Abstract: Upon receipt of a segment name obtainment request, the segment name generation unit 104 generates a segment name composed of (1) a file name of a file to which the segment belongs and (2) a number indicating a serial number of the segment in the file. Upon receipt of an access request specifying a segment name, the segment identification unit 119 refers to the segment name to detect the file name and the serial number of the segment in the detected file. The segment position detection unit 106 then refers to the file information storage unit 102 and the segment information storage unit 103 to detect a position where a segment is to be accessed.

Abstract: An optimization technique for SQL queries, a program storage device storing the optimization program, and an apparatus for optimizing a query is provided. A query is analyzed to determine whether it includes a predicate for matching nullable operands and, if so, it is transformed to return TRUE when all operands are NULLs. If the DBMS supports this new function, the predicate is marked. If not, the predicate is re-written into a CASE expression having two SELECT clauses. The query is then executed in the computer to efficiently retrieve data from the relational database.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for incrementally maintaining a summary table derived from a plurality of base tables in a database stored on the computer. A plurality of modifications are applied to the base tables, and the applied modifications are then propagated to the summary table. The propagated modifications include an associated tag column containing a tag value, and the tag value indicates per row of the propagated modifications how many rows are to be added to or deleted from the summary table.

Abstract: A software-driven method for the initialization and defect management of re-writable optical media is provided. Embodiments include a software-driven method for the formatting of re-writable optical media to include defining a file system and writing a UDF reader to the optical media to enable implementation on a plurality of optical media devices in a plurality of operating system environments. The re-writable optical media is initialized using either user data or initialization patterns in a background operation to allow user interaction with the optical media during initialization. Data integrity is managed over the life of the re-writable optical media through use of a write count table with entries corresponding to each packet written to the re-writable optical media and tallied to prompt packet verification upon a pre-determined number of user writes to the packet.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and data structure for procuring, analyzing, and communicating dietary information, particularly information regarding the research, evaluation and selection of dietary products. The system provides a comprehensive combination of dietary information in a format that facilitates analysis, decision-making, and procurement of various dietary products based on factors, including an individual's medical nutritional needs, current medication(s), cooking skills, budgeted food expense, food preferences, food allergies, life stage, and lifestyle.

Abstract: According to the invention, a visitor kiosk for the capture and storage of personal information about visitors. The visitor kiosk is placed at the entry point to a facility being monitored. Each visitor signs in at the kiosk. Their business card and an image of their face are scanned. If they do not have a business card, their name and company are entered manually. They also enter the name of the person they are visiting and the purpose for their visit. The person they are visiting is notified of the arrival of the visitor by email or by voice telephone. The data about the visitor is stored locally or remotely. Automatic lookups of various information about the visitor are performed and communicated to the person being visited. A network interface allows users to enter information about visitors they are expecting to arrive. A telephone interface is provided for input of voice greetings as well as checking on the arrival status of visitors.

Abstract: A directory server includes a supplier server, a consumer server in communication with the supplier server, a plurality of pluggable services that manage replication of data contained within the directory server from the supplier server to the consumer server, and a change log maintained on the consumer server of data replicated to the consumer server. The replication of data is managed by the plurality of pluggable services using the change log.

Abstract: A method of constructing a profile comprising terms indicative of a characteristic of an entity commences when first electronic mail address, associated with a first entity, is created within a knowledge management system. The electronic mail address may be created automatically upon submission of an electronic mail document, or may be created manually by a systems administrator. A first electronic document is received via an electronic communications network at the first electronic mail address from a second entity, typically a user of the knowledge management system who is a registered and interactive user. The first electronic document is then parsed to identify profile terms therein. These profile terms are included within a first profile for the first entity. In this way, users of a knowledge management system may construct a profile of an entity (e.g., a customer) that is not a user of or participant within the knowledge management system.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) module allows volatile data generated by applications to be stored within volatile data files in the volatile memory. A file system tracks the location of all data files as residing in either volatile memory or nonvolatile memory and facilitates access to the volatile data files in volatile memory in a similar manner to accessing nonvolatile data files in nonvolatile memory. The file system exposes a set of application program interfaces (APIs) to allow applications to access the data files. The same APIs are used to access both volatile data files and nonvolatile data files. When an application requests access to a data file, the file system initially determines whether the application is authorized to gain access to the data file. If it is, the file system next determines whether the data file resides in volatile memory or nonvolatile memory. Once the memory region is identified, the file system identifies the physical location of the data file.

Abstract: Methods for determining database management system server hardware requirements as a function of user-supplied transactions per second requirements, maximum processor utilization, and server type. Methods are also provided for determining workload requirements as a function of the expected transaction composition of the system including the expected transaction execution rate in transactions per second and the percent of total workload contribution by each statement. In one method, each transaction is further specified as a set of SQL statements each having a parameter list, where the workload contribution of each SQL statement is calculated as a function of the SQL statement parameter list.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for controlling a controllable device, such as a projection device. In some embodiments of the invention, a projection system is provided including a projection device and a controller linked to the projection device via a network. The controller may be configured to query and command the projection device using a Projector Control Markup Language (PCML) defined using Extensible Markup Language (XML).

