Abstract: A protocol for locating a server program on a workstation that is dynamically allocated IP address is disclosed. To located a desired server program, a special client program sends out an “Are you there?” message to the last known IP address of the desired server. If the server responds, the client may directly access the server program using the last known IP address. However, if there is no response then the client program sends out a directed broadcast “Are you there?” message to the subnet where the desired server last resided. If the desired server receives the directed broadcast message, the server program responds with the current IP address such that the client program can access the server. If no response is received from the directed broadcast, the client program will send directed broadcast messages to other similar subnets in order to located the server program. Ordinary Domain Name Service is used as a back-up if no response is received.

Abstract: Described herein is a framework for providing statement atomicity for DDL statements. The framework allows the ability to perform, as multiple transactions, the DDL operations specified by a DDL statement. To begin execution of a DDL statement, a DBMS, for example, updates a flag to indicate that DDL operations have commenced. While the flag is set to this state, the DBMS prevents execution of operations that depend on the DDL statement being executed as an atomic unit. If the DDL operations are aborted, the flag is set to a state that indicates that the execution of the DDL operations did not complete, and the DBMS continues to disallow dependent operations that depend on the atomicity of the DDL statement. Because the flag is used to provide statement atomicity, DDL operations may be performed as multiple transactions. For a DML statement, a mechanism described herein preserves the transactional context of a DML statement.

Abstract: An electronically-enabled encasement for a handheld computer is provided. The encasement includes an encasement portion configured to cover at least a portion of the handheld computer, including a front surface of the handheld computer providing access to a display; a spine engageable with an accessory slot of the handheld computer to detachably couple the encasement with the handheld computer; a connector to electronically connect the encasement to the handheld computer; and at least one electronic component embedded in the encasement portion. The encasement may also include a wireless communication port such a radio frequency transmitter or an IR transceiver.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for handling within a database system data items that are associated with data types whose native structure is not known to the database system. The data items are stored within the database system in their native structure, even though it is not understood by the database system. To store the data items, the database system calls a pickling routine that is provided by the user, or by the runtime subsystem of the programming environment that is native to the data item. To retrieve the routine from storage, the database system calls an unpickling routine, also provided by the user or the appropriate runtime subsystem. Because the database maintains the data items in their native format, no conversions are required as the data items are passed between the database system and external routines that manipulate the data items. Techniques are also provided for declaring attributes of the data item that can be accessed within the database system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for passing a client from a first server to which the client was connected for accessing a resource, to a second server for accessing the resource. While executing, the first server ceases to respond to the client. After the client detects that the first server has ceased to respond to the client, the client is automatically connected with the second server that has access to the resource. After automatically connecting the client, the client accesses the resource through the second server. The client stores information about the state of the session with the first server so that processing can continue where it left off after the client connects with the second server. The client may be pre-connected to the second server prior to the failure of the first server to reduce the latency caused by switching in response to a failure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing a variable length operand offset in a computer instruction is provided. An operand base is stored in a computer instruction. Also stored in the computer instruction is a variable length operand offset that is associated with the operand base. In addition, an operand offset length is stored within the computer instruction that defines the length of the variable length operand offset. Storing an operand offset length with each variable length operand offset in a computer instruction provides for the reduction of unused space.

Abstract: Mechanisms for associating metadata with network resources, and for locating the network resources in a language-independent manner, are disclosed. Owners of network resources define metadata that describes each network resource. The metadata may include a natural language name of the network resource, its location, its language, its region or intended audience, and other descriptive information. The owners register the metadata in a registry. A copy of the metadata is stored on a server associated with a group of the network resources. A copy of the metadata is stored in a registry that is indexed at a central location. A crawler service periodically updates the registry by polling the information on each server associated with registered metadata. To locate a selected network resource, a client provides the name of the network resource to a resolver process. The resolver process provides to the client the network resource location corresponding to the network resource name.

Abstract: A method for consistently storing cached objects in the presence of failures is provided. This method ensures atomic object consistency--in the event of failure and restart, an object will either be completely present or completely absent from the cache, never truncated or corrupted. Furthermore, this consistency comes without any time-consuming data structure reconstruction on restart. In this scheme, objects are indexed by a directory table that is stored in main memory and mapped to non-volatile storage, and changes to the directory table are buffered into an open directory that is stored in main memory. Cache objects are either stored in volatile aggregation buffers or in segments of non-volatile disk storage called arenas. Objects are first coalesced into memory-based aggregation buffers, and later committed to disk. Locking is used to control parallel storage to aggregation buffers.