold level and is less than a second predefined threshold level, and creates a new column in the database so the data is present in both formats.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize automated analysis techniques to assist in the determination of acceptable usages of linguistic terms (e.g., words, phrases, acronyms, etc.). In particular, an acceptable usage of a linguistic term may be determined by scanning a plurality of documents for variants (e.g., based on differing spellings, punctuation, capitalization, meaning or definition, etc.) of the term, and tracking relative occurrences of a plurality of such variants found in the plurality of documents during scanning. By tracking occurrences of linguistic term variants, users may be able to use such statistical information to select which of the available variants represents an acceptable usage, or even a most acceptable usage, of a term. Scanned documents may be retrieved from the Internet, and scanning may occur while a user is browsing the Internet.

Abstract: Provided is a computer implemented method, system, and program for checking text in an electronic document. Words in the text are scanned and parsed. For each set of one or more scanned and parsed words, a determination is made of whether one or more words form a contact phrase providing information to identify or address a person or entity. After one contact phrase is scanned, contact information is accessed including contact phrases. The contact information is searched to determine if the scanned contact phrase matches contact phrases in the searched contact information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the performance of a computer system with one or more active programs. A periodic sampling of the call stack is obtained. The sampled call stack is examined to infer the system performance similar to that obtained using prior art event based profiling. Embodiments also are directed to a combination approach to describing the system performance using a historical sampling to infer additional detail to fill in the gaps of the sampled data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method automatically generate an event profile in an integrated development environment. In one specific implementation, an event profile is automatically created that identifies portions of the computer program that have changed since the last time the computer program was run. The automatically-generated event profile may be used by a profiler to generate a trace of the computer program. By automatically creating the event profile based on the code that changed, the code developer is relieved of the burden of manually creating many event profiles.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, log trace data in response to an exception if the exception meets a filter criteria and create quality data from the trace data if a class in a call stack associated with the exception is owned by a user defined in a user table. In an embodiment, the quality data includes an identification of the user, a count of a number of times the exception was encountered by the user, and an identification of the exception. In various embodiments, the filter criteria may be an exception type, classes that initiate the exception, or packages that contain the classes that initiate the exception.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a method is provided that includes the steps of (1) pre-computing a query result for each of a plurality of whole segments of data included in a database; (2) receiving a query specifying a defined range of data in the database; (3) determining if any of the whole segments are within the defined range; (4) performing the query on any partial segments of data within the defined range; and (5) determining the result of the query based on the pre-computed query results for any whole segments determined to be within the defined range and the result of the query on any partial segments within the defined range. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A master table and one or more slave tables are linked together by different referential integrity constraints. A database engine maintains a separate data structure that includes information about which slave tables include corresponding records that may be affected by a constraint. Accordingly, when an operation is performed on the master table, the data structure is referenced to determine which slave tables has records which are affected as well. The data structure may be a bitmap, an encoded vector index, or separate fields within the master database. As a result of this data structure, unnecessary I/O operations are avoided involving slave tables without a corresponding record.

Abstract: Methods, articles of manufacture and systems for managing Web services. One embodiment provides a method comprising providing one or more rules configured to determine whether a Web service is deterministic. A deterministic Web service produces in subsequent executions identical output in response to identical input. The one or more rules are associated with the Web service.

Abstract: An apparatus and method monitor database queries and allow determining database relationships from the analysis of the database queries. The database relationships are inferred from the analysis of the database queries. The result sets of queries are analyzed to determine if any relationships between the columns specified in the queries may be inferred. In one embodiment, when a relationship between columns is discovered from analyzing query results, a system administrator is notified. In another embodiment, the relationship is stored so it may be retrieved and viewed at a later time by the system administrator.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and the function of the phone can be changed according to its geographical position. One or more “regions” may be defined by the user of the portable phone, and the ring parameters for each region may be set independently of the other regions. In this manner a phone in accordance with the preferred embodiments may ring with one tone at home, ring with a different tone at work, ring with a louder volume when on a job site, not ring at all when in church, and ring with a vibration when at the theater. The preferred embodiments further allow assigning a telephone number to a defined geographical region, and ringing the portable phone only when within the geographical region that corresponds to the phone number.

Abstract: An apparatus and method optimize a UNION-type query, where the query has common components on both sides of the UNION-type operator. The UNION-type expression is analyzed to determine if the expression can be optimized, and if so, common portions on both sides of the UNION-type expression are extracted and the expression is reformulated so the common portions on both sides of the union expression are only run one time.

Abstract: A database system has a contention monitor which determines when the level of contention for accessing or inserting records in the database rises above a threshold, and inhibits non-critical access to the database to reduce the level of contention. In a preferred embodiment, the level of contention is determined by periodically measuring the time for an INSERT operation on the database, and comparing the time to a threshold derived from a baseline time measurement for the operation during a time of normal database activity. Thus the contention level is inferred from the time to do the operation, in this case the INSERT query. In one embodiment, the contention monitor notifies a system administrator to take action to reduce the contention. In another embodiment, the contention monitor informs the system to take action automatically according to predetermined selections by the system administrator.

Abstract: A run-time monitor allows defining sets of run-time error criteria and corresponding diagnostic action to take when the run-time error criteria is satisfied. One way to define the run-time error criteria is to take a baseline measurement of run-time errors that occur during normal processing conditions. A run-time error criteria may then be defined that is based on the baseline measurement. In this manner, a rate of run-time errors that normally occur may be ignored, while a rate of run-time errors in excess of the run-time error criteria could automatically initiate diagnostic action. In this manner, the ability of a programmer to debug run-time errors is significantly enhanced.