Abstract: A method for operating a computer data storage system is described. A plurality of requests are received from a client, each request of the plurality of requests having assigned a unique sequence number, each request being an input/output request to a data storage device. The plurality of requests is divided into a plurality of subsets of requests. A unique batch number is assigned to each subset of requests so that each subset of requests is assigned a unique batch number. A first subset of requests having a first batch number is executed in arbitrary order with respect to the sequence number of each request. A second subset of requests is executed in response to a second batch number after execution of all of the first subset of requests has completed.

Abstract: Delta compression after identity deduplication is disclosed. A first data segment is determined to be identical to a first previous data segment. A second data segment, not determined to be identical to a second previous data segment, is then determined to be similar to a third previous data segment.

Abstract: A parallel computer system adds entropy to improve the quality of random number generation by using parity errors as a source of entropy because parity errors are influenced by external forces such as cosmic ray bombardment, alpha particle emission, and other random or near-random events. By using parity errors and associated information to generate entropy, the quality of random number generation in a parallel computer system is increased.

Abstract: Systems and methods for retrieving data from a storage system having a plurality of storage pools are provided. The method comprises processing configurable data retrieval instructions to determine a first storage pool from which target backup data is to be retrieved, in response to a data restore request; and retrieving the target backup data from the first storage pool to satisfy the restore request. The configurable data retrieval instructions are managed by a source external to the storage system with administrative authority to change the configurable data retrieval instructions to optimize data restoration from the storage system.

Abstract: A parallel computer system adds entropy to improve the quality of random number generation by using parity errors as a source of entropy because parity errors are influenced by external forces such as cosmic ray bombardment, alpha particle emission, and other random or near-random events. By using parity errors and associated information to generate entropy, the quality of random number generation in a parallel computer system is increased.

Abstract: List information can be extracted into database tables. A number of fields are independently determined for items in list. A number of database table columns are determined from most common number of list item fields. New fields are determined for items with more fields than database columns. Null fields are inserted into items with fewer fields than database columns. Information from items having the same number of fields as database columns is written to database table rows. Information from each field is written to a corresponding database table column. Streaks of poorly matching cells in a database table row are determined. Streak cells are merged and new cells are determined. Null cells are inserted if number of new cells is less than number of cells in the streak. Information from the new cells is written to the table row and columns that define the streak.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to an apparatus for blocking or blurring unwanted image features. The apparatus includes at least a memory, a processor, a browsing application, and an image blocking component. The image blocking component is configured to block or blur images with unwanted image features before the images are displayed by the browsing application. Another embodiment relates to a process for blocking or blurring unwanted image features prior to displaying web pages. A web page including an image is received, but it is not displayed the image until after checking the image for unwanted image features. Image features are extracted from the image, and the extracted image features are compared against features in a customized image feature database. The image is displayed if no match is found during said comparison. The image is blocked or blurred if a match is found during said comparison. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for controlling a rendering engine by using specialized commands. The commands are used to generate a production, such as a television show, at an end-user's computer that executes the rendering engine. In one embodiment, the commands are sent over a network, such as the Internet, to achieve broadcasts of video programs at very high compression and efficiency. Commands for setting and moving camera viewpoints, animating characters, and defining or controlling scenes and sounds are described. At a fine level of control math models and coordinate systems can be used make specifications. At a coarse level of control the command language approaches the text format traditionally used in television or movie scripts. Simple names for objects within a scene are used to identify items, directions and paths. Commands are further simplified by having the rendering engine use defaults when specifications are left out.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides, in a computer-controlled display, a method of simplifying a graphical representation of a set of connected nodes comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a subset of the aforesaid set; and (b) under computer program control, hiding representations of all nodes except (i) nodes within the aforesaid subset and (ii) at least one node having a defined relationship to the aforesaid subset.

Abstract: Access to objects of a computing environment is managed. Access to an object of the computing environment is prohibited via one cached entity corresponding to the object, while access to the object is allowed via another cached entity. The cached entities are concurrently maintained for a period of time, but the one cached entity is in a shadow state. In one example, the cached entities are session locks and the object is a file system object.

Abstract: A method and system for corroborating facts extracted as attribute-value pairs from multiple sources. Facts associated with a common subject are identified and extracted from multiple sources. From the extracted facts, attributes satisfying a first corroboration requirement are identified. Attribute-value pairs satisfying a second corroboration requirement and having any of the identified attributes that satisfy the first corroboration requirement are identified. Predefined actions may be performed with respect to the identified attribute-value pairs and/or with respect to their status in a fact database.

