Abstract: A system providing methodology for cost-based enumeration of subqueries using a left-deep tree join enumeration algorithm is described.

Abstract: A system providing methodology for access control with cooperative enforcement is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for authorizing a client to access a service based on compliance with a policy required for access to the service, the method comprises steps of: specifying a policy required for access to the service; detecting a request for access to the service from a client; attempting authentication of the client based on credentials presented by the client; if the client is authenticated based on the credentials, determining whether the client is in compliance with the policy based, at least in part, on attributes of the client; and if the client is determined to be in compliance with the policy, providing access to the service.

Abstract: Replication system with methodology for replicating database sequences is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method of the present invention is described for replicating a sequence object from a primary database to a replicate database, the method comprises steps of: monitoring changes to table data at the primary database for capturing information sufficiently characterizing the sequence object to allow its replication, the table data being logged to a log file; reading the log file, for determining changes to apply to the replicate database for replicating the sequence object; and reconstructing the sequence object at the replicate database based on the determined changes.

Abstract: A database system with methodology for parallel schedule generation in a query optimizer is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method is described for parallel optimization of a query, the method comprises steps of: generating a plurality of parallel plans for obtaining data requested by the query, the parallel plans including parallel operators for executing portions of the query in parallel; adjusting parallel operators of each parallel plan if necessary based on resources available for executing the query; creating a schedule for each parallel plan indicating a sequence for execution of operators of each parallel plan; determining execution cost of each parallel plan based on its schedule; and selecting a particular parallel plan having lowest execution cost for obtaining data requested by the query.

Abstract: A system providing methods for a device to apply a security policy required for connection to a network is described. In response to receipt of a request from a device for connection to a particular network, a current policy to apply to said device for governing the connection to this particular network is determined from a plurality of available security policies available to the device. This current policy to apply to said device is generated by merging a plurality of security policies available for governing connections. After said current policy is applied to the device, the connection from the device to this particular network is allowed to proceed.

Abstract: A system and methodology for protecting new computers by applying a preconfigured security update policy is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for controlling connections to a computer upon its initial deployment, the method comprises steps of: upon initial deployment of the computer, applying a preconfigured security policy that establishes a restricted zone of preapproved hosts that the computer may connect to upon its initial deployment; receiving a request for a connection from the computer to a particular host; based on the preconfigured security policy, determining whether the particular host is within the restricted zone of preapproved hosts; and blocking the connection if the particular host is not within the restricted zone of preapproved hosts.

Abstract: A system and methodology providing service invocation for occasionally connected computing devices is described. In one embodiment, for example, in an occasionally connected computing environment, a system of the present invention for providing deferred invocation of services for a mobile device is described that comprises: an application running on a mobile device; a device-side object providing mobile support for a particular service from a server, the device-side object intercepting any requests from the application for invocation of the particular service, thereby deferring actual invocation of the particular service at that time; and a server-side object residing on the server that passes the requests on to a service provider for actual invocation while the mobile device is connected, and returns any result from the actual invocation back to the mobile device for use by the application.

Abstract: A database system providing self-tuned parallel database recovery is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method is described for performing recovery operations using an optimal number of recovery threads, the method comprises steps of: (a) spawning an initial recovery thread to perform recovery operations; (b) measuring I/O (input/output) performance with the initial recovery thread; (c) spawning a subsequent recovery thread to perform recovery operations; (d) measuring I/O performance with the subsequent recovery thread; and (e) as long as I/O performance does not degrade beyond a preselected percentage, repeating steps (c) and (d) for spawning a desired number of additional recovery threads. In another embodiment, the database system auto-tunes the cache during performance of database recovery operations to optimize the performance of recovery operations.

Abstract: A database system providing stored procedures as web services is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method of the present invention is described for providing a stored procedure as a Web service, the method comprises steps of: predefining a stored procedure to be invoked upon receiving a client request for a particular Web service; receiving an incoming request from a particular client for the particular Web service; in response to the incoming request, identifying the stored procedure that is predefined for the particular Web service; executing the identified stored procedure for generating a result set; and returning the result set back to the particular client.

Abstract: A system and method providing status information about a task being processed on a computer system is described. The task comprises an operation that blocks user activity, such as a modal task. Status information about the task is obtained during processing of the task on an event thread of a computer system. A status display is generated based upon this status information. The task yields time on the event thread, enabling the status information to be displayed in the user interface of the computer system.

