Abstract: A system for applying time-based refresh and expiration parameters, including user-defined and/or automatically set values, for accessing cached media content and/or retrieving replacement media content for presentation via a communication device.

Abstract: A resource context system (“context system”) computes a contextual profile for a resource based on selection data for the resource and contextual profiles of other resources that are identified as relevant to the resource. The contextual profile includes values that specify measures of relevance of the resource to each of a plurality of corresponding topics. The contextual profile is provided to a processing system, such as an advertisement management system or a search system that can identify topics for which the resource is relevant based on the contextual profile.

Abstract: A spam score is assigned to a business listing when the listing is received at a search entity. A noise function is added to the spam score such that the spam score is varied. In the event that the spam score is greater than a first threshold, the listing is identified as fraudulent and the listing is not included in (or is removed from) the group of searchable business listings. In the event that the spam score is greater than a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, the listing may be flagged for inspection. The addition of the noise to the spam scores prevents potential spammers from reverse engineering the spam detecting algorithm such that more listings that are submitted to the search entity may be identified as fraudulent and not included in the group of searchable listings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for distributing a database implementation across multiple servers. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving information identifying an implementation of a database having a database schema, identifying the number of database servers to host the database implementation, and analyzing usage characteristics of the database schema. The method further includes distributing the database implementation over the identified number of database servers based on the analysis of the usage characteristics, and providing access to the database implementation for one or more applications, the applications being unaware of the database servers hosting the database implementation.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata in the context of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata can enable embodiments that ensure that “all or none” of the operations corresponding to the grouped instructions are performed. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature can prevent a scenario where only a portion of a desired effect is accomplished which, in turn, may complicate any effort to undo the same.

Abstract: A reasonably-sized testing database instance can be efficiently replicated and maintained for a very large production database while retaining the characteristics and cross-sectional data. The performance characteristics are maintained in order to provide for proper testing of the production database for various application programs. Statistics on the type of data distribution for the customer data are obtained, allowing for parameters to be determined which can be used to store data only near the endpoints of the distribution (and/or at other key locations). In this way, a substantial amount of data skew is retained in a much smaller instance of the production database, allowing for easier performance testing, upgrade testing, etc.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating respective random weights for identified audience members matching an audience specification in order to mask the behavior of individuals. The mean value of the random weights for large audience results approaches one so that a sum of the weights approximates a count of the matching records.

Abstract: Semantic object characterization and its use in indexing and searching a database directory is presented. In general, a first binary hash code is generated to represent a first representation or view of a semantic object which when compared to a characterized version of a second representation or view of the same semantic object in the form of a second binary hash code, the first and second binary hash codes exhibit a degree of similarity indicative of the objects being the same object. In one implementation the semantic objects correspond to peoples' names and the first and second representations or views correspond to two different languages. Thus, a user can search a database of information in one language with a search query in another language.

Abstract: A system for restoring data to a storage server generates a lookup data structure based on a backup image, where the lookup data structure defines a correspondence between individual block identifiers and individual data blocks of a plurality of data blocks in the backup image. The system then generates a directory structure on the storage server based on the backup image. After generating the directory structure, the system generates an empty restored file in the directory structure based on the backup image. The system then populates file contents of the restored file based on the lookup data structure.

Abstract: A computer system implemented method of creating and using artificial intelligence wherein the system includes a first table including at least one textual portion and at least one context phrase contained in the textual portion and the computer system is capable of communication via a network with the user using at least one electronic device, the method comprising: receiving at least one textual input from the user, extracting at least one portion of the textual input from the user and at least one context phrase therefrom, comparing each portion extracted from the textual input from the user to other portions extracted from the textual input from the user according to a first matching algorithm that utilizes the context phrases of each respective portion, and storing in the first table, the portions and respective context phrases that were extracted from the textual input from the user that satisfy the matching algorithm.

Abstract: It is possible to surely commit a revision made on a software component in a software component database and a software product group and to create a new software product from the same database. Provided is a software configuration management system which includes a software component database and a software product management unit and accepts data transmission/reception from a software component database management client and a software product operation client. The software configuration management system further includes: a component-product correspondence table, component-file correspondence information, a synchronization unit for mutually committing a modification of the software component database and a modification of a software product; update information; and a correspondence table update unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating data redistribution in database sharding. A database is maintained that is horizontally partitioned into a set of first buckets using modulo-based assignments. A fixed number of the first buckets are stored in each of multiple physical data stores. The database is repartitioned into a set of second buckets using modulo-based assignments. The number of second buckets in the set is a multiple of the sum of a positive integer and the quantity of the physical data stores. The data in the database is unmoved between the physical data stores by repartitioning.