Abstract: A method for calculating and recalculating hardware requirements for a database management system computer. One method includes establishing default values for hardware utilization limits such as percent utilization of processors or network interface cards. Working copies of the hardware utilization limits can be initialized to the default utilization limits. Workload requirements can be obtained from a human user. In one method, the workload requirements are obtained as transactions per second value. In another embodiment, the workload requirements are obtained as a detailed list of transactions, expected execution rate of those transactions, and the composition of those transactions, including SQL statement type and parameters upon which those statements operate. The hardware requirements are then calculated so as to be within the hardware utilization limits, and can include discrete numbers of required hardware components such as processors and network interface cards.

Abstract: The present invention is related to databases and the exchange of scientific information. Specifically the invention disclosed a unified scientific database that allows researchers to easily share their data with other researches. The present invention also allows for the ease of data collection, annotation, storage, management, retrieval and analysis of scientific data through and into the database. In addition, it allows for archival storage and retrieval of data collected directly from laboratory instruments to ensure data consistency for patent and other purposes. It also allows for ease of sharing data between laboratories in remote locations. The present invention also supports the automated creation of experimental protocols.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for monitoring an executed query comprising at least one execution thread is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of executing the query; and while executing the query, storing an execution trace record for each execution thread in at least one execution log file. The execution trace record comprises execution trace information including a thread ID and a time stamp for the execution thread. The execution trace information can be recalled from the execution log file and presented to a user after execution of the query to allow post mortem analysis of the query. The article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the method steps described above.

Abstract: Data is stored in a persistent, user-defined, shareable in-memory database table. When a search request specifying a number of results to be retrieved from a desired starting point is received, the data is located in an in-memory database table and the specified number of results from the desired starting point are returned. Stored descriptors corresponding to search terms in the search request are retrieved and mapped to location information in a header area of the in-memory database table. Using the location information, data is retrieved either from a data area of the in-memory database table or from a relational data store. The data that is accessed via the in-memory database table is updated upon receiving an update request and may either be data in a data area of the in-memory database table or may be relational data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data records through a concept of families are provided. Example embodiments provide an enhanced record management system, a Data Family Record Management System (“DFRMS”), which maintains families of data. In one embodiment, the DFRMS comprises a command interface, an auto de-duplication engine, a query engine, and one or more data repositories. The DFRMS automatically processes imported data to insure a clean data repository and the management of the families of data. Each new data record is normalized, automatically inspected for related data records, automatically de-duped, and then added to a family when appropriate. Related data records can be directly related or indirectly related, for example, through multiply nested, embedded relationships. Once established, the family associations in the data repository are used to retrieve data records in response to user queries, such as to retrieve only a selected set of records from each family or from a selected set of families.

Abstract: A system and method for providing similarity indexing and searching in multi-dimensional databases. In one aspect, given a set of data points in a multidimensional space, the values of the data points on each dimension are partitioned into a plurality of grids, wherein each grid is assigned a grid value. Given a target data point, similarity candidates (i.e., data points that are similar to the target data point) are identified based on matching grid values. An inverted grid index comprising an index on the data points falling into each grid of each dimension is utilized to identify similarity candidates. A similarity selection process is employed to select the closest identified similarity candidates for output, which utilizes a similarity function to measure the closeness of each identified similarity candidate to the target data point. A preferred similarity function is one that considers a subset of the dimensions in which a point falls within a similar grid of the target point.

Abstract: A system prevents the creation of duplicate records and identifies, groups, and consolidates duplicate records and manages the associated workload. A method consolidates multiple records that are associated with a single entity and are stored in at least one record repository. The method involves identifying first and second records and applying record matching criteria to compare data element content of the first and second identified records to determine commonality data. The commonality data is indicative of a likelihood the first and second records are associated with a common entity. The first and second record content is merged into a composite record in response to the determined commonality data. One of the first and second records are selected as a surviving record based on earliest date of record creation or relative content of the first and second records.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a second database instance to more quickly process a request to execute a database statement that has previously been executed by a first database instance is described. In one embodiment, the method involves sending the database statement from the first database instance to the second database instance, and generating by the second database instance one or more structures needed to prepare the statement for execution, such as a parse tree and an execution plan for the statement. If at some point in the future, the second database instance receives a request to execute the same statement, the above structures can be used for execution, thereby eliminating the need for one or more potentially time-consuming operations, such as generation of a parse tree or execution plan for the statement.

Abstract: A method of converting a geospatial database into a compressive database for multiple dimensional data storage by constructing computer storage data language or format includes the steps of partitioning the geospatial database into a plurality of data segments; selecting a specific point position in each of the data segments as a reference point position (RPP), and then forming a set of reference point positions for the original geospatial database; providing a coordinate origin point for each of the data segments; converting the geodetic coordinates of the original geospatial database within each of the data segments into corresponding local coordinates, and converting the set of reference point positions and the local geodetic coordinates of each of the data segments into pixel coordinates in form of a pixel coordinate system to form a specific digital map database.