Abstract: A mechanism for servicing connections by disassociating processing resources from idle connections and monitoring the idle connections for activity is described. In one embodiment, a connection that is being serviced by a processing resource is disassociated from the processing resource when the connection is idle. The connection is handed to a poll manager for placement into one of several poll subsets. A poll thread associated with each poll subset is sends the poll subsets and poll requests to a poll adapter. The poll adapter uses the features of the operating system to monitor the connection for activity, such as by polling the connections to identify any pending events. The approach may be implemented on different operating systems by changing the poll adapter. The poll manager passes active connections to a work queue to wait for servicing. The present invention avoids wasting resources on connections that are idle.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for communicating network quality of service policy information to a plurality of policy enforcement points. Active QoS configuration information is created and stored at a policy enforcement point, such as a router in a network. New configuration information is received and stored as an inactive configuration of the policy enforcement point. The policy enforcement point determines whether the inactive configuration information is properly functional in combination with the active QoS configuration information. The new configuration information is made active in place of the active QoS configuration information only in response to receiving an activation message. An inactive configuration may be signaled by a COPS protocol decision message from the policy decision point that identifies the configuration information as an inactive configuration by a specified flag bit in a message type value in a Context object that forms part of the decision message.

Abstract: A database system that incorporates numerous features that reduce the total cost of maintaining the database system is provided. That database system includes a database appliance that executes a database server on a platform that includes a special purpose operating system specifically tailored to the services required by the database server. The database appliance configures itself by detecting the environment in which it resides and setting operational parameters based on the detected environment. The configuration metadata of all components of the system are stored in a centralized repository which itself may reside external to the system. Both the database server configuration and the operating system configuration are managed by a remotely located integrated management console, which interacts with and configures the system at the database system level, the operating system level and, optionally, at the hardware subsystem level. Backup management may also be performed remotely.

Abstract: An execution engine embeddable in a plurality of host application programs to control execution of code in each of the host application programs is disclosed. The execution unit includes a command unit, an execution unit and a host call unit. The command unit receives commands from a host application program in which the execution engine is embedded, including a command to execute a sequence of platform-independent instructions. The execution unit executes the sequence of platform-independent instructions until an instruction indicating either a break event or a remote procedure call is detected. The host call unit initiates execution of one or more procedures in the host application program in response to the execution unit detecting the instruction indicating a break event or a remote procedure call.

Abstract: An optimized approach for arriving at a shared secret key in a multicast or broadcast group environment is disclosed. The key exchange method is mathematically equivalent to the standard broadcast version of the Diffie-Hellman public-key algorithm. However, from an implementation perspective, nodes within a multicast or broadcast group are treated in a binary fashion, whereby a shared secret key is generated for a pair of nodes at a time. Once the shared secret key is computed by the pair, the nodes within the pair are viewed as a single entity by a node that is to be joined. This process is iteratively performed until all the nodes within the multicast group attain a common shared secret key. Under this approach, the number of messages exchanged between the nodes for establishing the secured channel is significantly reduced compared to the standard broadcast Diffie-Hellman method.

Abstract: A novel approach for managing power for a plurality of communications channels based on communications channel performance is disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a first power and a second power that is different than the first power are determined based on performance data for the plurality of communications channels. The first power is used for communications that use a first communications channel, and the second power is used for communications that use a second communications channel. According to another aspect of the invention, a noise power is generated based on an error output of an equalizer that receives input from a communications channel, and a signal power is generated based on a signal output of the equalizer. A signal to noise ratio is determined based on the noise power and the signal power.

Abstract: A method and system for performing spreadsheet-like operations in a database system is described herein. As explained, a database language is extended to introduce new clauses (“spreadsheet-like clauses”), for defining and executing spreadsheet-like operations on data contained within a RDBMS. According to one aspect of the invention, in response to receiving a database query that specifies an operation for manipulating data, data from a relational structure is retrieved and stored in a non-relational structure that can be addressed as a multi-dimensional array. The operation specified in the database query is the performed on then data.

