Abstract: A search server and method for providing search results are provided in which search results can be transmitted efficiently to a client computer that uses a browser that changes plural displays of contents using a virtual three-dimensional space. The server comprises a web page information storing portion for collecting web page information and URLs from a network so as to store them, a keyword obtaining portion for obtaining a keyword from the client computer, a keyword searching portion for searching web page information containing the obtained keyword, a reference URL obtaining portion for obtaining a URL of a web page to be a reference, and a link searching portion for searching a chain of links from the web page to be a reference to the web page obtained by the keyword searching portion. The search server transmits a list of URL trains corresponding to the chain of links to the client computer.

Abstract: A method and system for asserting a lock in a distributed file system is provided. All distributed locks have a lease for a limited time period, wherein the lease may be renewed periodically. A lock manager data structure is provided to maintain mode compatibility of locks granted to different client nodes for the same object. The process of acquiring or reasserting a lock includes determining whether there are other valid locks in use, as well as whether a valid lock is in operation in a conflicting or compatible mode with a requested lock. A new lock lease may be granted and a lock lease which has expired may be reasserted if a conflicting lease is not present.

Abstract: A computer system identifies jobs affected by a fault which occurs in any device or mechanism in a storage system to control the execution of such jobs. The computer system includes a DBMS server device, a virtualization switch device, and storage device. Each of these devices holds part of data mapping information on a data mapping path from a particular DB table accessed by a job, through a logical volume for storing the table, to physical disk units for distributively storing data on the volume. The management server device acquires the part of data mapping information from each device, and integrates the data mapping information on a job-by-job basis. When any device or mechanism fails on the data mapping path, the management server device identifies jobs affected by the fault with reference to the data mapping information. The management server device also controls the execution of these jobs.

Abstract: A system and method for resource handling provides for receiving a query and providing a response. The query is used to search resources locally available. Metadata is associated with each of the resources. The resources and the metadata are both analyzed with respect to the query such that a response indicative of a match between at least two of the resources and the query is a ranked search result included in the response. The invention is exemplified in an adaptation to peer-to-peer network applications.

Abstract: A measure expression may include a relationship between measures defined by an arithmetic operation. A query may request a calculation of the measure expression over a selected range of attributes. The request may be processed by retrieving all rows comprising data within the selected range of attributes for each measure in the expression through a single access to an associated table.

Abstract: A system and method for providing insurance protection against loss of contributions to tax favored defined contribution plans should an active employee/participant become disabled. The invention manages the administration of a disability insurance policy held inside the plan that continues contributions to the plan during a period of disability, where the coverage amount for each participant is determined by the level of contributions made by or for each participant.

Abstract: A cache server prefetches one or more web pages from an origin server prior to those web pages being requested by a user. The cache server determines which web pages to prefetch based on a graph associated with a prefetch module associated with the cache server. The graph represents all or a portion of the web pages at the origin server using one or more nodes and one or more links connecting the nodes. Each link has an associated transaction weight and user weight. The transaction weight represents the importance of the link and associated web page to the origin server and may be used to control the prefetching of web pages by the cache server. The user weight may be used to change a priority associated with a request for a web page. The user weight and transaction weight may change based on criteria associated with the origin server.

Abstract: Large messages in the form of hierarchically structured documents are processed in a streaming fashion using the ultimate consumer read requests as the driving force for the processing. The messages are partitioned into fixed length segments. The segments are processed in pipeline fashion. This processing chain includes simulating random access of hierarchical documents using stream transformations, mapping streams to a transport's native capabilities, composing streams into chains and using pipeline processing on the chains, staging fragments into a database and routing messages when complete messages have been formed, and providing tools to allow the end user to inspect partial messages.

Abstract: A method and system for searching a collaborative document database. The method comprises the steps of providing parent documents and child documents in said database; and for each parent document, building an index document listing a portion of said child documents. The method comprises the further steps of providing a search term, and searching all said index documents for said search term. Preferably, each child document is related to at least one of the parent documents; and the building step includes the step of identifying in the index document for each parent document, at least some of the child documents related to the parent document. With this embodiment, the searching step may include the step of, for each parent document, searching for the search term in the child documents identified in the index document for the parent document.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for managing encryption within a database system that is managed by a database administrator, and wherein a user administrator not otherwise associated with the database system, manages users of the database system. This system performs encryption automatically and transparently to a user of the database system. The system operates by receiving a request to store data in a column of the database system. If a user has designated the column as an encrypted column, the system automatically encrypts the data using an encryption function. This encryption function uses a key stored in a keyfile managed by the security administrator. After encrypting the data, the system stores the data in the database system using a storage function of the database system.

