Abstract: The present invention includes an expert system in which a search index furnishes answers to incoming queries provided in natural language. A search index for a specific field contains components that facilitate selecting a best fitting stored answer to the incoming query. Furthermore, context of the incoming query (e.g. location of the user, a current web page or service being used/viewed by the user, the time, etc.) may be considered when selecting a best fitting answer. A language specific storehouse of weighted words and a private storehouse of weighted words associated with a field-specific search index provide the basis for evaluating the significance level of a natural language word of a query. Again, context of the incoming query may be considered when evaluating the significance level of a natural language word of a query. Irrelevant portions of an incoming query may first be deleted from the inquiry prior to processing.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium is described for facilitating interactions between software programs by providing a reliable data queuing service that enables the programs to store and retrieve elements of data queues. In some situations, the data queuing service is provided to users who purchase usage of the data queuing service for application programs executed by or otherwise affiliated with the users. In addition, accessibility of the data queuing service to remote executing programs may be enhanced via a defined API of the data queuing service, such as a Web services-based API. Availability of the data queuing service may also be enhanced in some situations by using multiple alternative distributed systems for a data queue such that each of the alternative systems stores a subset of the elements of the data queue.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for managing object lifetime in a cyclic graph. Embodiments of the invention include reclaiming allocated system resources, for example, from a graph of objects that mixes different resource reclamation techniques (such as reference counting and garbage collection). In response to determining that garbage collection is to be performed, references between GC objects and Ref. Counted objects are detected. A reference type (e.g., direct, indirect, standard, tracked, weakened, etc.) for any detected references is also determined. Garbage collection is performed to determine if any allocated system resources can be reclaimed. Garbage collection considers references and references types between GC objects and Ref. Counted objects when determining if objects are to be reclaimed.

Abstract: The different advantageous embodiments provide a method for identifying changes in data sets. An ending version for a data set is received. A beginning version for the data set is identified. The ending version for the data set is compared with the beginning version for the data set. A number of differences is calculated between the ending version and the beginning version. A data structure is created that identifies the number of differences between the ending version and the beginning version.

Abstract: A computing device sorts a plurality of data points in a first dimension. A first data point has a first value, a second data point has a second value, and a third data point has a third value defined in a second dimension. (a) The second value is compared to the first and third values. (b) When the second value is less than the first value and greater than the third value, or the second value is greater than the first value and less than the third value, the data point is deleted. (c) The first data point is defined as the second data point. (d) The second data point is defined as the third data point. (e) The third data point is defined as a next data point. (a)-(e) are repeated until each of the plurality of data points is defined as the third data point to define a plurality of sampled data points as remaining data points of the plurality of data points.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for efficiently collecting statistics for hierarchically-organized collections of data. A database system leverages container-level modification time stamps and stored subtree-level change information to gather statistical information from only those resources in a hierarchical collection for which the statistics have changed since the last time that statistics were gathered for the collection. A lockless data structure is also described for storing the subtree-level change information in which an identifier corresponding to each subtree in a collection containing a changed resource may be stored. This data structure may be a table that is distinct from one or more tables representing the collection. In one embodiment of the invention, the immediate parent resource of a particular modified resource may be omitted from the subtree table by leveraging modification time stamps while gathering statistics based on tracked subtree-level information.

Abstract: Transform governance rules for a data asset to apply to a set of related data assets. Establishing a governance rule over a first data asset based on a second governance rule applied to either an upstream or a downstream data asset.

Abstract: A method of matching job profiles with a candidate profile is disclosed. A plurality of concepts corresponding to an ontology is extracted from a candidate profile. A normalized candidate profile is generated, wherein the normalized candidate profile includes the plurality of concepts. A search query is formed at least in part based on the normalized candidate profile and the ontology. The search query is submitted to a source of job profiles. An initial batch of job profiles potentially matching the candidate profile is received from the source of job profiles. At least a subset of the plurality of concepts corresponding to the ontology is extracted from a job profile among the batch of job profiles. A normalized job profile is generated, wherein the normalized job profile includes the at least a subset of the plurality of concepts. Whether the normalized candidate profile matches with the normalized job profile is determined.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying resource locations. In one aspect, a method includes determining a resource location for a resource from user locations associated with users who performed actions identified as having represented user interest in the resource.