Abstract: An intra-session network correlation system receives a stream of network events and then group them into different network session according to each event's event parameters and the corresponding network address translation (NAT) information. An event in the stream is first matched against any existing session, and then categorized using the information about a NAT device that translates a message the event is related to. Finally, at a predefined time, a categorized event is processed to identify other categorized events in accordance with a NAT message or an expiry timer associated with the categorized event, and the categorized event and identified other categorized events are grouped into the same network session.

Abstract: A set of computer code is profiled by breaking each code segment of the computer code down into basic instructions. Thereafter, the set of computer code is executed. As each code segment is executed, a log is updated to indicate execution of that code segment. This is done for each executed code segment; thus, at the end of execution, the log reflects all of the code segments that were executed, and how many times each code segment was executed. Using the log, and a set of calibration statistics, which specify how much processing time is consumed by each basic instruction, an overall execution cost is derived for each executed code segment. The set of overall execution costs for all of the executed code segments are incorporated into an overall profile for the set of computer code.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for sharing of flashback cursors by adding a time domain property to flashback cursors. This time domain property defines the range of flashback times for which the flashback cursor is valid. According to one embodiment, this “validity range” is closed at the lower bound and open at the upper bound. A subsequent flashback query can share an existing flashback cursor if the flashback time of the subsequent flashback query falls within the validity range of the existing flashback cursor. In one embodiment, the validity range of a flashback cursor is established based on times associated with indexes used to process the flashback query for which the flashback cursor was made. Consequently, an existing flashback cursor is less likely to be used by a subsequent flashback query when it would be inefficient to do so.

Abstract: Techniques for relating data stored in one or more storage systems for an enterprise include managing information chunks in one or more storage systems. Each chunk comprises a unit of data for storage and retrieval operations. The techniques also include managing a vocabulary database. The vocabulary database includes data structures describing atomic concepts among names in an enterprise-specific vocabulary and data structures describing relationships among the atomic concepts. Content in a document is arranged based at least in part on data in the vocabulary database. The content is based at least in part on an information object or “chunk” in the storage system. Thus, content originally unrelated and authored over time by many different persons and organizations can be related using the business vocabulary concepts and relationships in the vocabulary database.

Abstract: An approach for processing data received from a communications channel in finite precision arithmetic applications generally involves equalizing received data in the time domain prior to demodulation using finite impulse response (FIR) filtering. FIR coefficients used in FIR filtering are selected to minimize SNR degradation attributable to ISI and roundoff errors due to finite precision arithmetic, thereby maximizing channel capacity. The approach considers the communications channel noise attributable to crosstalk, white noise and analog to digital converter quantization noise, ISI attributable to failure of the equalizer coefficients to completely eliminate ISI, round off noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the equalizer and roundoff noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the FFT algorithm.

Abstract: A method for applying changes to a standby system is described in which multiple apply tasks or “slaves” are scheduled to changes from redo logs, especially those changes in large transactions, in parallel and as soon as they are encountered in the logs. To foster data convergence, a partial ordering may be imposed on the transactions so that those transactions that actually depend on others are forced to wait on the transactions they are dependent upon commit. To foster read consistency, synchronization points may be periodically established, at which points a read consistent state of the standby database system can be obtained-all without adversely impact the throughput of the system.

