Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for caching information objects transmitted using a computer network. A cache engine determines directly when and where to store those objects in a memory (such as RAM) and mass storage (such as one or more disk drives), so as to optimally write those objects to mass storage and later read them from mass storage, without having to maintain them persistently. The cache engine actively allocates those objects to memory or to disk, determines where on disk to store those objects, retrieves those objects in response to their network identifiers (such as their URLs), and determines which objects to remove from the cache so as to maintain sufficient operating space. The cache engine collects information to be written to disk in write episodes, so as to maximize efficiency when writing information to disk and so as to maximize efficiency when later reading that information from disk.

Abstract: A method for registering a user for an online service includes receiving an initial access to an online service by a prospective user and determining whether the user has provided a valid user identifier (ID). If the prospective user fails to provide a valid user ID, automatically generating a memorable user identifier (ID), without acquiring any personal information regarding the prospective user, to enable the prospective user to anonymously access the online service.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for runtime remediation of object-code instructions (such as date instructions that are not year 2000 compliant) in a computer program. Before runtime, a setup function of a program monitor locates each instruction to be remediated in a load module of a user program and overlays the instruction with a trap instruction. The address of the overlaid instruction is stored in a scan slot of a window control table (WCT). The text of the overlaid instruction is stored in a corresponding operand slot of the WCT along with control information including a set of flags and windowing and cycling parameters. At runtime, upon decoding a trap instruction, the CPU transfers control to an instruction simulation function of the program monitor, which searches the scan slots of the WCT for the one containing the address of the overlaid instruction.

Abstract: A method for the compression of a telephone number database in a telecommunications system. The telephone number database contains a plurality of data records each having a specific dialing pattern, and each dialing pattern has a specific local network code number for a corresponding local network. According to the present invention, superfluous dialing patterns are eliminated or, as far as possible, are combined in a more general and shorter dialing pattern, in order in this way to obtain a compressed telephone number database which requires a smaller amount of memory in the telecommunications system and allows the time required to set up a call to be shortened.

Abstract: The present invention relates to computer-based technology for linking or matching records in data files, based on at least one identifier in common, with a threshold probability that records are linked, the method uses a Bayesian probabilistic approach to determine the likelihood that the identified records are linked.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for verifying hyperlinks on a web site. The method includes generating a hyperlink database including a plurality of hyperlinks and a uniform resource locator associated with each hyperlink. An Internet browser application is initiated and the Internet browser application attempts to retrieve content in response to the uniform resource locator. A presence or absence of an error is detected in retrieving the content. A web site administrator is notified of the results.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the purchase of fine-grained resource purchases, such as utility resources or access to limited highway lanes. Real time pricing based upon current demand and/or usage is periodically determined. Access to that real time pricing information is obtained by individual users via a distributed computing network or radio frequency broadcast system and utilization of those resources is then locally controlled based upon that pricing information. Access to limited highway lanes may be priced based upon current actual utilization and pricing information is then broadcast, permitting users to selectively access those lanes based upon real time pricing decisions by those users.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system and method of reducing allocated vehicle warranty costs from a stored historical repair database of repairs wherein the database contains information related to repair areas, repair costs, and repair descriptions. The method includes inputting the information into the database for subsequent downloading. The method further includes downloading the information into a file of a computer-based program from the database, ranking the information by repair cost, and sorting the ranked information by repair area to define groups of repair areas having repairs ranked by cost. The method further includes identifying within each group of repair areas those repair descriptions having a relatively high cost within each respective group so that work to be performed on the repairs may be prioritized in accordance with the ranking in order to reduce the warranty costs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a computer for processing a document retrieved from a server connected to the computer by a communications link. A document is retrieved from the server over the communications link. The document is parsed. A determination is made as to whether a command to open a window is present within the document. The window is opened selectively based on a setting.

Abstract: Guided self-help is facilitated through use of so-called “active content” pages that are selectively viewable by given “audiences” within a technical support chain automation system. Active content is Web-based content (e.g., content viewable by a Web browser) that has one or more diagnostic maps initiated when certain actions are taken According to the invention, users are assigned to a hierarchy of audiences. A given audience within the hierarchy has the right to view active content written for that audience and active content written for any audience within the hierarchy at a lower level in the hierarchy. Given segments or portions of an active content database are associated with given audiences in the hierarchy. Thus, during a guided technical support session initiated by a user, given active content is served to the user as a function of the audience to which the user has been assigned.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for defining a Virtual Private Network (VPN) by the sum of a plurality of policy segments. Each policy segment is composed of a policy segment name, a policy segment type, a VPN device list, a policy template, a quality of service template and a connection type. The policy segment type can include Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Differential Services (DiffServ) or Reservation Protocol (RSVP). The group of devices in a policy segment are it specified in a device list which is a collection of other device lists and/or device interface profiles. The group of common policy components are specified in a policy template. Policy templates contain the condition and action references that are used to generate policies for the policy segment. The condition reference includes a validity period and a traffic profile. The action reference includes at least one of an IPsec action, a DiffServ action or an RSVP action.

