Abstract: An optimization technique is provided that optimizes data access by mapping each table, or row and/or column in a table, to a particular query, depending on whether the data in said table, row or column is ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ data. In one aspect, the invention features a method for optimizing the access time of an SQL query to a database including data. The method includes receiving, for each query type, a data frequency access measure and associating each query type with a processing rule set, according to the received data frequency access measure.

Abstract: Methods and systems for use in labeling documents within a cluster are provided. One example method includes assembling a set of documents including a first plurality of previously clustered documents and a second plurality of documents. Each of the first plurality of previously clustered documents has at least one label identifying a topic to which content of the document relates. The method includes partitioning documents from the set of documents into multiple clusters, determining if a dominant topic exists within one of the multiple clusters, determining a metric value for one of the multiple clusters based on the number of documents within the one of the multiple clusters having a label identifying the determined dominant topic, and labeling at least documents from the second plurality of documents within the one of the multiple clusters with the label identifying the dominant topic when the metric value exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A system in accordance with the invention may include a data memory storing a multi-dimensional (e.g., a two-dimensional) data structure. An address generation unit is provided to calculate real addresses in order to access the multi-dimensional data structure in a desired pattern. The address generation unit may be configured to calculate real addresses by moving across the multi-dimensional data structure between pairs of end points. The pairs of end points (as well as parameters such as the step size between the end points) may be pre-programmed into the address generation unit prior to accessing the multi-dimensional data structure. A processor, such as a vector processor, may be configured to access (e.g., read or write data to) the data structure at the real addresses calculated by the address generation unit.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for enabling the automated selection of keywords for rapid keyword portfolio expansion are disclosed. Various embodiments are operable to normalize a plurality of keywords received from a source, filter the normalized plurality of keywords against one or more keyword filtration lists, produce site-specific variants of the filtered plurality of keywords, associate at least one level of dimension data with each of the plurality of keywords, and store the processed plurality of keywords and dimension data in a keyword database.

Abstract: A method and system for collecting statistics on database tables. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a plurality of tables for statistics collection, wherein each table of the plurality of tables are remote tables; examining at least one attribute for each table identified for statistics collection; prioritizing the tables for statistics collection based on the at least one attribute; and collecting statistics on the identified tables in a priority sequence.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing entities using observations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data identifying an entity; generating a user interface document that, when rendered by a user device, presents a plurality of attribute values to a user and allows the user to modify one or more of the plurality of attribute values; and storing an observation in a data store, the observation including a user-modified value of one of the plurality of attribute values and a context including one or more of the presented attribute values.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to automating evolution of schemas and mappings. In aspects, mappings between a conceptual model and a store model are updated automatically in response to a change that occurs to the conceptual model. For example, when a change occurs to the conceptual model, a local scope of the change is determined. The local scope indicates mappings that are most similar to the type(s) affected by the change. Based on the local scope, a pattern of mappings between the conceptual model and the store model is determined. Using this pattern and the nature of the change, the mappings are updated according to the pattern. In addition, the store model and data thereon may be updated in a manner to preserve existing data that is not to be deleted in response to the change.

Abstract: Techniques for maintaining a cascading index are provided. In one approach, one or more branch node compression techniques are applied to the main index of a cascading index. In an approach, a Bloom filter is generated and associated with, e.g., a branch node in the main index. The Bloom filter is used to determine whether, without accessing any leaf blocks, a particular key value exists, e.g., in leaf blocks associated with the branch node. In an approach, a new redo record is generated in response to a merge operation between two levels of the cascading index. The new redo record comprises (a) one or more addresses of blocks that are affected by the merge operation, (b) data is that being “pushed down” to a lower level of the cascading index, and (c) one or more addresses of blocks that are written to storage as a result of the merge operation.

Abstract: A system, computer program, and method for storing and sharing images such as photographs via a communications network (16) and for permitting the identification of objects within the images. The invention allows the identification of objects such as persons within the photos without requiring the person submitting the photos to type in identification information for each and every photo in a photo album. The invention also allows users to automatically share their photos with others and to automatically search for photos and/or certain people in photos.