Abstract: A database system providing methodology for extended memory support is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for extended memory support in a database system having a primary cache, the method comprises steps of: creating a secondary cache in memory available to the database system; mapping a virtual address range to at least a portion of the secondary cache; when the primary cache is full, replacing pages from the primary cache using the secondary cache; in response to a request for a particular page, searching for the particular page in the secondary cache if the particular page is not found in the primary cache; if the particular page is found in the secondary cache, determining a virtual address in the secondary cache where the particular page resides based on the mapping; and swapping the particular page found in the secondary cache with a page in the primary cache, so as to replace a page in the primary cache with the particular page from the secondary cache.

Abstract: A database system with methodology for automated determination and selection of optimal indexes is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method of the present invention is described for recommending database indexes to be created for optimizing system performance, the method comprises steps of: capturing a workload representative of database queries employed during system use; creating virtual indexes for optimizing system performance during execution of the database queries captured in the workload; computing cost benefits for different combinations of the virtual indexes; and recommending physical indexes to be created based on virtual indexes that have favorable cost benefits for the captured workload.

Abstract: A distributed database system providing data and space management methodology is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for detection of deadlocks in a distributed database system comprising a plurality of servers sharing access to data, the method comprises steps of: in response to a task at a first server waiting to obtain a lock regulating access to data, sending a search request including lock information to a second server holding the lock; at the second server, examining dependencies of the task holding the lock based on the lock information received with the search request and local lock information; if the task holding the lock is waiting to obtain a lock held by an additional server, forwarding the search request and local lock information to the additional server; repeating the examining and forwarding steps until all dependencies are examined; and responding to the search request indicating whether a deadlock was detected and providing lock information found.

Abstract: A cache management system providing improved page latching methodology is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for providing access to data in a multi-threaded computing system, the method comprises steps of: providing a cache containing pages of data in memory of the multi-threaded computing system; associating a latch with each page in the cache to regulate access to the page, the latch allowing multiple threads to share access to the page for read operations and a single thread to obtain exclusive access to the page for write operations; in response to a request from a first thread to read a particular page, determining whether the particular page is in the cache without blocking access by other threads to pages in the cache; if the particular page is in the cache, attempting to obtain the latch for purposes of reading the particular page; and allowing the first thread to read the particular page unless a second thread has latched the particular page on an exclusive basis.

Abstract: A system and methodology for asynchronous code refactoring with symbol injection is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for refactoring a plurality of interdependent software modules that reside in separate projects, the method comprises steps of: in response to a change that affects a particular symbol of a software module that resides in a first project, refactoring the software module of the first project to propagate the change to all instances of the particular symbol in the software module; during the refactoring of the software module of the first project, recording meta data about the refactoring that is required to effect the change; and automatically propagating the change to a dependent software module residing in a second project, by refactoring the dependent software module based on the recorded meta data about the refactoring that occurred to the software module of the first project.

Abstract: A system providing methodology for securing interfaces of executable files is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for securing a program comprised of a plurality of interoperable components, the method comprises steps of: extracting information about a function of a first component of the program that is callable by at least one other component of the program; securing the extracted information; in response to an attempt by a second component of the program to invoke the function of the first component, validating authenticity of the second component; and if the second component is validated, providing access to the function of the first component using the secured extracted information.

Abstract: A database system and methodology for generalized order optimization is described.

Abstract: A distributed computing environment is described that provides an improved method for invocation of methods between remote objects. In one embodiment, the improved method comprises steps of: creating a first object having methods that may be invoked by other objects; defining a forward invocation interface for the first object, which allows the methods of the first object to be called in a forward direction; defining a callback method on the first object, for invocation of a method of the first object in a reverse direction; creating a callback handler for handling invocations of the callback method; receiving a callback invocation of the callback method by a callback caller; creating a local reflective target for each received callback; delegating the callback invocation on the callback handler with reference to the local reflective target as an input parameter; and at the first object, making a forward call on the local reflective target.

Abstract: A system providing methodology for replication subscription resolution. In one embodiment, for example, a system of the present invention for determining subscribers to which a published item of data should be replicated comprises: an interface module for receiving user input of lists of a plurality of subscribers, each list specifying items of data to be replicated to a given subscriber, a build module for building an index based on the lists of the plurality of subscribers containing entries indicating subscribers For each item of data specified in the lists and a default list of subscribers for items of data not matching any of the entries; and a resolution module for receiving a published item of data and determining subscribers to which the published item should be replicated based on the index.

Abstract: A system and methodology for providing community-based security policies is described. In one embodiment in a system comprising a plurality of devices connected to a network, a security module is provided for establishing security settings for regulating network access at these devices. Information is collected from at least some the devices about the security settings established on such devices and consensus security settings are generated based upon the collected information. In response to a request for network access at a particular device, determining whether or not to permit network access is based, at least in part, upon the consensus security settings.