Abstract: The present invention provides a hierarchical interface to an attribute based database. The method includes organizing a number of classifiers of data into a hierarchical structure and organizing the data into the hierarchical data structure according to the classifiers to which the data is linked. The hierarchical data structure can be a file system directory tree structure. The files system directory tree structure can be according to the NFS protocol. A request is received from a client, the request formatted according to the NFS protocol. The request is translated into a database query. A result is produced which is formatted according to the NFS protocol and the result is sent to the client. The present invention allows data to be presented in rearrange-able order based on a client view and classifiers, bound and unbound. The present invention also restricts access to files in a flexible manner.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for selecting desired attributes for system configuration. The invention uses one or more rule sets to define rules that are met when a configuration is valid. A rule set may specify the interrelation of attribute values within a product or between two or more products. If the combination of attribute values that specify a product conform to at least one rule in each of the rule sets that apply to that product, that combination of attribute values is considered to specify a valid product. If the combination of attribute values that specify all of the products of an assembly conform to at least one rule in each of the rule sets that apply to that assembly, that combination of attribute values is considered to specify a valid assembly.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to test rules in a rule-based system for configuring a product. The configuration system defines the components of a product using elements contained in a parts catalog and rules that define relationships between the components of a product. The user provides test cases that select at least one part to include in the product configuration, and the configuration tester processes the rule to determine whether the at least one part selected in the test case conflicts with the plurality of parts previously included in the product configuration.

Abstract: A logical and constraint-based hierarchical approach provides a highly flexible and expressive way in which to browse items stored in a database. The logical and constraint-based approach permits a user to create an arbitrary number of hierarchical representations of the items in a database. The approach permits items to be logically grouped on one level and grouped based on attribute/value constraints on the next. The hierarchical representation consists of nodes that are related to one another in a tree-like structure starting with a root node. Each node has a unique label, preferably indicative of the items in the database that it represents. Each node has a list of the labels of the nodes that are its children. Each node can only be the child of one parent node. Nodes may optionally express constraints based on attributes and their values that serve to define the scope of database items that fall under the node in the hierarchy.

Abstract: A classification engine provides flexible support for manipulation of attribute-based data by dynamic generation of SQL with classifiers constructed from different schema objects representing different database schemas. The classifiers may be constructed by defining classifiers corresponding to the database schema, and mapping the classifiers to columns on tables in the database. The invention also allows a classification system to modify the database structure and easily conform the classification engine to the modified structure without recompiling the engine or rewriting the application that use the classification system. The engine is conformed to the new structure by constructing a second schema object for the modified database. The schema objects are preferably defined using a field-based language such as extensible markup language (XML).

Abstract: A program product characterizes a set of information to determine common characteristics among subsets of the set of information. The program product includes computer instructions which obtain characteristic data that describe characteristics of an entity. For example, the characteristic data may include titles of individuals within an organization. The computer instructions also obtain a set of information associated with the entity (e.g. a set of e-mail messages, Web pages, business memoranda, etc.) The computer instructions identify key terms within the set of information and classify the set of information into at least first and second subsets. In addition, the computer instructions characterize the first subset as more important than the second subset, based on the key terms and the characteristic data. For example, a subset of documents associated with officers of a company may be characterized as more important than a subset of documents associated with temporary employees.

Abstract: A maintenance tool is used to import and centrally maintain the data and metadata representing catalog items in a catalog database. The maintenance tool is further used to create and maintain constraint-based rule sets defining custom catalogs that are subsets of the items in the database, constraint-based pricing profiles that define custom pricing schemes to be applied by the items in the database, and a primary browse hierarchy that represents the items in the database. The maintenance tool is used to create and maintain accounts for organizations and to assign to each organization a custom catalog and a pricing profile. The maintenance tool republishes the data on a periodic basis to update the custom catalogs and pricing profiles based on additions and modifications to the database, the rule sets, and the pricing profiles, and to generate new custom browse hierarchies from the primary hierarchy.

Abstract: A computer system including a server computer system and a client computer system connected to one another over a computer network, such as the Internet, so that graphical controls displayed and able to be manipulated by a user on the client computer system correspond to data stored on the server computer system. When the user makes changes to the graphical controls, the corresponding data is changed on the server computer system. The interactive graphical control binds the data on the server computer system to the graphic controls displayed on the client computer system without use of additional plug-in or other compiled code on the client computer system other than standard browser software such as Microsoft Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method and apparatus for determining the commission to be paid to a sales representative or sales team. Whenever a sale occurs, a Transaction describing the sale is created and inputted into the Commission system of one embodiment of the invention. Based on a set of Allocation Rules that specify the credit an individual is to receive from a Transaction, the Transactions are converted into several Allocations for individual Sales Representatives or Sales Teams. One or more Quotas specify a target or goal that must be reached to earn commission for each Sales Team. A Quota State indicates the current performance of a Sales Representative with respect to a particular Quota within a particular time frame. The Quotas are used to convert the Allocations/Transactions into Quota Details that specify how to increment or decrement the Quota State. A Promotion specifies the reward or commission that is received upon attaining a desired level of performance.

