Abstract: A user interface and associated methods for machine aided authoring and translation is provided. The user interface can display strings and associated metadata to assist with authoring and translations. The metadata can be used to mark the strings. The metadata can include one or more constraints which correspond to evaluation criteria and one or more anchor points operable to project the constraints against a string.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically focusing searches conducted by a search engine are provided. According to one aspect, revised query terms are automatically generated based on text in links that are in incoming (and/or outgoing) link lists associated with documents that are referenced in initial search results generated based on initial query terms. For example, some of the phrases that appear in incoming (and/or outgoing) links associated with a result document may be selected. The selected phrases may be added to the initial query terms to generate revised query terms. These revised query terms may be submitted automatically to the search engine in order to produce a more focused list of revised search results. This process may be performed repeatedly, each iteration revising query terms generated by the previous iteration, until specified criteria are satisfied, at which point the final revised search results may be presented to a user.

Abstract: Methods and systems for integrating use of materialized transient views into generation of an optimized query execution plan. Features and aspects hereof provide rapid identification of common expressions in a query as transient view candidates and then rapidly select among the transient view candidates for those transient views that most benefit the cost of execution of the query. The selected transient views are incorporated into a generated final, optimized query execution plan including operator to materialize the selected transient views for re-use in execution of the query.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed relating to database configuration refinement. In an example embodiment, a method is provided that may include determining a size limitation for a database configuration, determining a workload of the database configuration, and making a determination that a size of the database configuration is greater than a size limit. The method may also include applying either a merge process or a reduction process to decrease the size of the database configuration. The merge process may merge a first index/view with a second index/view to produce a merged index/view, for example. The reduction process may delete a first portion of a first view to produce a reduced view.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate an incremental approach to an Object-Relational mapping solution. The architecture can provide a rich data model that is defined at the value layer. The rich data model can expose an interface that conforms with the interfaces exposed by common storage-specific data providers. The architecture can extend common storage-specific data provider to support common command representations, and provide entity services that work in terms of the rich data model as well as object services such as identity management, updating and change tracking.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to exploitation of sequence information in a workload for the purpose of performance tuning. An optimal or exhaustive approach to tune sequences by mapping to a shortest path problem is provided as well as powerful techniques that result in optimal or nearly optimal solutions. Also disclosed is greedy approach that is much more efficient than the optimal approach and yet also generates solutions of comparable quality. Further yet, systems and methods are provided that facilitate extraction of sequence information and implementation of recommendations.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to distributed namespace aggregation. In aspects, a distributed file system is extended to allow multiple servers to seamlessly host files associated with aggregated links and/or aggregated roots. A request for a directory listing of an aggregated link or root may cause a server to sniff multiple other servers that host files associated with the link or root to create and return a concatenated result. Sniffing may also be used to determine which servers host the file to which the client is requesting access. Altitude may be used to determine which servers to make visible to the client and may also be used to determine which servers are in the same replica group and which are not.

Abstract: A method for updating a database that combines the advantages of both the migration and incremental approach may resolve some of the problems associated with earlier methods. This may be accomplished by a methodology which incrementally updates new data while using the migration approach to create an entirely new schema. Such a method might compare the metadata from both the existing database and the data update to generate a new schema and integrate new data into the database.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for query processing and, more particularly, for managing execution of a query against data in a database. One embodiment comprises receiving a query having (i) at least one result field configured to return data from at least one data record included with the database, and (ii) a query condition comprising a field and a query object associated with the field by an operator configured to select values for the field from the query object. The method further comprises determining whether the query object is configured to provide one or more valid values for the field. If the query object is not configured to provide one or more valid values for the field, the query object is transformed into a transformed query object that is configured to provide one or more valid values for the field. Then, the query is executed against the database.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to shutdown recovery for resource replication systems. In aspects, a mechanism is described in which a machine having replicated data thereon can recover from a dirty shutdown. First, the machine determines whether a dirty shutdown has occurred. If so, the machine automatically performs shutdown recovery by causing resource metadata stored by the machine to be consistent with resource data stored by the machine. This may involve fixing the resource metadata for updates to the resource data that were not flushed to disk or may involve deleting the resource metadata and restoring it from another machine replicating the data.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to resource replication systems. In aspects, a mechanism is described that maintains replicated resources on a slave member that participates in a replica group. The slave member detects that a local resource has been updated locally. If the resource was created locally in the update, the slave member deletes the local resource. Otherwise, the slave member determines an upstream partner from which to install a replacement resource and then installs the replacement resource. In aspects, this behavior undoes local updates to local resources that occur on the slave member.

Abstract: A method and system for generating threads of documents from a collection C of documents containing terms. Each document of C has a timestamp and an associated timestamp index. The timestamp indexes are ordered in accordance with an ordering of the associated timestamps. A relevance graph G generated from C is an acyclic directed graph. Each node of G denotes a document of C. Each edge of G connects a pair of directed nodes pointing from a node having an earlier timestamp to a node having a later timestamp. At least one thread of G is determined by executing a matching-based algorithm or a dynamic programming algorithm. Each thread is a path through G originating at a first node and terminating at a second node and including one or more contiguous edges from the first node to the second node. The at least one thread is outputted.

Abstract: A method for locating a root block in file system metadata, includes traversing the file system metadata to locate a leaf block, wherein the leaf block comprises a plurality of root blocks and at least one of the plurality of root blocks is unallocated, allocating the at least of one the plurality of unallocated root blocks to obtain an allocated root block, wherein the leaf block is associated with a fill count and the fill count is less than a maximum fill count of the leaf block.

Abstract: Methods for executing a query on data that has been partitioned into a plurality of partitions are provided. The method includes providing partitioned data including one or more columns and the plurality of partitions. The partitioned data includes a limit key value associated with each column for a given partition. The method further includes receiving a query including a predicate on one of the one or more columns of the partitioned data; and utilizing the predicate on the one of the one or more columns in a pruni.ng decision on at least one of the one or more partitions based on the limit key values associated with the plurality of partitions.

Abstract: A technique for realtime-safe detection of a grace period for deferring the destruction of a shared data element until pre-existing references to the data element have been removed. A pair of counters is established for each of one or more processors. A global counter selector determines which counter of each per-processor counter pair is a current counter. When reading a shared data element at a processor, the processor's current counter is incremented. Following counter incrementation, the processor's counter pair is tested for reversal to ensure that the incremented counter is still the current counter. If a counter reversal has occurred, such that the incremented counter is no longer current, the processor's other counter is incremented. Following referencing of the shared data element, any counter that remains incremented is decremented.

Abstract: A method for maintaining high availability for an on-line database which includes: creating a first user account having a plurality of first tables and first schema objects; creating a second user account having a plurality of second tables and second schema objects; creating a third user account having a first set of synonyms for the first tables and first schema objects; creating a fourth user account having a second set of synonyms for the second tables; accessing the first user account using the first set of synonyms; modifying data using the second set of synonyms into the second user account to provide a plurality of revised second tables and revised second schema objects; dropping the first set of synonyms; creating a third set of synonyms in the third user account for the plurality of revised second tables and revised second schema objects; and accessing the second user account using the third set of synonyms.