Abstract: A method for strictly managing group membership in Internet multicast applications is disclosed. The method comprises a group creation and enrollment step, a group announcement step, a group query step, a group information acquisition step, a group registration step, a leaving of the group step, a failure information response step and a fragment message transmission step. In the group creation and enrollment step, a group management server creates a group and performs group registration. In the group announcement step, the group management server announces the created group. In the group query step, the group management client inquires the group information of the group management server. In the group information acquisition step, the group management client joins a known group address and acquires the group information. In the group registration step, the group management client enrolls in the group management server. In the leaving of the group step, the group management client leaves the group.

Abstract: A database grouping and display system that groups a database by row and column in response to a user input. The database grouping and display system displays a raw, ungrouped database and allows a user to manipulate it as desired. The system displays the raw database and any manipulation results within a window of a web browser, thus allowing data analysis to be performed with the use of a common and inexpensive program. A user may group a database in order to group record entries within the database by common data entry. The user may group the record entries by row, by column, or by row and column. Each record entry grouping is referred to as a “metacell.” The database grouping and display system may further summarize the contents of each metacell and present a summary result along with the display of the metacell. This summary value is typically invoked for all metacells, but may alternately apply to a single row, column, or metacell, or for the entire document.

Abstract: A method, computer product, and system for rewriting database without decreasing pushdownability is provided. First, a pushdown analysis of the query in its entirety is performed prior to the application of any query rewrite rules in order to establish a baseline on pushdownability for the query. The results of this analysis is stored with the internal query representation. After each rule is applied to rewrite a portion of a query, that rewritten portion is analyzed again for pushdownability. If pushdownability is not decreased, then the rewritten query remains and the internal representation of the query is updated to reflect the pushdownability of that portion. If pushdownability is decreased, then an undo operation is applied to the rewritten portion of the query to back out the effects of the rule and leave the query in the same state as before the rewrite. Finally, additional rewrite rules that are directed to the heterogeneous database environment are also provided.

Abstract: A method for retrieving information related to a desired item from a database storing information which are collected from a system to be monitored is disclosed. A plurality of states of the system are displayed in time sequence on screen of a display. Each of the states is represented by a plurality of items of collected information. When inputting a desired item of a state selected from the states displayed on the screen, a state of the system is retrieved from the database based on the desired item, and the retrieved state is displayed on the screen.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a data delivery system for delivering oilfield data from an acquisition site to a remote delivery site comprising a central data hub computer that processes a workflow order for controlling delivery of the oilfield data, a data acquisition site computer that transmits oilfield data over a first communications network to the central data hub in near real-time in response to the workflow order and a data server that receives data from the central data hub over a second communications network. The data server communicates with multiple remote delivery site computers for the simultaneous display of oilfield data in near real-time at the multiple delivery site computers in response to the workflow order.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for searching a list of entries. Each entry is comprised of multiple fields. Each field in the entry may include one of a range of possible values for that field. If search criteria is provided for less than all of the fields, then multiple search keys will be generated such that each generated search key includes a search value for each field. The search value for each field for which there are no provided search criteria comprises one of the possible values for that field. A search operation is executed for each of the generated search keys to determine entries in the list that include field values that match the search values in the search key.

Abstract: Data moves between multiple, disparate data sources and the object-oriented computer programs that process the data. A data access server is interposed between the object-oriented programs and the data sources, and acts as an intermediary. The intermediary server receives requests for data access from object-oriented computer programs, correlates each request to one or more interactions with one or more data sources, performs each required interaction, consolidates the results of the interactions, and presents a singular response to the requesting computer program. The consolidated response from the intermediary server contains data items requested by the computer program, information regarding the hierarchical topology that relates the data items, and an indication of the possible object types that might embody the data items. The application program receives the consolidated response and builds an object hierarchy to embody the data items and to interface them to the rest of the application program.

Abstract: In a network-access management system, addresses of pages which at least one client terminal has accessed in the past are stored in a history table in association with user ID information. When a connection request from the client terminal is detected, display data according to the access frequency and type of the addresses stored in the history table and the performance of the client terminal is created, anchors for the addresses (or object images having an anchoring function) are pasted into the display data, and the display data thus created is sent to the client terminal. The client terminal displays the display data. When a user select the anchors, the client terminal is connected to the information associated to the anchor through the network-access management system and the network.

Abstract: A computer system implements a datastore for a plurality of generic terminal objects. Terminal objects are related to zero or more association objects that represent a relation between a plurality of terminal objects. An association object is typed according to the relationship being represented between the terminal objects. An association object has a state value corresponding to a state of the relation between the plurality of terminal objects. An association object also has a role object for each of the plurality of terminal objects being related to the association object. An association object may also represent the dynamic state of a single terminal object. A role object represents a relation between the association object and a terminal object. The role object is typed according to the relationship being represented between the associated object and the terminal object, and the role type is unique amongst the role objects within the association object.