Abstract: Data is migrated from an original host storage system to another replacement host storage system. An original host storage system is connected directly to the replacement host storage system. Data migration occurs, and when data is transferred, hard links between files relating to the same data are also maintained.

Abstract: A database management system and method for administration and replication having a built-in random sampling facility for approximation partition analysis on very large databases. The method utilizes a random sampling algorithm that provides results accurate to within a few percentage points for large homogeneous databases. The accuracy is not affected by the size of the database and is determined primarily by the size of the sample. The system and method for approximate partition analysis reduces the time required for an analysis to a fraction of the time required for an exact analysis. The database management system is configured with the random sampling facility built-in thereby enabling even greater efficiency by reducing communication overhead between an analysis program and the database management system to a fraction of the overhead required when sampling is performed by a separate analysis program.

Abstract: A virtual merge of update data into a large ordered data set, such as an encyclopedia database. The ordered set is stored on a client, and includes original indices defined by a server, which also defines an initial index for each entry to be added to the ordered set as an update, where each initial index corresponds to a position that the entry would occupy in the ordered set if the entry were considered alone. An exception table is created by incrementing the initial indices by a number of entries to be added prior to a current entry and by decrementing for prior deleted entries. The client creates a dynamically ordered set from at least a portion of the large ordered set by analogously incrementing and/or decrementing the original indices. The dynamically ordered set and exception table define a virtually merged database that the client can access dynamically.

Abstract: A database store method and system for a virtual persistent heap may include an Application Programming Interface (API) that provides a mechanism to cache portions of the virtual heap into an in-memory heap for use by an application. The virtual heap may be stored in a persistent store that may include one or more virtual persistent heaps, with one virtual persistent heap for each application running in the virtual machine. Each virtual persistent heap may be subdivided into cache lines. The store API may provide atomicity on the store transaction to substantially guarantee the consistency of the information stored in the database. The database store API provides several calls to manage the virtual persistent heap in the store. The calls may include, but are not limited to: opening the store, closing the store, atomic read transaction, atomic write transaction, and atomic delete transaction.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are provided for the dynamic caching of data based on queries performed by a local application, where the system includes a remote server having a complete database, a local database on an edge server including a subset of the complete database, the edge server in communication with the remote server, shared tables within the local database on the edge server for caching results from the complete database, receiving locally generated data, and adjusting the contents of the cache based on available storage requirements while ensuring consistency of the data between the local database and the remote database; the apparatus includes an edge data cache including a query evaluator, a cache index, cache repository, resource manager, containment checker, query parser and consistency manager all in signal communication with the query evaluator; and the method for a local server to satisfy a database query meant for at least one remote server includes dynamically caching results of previ

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for querying a database with database contents that have a database structure. The query is made in a query structure, which differs from the database structure in that the query structure and the database structure reference a standard structure, and the reference logic is at least partially transmitted together with the query and/or is at least partially present in the database.

Abstract: The invention relates to culturally sensitive sorting of records. The invention provides a method and a computer system for sorting a set of keyed records based on a preferred locale specification having collation information of a culture. The method is performed on a computer system operatively coupled to a computer readable memory storing the set of keyed records. The steps include reading a locale token associated with the set of records, the locale token identifying a preferred locale object having collation information, using the preferred locale object to locate and read the collation information, creating a culturally correct collation key for each data key associated with the each record, and using the created culturally correct collation keys to sort the set of records into a culturally correct sorted order.

Abstract: A method for controlling access provided to content files during an information search initiated by a client device and performed by a search engine. The method includes receiving a search request from the client. A modified search request is generated by applying a search profile for the user of the client device to the received search request. The modified search request is then routed to the search engine to apply search criteria in the modified search request to search engine collections populated from the content files. The user's search profile includes restrictions defining which of the search engine collections can be searched and how such collections can be searched. The search profile may be generated at the time the search request is received based on login information for the user of the client and based on stored user profile or account information.

Abstract: A method for detecting and correcting cross-linked files while accessing data on a storage media. Each file includes control file information that defines a plurality of blocks on storage media allocated to the file. When a program identifies a volume of storage media that may include cross-linked files, the program intercepts requests to access a file on the storage device. The program then reads the control information for the file and identifies the blocks allocated to the file. The program compares the allocation to a free space map, identifying allocated and unallocated blocks on the storage media, and corrects any inconsistency between the free space map and the control information. The program also maintains a secondary map, which identifies the blocks on the storage media allocated to the files that have been previously been examined.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for reliably and efficiently serializing access to data structures (i.e. updates and retrievals) without requiring searchers to use locks. The disclosed technique ensures that the contents of the data structure remain valid during access operations, yet does not require searchers to perform compute-intensive comparison operations to determine validity. Two trees are used at all times. Searches proceed against a first tree, while the second tree is used for performing updates. The steps required to carry out a particular update operation are stored as a queued transaction. When the update to the second tree completes, the trees are switched.

Abstract: An image retrieval system for retrieving image similarities from a database is proposed. The image retrieval system uses a universal query mechanism (UQM) to locate statistically silent common features among sample query images from different feature sets. The UQM also adjusts the weight factor for each feature to meet a user's query demand.

