Abstract: A system for maintaining a database. The system includes a storage unit for storing many tablets each tablet including multiple records. The tablet controller is configured to maintain the relationship between the tablet and the storage unit. The tablet controller tracks failures to access the storage unit and designates a new storage unit for each tablet based on a storage unit failure. A router is in communication with the tablet controller and configured to distribute messages from clients to the storage units thereby serving as a layer of indirection.

Abstract: A system for a distributed database implementing a dynamic mastership strategy. The system includes a multiple data centers, each having a storage unit to store a set of records. Each data center stores its own replica of the set of records and each record includes a field that indicates which data center is assigned to be the master for that record. Since each of the data centers can he geographically distributed, one record may be more efficiently edited with the master being one geographic region while another record, possibly belonging to a different user, may be more efficiently edited with the master being located in another geographic region.

Abstract: A system for storing a distributed hash table. The system includes a storage unit, a tablet controller, a router, and a transaction bank. The storage unit has a plurality of tablets forming a hash table and each of the tablets includes multiple records. The tablet controller maintains a relationship between each tablet and the storage unit. The router hashes a record's key to determine the tablet associated with each record. Further, the router distributes messages from clients to the storage units based on the tablet-storage unit relationship thereby serving as a layer of indirection. The transaction bank propagates updates made in one record to all other replicas of the record.

Abstract: A system and method to optimize storage of activities performed by a user over a network are further described, wherein activity information related to an activity performed by a user over a network is received. The activity information is further processed based on associated schema information to extract primary property information related to the user and containing an activity identification parameter related to the activity and secondary property information related to additional aspects of the activity. Finally, the primary property information and the secondary property information are transmitted to respective storage modules for subsequent storage. A method to retrieve optimized activity information is further described, wherein a request to retrieve user activity information is received from advertising servers. Schema information related to the user is further retrieved from a schema module.

Abstract: A meta-data driven data access system provides a calling application access to a plurality of data sources. The system includes a client API and a broker server. The client API receives a request for attribute data from the calling application. The client API accesses attribute structures in a local meta-data bank corresponding to the requested attribute data. The client API retrieves the attribute data from local adapters where available. If the attribute structure is not contained within the local meta-data bank, the client API requests the attribute data from the broker server. The broker server also includes a local meta-data bank and local source adapters. Accordingly, the broker server accesses the local meta-data bank to identify the adapters associated with each requested piece of attribute data. The broker server then retrieves the attribute data from the adapters associated with each attribute structure.

Abstract: A method stores a universal user profile for a user across multiple web applications, updates the universal user profile based on up-to-the-second user activity, and retrieves the updated user profile in real-time for a requesting web application. The method enables providing targeted content to a user based on the up-to-the-second user preferences and user activity. The method enables data cleanup and notification, based on an occurrence of specific user activities, an update of a user profile, a data policy, or passage of time. A notification may result in sending of marketing information to the user or updating the user's profile, or may result in further updating of user's profile.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for unifying heterogeneous data sources for access from online applications are described. In one embodiment, a query request to retrieve data stored in a plurality of disparate data sources is retrieved. At least one output mapping is activated to retrieve the stored data. The stored data are retrieved from the plurality of disparate data sources. The stored data are displayed in a uniform external view for the user. If the user decides to update the displayed data, a request to update the stored data in respective data sources and the updated data are received. At least one input mapping is activated to update the respective data sources. The updated data are further processed to obtain processed data, which conforms to a format of the respective data sources. Finally, the respective data sources are updated with the processed data.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating personalization of applications based on anticipation of users' interests are described. In one preferred embodiment, a communication session is established with a user. Data related to user activities conducted by the user is collected during the communication session. Finally, collected data is processed according to one or more predetermined rules to obtain anticipated interests data used in personalization of applications for the user and the anticipated interests data is further stored in a user database.

Abstract: The invention provides an affiliation within a single sign-on system, which affiliation comprises a group of service providers that have chosen to act as a single entity on a network from the point of view of authentication, federation, and authorization. This type of entity is used to implement functionality within a portal site, such as the Yahoo (see http://www.yahoo.com) portal with a Travelocity (see http://www.travelocity.com/) travel section that acts as part of Yahoo and not as part of Travelocity. In the preferred embodiment, there is an owner of the affiliation that is responsible for maintaining a list that shows which service providers are members of the affiliation, as well as any control structure or meta-data associated with the affiliation. Each affiliation must have an identifier that is unique within the single sign-on system in which the affiliation is defined. User actions associated with the affiliation apply to all entities within the affiliation.

Abstract: The invention provides a Web service which enables a publisher to share his digital resources such as an address card or a calendar with a number of subscribers based on different sharing relationships. The Web service includes a host-based interface called “My Community”, for example, with which the publisher manages the share-relationships with his community members. The community members are organized into different groups. Each group includes a number of community members who have a common sharing relationship with the publisher with respect to one or more views of the shared resources. A resource may have multiple views. Each of the views has Metadata describing sharing-styles, as well as version, creation date, size, and the like. Each sharing style corresponds to a specific sharing relationship between a community member and the publisher.

Abstract: Rutile TiO.sub.2 pigment particles bearing coatings comprising:(a) an inner layer comprising about 0.05-1 percent by weight, based on the weight of the TiO.sub.2, of cerium radicals and about a stoichiometric amount of phosphate radicals, based on the amount of cesium radicals,(b) a second layer of about 0.1-4 percent by weight, based on the weight of the TiO.sub.2, of amorphous silica, and optionally(c) an outer layer of (1) about 0.5 to 8 percent by weight, based on the weight of the TiO.sub.2, of hydrous alumina or (2) hydrous alumina in the amount of about 0.5-8 percent, based on the weight of the TiO.sub.2, and associated therewith up to about a stoichiometric amount of phosphate radicals needed to form aluminum phosphate,the combined total weight of said coatings being about 2 to 12 percent by weight, based on the weight of the TiO.sub.2.