Abstract: Recommendation systems are widely used in Internet applications. In current recommendation systems, users only play a passive role and have limited control over the recommendation generation process. As a result, there is often considerable mismatch between the recommendations made by these systems and the actual user interests, which are fine-grained and constantly evolving. With a user-powered distributed recommendation architecture, individual users can flexibly define fine-grained communities of interest in a declarative fashion and obtain recommendations accurately tailored to their interests by aggregating opinions of users in such communities. By combining a progressive sampling technique with data perturbation methods, the recommendation system is both scalable and privacy-preserving.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to receive requests to execute a plurality of compression and/or decompression mechanisms on one or more database objects; to execute each of the compression and/or decompression mechanisms, on a sampled basis, on the database objects; to determine comparative performance characteristics associated with each of the compression and/or decompression mechanisms; and to record at least some of the performance characteristics and/or derivative characteristics derived from the performance characteristics in a performance summary table. The table may be published to a storage medium or a display screen. Other apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of tools and techniques for performing contextual searches using text determined based on digital-ink data. According to one exemplary technique, digital-ink data is received at a computing device and text is determined based on the digital-ink data. Additionally, by an application of the computing device, a contextual search is performed using the text.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for identifying an influencer from a pool of people based on past interactions with one or more items. A popularity metric is determined for a particular item, and an earliness of interaction metric is determined for a person in the pool based on an interaction with the particular item by the person. A prescience metric is calculated for the person based on the popularity metric and the earliness of interaction metric for the person, and the influencer is identified based on the prescience metric for the person and prescience metrics calculated for other people in the pool.

Abstract: A system may include a database server configured to store at least one enrichment file. The system may further include a usage data server including an enrichment process configured to receive a plurality of usage records representative of a plurality of subscriber communications over a communications network, receive an enrichment file from the database server including additional information regarding network activity, and enrich at least a portion of the usage records according to the enrichment file.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating pluggable domain-specific data types are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods for generating pluggable domain-specific data types may include determining a schema for the domain-specific data type, the schema including a data protocol that defines how data units are to be encoded into a domain-specific data unit, the domain-specific data unit including two or more data units received from one or more data sources, generating the domain-specific data type utilizing the determined schema, the domain-specific data type having a pluggable format such that the domain-specific data type may be utilized by a third-party application, and storing the domain-specific data type in a pluggable domain-specific data type library.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for creating and executing a client workflow for web data extraction. For example, the disclosed embodiments provide a system for web data extraction. The system includes a data storage component configured for storing a plurality of preconfigured reusable software components that provide services for creating a client workflow for web data extraction. The system also includes a communication interface operable to receive workflow definitions from a client for creating the client workflow for web data extraction utilizing at least one of the plurality of preconfigured reusable software components. The system has a processor for executing instructions to run the client workflow for web data extraction.

Abstract: Processing repetitive database queries may include receiving a database query having a connection identifier, determining whether a queue for database queries contains an earlier database query matching the received database query, identifying the second database query as matching the first database query if the queue contains an earlier matching database query, receiving query results for the earlier matching database query from a database server, and forwarding query results to the clients associated with both database queries using corresponding connection identifiers.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for content ranking are disclosed. Historical click-through rates of first and second content items for a query are determined from an analysis of click logs and query logs. Temporal changes in the historical click-through rate of the first and second content items are identified. The rankings of the first and second content items are adjusted based on the temporal change.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining the Internet search popularity of an entity are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving a group of Internet search records and assigning a popularity ranking based on the number of times an entity descriptor associated with an entity occurs within the group of Internet search records created over a designated time period. An entity descriptor is one or more terms commonly used to identify an entity. The trend in an entity's popularity rank may also be calculated. An entity's popularity rank and trend in popularity rank may be presented in a graph or in a list.

Abstract: Current data records having a start and end time are transformed into a 2D space having a first dimension for each data record's start time and a second dimension for each data record's end time. Historical queries specifying data ranges are obtained. A response was previously sent for each historical query and specifying a sub-portion of data records that overlap with such historical query's specified data range. Partitioning schemes for the current data records in the 2D space are generated. An optimum partitioning scheme having a lowest cost is selected based on costs of executing the historical queries with respect to each of the partitioning schemes. The optimum partitioning scheme is applied on the current data records, including newly received data records, in the 2D space so that any subsequently received queries are applied against the current data records as partitioned by the optimum partitioning scheme in the 2D space.