Abstract: A system for controlling a rendering engine by using specialized commands. The commands are used to generate a production, such as a television show, at an end-user's computer that executes the rendering engine. In one embodiment, the commands are sent over a network, such as the Internet, to achieve broadcasts of video programs at very high compression and efficiency. Commands for setting and moving camera viewpoints, animating characters, and defining or controlling scenes and sounds are described. At a fine level of control math models and coordinate systems can be used make specifications. At a coarse level of control the command language approaches the text format traditionally used in television or movie scripts. Simple names for objects within a scene are used to identify items, directions and paths. Commands are further simplified by having the rendering engine use defaults when specifications are left out.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for updating a hash tree in a protected environment. An integrity protection controller is provided for observing one or more system parameters of a storage system and one or more hash tree parameters of the hash trees, and for updating a hash tree in dependence on the storage system parameter and the hash tree parameter.

Abstract: This disclosure provides various software and systems for efficiently maintaining aggregates. In one aspect, a system performing a computer implemented method identifies a first change to transactional data in a business application and automatically adds an aggregate record to an aggregate data structure based on the first change. The system then identifies a second change to the transactional data in the business application, the second change comprising an update to key figures associated with the first change. The system can prohibit an update to the aggregate record in the aggregate data structure based on the second change and automatically adds a second aggregate record to the aggregate data structure based on the second change to the transactional data, where the second aggregate record comprises the update to the key figures.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for (1) extending SQL to support direct invocation of frequent itemset operations, (2) improving the performance of frequent itemset operations by clustering itemset combinations to more efficiently use previously produced results, and (3) making on-the-fly selection of the occurrence counting technique to use during each phase of a multiple phase frequent itemset operation. When directly invoked in an SQL statement, a frequent itemset operation may receive input from results of operations specified in the SQL statement, and provide its results directly to other operations specified in the SQL statement. By clustering itemset combinations, resources may be used more efficiently by retaining intermediate information as long as it is useful, and then discarding it to free up volatile memory.

Abstract: A time-efficient means for identifying and processing cascading deletes due to referential constraint violations includes: logging, to an error file, all primary key (“PK”) errors detected during table load operations; building a foreign key (“FK”) index for each child table; recursively probing each relevant FK index to identify all loaded rows that violate a referential constraint due to a PK error; logging all identified FK errors to the error file; and using the (preferably sorted) error file contents to identify, mark and physically delete table rows that violate a referential constraint. The described cascade delete processing methods make only a single pass through the table data, using ordinary computer files to track and organize rows identified for deletion. Use of error files rather than tablescans (multiple passes through the loaded table data) can provide a significant reduction in table load times, especially for large or intricately “related” tables.

Abstract: Computer-readable media and a computer system for implementing a natural language search using fact-based structures and for generating such fact-based structures are provided. A fact-based structure is generated using a semantic structure, which represents information, such as text, from a document, such as a web page. Typically, a natural language parser is used to create a semantic structure of the information, and the parser identifies terms, as well as the relationship between the terms. A fact-based structure of a semantic structure allows for a linear structure of these terms and their relationships to be created, while also maintaining identifiers of the terms to convey the dependency of one fact-based structure on another fact-based structure. Additionally, synonyms and hypernyms are identified while generating the fact-based structure to improve the accuracy of the overall search.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize one or more usage statistics, which are reflective of what data is actually and/or likely to be used by a client when processing a database query, to reduce or eliminate the transfer of unnecessary data between a client and server in a client-server database management system. Information such as the columns that are or have been used and/or the number of rows that have been accessed, may be utilized to identify certain data that is likely to not be used during processing of the database query. Based upon the data that has been identified, a subset of the data that would otherwise be returned as a result of the database query may be identified and returned to a client, often substantially reducing the amount of data required to be retrieved by a client in connection with a database query.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, information processing system, and computer readable medium for processing queries. The method includes receiving a data query for a set of hierarchical markup documents. At least one query path expression is extracted from the data query. The query path is processed against at least one shared hierarchical markup document in a plurality of shared hierarchical markup documents. The plurality of shared hierarchical documents is associated with the set of hierarchical markup documents. In response to the shared hierarchical markup document completely matching the query path expression, a query result for the data query is generated. The query result is based on the processing of the query path expression against at least one of the shared hierarchical markup document and the difference hierarchical markup document.

Abstract: Systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for tagging data assets. In one aspect, a computer program product includes instructions operable to cause a computer to establish a database of concept data elements, asset references, and associations. The concept data elements each represent a concept and have a hierarchy specified by concept hierarchy information. The asset references each include a storage location identifier for a corresponding one of a plurality of data assets. Each association defines a type of relationship, from a plurality of types of relationships, between a data asset and a concept represented by a concept data element.