Abstract: A device and method for providing a fault-tolerant file system. The fault-tolerant file system attempts to minimize the number of writes used when updating file system data structures. In one embodiment, file system data, including file system metadata, is stored in a fault-tolerant tree including a working state and a transacted state. In one embodiment, a change list is used to track blocks that have been updated, instead of cascading updates to leaf nodes up the tree, and a delta block is used to further minimize block updates when adding or removing nodes from the tree. In one embodiment, a Q-Block is used to prevent cycles when adding and removing free blocks from an allocation tree. Metadata values are stored in the tree in a way that allows certain metadata values to be inferred when not present in the tree, thus conserving space and lowering query time.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system and method of predicting sale transaction conversion rate of an item operates through a search of information in response to a query over a network. The item can be included in a category of items. Information for other relevant items of the category is available through network query and historical data, among others. Respective information for the other items of the category is available to the method.

Abstract: The geographic location obtained by a location-aware computing device can be shared with a location-unaware computing device such that user interaction with a search engine through the location-unaware computing device can still include, when appropriate, a geographic location associated with the user, thereby increasing the relevance and aptness of the search results presented to the user and, accordingly, increasing user interaction performance with the search engine. Short range communicational connections can be used to share location information prior to being utilized in conjunction with searches. Location information can be provided, from a location-aware computing device, to a centralized, networked computing device, and associated thereon with a user identifier, thereby enabling associated location information to be utilized in conjunction with that user's searches.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for replicating a group of data objects within a storage network. In particular, a module can designate an object in the storage network as an anchor object. The module can further evaluate a replication policy of the anchor object to determine a destination resource on which to replicate a related group of data objects. Further, the module can located the related group of data objects, and define a replication policy on each of the data objects that specifies that each of the data objects follow the anchor object. The module can replicate each of the data objects as well as the anchor object on the destination resource.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for analytic backup of datasets in a client-server network. A system or processor-based operation derives historical data about backup operations performed in a client-server computer network system and analyzes a present backup operation to be performed for a client computer dataset with respect to a plurality of parameters comprising data type, backup level/data density, backup method, and target storage type. A report comparing one or more past backup operations from the historical data to the present backup operation is generated and transmitted to a user of the client to facilitate selection of an optimum backup method for the present backup operation with respect to minimized backup operation time.

Abstract: A method for storing XML documents a hybrid navigation/streaming format is provided to allow efficient storage and processing of queries on the XML data that provides the benefits of both navigation and streaming and ameliorates the disadvantages of each. Each XML document to be stored is independently analyzed to determine a combination of navigable and streamable storage format that optimizes the processing of the data for anticipated access patterns.

Abstract: An apparatus for tracking a location of a wireless terminal based on an image is provided. The apparatus includes an image matching database to store images classified by regions, and a matcher to receive a query image captured by a camera module of the wireless terminal and image matching data that contains region information about where the query image is captured, to search the image matching database for a matching image that corresponds to the image matching data, to determine if the query image matches the matching image, and to send the wireless terminal location information that corresponds to the matching information if the query image matches the matching image.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for executing workflow instances of management of continuously changing data and queries. In one embodiment, a computing device may be configured to determine a set of related structured data comprising a key and associated value, where an associated ID and name for each related structured data of the set of related structured data may be determined. Additionally, a unique ID may be determined based on the determined associated ID and name. A match may then be determined for the set of core data elements based on a received message and an ordered list of results retrieved based on at least one of: the matched ID, the matched name, and the matched ID and name.

Abstract: Methods for Editing Hierarchical Data are provided. Data subsets of hierarchical data are copied. Workstreams are generated and sent to users. An edit to a first workstream from a first user and an edit to a second workstream from a second user are received. The hierarchical data in the general database is edited according to the edits made by the first user and the second user. A full organization view of persons and positions in the organization that includes the edits made by the first user and the second user is displayed.

Abstract: Provided is a question answering system with respect to a natural language question and a method thereof. The question answering system includes a candidate answer generating unit configured to extract a document mapped to an input natural language question, and generate candidate answers with respect to the natural language question from the extracted document, a text entailment recognizing unit configured to generate a text entailment recognition result representing a degree of association between multiple evidence sentences including the generated candidate answers and the natural language question, a list generating unit configured to generate a candidate answer list including the multiple evidence sentences in high association degree order on the basis of the text entailment recognition result, and an output unit configured to output the generated candidate answer list as a search result with respect to the natural language question.

