Abstract: The invention provides methods and apparatus for optimizing markdown scheduling that group multiple retail sites into bins (or buckets) for purposes of scheduling markdown pricing on an item (or group of related items) sold by those sites. The groupings can be based, for example, on a metric that is a function of the current inventory of the item (or items) and its expected sales at each site. A markdown schedule is generated for the combined grouping of stores in each bucket, rather than for the individual stores that make up that bucket, thereby speeding price optimization determination. A report of those schedules can be used, for example, by pricing managers or other personnel to set prices at the sites. Alternatively, or in an addition, the schedules can be used in conjunction with an inventory control system to set prices for the items and/or on RFID or other electronic shelf displays.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with test execution of user SQL in server code are described. One example method includes producing a reproduced execution environment that reproduces a portion of an execution environment in which a user SQL runs. The example method may also include running the user SQL in the reproduced execution environment and capturing a statistic associated with performance of the user SQL while the user SQL runs in the reproduced execution environment. The method may conclude by storing, displaying, and/or providing a signal concerning the statistic.

Abstract: Methods and other embodiments associated with performing an in-memory triangulation of an arbitrarily large data set are described. One example method for performing in-memory triangulation of an arbitrarily large data set includes striping a data set into multiple stripes, selecting a first stripe to triangulate, and then performing an in-memory triangulation on the stripe. The method may also include removing certain triangles from the triangulated irregular network produced by the triangulation, merging another stripe with the leftover data, and repeating the process until the arbitrarily large data set has been triangulated piece-by-piece, with the triangulations occurring in memory.