Abstract: A method and system for managing indexes used to retrieve data from a database stored on a computer, includes determining whether any marginal indexes exist in the database, and removing one or more of the marginal indexes from the database. An index is considered marginal when: (1) it is an access path for one or more queries but the index's performance is matched or nearly matched by one or more other alternative access paths, and/or (2) its overhead has become a concern. These steps or functions are invoked by one or more statements or instructions that cause the computer to perform a Drop Index Analysis on a specified list of tables in the database for a specified workload. The Drop Index Analysis allows users to specify: (1) how many indexes to consider dropping, and/or (2) how much disk space that dropped indexes should free up.

Abstract: Auxiliary relations are used to maintain a materialized view. The materialized view comprises results of some operation performed between two or more base relations of a parallel database management system comprising a plurality of nodes. The two or more base relations are distributed to the nodes according to some partitioning strategy. Each auxiliary relation is partitioned according to the join attribute in the materialized view definition. During join or other operations involving the relations, the auxiliary relations, not the base relations, are used to construct join results and to maintain the materialized view.

Abstract: A disk drive having a single drive motor and multiple platters that incorporates two discrete data paths, actuators and heads to the disk platters. Utilizing the economy of very large capacity disk platters, two or more disk drives can be created within a single physical enclosure. These two disks will be share many common parts such as the drive enclosure and spindle motor, but will have the performance and appearance to the system as two or more independent disks. Instead of having one actuator arm, the virtual disks will have two or more actuator arms and two or more sets of digital electronics. The storage on all the platters is divided up among the actuators so that no storage location is shared, but all the actuators will operate concurrently. Each actuator will have exclusive use of a subset of the data storage. Disks normally only have one actuator connected to multiple heads, at least one per surface, which only allow a single data seek and data transfer at a time.

Abstract: A database system includes a storage to store a table, and a controller to receive a query containing an aggregate function to calculate a percentage. In response to the aggregate function, the percentage is calculated. In one implementation, the controller calculates plural percentage values based on plural groups specified by a group-by clause of the query.

Abstract: A method, computer program and computer system for collecting data from one or more data sources, into which data is continuously stored, and for loading the collected data into one or more data targets is disclosed. One or more events are defined and one or more rules are associated with each event. When one of the one or more events occurs, unmarked data is collected from the one or more data sources in accordance with the rules associated with the one event, the collected, unmarked data in the one or more data sources is marked, and the collected data is stored in one or more of the data targets.

Abstract: A continuous dynamic mobile query system including a mobile device is disclosed. The mobile device includes a mobile device memory, a query stored in the mobile device memory, a transmitter for continuously transmitting the query, a receiver for receiving a response, a mobile device output device for displaying the response. The system also includes a location source device for providing the location of the mobile device and a network adapted to receive the query and the location of the mobile device. The system also includes a database management system adapted to receive the query and the location of the mobile device from the network. The database management system is further adapted to execute the query taking into account the location of the mobile device to produce a response and provide the response to the network. The network is further adapted to receive the response from the database management system and transmit the response to the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and data structure provide persistent preferences for services over a network. An entity's preference is recorded in an external location from the entity. The preference is automatically installed in a local environment of the entity when the entity attempts to access a service. The service detects the preference in the local environment and automatically processes the preference.

Abstract: Deriving join cost demographics for a binary join, i.e., a join between two relations each having a join column, includes using a correlation factor related to the ratio of unique join column values stored in each of a plurality of units of storage to the total number of unique values in the join column.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for synchronizing data store tables. Elements of first tables are linked together to form dependent chains. The dependencies are not housed with the elements in the first tables; rather, the dependencies are housed in multiple second tables. Each second table maps one of the elements from one of the first tables to another of the elements in another of the first tables.