Abstract: Novel methods and systems for the privacy preserving mining of string data with the use of simple template based models. Such template based models are effective in practice, and preserve important statistical characteristics of the strings such as intra-record distances. Discussed herein is the condensation model for anonymization of string data. Summary statistics are created for groups of strings, and use these statistics are used to generate pseudo-strings. It will be seen that the aggregate behavior of a new set of strings maintains key characteristics such as composition, the order of the intra-string distances, and the accuracy of data mining algorithms such as classification. The preservation of intra-string distances is a key goal in many string and biological applications which are deeply dependent upon the computation of such distances, while it can be shown that the accuracy of applications such as classification are not affected by the anonymization process.

Abstract: A data item name constituting a source data schema is extracted (1051), a data item name constituting a target data schema is extracted (1052), element concepts included in the extracted data item names of the source data schema and the target data schema are extracted (1053), a distinctive relation between the data item names is set based on the extracted element concepts to be stored in an ontology (1061), the data item names of the source data schema and the target data schema are read, a correlation is set between the two read data item names based on the distinctive relation to be stored in a mapping definition file (1071).

Abstract: A data processing method comprises receiving a search term, accessing a data store, the data store including at least one searchable element, selecting components of the search elements, each component containing the search term, and creating a list of the components, the list including an indicator of the occurrence of the component.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for including collection items in the ranked set of search results that are returned to a user in response to a search query. Collection scoring techniques are also provided for generating relevance scores for collection items in a different manner than relevance scores are generated for base items that are not collections. The collection scoring techniques may be applied to non-base collection items, base collection items, or both. Items that match the search query, including base items and collection items, are ranked in a unified ranking based on their respective relevance scores, thereby allowing searches to readily determine the relevance ranking of matching collection items relative to matching base items.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for improving performance when retrieving data from one or more storage media. Files to be stored on the one or more storage media are classified into a ranking of different sets. Differences in retrieval value of different regions of the one or more storage media are exploited by selecting which files to store in which regions. For example, files that have a higher classification are stored in regions with faster retrieval values. The files can be classified based on frequency of access. Thus, files that are more frequently accessed are stored in regions that have a faster retrieval value. The files can be classified by another measure such as priority. For example, the classification for some or all of the files can be based on user-assigned priority. The classification may be based on events or data grouping.

Abstract: An information managing system includes a parameter setting unit for setting a parameter representative of an attribute of a user and information to be retrieved, and an information relevance space generator for generating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between the user and the information to be retrieved, based on the parameter set by the parameter setting unit.

Abstract: Techniques for operating an archival database, referred to as a historian, are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for synchronizing historical archive files and/or archival data between a primary and a secondary historian used to archive data values from a real-time database. The real-time database may be used to monitor the current operational state of a large industrial system, such as a pipeline. In turn, the historian may be used to archive the data stored by the real-time database. In the event that either the primary or the secondary system (or both) goes down and then comes back online at a later time, embodiments of the invention may be used to synchronize data between the primary and secondary historian systems.

Abstract: A system is described for discovering query intent based on search queries and concept networks. The system may construct frequency vectors from log data corresponding to a submitted query and at least one related query submitted to one or more search engines. The system may also construct a query intent vector based on the frequency vectors. The query intent vector may include frequency scores that represent the intent of the query.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of configuring a database system for a global attribute search may include receiving a first user-actuated input in a distributed computing system that comprises multiple executable software applications. The software applications may process data objects in the system, and the data objects may have attributes and corresponding attribute values that are stored in two or more attribute repositories of an attribute system. The first user-actuated input may identify a user-selected attribute having an attribute name. The computer-implemented method may receive a second user-actuated input that identifies a user-determined alias name.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for capturing data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process. Schema including input requests for the data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process are specified. The schema can then be transformed into a template which includes the input requests and which conforms to the schema. The template can then be interpreted, and the input requests can be presented to a data provider. Structured data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process can then be generated based on responses to the input requests.