Abstract: A smart card security information configuration and recovery system provides a secure Web site and server that allows smart card users to easily create and obtain smart cards and passwords. The client program accesses the smart card inserted into the client computer and retrieves the smart card's ID and other user and system information and sends them to the server which creates an access key. The access key and the smart card ID are stored in the client computer's CMOS or non-volatile memory for boot-up access. The client computer will boot only if the proper smart card is installed or the proper access key is entered when the smart card is unavailable. If the user loses his smart card, then he must gain access to his computer through the access key which the server issues after the user logs in. When the user wants to get a new smart card issued, he logs onto the server which is sent the new smart card's ID that replaces the previous smart card's ID and the server generates a new access key and stores it.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for evenly distributing data items of a particular set of data to a plurality of buckets. The buckets of data items may then be assigned to processes to perform operations on the data items in parallel with the other processes. In one embodiment, the set of data (which may come from tables or be the result set of a previous operation) is divided into a plurality of subsets. For each subset of the plurality of subsets, a sample of data items is randomly selected. The sampling itself may be performed in parallel, with each sampling process using a different seed to randomize its selection of samples. The sampled data items are sorted and ranges are determined based on distribution keys of the sampled data items. The ranges are assigned to buckets, and the data items are then distributed to the buckets assigned to the range into which their distribution key falls.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for efficiently executing computer programs that require invocation of an interpreter. A name of a program to be interpreted or executed is received, with zero or more arguments, at an interface client element. The interface client element may be implemented as a compact software element that is invoked using a command-line command. The interface client passes the program name and arguments to a server process that includes an interpreter. The server process provides the name and arguments to the interpreter. Interpretation results are received and passed back to the interface client. Efficient start-up is achieved for small, interpreted application programs for which start-up overhead exceeds the resources required to execute the programs. Embodiments are applicable to JAVA and to any computer programming language that can be used to write the server process, and that can dynamically instantiate and execute program code.

Abstract: A safety tool includes magnets and an outer non-conductive sheath encompassing an inner bag. A purpose of the tool is to provide safety for the operator while drilling or cutting into electrical/electronic enclosures, such as switchgear. The tool is constructed so that an operator can perform a task while preventing any conductive debris caused by this task to come in contact with any electrical or electronic parts. The top portion of the tool magnetically attaches to the inside of the switchgear structure. The bottom portion of the tool, which is coupled to the top portion by the non-conductive sheath, collects and magnetically contains the debris, such as shavings from drilling into the structure. Specifically, the debris is collected in the inner bag, which can easily be removed from the tool for disposal of the debris.

Abstract: A mechanism for reconfiguring a server without incurring any server down time is disclosed. At startup time, a server constructs a set of configuration data structures based upon a set of configuration information, and stores the data structures into a portion of the server's memory space. The server also updates a current configuration pointer to point to the configuration data structures to establish the data structures as the server's current configuration. Then, during normal operation, the server receives a reconfiguration signal. In response to this signal, the server constructs a new set of configuration data structures based upon a modified set of configuration information, and stores the new data structures into another portion of the server's memory space. Then, the server updates the current configuration pointer to point to the new configuration data structures to establish the new configuration data structures as the current server configuration. By doing so, the server changes its configuration.

Abstract: A server-centric approach is disclosed for enabling a browser to handle content types that it cannot inherently process. Rather than executing plug-ins on a client, pluglets are executed on one or more servers. A pluglet can perform any function that a plug-in can perform. Because a pluglet resides and executes on a server, the shortcomings of the plug-in approach are overcome. Specifically, a client no longer needs to have large amounts of storage and processing resources since pluglets do not run on clients. Also, a user no longer needs to install plug-ins on a client. In addition, maintenance of the overall system is greatly simplified. To replace, add, or remove functionality, all that needs to be done is to replace, add, or remove pluglets from a relatively small number of servers. It is no longer necessary to maintain plug-ins on a relatively large number of clients.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting voice, voiceband data and phone signaling is described. Analog voice, voiceband data and phone signaling are converted into their corresponding digitized version. The digital voice, digitized voiceband data, and digitized phone signaling may be transported as AAL2 packets via an LAN that follows an LAN protocol that supports levels of transmission priority. The LAN protocol may be, for example, HomePNA. The packets may be formatted in a manner similar to other networking protocols for transmitting digitized voice, digitized voiceband data and digitized phone signaling, such as AAL2. The use of AAL2 packets instead of voice over IP packets and techniques allows use of simpler less costly components and a straightforward interworking at the residential gateway device connected to the WAN via DSL using the emerging loop emulation service.