Abstract: A method and apparatus for configuring a software application on a cluster is provided. A configuration coordinator executing on a configuration manager communicates with one or more configuration slaves executing on a set of nodes that are operating as a cluster. The configuration coordinator sends messages to the one or more configuration slaves to initiate a configuration operation for a software application. Each configuration slave automatically performs a series of actions to configure the node on which it resides. When all the nodes complete the configuration operation for the software, the process is complete. While performing the series of actions, the configuration slaves generate logs that reflect their progress in performing the series of actions. If a problem occurs during performance of the series of actions, the configuration slave that encounters the problem indicates to the configuration coordinator that an error occurred.

Abstract: A distributed object is hosted in a distributed system by invoking a global hash function on a generated name for the distributed object. The name for the distributed object is generated with knowledge of the global hash function so that the result of invoking the global hash function upon the name results in the selection of a predetermined node in the distributed system. The predetermined node may be selected based on the affinity of the node to the distributed object for reducing network messaging and communications overhead.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for authenticating an identity of a user in order to secure access to a host system. In this embodiment, the host system receives an identifier for the user from a client system. This identifier is used to retrieve a template containing biometric data associated with the user, and this template is returned to the client. The client then gathers a biometric sample from the user, and compares this biometric sample with the template to produce a comparison result. Next, the client computes a message digest using the template, the comparison result and an encryption key, and sends the message digest to the host system. This computation takes places within a secure hardware module within the client computing system that contains a secure encryption key in order to guard against malicious users on the client system.

Abstract: Software fault diagnosis is performed for a faulty base software application that is integrated with external routines by generating substitute routines using the same arguments and parameters of the external routines. The substitute routines are linked into the base software in place of the external routines. If base software application with the substitute routines runs without error, then the external software is suspected for the source of the fault. On the other hand, if the base software with the substitute routines still crashes, then the base software is suspected. The probable source of porting errors can be determined by running the base software with the substitute routines on two or more incompatible platforms and determining which platforms exhibit the fault.

Abstract: An improved database data structure and datatype is disclosed for storing, manipulating and accessing multidimensional spatial data in a database. Binary helical hyperspatial code (HH CODE) is used to represent data of N dimensions. The binary HH CODE data structure maintains the dimensional organization of multidimensional data within the data itself. Spatial data is stored using BH code which is modeled as a N-tree structure derived using recursive decomposition. A high water mark is set as the upper limit for data volume which may be stored in any one partition. As data stored in a partition exceeds the high water mark, the data is decomposed into child partitions such that no partition data stores exceed the high water mark. If the high water mark is exceeded, additional child partitions are automatically created and the parent table is not retained. A data structure is defined which represents the partitioned tables and BH code values.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for declarative report definition and generation using an enhanced, graphical data model and a graphical user interface (GUI) for graphically specifying data items and data computations to be performed on the data is described. It provides a set of data model objects, a data model painter for creating, defining, and visualizing the data model objects, and a data engine that retrieves the data according to the definition of the data objects. That is, the present invention provides a graphical data model allowing a user to graphically specify both the data and computations to be performed on the data and uses the layout metaphor (i.e., "painter") to specify the data. Data model objects include: queries, groups, columns, parameters, cross products, and links. Unlike the prior art, allows the use of multiple queries each containing one or more break groups and cross product groups where groups belonging to two different queries are connected by link objects.

Abstract: A client-server architecture for use with mobile clients communicating requests through wireless communications. The requests from the client and the subsequent responses by the server are transferred between the client-server connection through an intermediary agent, which operates asynchronously to the client and to the server.

Abstract: A mechanism is described for determining whether a password may be used in a system that determines access privileges based on passwords. A computer system, such as a database system, receives user supplied routines that are each associated with a group of users. A proposed password (e.g. string) is received that is associated with a particular user that belongs to particular group. The user supplied routine associated with the group is used to determine whether the proposed password may be used as a password.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic lock granularity escalation and de-escalation in a computer system is provided. Upon receiving a request for a resource, a scope of a previously granted lock is modified. According to one embodiment, hash lock de-escalation is employed. In hash lock de-escalation, the scope of the previously granted lock held on a set of resources is reduced by de-escalating the previously granted lock from a coarser-grain lock to one or more finer-grain locks on members of the set. According to another embodiment, hash lock escalation is employed. In hash lock escalation, the scope of previously granted locks held on one or more members of the set of resources are released and promoted into a coarser-grain lock that covers the set of resources as well as the requested resource.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a query combines the use of different index types to minimize the rows of data that need to be retrieved from a table. A first index is accessed based on a query to produce a first result having a first format, for example a bitmap index outputting a bitmap. A second index, for example a B-tree index, is also accessed based on the query to produce a second result having a second format, for example a sequence of rowids. The first result is converted to a converted result having the second format, and the converted result and the second result are combined to obtain an end result. The end result can then be used to locate data that satisfies the query while minimizing the rows of data that need to be retrieved from a table during the query processing.