Abstract: A system for automatically extracting data from at least one electronic document accessible through the Internet or other computer network. The system records a sequence of actions operable to electronically navigate to a target page of the electronic document, the target page including a plurality of elements each having contents and a structural definition wherein the structural definitions interrelate the plurality of elements to specify a target pattern for a select subset of the plurality of elements. After recording the navigation path and the target pattern, the system automatically accesses the target page according to the recorded sequence. When the target page is accessed, the system automatically identifies, copies and processes selections from the plurality of elements dependent upon the target pattern.

Abstract: An apparatus and method allow accessing data in an HTML file (such as a JSP or ASP file) via an SQL query. A database table is created for each HTML file, and a record is created in each database table that corresponds to each HTML element in the corresponding HTML file. A cross-reference is then created that correlates the HTML file to its corresponding database table. An SQL engine in accordance with the preferred embodiments then processes an SQL query that specifies an HTML file and one or more elements in the HTML file by using the cross-reference information to formulate a new SQL query that accesses the corresponding database table rather than the specified HTML file. When a database table is updated by an SQL query, the corresponding HTML file is re-generated from the data in the database table. In this manner the SQL engine generates a query that accesses a database table from the original query that accesses the corresponding HTML file.

Abstract: A spreadsheet application provides a rich programming and modeling environment. The spreadsheet application of the present invention does this by recognizing a new “object” data type in addition to the conventional spreadsheet data types: numbers, text, date, Boolean, and error. The object data type can be used to create an instance of an external object and store the object in a cell of a spreadsheet. Once an object has been created in a spreadsheet, the object can be invoked or accessed from any other cell or formula in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet application of the present invention provides several special object functions that operate to enable a user to create and invoke an object. A user can directly call functions from objects that are installed on a local or remote machine, by integrating an object function within a spreadsheet formula. Thus, the user is provided with a tool for integrating outside data services into a spreadsheet and may take advantage of pre-existing objects.

Abstract: A user-oriented database query system, comprising user management means; device management means; control means for identifying a user, receiving a database query request and appended parameters, converting the database query request into a database query command; query agent means for submitting database query command at suitable time and receiving the query results; query recording means for storing the database query request, the appended parameters, the query command, the query time and the query results; wherein the control means further determines a receiving device, converts the query results into a form acceptable by the receiving device and sends the query results thereto, and terminates the query after the acknowledgment of the success of sending.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cataloging symbolic data for use in performance analysis of computer programs is provided. The apparatus and method stores symbolic data for loaded modules during or shortly after a performance trace and utilizes the stored symbolic data when performing a performance analysis at a later time. A merged symbol file is generated for a computer program, or application, under trace. The merged symbol file contains information useful in performing symbolic resolution of address information in trace files for each instance of a module. During post processing of the trace information generated by a performance trace of a computer program, symbolic information stored in the merged symbol file is compared to the trace information stored in the trace file. The correct symbolic information in the merged symbol file for loaded modules is identified based a number of validating criteria.

Abstract: A system and method for allocating the blocks of index file to the postings for words found in documents of a database is disclosed. The index file is provided with blocks that is partitioned into successively decreasing levels of blocks in size. The blocks in each successive level have same size and the sum of sizes of blocks in each successive level equals the size of initial block. An information retrieval interface allocates to the postings for a word a free block in the level the size of which is closest to the size of postings for the word in the index file.

Abstract: A database management system having a dropped table recovery flag. If the dropped table recovery flag is on at the time that a table is dropped, an entry will be made in a dropped table history file. The dropped table history file contains a timestamp of the time of table drop, a unique dropped table identifier, and table definition information. The system includes a command to permit the table-space of a dropped table to be restored and rolled forward to the point of the dropped table drop. The restored and rolled forward dropped table data is written to a flat file. The flat file data is loaded into a recreated table in the current table space to recover the dropped table.

Abstract: A profile matching system and associated method match the path expressions in a structured or semi-structured document, such as an XML document, to an indexed resource. The system, having assigned weighting values to the elements in the index, maps the document path expressions and attempts to match them to the index elements according to a predetermined schema. The system is comprised of an indexing module that maps the document and identifies its content attributes, and a matching module that matches the document content attributes to weighted elements of an index. The system defines the attribute or set of attributes in the schema that result in a match. The matching criteria are identified in a map specification file that specifies the specific qualification criteria. The indexing module uses the map specification information to produce efficient indices from XML document. The matching module uses a match specification language (MSL) and a match operator.

Abstract: An integrated information processing system for geospatial information processing. The information processing system includes a scheduling module, an acquisition module, a production module, a distribution module, a geospatial data specification, and a geospatial media recorder. Each module incorporates a common object database management system. The scheduling module is a specially configured module suitable for processing requests for media acquisition. The acquisition module is a specially configured module suitable for acquiring visual, audio, textual, and geospatial entity information. The production module is a specially configured module suitable for producing integrated digital media datasets and information. The distribution module is a specially configured module suitable for distributing integrated digital media datasets and information. The geospatial data specification includes an object class which serves to provide geospatial referencing of an entity or object.