Abstract: A new database table obtained by transferring records from a conventional database table. Each database table has a pluralilty of rows and columns, and each record includes a plurality of data items. Each data item in the conventional table is transferred to a first column of the new database, and a second column of the new table identifies the columns of the conventional table from which the data items in the first column of the new table were taken. A third column of the new table identifies the records of the conventional table from which the data items in the first column of the new tables were taken. A method and system are also disclosed for searching the new database table for a given record.

Abstract: A knowledge system including an expert system and a complementary data base. The knowledge system is provided to answer requests, and each request has a record including a plurality of parameters and values for those parameters. The expert system is provided to process the record of a specific request to answer that request, and the complementary database stores a plurality of records of requests having known answers, and any request from a user is preprocessed by searching the complementary database for a record identical to the record of the request. If an identical record is found, the known answer to the request having that identical record is given to the user to answer his or her request; however if no identical record is found in the complementary database, the expert system is invoked to answer the request.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a relational data base system which is operating in a virtual machine environment. The invention provides a system that includes a disconnected virtual machine which is running in the same virtual machine environment as is the relational data base. Insert and Update requests to the system are generated by programs running in user controlled virtual machines. Other users issue select and view requests which lock out insert and update requests which relate to the same data domain. With the present invention Insert and Update requests go to the disconnected virtual machine which ques them and applies them against the relational data base in the order that the requests are received. In this way, while a select is being executed on data in a particular domain of the data base, update and insert request for the same domain will be held by the virtual machine and the operator will not be "locked out" of the system.