Abstract: Overlay datasets provide an efficient, flexible and scalable mechanism to represent the logical replication of one or more prior defined datasets. Only changes made to an entity in an overlay dataset's underlying dataset are replicated into the overlay dataset (such changes do not affect the underlying dataset). Read operations directed to the overlay dataset will find entities in the overlay dataset if they exist and in the underlying dataset(s) if no overlay-specific entity exists. Accordingly, overlay datasets provide an efficient mechanism for making changes to an existing dataset without suffering the high processing time and storage overhead associated with prior art copying and versioning techniques. Overlay datasets also provide a natural mechanism to keep two or more datasets in synchronization because changes to a base or underlying dataset's entities are “visible” in its associated overlay dataset (unless the entity has been modified in the overlay dataset).

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for improving the efficiency of garbage collection in a deduplication system by intelligently managing storage of deduplication segments. When a duplicate segment is identified, a reference count for an already maintained segment is incremented only if the already maintained segment has the same lifecycle as the identified duplicate segment. In some instances, an already maintained segment is assumed to have the same lifecycle if it is not stale or the age is not significantly different from the age of the newly identified duplicate. If the already maintained segment is has a different lifecycle, the new segment is stored again even though duplicates are already maintained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for personal trend management is provided. A request is received to associate a template with a user. The template includes instructions that define one or more data analysis strategies. Data associated with a data collection device that includes time stamped events associated with the user is received. Based on a strategy defined in the template and the data received from the data collection device, a result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the events is generated.

Abstract: In a system for delivering information to and displaying information on a networked device of a user, a microprocessor is coupled to a database and a memory device. The microprocessor runs a software application for delivering an applet application to the networked device and managing the delivery of the applet application. The applet application provides for the display of information on the networked device by an applet. The database stores a first set of information relating to the user, and the memory device includes a second set of information for comparison to the first set of information, and a third set of information for display by the applet. The microprocessor compares the first set of information to the second set of information to determine whether to transmit the third set of information to the networked device for display by the applet.

Abstract: An extensible file system format for portable storage media is provided. The extensible file system format includes the specification of primary and secondary directory entry types that may be custom defined. The primary and secondary directory entry types can be further classified as critical and benign directory entries.

Abstract: A method for obtaining contextually related instances. The method comprises providing a map of a plurality of contextual relations between a plurality of instance types and a plurality of functionalities. Each one of the functionalities is associated with one of the mapped contextual relations and configured for providing one or more instances of a respective type. The method further comprises receiving a contextual linkage between a known instance and a requested instance, identifying a match between the contextual linkage and a segment of the map, and obtaining the requested instance by using the known instance along with a group of which is selected from the functionalities; each member of the group is associated with a contextual relation in the segment.

Abstract: Techniques for estimating a cost of executing a query are provided. A query includes multiple predicates, each of which is associated with a selectivity value that indicates a percentage of input that satisfies the condition of the corresponding predicate. The selectivity values are used to determine an estimated cost of executing the query. In one technique, a group of multiple predicates of a query are treated as a single predicate. Thus, a single selectivity value, rather than multiple selectivity values, is determined for that group. In a related technique, instead of determining a selectivity value of a predicate in isolation with respect to other predicates of a query, the selectivity value of a set of one or more predicates in a query is generated based on other predicates in the query.

Abstract: A database query governor determines when a query cannot be executed within a defined time threshold, but still executes the query or some variant of the query so partial results for the query may be returned to the user after executing for less than the defined time threshold, instead of an error message indicating the query was not executed at all. The partial results provide information to the user that may be sufficient for some applications, or may indicate to the user how the query could be modified to run in less time.

Abstract: A database query governor determines when a query cannot be executed within a defined time threshold, but still executes the query or some variant of the query so partial results for the query may be returned to the user after executing for less than the defined time threshold, instead of an error message indicating the query was not executed at all. The partial results provide information to the user that may be sufficient for some applications, or may indicate to the user how the query could be modified to run in less time.

Abstract: Embodiments of a classification pipeline disclosed herein have the ability to both collect data as it occurs and dynamically redact it, allowing ongoing statistics to be gathered and maintained while simultaneously constraining the total amount of storage capacity that must be dedicated to such a purpose. Various types of information can be extracted from or obtained on the object through the classification pipeline. In one embodiment, the classification pipeline comprises a plurality of layers implemented as a set of services available to network clients through a Web interface or an Applications Programming Interface (API). Each client can subscribe to one or more layers of the classification pipeline at their leisure and tailor their classification pipeline configuration through the interface. The classification pipeline can be configured to collaborate with other software to provide a consistent snapshot of the state of a network environment based on data collected at the time.