Abstract: A system for processing a prioritizing protocol for a database, the system including an interface for nominating a first prioritizing protocol that maps a plurality of user accounts to one or more performance groups and to one or more periods; a processor that is responsive to the interface for defining a second prioritizing protocol; and an output in communication with the processor for exporting the second prioritizing protocol. The processor defines the second prioritizing protocol by defining a plurality of workload classes; associating each user account to a particular workload class; and mapping each workload class to a workload weight. The system provides a mechanism for DBMS administrators to migrate their systems from user-centric management to workload-centric management, wherein many DBMS components require updating, replacement or modification.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus and article of manufacture for optimizing a database query. A query execution plan for the database query is generated using estimated cost information; one or more steps of the query execution plan are executed to retrieve data from a database stored on the computer system. Actual cost information is generated for each of the executed steps, and the estimated cost information is re-calculated using the actual cost information. One or more resource allocation rules defined on one or more steps of the query execution plan are executed, based on the estimated cost information, wherein the resource allocation rules include one or more defined actions. The estimated cost information may be re-calculated using the actual cost information when confidence in the estimated cost information is low, but the estimated cost information may not be re-calculated when confidence in the estimated cost information is high.

Abstract: A database management system receives a request to perform an operation on a set of target data and, at some point after it begins executing that operation, places a lock on the target data to prevent concurrent execution of other operations on the target data. In some embodiments, the system receives an instruction from a user to perform a data-definition operation on a set of target data; places an initial lock on the target data at a level that allows at least one concurrent operation on the target data; begins executing the operation; and then places a final lock on the target data at a level that excludes all other concurrent operations on the target data.

Abstract: The subject matter herein relates to database management systems and, more particularly, to decoupled logical and physical data storage within a database management system. Various embodiments provide systems, methods, and software that separate physical storage from logical storage of data. These embodiments include a mapping of logical storage to physical storage to allow data to be moved within the physical storage to increase database responsiveness.

Abstract: The subject matter herein relates to database management systems and, more particularly, compression of encrypted data in database management systems. Various embodiments provide systems, methods, and software that compress encrypted column values stored tables. Some other embodiments include declaring tables with column encrypt and compress attributes.

Abstract: A database system computes an aggregate on distinct values of at least one attribute for each of plural groups specified by multiple levels of grouping sets. Distinct values of the at least one attribute are identified and stored in a first table. The first table is used to compute aggregates for groups specified by a first grouping set and for groups specified by a second grouping set.

Abstract: A method, computer program and database system for use in analyzing associations in the order of transactions are disclosed. Data is loaded from the transactions into the database system. The data includes an entry for each transaction and the transactions are grouped into groups. The transactions within each group are put into an order. An analysis of the groups of transactions is performed to find associations in the order of the transactions in the groups.

Abstract: Techniques for applying segment conditions to measure results are presented. Row and column segment data is acquired from a database according to row and column definitions. A measure calculation is applied against the intersecting row and column segment data. Next, one or more combinations or conditions derived from the row and column definitions are used as a filter to produce filtered results.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and article of manufacture provide the ability to publish information to an external source as part of an integrated workflow in a computer system. The computer system executes a relational database management system (RDBMS). A publication services processing engine utilizes the RDBMS to publish the information based on a publication node. A publication object defines a collection of information that is published to the external source. A publication action defines a specification of a manner in which the information in the publication object is to be published to the external source. The publication node defines a workflow data process that specifies the publication object and the publication action.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for data store population. Source code of an application is parsed for instructions related to data associated with a data store. Modified instructions are suggested for the original instructions and injected into the source code of the application. When the application executes with the modified instructions, the data being dynamically produced by the application is piped to a data store interface for dynamic and real-time update to a data store.

Abstract: A multistage interconnect network (MIN) capable of supporting massive parallel processing, including point-to-point and multicast communications between processor modules (PMs) which are connected to the input and output ports of the network. The network is built using interconnected switch nodes arranged in 2 [logb N] stages, wherein b is the number of switch node input/output ports, N is the number of network input/output ports and [logb N] indicates a ceiling function providing the smallest integer not less than logb N. The additional stages provide additional paths between network input ports and network output ports, thereby enhancing fault tolerance and lessening contention.