Abstract: The present invention includes an observation management system for the organization of documents and observational information items relating to construction defect litigation. The observation manage system receives as an input various items of observational information that describe one or more building defects. After being input, the observational items are organized for indexing and retrieval purposes. The observation management system allows for the on-line display of each of the items of observational information. Further, the observation management system provides a utility for assigning responsibility to each of the noted defects to one or more subcontractors that may have caused the defects.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for automatically retrieving information associated with vehicles that must sequentially pass an entrance to a secure site. Prior to the entrance to the secure site, a plurality of vehicles can be aligned in a queue having a front end located at the secure site's entrance. When a vehicle enters the queue, identifying indicia on the vehicle's license tag is automatically transmitted to one or more remotely-located databases in order to retrieve information associated with the license tag. When the vehicle reaches the front of the queue, the information so-retrieved is automatically made available in a human recognizable format to security personnel at the secure site's entrance.

Abstract: A method of integrating case based reasoning data and FMECA data for product life cycle support. The method comprises creating an access path to case based data using a FMECA classification. The creating includes receiving a case based record including heading data. The heading data includes data elements and the data elements are correlated with data fields in a FMECA database. The FMECA database is searched for an entry that includes one or more of the data elements. The creating further includes determining if the entry should include a reference to the case based record. A new pointer to the case based record is inserted if the determining results in finding that the entry should include a reference to the case based record. The method for integrating case based reasoning data and FMECA data further comprises receiving a request from a user to access the case based data. The case based data is accessed via the FMECA database using the access path in response to the request.

Abstract: The invention relates to a search engine (2) implemented by a decision application server (1) acting on a relational database (6) that contains a set of target records. The engine (2) is activated by queries for selecting records based on given criteria and comprises means (8) for preconditioning the database (6) supplying a preconditioned encoded table (10), periodically updated at the same time as the relational database (6) itself, to a machine with vectorial capabilities (9) in order for it to be processed. It also comprises means (7) for extracting target records, activated by the queries based on the result of the processing of the table (10) installed in the machine with vectorial capabilities (9), from the relational database (6). It particularly applies to data warehousing systems.

Abstract: A search system on the Internet provides a search result in response to search criteria provided by a user. The search system comprises a robot agent for extracting web document information and layout images of web documents on the Internet; a first database for storing the web document information extracted by the robot agent; a second database for storing the layout images extracted by the robot agent; and a search unit for retrieving web document information and layout images, a, from the first database and the second database, respectively, in response to the search criteria.

Abstract: The invention relates to backup processing for performing backup of data used in an information processing device having a storage unit. When data has been updated, updated bit information indicating that the data has been updated is stored in an update bitmap management table stored in the storage unit. When the number of updated bit information in the update bitmap management table has reached a differential backup reference value for estimating differential backup time, the backup of data corresponding to the updated information is commanded. When the command for the backup is received, the updated bit information stored in the update bitmap management table in the storage unit is read out. Then, the backup of the data corresponding to the updated bit information is obtained.

Abstract: A method and arrangement in a distributed system for synchronizing configuring data at a receiving unit with corresponding source configuring data. The configuring data and the source configuring data are arranged in one or preferably several groups of data. Reference checksums are calculated (201) for each data group. The receiving unit determines (202) whether the content in each data group of the configuring data at the receiving unit matches the corresponding reference checksum. The receiving unit requests (203) the source unit to transfer copies to the receiving unit of the source configuring data in those data groups for which a mismatch is detected. The requested data is downloaded (204) from the source unit to the receiving unit.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for the merging of multiple map databases. These multiple map databases can be stored on separate media. Each map database is comprised of whole parcels and conforms to a baseline parcelization pattern. At run time in a navigation system, a single parcel index is constructed that contains references to parcels from the multiple map databases. References to parcels use a combined media directory covering all media objects. The combined media directory is created by merging tables of contents from each media object. This method can be used to incrementally update a geographic database.

Abstract: A search engine system is provided in which inputted data in various configurations is first passed through transitional translation layers which convert the data in its multiple configurations to a common or kernel computer form and language. The data is operated on and stored in the kernel form and language. The operated on data is then outputted through transitional translation layers and provided in the desired format the same or different from the input form and language.

Abstract: A method, computer program and database system are disclosed for joining a plurality of tables T1 through TN, where each of the tables has an associated Star Map, S1 through SN, respectively. Each Star Map includes bitmap entries having locations indexed by the hash of one or more values associated with one or more join key columns of its associated table. A bitmap entry in a Star Map, if set, indicates the presence of a row in its associated table that has entries in the one or more join key columns that together hash to the location of the bitmap entry. The method includes a) performing a Boolean operation using the bitmap entries of the Star Maps S1 through SN to produce a join Star Map SJ, b) using SJ to select rows from the tables T1 through TN, and c) joining the resulting rows to produce a join result.