Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating bids for bidding agents in an auction. Bids are sorted by decreasing bid amount for regular bids and upper limit for order bids to form a sorted set of bids, wherein each bid includes a quantity and wherein the bids include order bids. A first bid is identified requesting a quantity in which an unallocatable portion is present. A number of order bids is selected from the bids, wherein the number of order bids are higher in the sorted set of bids than the first bid and have an allocation requirement less than the unallocatable portion of the of the first bid. A price is set for the order bids higher than the first bid and not in the aforementioned selected bids.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a multi-tier object-relational database architecture are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a multi-tier database architecture comprises an object-relational database engine as a top tier, one or more domain-specific extension modules as a bottom tier, and one or more universal extension modules as a middle tier. The individual extension modules of the bottom tier operationally connect with the one or more universal extension modules which, themselves, operationally connect with the database engine. The domain-specific extension modules preferably provide such functions as search, index, and retrieval services of images, video, audio, time series, web pages, text, XML, spatial data, etc. The domain-specific extension modules may include one or more IBM DB2 extenders, Oracle data cartridges and/or Informix datablades, although other domain-specific extension modules may be used.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a multi-tier object-relational database architecture are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a multi-tier database architecture comprises an object-relational database engine as a top tier, one or more domain-specific extension modules as a bottom tier, and one or more universal extension modules as a middle tier. The individual extension modules of the bottom tier operationally connect with the one or more universal extension modules which, themselves, operationally connect with the database engine. The domain-specific extension modules preferably provide such functions as search, index, and retrieval services of images, video, audio, time series, web pages, text, XML, spatial data, etc. The domain-specific extension modules may include one or more IBM DB2 extenders, Oracle data cartridges and/or Informix datablades, although other domain-specific extension modules may be used.

Abstract: A method for localizing execution of subqueries and determining collocation of execution of subqueries in a shared-nothing database. The concept of compatible partitioning is used to localize database operations in order to eliminate excess processes and communication, and thereby improve response time and throughput for the database management system. The method reduces the number of process by reducing the number of nodes involved in processing a query and by combining multiple processes.

Abstract: In a system having producer and consumer processes, a producing process look ahead in its outgoing data stream to ensure that there is data available to consumers on all outgoing streams. The producer looks ahead by keeping a data array in its memory space with an entry for each connected consumer. When the outgoing data stream becomes blocked, the producer searches the array for empty connections. Then, the producer scans the outgoing data stream for messages to send over the empty connections and sends such messages. Periodically, the producer checks the original connection to see if the blocking condition has ended.

Abstract: In a partitioned database system of the Shared Nothing type, one or more secondary replicas of each partition are maintained by spooling (i.e., asynchronously sending) modified (usually called dirty) pages from the primary replica to the secondary replica(s) rather than by using a synchronous page update or by sending log entries instead of entire pages. A Write-Ahead Log protocol is used so that a dirty page is not forced to non-volatile storage until a log record of the modification is created and written to non-volatile storage. Replica updating does not delay the committing of transactions because replica updating is done asynchronously with respect to transaction processing. Since dirty pages are sent rather than only log entries, disk accesses and processing at the secondary replica(s) arising from the maintaining of the replicas are minimized as well. Only one centrally accessible log is maintained for all replicas of the same partition.

Abstract: A method for localizing execution of subqueries and determining collocation of execution of subqueries in a shared-nothing database. The concept of compatible partitioning is used to localize database operations in order to eliminate excess processes and communication, and thereby improve response time and throughput for the database management system. The method reduces the number of process by reducing the number of nodes involved in processing a query and by combining multiple processes.