Abstract: A file system driver stored in a computational device receives a request to provide access to a snapshot of a rewritable file system at a selected point in time, wherein a plurality of tokens corresponding to a plurality of data units are stored in the rewritable file system, and wherein an ordering relationship is maintained among the plurality of tokens. The file system driver determines a token corresponding to the selected point in time based on the ordering relationship. A virtual subdirectory name is generated corresponding to the determined token. A virtual subdirectory is created with the generated virtual subdirectory name, wherein the virtual subdirectory is a subdirectory of a root directory. The snapshot is accessed via the subdirectory.

Abstract: A mechanism for managing ranking information using a sign of a stream tuple generated when stream data is inserted into, or deleted from, a window is provided. A mechanism for generating only the differential information of ranking calculation results, a mechanism for adding ranking information according to a request, an interface for generating and outputting all ranking information from the differential information, a mechanism for generating all ranking calculation results, and an interface for using these mechanisms are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein may separate one or more enhancement layers of a multimedia file from a base layer of the multimedia file and treat the base layer and the enhancement layer differently when backing up and/or archiving the multimedia file (e.g., by giving the enhancement layer a lower priority than the base layer). By separating enhancement layers from multimedia files and treating the enhancement layers with a lower priority, these systems and methods may reduce the strain that large multimedia files put on data repositories and associated computing resources (e.g., storage space, network bandwidth, etc.) while still preserving and protecting enough of the multimedia file to keep important information that the multimedia file may contain intact.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, determining whether records and entity representations should be linked. The system and method include assigning to each pair of entity references a match value reflecting the likelihood that the entity references are related. Based on the match values, each entity reference may then associated with a preferred entity reference. Pairs of entity references that are mutually preferred may then be identified and linked. The process may be iterated to generate further links.

Abstract: A method for user-specific display of syndication feed entries uses a taxonomy, a user-specific foreground corpus of bookmarks, and a background corpus of feed entries. User-specific book-marks are received. Each bookmark provides a natural-language description characterizing a bookmark resource. The natural-language descriptions are classified to determine one or more bookmark topics for each bookmark. The topics are maintained in the taxonomy. The bookmark topics are each associated with accumulators in the user-specific foreground corpus. Each book-mark is accumulated to the accumulators corresponding to each of its topics. Feed syndication entries are received and similarly classified according to associated natural-language descriptions. Entry topics are associated with accumulators in the background corpus. A user-specific weight is determined for each entry by aggregating the accumulators corresponding to the entry topics for the foreground and background corpora.

Abstract: A clustering system includes a visual mapping sub-system configured to display an N-dimensional to two- or three-dimensional mapping of items to be clustered, where N is greater than three, the mapping having mapping parameters for the N-dimensions. A user interface sub-system is configured to receive user inputted values for the mapping parameters, user inputted values selecting whether selected mapping parameters are fixed or adjustable, and user inputted values associating selected items with selected groups. An adjustment sub-system is configured to adjust the adjustable mapping parameters, without adjusting any fixed mapping parameters, to improve a measure of distinctness of one or more groups of items in the two- or three-dimensional mapping.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for enhancing query performance through fixed length hashing of multidimensional data. According to one method, a fixed length hash of a multidimensional data record is created where the hash has respective fixed length sections for each data dimension of the record being hashed. The composite fixed length hash is stored with a reference to the original data record to which it corresponds. Query parameters are hashed and compared to a corresponding section of the fixed length hash to determine a set of candidate records.

Abstract: A token-based file may be compressed by applying a medial-axis transformation to the tokens in the file. This generates a topological skeleton of the token that is a thin version of the token, equal distant to its boundaries, i.e., a thinned token. Thinned tokens resulting from the medial-axis transformation are compared with each other and thinned tokens having substantial similar shapes are grouped together. Once the thinned tokens are classified into their respective groups, a representative token of each group is selected for storage along with an assigned token number and the position that each of the corresponding thinned tokens appeared in the work of content. The thinned token-based file may then be transferred to another computing device using less bandwidth than the original token-based file. A page image of the original work can then be reconstructed by the receiving computing device from the thinned token-based file.