Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for exposing at least one local service as at least one web service. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a call for the at least one web service, where the call comprises a request and a response. The method also includes delegating the call to a client bundle. The method further includes obtaining the at least one local service from a service registry via the client bundle. The method also includes invoking at least one method on the at least one local service via the client bundle. The method further includes returning a response from the invoked method for the at least one web service.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for altering a page presenting search results is provided. The query dispatcher receives one or more query terms. Based on the query terms, the search engine generates a set of search results and advertisements. A parallel search dispatched by entertainment rating and selection engine generates a set of content items based on the one or more query terms and an additional one or more constraint terms. The entertainment item rating and selection engine selects a content item from the set of content items. The selection may be random, based on past user responses, or responses of users belonging to particular clusters. The entertainment item injector then replaces one of the search results or advertisements with the content item. The content item is presented to the user on a search results page. The content item contains a feedback mechanism to collect user responses.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system of performing a current filesystem backup with respect to a previous filesystem backup using directorywise hardlinking for a computer filesystem. In an exemplary embodiment, the method and system include (1) identifying all largest unchanged subtrees in the previous filesystem backup with respect to a current computer filesystem and (2) creating directorywise hardlinks in the current filesystem backup to the all largest unchanged subtrees. In an exemplary embodiment, the creating includes for each of the largest unchanged subtrees, forming a first pointer from the current filesystem backup to the each of the largest unchanged subtrees. In a further embodiment, the creating includes for each of the largest unchanged subtrees, establishing a second pointer from the each of the largest unchanged subtrees to a directory in the current filesystem backup that corresponds to the first pointer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for exposing at least one local service as at least one web service. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a call for the at least one web service, where the call comprises a request and a response. The method also includes delegating the call to a client bundle. The method further includes obtaining the at least one local service from a service registry via the client bundle. The method also includes invoking at least one method on the at least one local service via the client bundle. The method further includes returning a response from the invoked method for the at least one web service.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system of mapping. In an exemplary embodiment, the method and system include (1) creating a proxy bundle corresponding to the at least one web service, (2) registering a proxy web service corresponding to the proxy bundle in a service registry, (3) searching for the at least one web service in the service registry, (4) returning a reference to the proxy web service from the service registry in response to the searching, and (5) invoking at least one method on the returned reference, thereby invoking the at least one web service.

Abstract: Techniques that support trail-based exploration by a user of a repository of documents are described herein. In one embodiment, trail definition data that specifies a trail is received. The trail includes an ordered series of waypoints including a trailhead, intermediate waypoints, and one or more trailends. In some embodiments, deadends may also be defined in the trial. A particular waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints is established as a current waypoint. Search terms can be received from a user to cause a search to be performed. It is then determined whether the search satisfies matching criteria associated with a waypoint that immediately follows the current waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints. If so, the user advances to the next waypoint. Otherwise, the user remains at the current waypoint. Finally, if a trailend is reached, then an action such as rewarding the user in some way may be performed.

Abstract: Techniques that support trail-based exploration by a user of a repository of documents are described herein. In one embodiment, trail definition data that specifies a trail is received. The trail includes an ordered series of waypoints including a trailhead, intermediate waypoints, and one or more trailends. In some embodiments, deadends may also be defined in the trial. A particular waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints is established as a current waypoint. Search terms can be received from a user to cause a search to be performed. It is then determined whether the search satisfies matching criteria associated with a waypoint that immediately follows the current waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints. If so, the user advances to the next waypoint. Otherwise, the user remains at the current waypoint. Finally, if a trailend is reached, then an action such as rewarding the user in some way may be performed.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for taking a database snapshot using a fuzzy snapshot. In one example, the method includes starting and maintaining a transaction log of the database, starting and maintaining a fuzzy snapshot of the database without applying any hindering locks to the database, and restoring the database by applying the transaction log to the fuzzy snapshot.

Abstract: Techniques that support trail-based exploration by a user of a repository of documents are described herein. In one embodiment, trail definition data that specifies a trail is received. The trail includes an ordered series of waypoints including a trailhead, intermediate waypoints, and one or more trailends. In some embodiments, deadends may also be defined in the trial. A particular waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints is established as a current waypoint. Search terms can be received from a user to cause a search to be performed. It is then determined whether the search satisfies matching criteria associated with a waypoint that immediately follows the current waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints. If so, the user advances to the next waypoint. Otherwise, the user remains at the current waypoint. Finally, if a trailend is reached, then an action such as rewarding the user in some way may be performed.

Abstract: Techniques that support trail-based exploration by a user of a repository of documents are described herein. In one embodiment, trail definition data that specifies a trail is received. The trail includes an ordered series of waypoints including a trailhead, intermediate waypoints, and one or more trailends. In some embodiments, deadends may also be defined in the trial. A particular waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints is established as a current waypoint. Search terms can be received from a user to cause a search to be performed. It is then determined whether the search satisfies matching criteria associated with a waypoint that immediately follows the current waypoint in the ordered series of waypoints. If so, the user advances to the next waypoint. Otherwise, the user remains at the current waypoint. Finally, if a trailend is reached, then an action such as rewarding the user in some way may be performed.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to election of a leader from a group of processes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for altering a page presenting search results is provided. The query dispatcher receives one or more query terms. Based on the query terms, the search engine generates a set of search results and advertisements. A parallel search dispatched by entertainment rating and selection engine generates a set of content items based on the one or more query terms and an additional one or more constraint terms. The entertainment item rating and selection engine selects a content item from the set of content items. The selection may be random, based on past user responses, or responses of users belonging to particular clusters. The entertainment item injector then replaces one of the search results or advertisements with the content item. The content item is presented to the user on a search results page. The content item contains a feedback mechanism to collect user responses.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in fault-tolerant distributed services. One method includes establishing a plurality of server processes each associated with different non-overlapping subspace range of a distributed data structure, associating a data object with a corresponding server process based, at least in part, on mapping the data object to the subspace range associated with the server process, and manipulating the data object using the server processes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for handling remote calls, for example, in a servicing system having a plurality of operatively coupled service instances, wherein a request is received by a service instance which identifies the request as being associated with a non-state-changing operation or a state-changing operation. When the operation is identified as being non-state-changing then request may be processed by the receiving service instance. When the operation is identified as being state-changing then request may also be provided to and processed by other service instances.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for taking a database snapshot using a fuzzy snapshot. In one example, the method includes starting and maintaining a transaction log of the database, starting and maintaining a fuzzy snapshot of the database without applying any hindering locks to the database, and restoring the database by applying the transaction log to the fuzzy snapshot.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system of accessing at least one target file in a computer system with an operating system with file locking implemented with byte-range locking. In an exemplary embodiment, the method and system include obtaining a set of handles that corresponds to a set of all files that are open in the computer system, determining within the kernel of the operating system a set of file identifiers that corresponds to the set of handles, identifying from the set of file identifiers a file identifier that corresponds to the target file, sending the identified file identifier to the kernel, initializing within the kernel file caching for the identified file identifier, and requesting within the kernel the cache manager of the operating system to obtain by using the identified file identifier a region of the target file from the file system driver of the operating system.

Abstract: A method and structure for processing packets of information over a data processing system is disclosed. The packets have header information indicating a source and a destination of the packets. The method includes receiving a packet from a client, forwarding the packet to a hub of a local area network, changing the header of the packet such that the packet is directed to a server instead of an original destination, processing the packet through the server to produce a processed packet, and forwarding the processed packet to the original destination.