Abstract: An electronic catalogue is implemented on a server computer by a software component which functions as a catalogue system and an associated database. The catalogue contains details on a set of individual products. The database contains a set of tables, which contain data items relating to the products. A set of first, second and third order templates are also stored in the database. Each second order template is subordinate to an associated first order template and each third order template is subordinate to an associated second order template. The electronic catalogue can be accessed via the public Internet from a client computer. When the user of the client computer wishes to retrieve information on a particular product, the client computer transmits a request to the server computer. The server computer uses the request to retrieve a first order template 150.

Abstract: A data processing system (1) has a data processing section (2) having user interface objects (10), work flow activity objects (11) and primitive objects (12). WFA objects (11) access a database (5) via a state machine (13). A data record is requested by a primitive object (12) being requested. The state machine (13) responds by retrieving a row of data from a table (6) and using this to instantiate a primitive object according to the data and the instruction from the requesting WFA object (11). A primitive object reference is stored in a temporary memory stack (15) and the reference is also copied to the requesting WFA objects (11). The primitive object (12) is then used subsequently for transaction processing until a transaction is complete. At this stage, the state machine (13) flushes the primitive objects to the database (5).

Abstract: A database management system includes an execution engine that, upon rollback of an aborted transaction, has the ability to set fields of the rows that are updated or deleted by the transaction prior to aborting. In particular, when a select, update or delete statement includes a “set on rollback” clause, the respective table access operator of the execution engine modifies the “before image” of each row that is stored by the transaction log manager. The modified before image includes the field updates specified by the set on rollback clause. If a transaction associated with the statement aborts, when the transaction log manager restores the before images of each row that was deleted or updated by the transaction, the restored before images include the field updates specified by the set on rollback clause.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for generating a regression tree with oblique hyperplanes from a training set of records. The method is performed iteratively, stopping when a criterion has been reached. A new set of vectors is computed as the iteration proceeds. The vectors used are not restricted to the attribute axes and hence oblique hyperplanes are allowed to split nodes in the generated regression tree. Generally, the computation of the new vector set uses the regression tree produced in the latest iteration. The leaf nodes of this tree are considered pair-wise to compute the new vector set for use in the next iteration. The iterative process produces a set of regression trees from which a best tree is chosen as the final result of the method.

Abstract: A Client/Server Database System with improved methods for enhancing concurrency using a “row update” bit and deferred locking is described. Data rows in the system are designed to include ROW_DELETE and ROW_UPDATE status bits. When a transaction updates a row, it sets the ROW_UPDATE bit. When a transaction inserts a row, neither the ROW_UPDATE nor the ROW_DELETE status bits are set. When a transaction deletes a row, it sets the ROW_DELETE bit but the contents of the data row are left intact. Methods are described for processing database transactions (e.g., in response to SQL queries) using these status bits or flags, together with deferred locking techniques, in a manner that reduces locking overhead and increase concurrency. The approach provides a particular performance advantage over systems that employ row-level locking.

Abstract: A content management system on a Web-site that serves as a end-user access method is disclosed. The prior art of the open hierarchical data structure is used to organize content and provide the basis for a content menu. This present invention improves upon this prior art by teaching how to make a self-service input that accommodates individual information providers throughout the enterprise.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring parameters that govern the operational characteristics of a network device, including the use of templates for generating configuration records of network devices of a selected model type. A database of models is provided, each model representing an associated network device and including attribute values for the parameters of the associated network device. Templates are used to screen a model in order to retrieve values for each of the attributes and create a configuration record. The configuration records may be stored in the configuration manager or other storage device, and/or transferred to the pre-existing model database for use by a network management system in reconfiguring the associated network devices. This system for configuration management is less time consuming, expensive, and error prone than prior systems.

Abstract: A content-indexing search system and method provides search results consistent with content filtering and blocking policies. The search system comprises a content-indexing search engine including a database coupled to an information network. A user provides search queries to the search engine through a gateway serving as a proxy server and cache and blocking engine. The blocking engine implements content filtering and blocking policies with respect to the search results. Alternative embodiments provide consistency between the results of the user content searches and the content filtering/blocking policies. One embodiment modifies the search engine to implement the same content blocking policy as the caching and filtering engine. Another embodiment modifies the search engine to build an indexing database by searching the caching and engine content. A third embodiment modifies the search engine to go through the cache and filter engine as the search engine builds its indexing database.