Abstract: Techniques are provided for communicating data to a mobile device. A system receives a request for data from a mobile device. The system identifies filter criteria associated with the mobile device. The filter criteria is applied to a set of data to identify particular data elements that satisfy the filter criteria. The identified data elements are then transmitted to the mobile device.

Abstract: A terminological system automates the integration of terminological information into a built-in knowledge base. Input terminology information, which includes input terms and information that specifies relationships among at least two of the input terms, is input to the terminological system. The terminological system parses the input terminology information to generate a logical structure that depicts relationships among the input terms in a format compatible with the built-in knowledge base. Either an independent ontology, comprising the logical structure, is generated, or the knowledge base is extended by logically coupling the logical structure to a node that matches the input term. The terminological system also resolves conflicts if an input term that matches a terminological node in the knowledge base connotes a different meaning than the terminological node.

Abstract: A method for managing expressions includes receiving a first query that includes a first conditional expression. The first expression is then represented as data in a column of a table. A second query is received that specifies a first set of criteria, and the second query is executed to select data based at least on whether expressions in the column satisfy the first set of criteria. In an embodiment, the second query further specifies a second set of criteria, wherein executing the second query includes selecting data based on whether data in columns other than the expression column satisfy the second criteria. A special index is defined, which can be created on the column that stores the expressions as data, to filter large sets of expressions efficiently. A method of evaluating an expression set stored as data in a table classifies each predicate from each expression, and filters the expression set based on the predicate classification.

Abstract: Techniques are provided which address the problems associated with the conventional approaches for storing multidimensional data in a relational database system. According to technique, the many foreign key values of each row in the fact table are mapped to and replaced by a “replacement” value. A mapping function is provided that derives a replacement value from any given combination of foreign key values, and an inverse mapping function is provided to reproduce the combination of foreign key values given the replacement value. A mapping function is selected such that the foreign key value combinations of multidimensional values that are conceptually related to each other map to values that are close to each other. The rows in the fact table are then stored within the fact table in the sorted order, thus causing values that are conceptually related to each other to be stored physically near each other within the fact table.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of presenting an electronic bill from a biller to a customer over a computer network includes steps of receiving biller-originated bill data and bill format data over the network into a bill presentment and payment database. The inputted bill data and bill format data are then stored in a first area of the bill presentment and payment database. The stored bill data and/or the bill format data is then validated and the validated bill data and/or the format data is swapped from the first area to a second area of the bill presentment and payment database, the second area being accessible to the customer. The bill, now incorporating the validated bill data and formatted according to the bill format data, may then be presented to the customer. A third, customer accessible area may be included in the database to archive the bills. The bill format data may include a plurality of bill templates, each of which may define a distinct appearance for the bill.

Abstract: A system and techniques are described for managing key-value pairs using an architecture that does not restrict its users to any specific platform or storage subsystem. According to one aspect of the invention, the repository is portable in that the architecture need not change based on the environment and platform in which the repository is used. Rather, the portion of the architecture that is platform-specific is limited to plug-ins at a storage abstraction layer of the repository. The plug-ins expose the same storage abstraction interface to the other layers of the repository, but are implemented to interact with different platforms and storage subsystems. Consequently, in response to being ported from one platform to another, the repository may simply change the plug-in to invoke for persistent storage operations.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system are disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. A shadow resource object may retain a lock on a resource even when no process on the same node requires the shadow resource to retain the lock.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for transferring a resource from the cache of one database server to the cache of another database server without first writing the resource to disk. When a database server (Requestor) desires to modify a resource, the Requestor asks for the current version of the resource. The database server that has the current version (Holder) directly ships the current version to the Requestor. Upon shipping the version, the Holder loses permission to modify the resource, but continues to retain the resource in memory. When the retained version of the resource, or a later version thereof, is written to disk, the Holder can discard the retained version of the resource. Otherwise, the Holder does not discard the retained version. Using this technique, single-server failures are recovered without having to merge the recovery logs of the various database servers that had access to the resource.