Abstract: A classification based content management system provides a content management system in which large amounts of content may be quickly and easily managed. More specifically, the classification based content management system of the present invention uses metadata to classify the content in such a way that the content may be quickly and easily managed. The classification based content management system provides advantages in a variety of aspects of the operation of the system. The aspects of the operation of the system include storage, retrieval, access control and workflow management.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing peer ownership of shared objects. In the invention, shared objects are implemented as a shell object with shared object state stored in shared memory. Each process that shares the object is granted a shell object within their process space which points to the object state in shared memory. All processes share equal access to the shared object, with no single process determining the lifetime of the shared object. The shutdown of any single process results in the termination of that process's respective shell object, without the necessary termination of the shared object state in shared memory. There is therefore no shutdown problem. Further, performance is enhanced because all processes access the shared object state in shared memory in what is essentially an in-process call. In an embodiment of the invention, a peer ownership manager acts as the object server for all shared objects whose object state resides in shared memory.

Abstract: The system organize various pricing tables and price adjustment tables and various products and purchasing organizations based on “who” (i.e. which purchasing organization) is purchasing “what” (i.e. which product). The system and method utilizes a denormalized table to relate the “who” to the “what” using denormalized numbers. The system and method organizes various purchasing organizations and products into hierarchical tables. These hierarchical tables are called organizational groups and product groups. Various price adjustments may be specified for each level of the organizational groups and product groups hierarchies. The price adjustments for a particular purchasing organization are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular purchasing organization as well as the price adjustments for organizational groups above the particular purchasing organization in the organizational groups hierarchy.

Abstract: The present invention employs a generative approach for configuring systems such that a system may be configured based on component or resource requests, or input in the form of need. The present invention provides a constraint-based configuration system using a structural model hierarchy. The structural aspects of the model provide the ability to define a model element as being contained in, or by, another model element. In addition, the structural model provides the ability to identify logical datatype and physical interconnections between elements and establish connections between elements. To configure a system, the present invention accepts input in the form of requests (e.g., component or resource) or needs, such as an expression of a need for a desktop computer system to be used in a CAD (i.e., computer-aided design) environment.

Abstract: A technique is used in embodiments of the invention such that backtracking programs can be written in a general purpose computer language (e.g., C++ or Java) without requiring the control structure of the program to reflect the structure of the decision tree. A data state and a control state are restored during backtracking. For restoring the data state, embodiments of the invention keep track of the changes made to variables and the point in execution at which the changes are made. When backtracking occurs, the data state can be restored by undoing the changes to the desired point in execution. For restoring the control state, the method of the invention provides a "failure" exception state that is invoked upon failure in the program (e.g., a failure to find a solution in a search program).. The failure exception is "caught" by catch points established in the execution stack.

Abstract: The present invention employs a generative approach for configuring systems such that a system may be configured based on component or resource requests, or input in the form of need. The present invention provides a constraint-based configuration system using a structural model hierarchy. The structural aspects of the model provide the ability to define a model element as being contained in, or by, another model element. In addition, the structural model provides the ability to identify logical datatype and physical interconnections between elements and establish connections between elements. To configure a system, the present invention accepts input in the form of requests (e.g., component or resource) or needs, such as an expression of a need for a desktop computer system to be used in a CAD (i.e., computer-aided design) environment.

Abstract: The invention organizes various pricing tables and price adjustment tables and various products and purchasing organizations based on "who" (i.e. which purchasing organization) is purchasing "what" (i.e. which product). The invention utilizes a denormalized table to relate the "who" to the "what" using denormalized numbers. The invention further organizes various purchasing organizations and products into hierarchical tables. These hierarchical tables are called organizational groups and product groups. Various price adjustments may be specified for each level of the organizational groups and product groups hierarchies. The price adjustments for a particular purchasing organization are determined by retrieving the price adjustments for that particular purchasing organization as well as the price adjustments for organizational groups above the particular purchasing organization in the organizational groups hierarchy.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.