Abstract: A method for performing logical operations on bitmap streams from segmented bitmaps. The logical operations include the AND, OR, and Set Minus operations. One embodiment of the invention performs the logical AND operation on a plurality of bitmap streams by searching for a set of overlapping bitmap segments. The ranges corresponding to the overlap among the overlapping bitmap segments are scanned to generate non-gap results. One embodiment of the invention performs the logical OR operation on a plurality of bitmap streams. To generate a result for a given range, only the bitmap segments overlapping the given range are ORed together. One embodiment of the invention performs a Set Minus between bitmap streams. A set minus is the ANDing of a first condition with the negation of another condition. To generate a set minus result, the ranges corresponding to the gaps in the bitmap associated with the negated condition are ignored.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for reporting errors in a computer system. The mechanism detecting an error in the computer system. The mechanism identifies a first error message associated with the error and a second error message associated with the error. The first error message and the second error message are then reported by the mechanism. The error messages provide different details regarding the error such that the first error message provides a general description of the error and the second error message provides a detailed description of the error. The mechanism is capable of displaying the first error message and the second error message on the computer system. The first error message can be associated with a first software module and the second error message can be associated with a second software module. An error message stack is used to store the first error message and the second error message.

Abstract: A session context on a server can be shared between multiple, independent clients by employing many-to-one mapping of sessions to session context. Once a session context is established on the server, the originating client associated with that context can share the context with other clients. The server can provide the client with a certificate identifying the session context. The client, in turn, can pass the certificate to other clients. By initiating a server session with the certificate, the server assigns the pre-existing session context to a new session for a new client. A plurality of clients can thereby interact with a shared session context. This allows the clients to cooperate in a groupware fashion.

Abstract: A method and system for storing a continuous feed of video is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, the continuous feed is encoded in a digital video format to produce a digital data stream. A series of content files is created by repeatedly performing the steps of (1) storing the digital data stream in a current file, and (2) establishing a new file as the current file when the current file satisfies a predetermined condition. If the series of content files contains more than a predetermined amount of the continuous feed, the oldest content file in the series of content files is deleted. Tag information that indicates information about frames contained in the digital data stream is generated. The tag information includes timestamps that indicate timing of frames relative to a beginning of the digital data stream. An initial time value that indicates an absolute time that corresponds to the beginning of the digital data stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for performing incremental refreshes to materialized views defined by one-to-one lossless joins. Each base table of the materialized view is selected to be processed as the current "selected table". During the processing, if the selected table is the right table of an outer join, then selected columns of rows of the materialized view are set to NULL based on rows of the selected table that have been updated or deleted in the selected table after a prior refresh operation. Then, NULL values in selected columns of the materialized view are updated to reflect new values caused by updates and inserts into the selected table that occurred after the prior refresh operation. If the selected table is not the right table of an outer join, then rows from the materialized view are deleted based on rows of the selected table that have been updated or deleted in the selected table after the prior refresh operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating references to a set of objects which reside in a plurality databases is described. Each object is associated with a table from a plurality of tables that are contained in the plurality of databases. An object id is associated with each object; the object id uniquely identifies the object relative to the objects in the set of objects. A table id is associated with each table; the table id uniquely identifies the table relative to tables in the plurality of tables. A table containing an object is located based on the table id associated with the table, and the object is located in the table based on the object id associated with the object. A table mapping is generated. The table mapping maps a set of tables to databases associated with the set of tables. The set of tables are from the plurality of tables. References to objects from the set of object are generated. Each reference comprises data that identifies an object.

Abstract: A uniform object model integrates objects defined by foreign type systems into a single integrated object oriented system. The type system for the integrated object oriented system supports a superset of features from foreign object systems. The uniform object model approach converts foreign objects into uniform object model objects defined by the integrated type system and layers onto the uniform object model objects additional members supported by the integrated type system. Adapters integrate foreign objects and data sources into the integrated object oriented system by implementing foreign objects as full fledged objects of the system. The foreign object adapters are bi-directional such that objects, registered in the system, are exposed to foreign object systems. During run time, clients obtain a connection to the data source adapter, which supports the target data source, to execute transactions in the target data source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently storing and retrieving data in a database using index-only tables is disclosed. Storing a row of data in a database using index-only tables involves storing in a leaf node an index entry that includes a key value along with all other values in the row of data. If the row of data exceeds a predetermined size, then a portion of the row of data is stored in a user specified overflow area. Retrieving a row of data from an index-only table for a user-supplied key involves identifying a leaf node for the key, and reading a row of data from the index entry and any remaining portion from the overflow area when the row exceeds the predetermined size.

Abstract: A pickler apparatus and a process for pickling and unpickling data objects are disclosed. Data objects are described in metadata that store attributes of a source data object organized according to an abstract data type, and a data format of the computer system that is hosting the pickler. Using the metadata, the data object is transformed into a linear representation or image. The format, layout, alignment, and inheritance representation of the host system are applied to the image during transformation. The image has a length value, a prefix segment, and a string of bytes copied from the data object. The prefix segment may be the metadata, so that the metadata is transported with the image whereby a receiving process can reconstruct the data object from the image based upon the metadata. The image is canonical and is easily and rapidly transported across a network.

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.