Abstract: Techniques for allowing an application designed to store data for one group of users to store data for a plurality of groups of users include modifying the application to cause the application to indicate a routine to a database server that stores data for the application in a database. The routine provides modifications to queries of the database, which limit access based on the groups to which belong users that cause the queries to be submitted. In response to receiving a query involving the database and caused by a particular user, the database server locates the routine, and, prior to executing the query, modifies the query. Modifying the query includes invoking the routine. The modification to the query thereby limits access of the particular user to data that is associated with the group of users to which the particular user belongs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for maintaining data integrity. According to the method, a physical checksum calculation is performed on a block of data. After performing the physical checksum calculation, a logical check is performed on the data contained with the block of data. If the block of data passes the logical check, then the block of data may be written to nonvolatile memory. Thereafter, when the block of data is read from nonvolatile memory a physical checksum verification procedure is performed on the block of data to determine whether the block of data was corrupted after performing the logical check on the data contained with the block of data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for storing data of multiple enterprises in a set of database objects in a database system and allowing multiple enterprises to interact with the database system as if those database objects contained only their data. According to an aspect of the present invention, a database command issued against a database object by a user is modified by adding predicates that limit access to data associated with the enterprise in which the user has data access. The predicates may specify conditions based on a column in the database object that identifies the enterprise. When a user issues a database command to add data to the database object, the column is populated in a manner transparent to the user. The data in the database object that is associated with a particular enterprise is stored in a separate tablespace.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for moving balances from at least one source account into a target account and subsequently reversing the movement. The system operates by receiving a request for a move/merge operation to move the balances from source accounts to the target account. In response to the request, the system creates a list of changes to the source accounts and the target account that are involved in moving the balances. The system stores this list of changes into a memory for later retrieval during a move/merge reversal operation. Next, the system performs the move/merge operation by applying the list of changes to the source accounts and the target account. When the system subsequently receives a request to reverse the move/merge operation, the system reverses the move/merge operation by retrieving the list of changes from the memory and applying the inverse of changes in the list to the source accounts and the target account.

Abstract: A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database includes defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types. Upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, member objects of the heterogeneous object are fetched from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object's type, such as a valid order for re-creating the particular heterogeneous object. The set of member objects to be fetched can be restricted according to at least one specified filter, which itself may be translated into a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched. Such translated filters can inherit values from the filter specified in the request for the particular heterogeneous object type, or can have a fixed value of some data type. The extracted metadata can be formatted to recreate the particular heterogeneous object.

Abstract: Described is a technique for controlling access to data in a database system. Groups of security policies are established for a database schema object, such as a table or a view. A security policy reflects access rules for accessing the database schema object. Access to the database schema object is restricted based on security policy groups selected for the user. The security policy groups are selected based on information associated with a user that is maintained or accessed by the database system. A default security policy is established and used to restrict access of users accessing the database schema object. The information associated with the user contains an attribute that identifies a policy group. The database management system uses the attribute to select policy groups that restrict the user's access to the database scheme object.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for servicing requests that are issued in a protocol other than the protocol expected by the service. For example, many people want to use their mobile devices to interact with services, which require the ability to have multiple related messages in a session. However, their mobile devices do not have protocols that support interacting with such services. One technique provided herein is to interpose an intermediary between the mobile devices and the services to provide session capabilities on behalf of the mobile devices.

Abstract: A composite resource is established that includes a plurality of members. Each of the members is capable of providing a comparable service. A coordinator monitors a state of each member of the composite resource. A component requests the service from the coordinator. The coordinator arranges for the service to be provided to the component by a particular member of the composite resource. When the particular member ceases to be active, the service is automatically provided to the component by another member in the composite resource. A state of the composite resource is maintained independently of the state of each member in the composite resource.

Abstract: A method and system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system are disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located the processes that desired to access the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. The lock owned by the shadow resource object determines the types of locks the shadow resource object is allowed to grant to processes.

Abstract: Techniques for managing, within a computer system, a resource that is reusable by a plurality of entities include establishing a minimum period of time for retaining an amount of the resource after completion of use of the resource by an entity. A first amount of the resource is allocated to a first entity. After allocating the first amount to the first entity, the first amount is prevented from being allocated to a second entity before the minimum period of time expires after the first entity completes use of the first resource. These techniques allow resources to be recycled and allocated for new uses by other entities in a computer system, but also guarantee the resources are retained in a given state for consistent use by other entities, even after the entity terminates that first had the resource allocated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating between a called routine written in a first programming language and calling routine written in a second programming language is described. User input that is received specifies an interface of a proxy routine and the interface parameters of the interface. Metadata that is generated establishes a mapping of interface parameters to the routine parameters of the called routine. At least one interface parameter is of a data type not supported in the first programming language. The user input may specify that a first attribute of a particular interface parameter is associated with a first routine parameter of the called routine, and a second attribute of the particular interface parameter is associated with a second routine parameter of the called routine. The metadata maps the first attribute to the first routine parameter, and the second attribute to the second routine parameter.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for executing an operation in which a client invokes a replicated object. According to one technique, a primary replica of a replicated object receives a first request from a client, wherein the first request includes a request identifier. Rather than immediately attempting to process the request, the primary replica determines whether a record exists that corresponds to the request identifier. If a record exists that corresponds to the request identifier, then the primary replica responds to the first request with a reply associated with the record. If no record exists that corresponds to the request identifier, then the primary replica performs the steps of: starting a transaction; as part of the transaction, processing the request; as part of the transaction, storing a record associated with the request identifier and a reply to the request; committing the transaction; and delivering the reply to the client. The client may itself be a replicated object.