Abstract: A database diagnostics system with an interface system that may be used to define, monitor, and deploy database diagnostics tools is presented. The interface system presents a user with a user interface for defining the parameters, behaviors, and schedules of database diagnostic tools. The diagnostic tools execute on a target database recording database parameters and state information. The interface system may present the user with a graphical user interface for assembling diagnostic tools at least partially from a predefined set of reusable modules and scripts.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for representing media assets. The method includes receiving an original media asset and derivative versions of the original media asset and associated descriptors, determining a lineage to each derivative version that traces to the original media asset, generating a version history tree of the original media asset representing the lineage to each derivative version and associated descriptors from the original media asset, and presenting at least part of the version history tree to a user. In one aspect, the method further includes receiving a modification to one associated descriptor and updating associated descriptors for related derivative versions with the received modification. The original media asset and the derivative versions of the original media asset can share a common identifying mark.

Abstract: Storing data is disclosed, including: receiving a request to create a clone of a snapshot included in a first set of metadata associated with a source data; and generating a second set of metadata for the clone, wherein the second set of metadata associated with the clone includes, for at least some metadata values, a data associating with the second set of metadata one or more corresponding values in the first set of metadata associated with the source data.

Abstract: A method for processing an intranet includes crawling the intranet to identify at least some of the pages in the intranet, and determining, for each identified page, a number of links in a shortest path from a root page to the identified page.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that merges similar clusters of conceptually-related words in a probabilistic generative model for textual documents. During operation, the system receives a current model, which contains terminal nodes representing random variables for words and contains cluster nodes representing clusters of conceptually related words. Nodes in the current model are coupled together by weighted links, wherein if a node fires, a link from the node to another node causes the other node to fire with a probability proportionate to the weight of the link. Next, the system determines whether cluster nodes in the current model explain other cluster nodes in the current model. If two cluster nodes explain each other, the system merges the two cluster nodes to form a combined cluster node.

Abstract: A method includes: a first word set is acquired from community data within a period; words are selected from the first word set according to a frequency that each word of the first word set appears in the community data during a first group of days, the selected words are determined as hot words and form a second word set, wherein the first group of days are a plurality of days backward from a designated day; and topics are selected from a community topic set according to the second word set, and are determined as hot topics.

Abstract: An approach is provided that receives input from multiple data sources and transforms it into a common, intermediate format, where only one generic parser is required for the purpose of transformation into RDF, and the subsequent input to a triplestore database. A triplestore management tool provides this capability. The triplestore management tool includes a formatting component configured to receive data sources from a plurality of data source parsers, and transform each of the data sources into a single format. A parsing component parses each transformed data source at a common parser, and loads each of the transformed data sources from the common parser to a triplestore database.

Abstract: A system and method for a collection of digital items that includes generating a collection of result items, wherein each result item corresponds to result data of at least one query input, and wherein at least one result item includes a context property; storing the collection of result items as a first instance; and augmenting the collection in a second instance through at least the context property.

Abstract: Augmenting data files in a repository of an append-only file system comprises maintaining metadata corresponding to each data file for tracking a logical end-of-file (EOF) for each data file for appending. A global versioning mechanism for the metadata allows selecting the current version of the metadata to read for performing an append job for a set of data files. Each append job comprises multiple append tasks. For each successful append job, the global versioning mechanism increments a valid metadata version to use for each data file appended. Said valid metadata version indicates the logical EOF corresponding to a new physical EOF for each of the data files appended.

Abstract: Techniques to account for storage consumption and capacity allocation across heterogeneous storage objects are disclosed. A capacity accountability system can ascertain a set of heterogeneous storage objects provisioned for a storage consumer, where the heterogeneous storage objects is categorized by storage object hierarchy levels. The capacity accountability system can then identify an association between the storage consumer and a storage object hierarchy level and account for storage object consumption and storage capacity allocation of the storage consumer by normalizing storage consumption data and capacity allocation data at the storage object hierarchy level across the heterogeneous storage objects.

Abstract: A plurality of data records of a data set can be stored in a plurality of main part fragments, at least one of which is an old fragment stored on-disk. A number of one or more data records in the old fragment that have been marked for deletion can be determined to be greater than a threshold number, and the old fragment can be loaded into main system memory. A merge of the old fragment can be performed to remove the one or more data records marked for deletion.