Abstract: A data-driven information navigation system and method enable search and analysis of a set of objects or other materials by certain common attributes that characterize the materials, as well as by relationships among the materials. The invention includes several aspects of a data-driven information navigation system that employs this navigation mode. The navigation system of the present invention includes features of a knowledge base, a navigation model that defines and enables computation of a collection of navigation states, a process for computing navigation states that represent incremental refinements relative to a given navigation state, and methods of implementing the preceding features.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for establishing an identity for an object in an object description language. A set of attribute values describing the object may be read from a data storage arrangement. Respective numerical hash values may be calculated for each attribute value of the set of attribute values, and a unique identifier may be formed as a function of the numerical hash values. A reference to the object may be created as a function of the unique identifier, and the reference used to establish an identity of the object in the object description language.

Abstract: A protocol for replicating replicas in a sync community. Each replica maintains a knowledge that represents changes that the replica is aware of. Each replica does not typically maintain knowledge about other replicas. The protocol includes messages that include knowledge about changes on the various replicas. Using the knowledge, the replicas can enumerate changes and send the changes using asynchronous messages that do not need to be received in any particular order. The protocol enables filters to ensure that a valid replication is possible using a minimum knowledge argument. The protocol also enables replicas to partially replicate using filtered knowledge.

Abstract: If some aspect of serving or scoring an ad is subject to a performance (e.g., click-through rate, etc.) threshold, such a threshold may be adjusted using a confidence factor of the ad targeting used. For example, ads served pursuant to a more relaxed notion of match might have to meet a higher performance threshold (e.g., than the threshold applied to ads served pursuant to a stricter notion of match). Alternatively, or in addition, ads served pursuant to a stricter notion of match might be subject to a lower performance threshold (e.g., than the threshold applied to ads served pursuant to a more relaxed notion of match). Thus, in general, a performance threshold could increase as match confidence decreases, and/or a performance threshold could decrease as match confidence increases.

Abstract: Approaches for migrating portal objects from a source installation to a target installation are disclosed. In one embodiment, when portal objects are selected to be migrated from a source installation to a target installation, the selected portal objects can be considered to form a transport set. The metadata of the transport set itself may be stored in infrastructure tables. Then the data in the transport tables (i.e. all the application specific data), plus the metadata in the infrastructure tables (about the transport set itself) are exported and/or imported to the target installation. In an embodiment, scripts are generated to perform export and/or import functions.

Abstract: Enabling dynamic aggregation of content from a plurality of content providers. The invention stores references associated with specific display areas in a document for a particular data source. Responsive to a request for the document, the invention retrieves the references associated with the data source and dynamically inserts the references into the appropriate display area of the document. A client renders the document by obtaining the content associated with the references. In an embodiment, the invention includes a web service for cobranding a login user interface for a user authentication system. The web service places cobranding content provided by an affiliate content provider and sign-in user interface content provided by a user authentication service into different frames of a single web page.

Abstract: Retrieving points that can be plotted in a predetermined area are achieved where the locations of the points are indexed in an index that includes regional data. The regional data defines a plurality of regions, and each region encompasses one or more of the points. In addition, the index includes linking data, which, for each region, identifies the point or points encompassed by that region. The method includes (i) reviewing the regional data in the index to identify regions that are wholly contained by the predetermined area; and (ii) reviewing the linking data to retrieve points encompassed by the identified regions.

Abstract: This invention provides an advanced platform for the analysis of biological data that emphasizes pathway mapping and relationship inference based upon data acquired from multiple diverse sources. The platform employs a bioinformatic system that integrates data from the diverse sources, connecting related genes and proteins and inferring biological functions in the context of global cellular processes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to memory management methods and systems for object-oriented databases (OODB). In an embodiment, a database includes a plurality of memory-mapped file segments stored on at least one nonvolatile memory medium and not in main memory. An application program connects to the database. A fault handler associated with the database is registered with the operating system of the application program. The fault handler catches a segmentation fault that is issued for an object referenced by the application program and resident in the database. A file segment corresponding to the referenced object is found and mapped into main memory. The application program is restarted. Because data is transparently mapped into and out of the main memory without copying the data, objects may be read with near zero latency, and size restrictions on the database may be eliminated.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for synchronizing items at replicas within a topology is disclosed. Items are stored in physical tables at the replicas. The physical table layouts at each replica can differ but are mapped to a common logical view. When a replica receives an indication that synchronization should be performed, the replica determines if changes have been made at the replica that should be mapped to the logical views. Replicas can facilitate this by comparing local change enumerations for changes made in physical tables to synchronization local change enumerations for changes in the logical views. Any changes that need to be synchronized are sent through the logical views to other replicas in the topology.

Abstract: Documents are represented based on their structure, which arises from the relationship between various elements in the document. After representing documents based on their structure in vector form, a method of measuring similarity between vectors is used to obtain the measure of structural similarity between two given documents.

Abstract: An optimizer/normalizer is used to generate optimized intermediate language representation of an input query, such as an XML input query. A method of optimization of an input query in intermediate language form includes receiving the input query, examining the nodes in a left-depth first manner to identify code patterns and node types which are subjects for optimization, tagging the identified code patterns until the intermediate language representation of the input query has been examined in its entirety, searching from the top of the intermediate language representation for tagged code patterns, and adjusting the tagged code patterns with improved code patterns to form an optimal representation for an input query. The input to the optimizer/normalizer is assumed to be an input query transformed into an intermediate language representation containing code patterns and nodes, each node having a respective node type.