Abstract: A database federation mechanism permits one or more applications external to the database to be registered. Applications so registered may be automatically invoked in response to database queries—where such invocation utilizes data from specific database entries.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for generalizing a user-submitted query by forming one or more variants of the user-submitted query to generate one or more other queries, each of the one or more other queries being different from the user-submitted query. A generalized quality of result statistic is derived for a first document from respective data associated with each of the other queries, each respective data being indicative of user behavior relative to the first document as a search result for the associated other query. The generalized quality of result statistic is provided as the quality of result statistic input to a document ranking process for the first document and the user-submitted query.

Abstract: A query facility for database queries dynamically determines whether selective portions of a database table are likely to benefit from separate query execution strategies, and constructs an appropriate separate execution strategies accordingly. Preferably, the database contains at least one relatively large table comprising multiple partitions, each sharing the definitional structure of the table and containing a different respective discrete subset of the table records. The query facility compares metadata for different partitions to determine whether sufficiently large differences exist among the partitions, and in appropriate cases selects one or more partitions for separate execution strategies. Preferably, partitions are ranked for separate evaluation using a weighting formula which takes into account: (a) the number of indexes for the partition, (b) recency of change activity, and (c) the size of the partition.

Abstract: Discovering content on a device. Content stored on a device can be examined or searched based on the programming of channels that are available to the device. The content can be searched using other rules related to user preferences. Based on the results of the examination of the content, playlists are generated. Each playlist includes content from the device that matches or partially matches the content associated with one of the channels. Using the playlists, a user can load content from their device that has a theme consistent with a particular channel. The playlists can also be used to tune to the channels associated with the playlists and thereby discover the content on those channels.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may include establishing a proxy file system that facilitates file archiving for a primary file system that does not support file archiving. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a request to archive a file stored in a primary file system and copying the file to an archive file system such that a reference to the file is created in the proxy file system. The computer-implemented method may further include replacing the file in the primary file system with a symbolic link that identifies the reference in the proxy file system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network file system includes at least one unmodified client and at least one unmodified physical file server (PFS). Each PFS has at least one file that is identified by an associated physical file handle (PFH). The network file system includes virtual file servers (VFSs) in a data path between the client(s) and the PFS(s). The network file system also includes a virtualized name space that is mapped to the PFS(s) and is provided to the client(s) by the VFS(s). The network file system further includes a virtualized ID space that is established in response to a request from a client. Within the ID space, each file is identified by a physical file handle (PFH) on a PFS. The PFH and PFS pair are mapped to provide a virtual file handle (VFH), and the map of the VFHs is allocated among the VFSs.

Abstract: Discovering content on a device. Content stored on a device can be examined or searched based on the programming of channels that are available to the device. The content can be searched using other rules related to user preferences. Based on the results of the examination of the content, playlists are generated. Each playlist includes content from the device that matches or partially matches the content associated with one of the channels. Using the playlists, a user can load content from their device that has a theme consistent with a particular channel. The playlists can also be used to tune to the channels associated with the playlists and thereby discover the content on those channels.

Abstract: Generating Business Process Execution Language (‘BPEL’) control flows to populate a data warehouse for analysis of data of an operational system including identifying source tables in the operational system and one or more corresponding target tables in the data warehouse; creating BPEL steps to represent links between each source table in the operational system and each corresponding target table in the data warehouse; determining a sequence for the BPEL step; and adding the BPEL steps to a BPEL control flow according to the determined sequence.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for efficiently backing up information are disclosed. In some embodiments, this comprises receiving data and analyzing the data. In some embodiments, the data may be manipulated. In some embodiments, the data may come from multiple sources. Chunk headers, data chunks and chunk maps are then created based on analyzing the data. Chunk headers store the data manipulation technique of the data chunk. In some embodiments, chunk headers store the size of the manipulated and un-manipulated data chunks. The chunk headers, data chunks and chunk maps are then organized into a datastream. The datastream is then stored in a storage device. In some embodiments, the received data may be discarded. In some embodiments, a chunk header is associated with a data chunk.