Abstract: A system and method of determining an earliest delivery date for a demand on the basis of a fact table stored in a database, where the demand indicates both a desired date and a desired quantity for items from a stock, where a fact time series is comprised by and/or deducible from the fact table, and where the fact time series comprises fact tuples indicating both a fact date and a change in quantity of stock items that occurred on this fact date. The method includes generating an aggregated time series from the fact time series by defining and/or obtaining discrete time intervals, and generating, for at least one discrete time interval, an aggregated tuple indicating both its corresponding discrete time interval and the aggregated change in quantity of stock items that occurred in its corresponding discrete time interval.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for operating a database comprising the step of updating a binary status of a tuple in the database. The binary status field either contains a null value or a time stamp. The update can be done in-place or by using an insert-only approach.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for dynamically and horizontally partitioning a table of a relational database, wherein the table comprises records, wherein the records are mapped to a plurality of states, wherein the table is horizontally partitioned into a plurality of partitions, and wherein the plurality of states is mapped to the plurality of partitions. The method comprises the steps of changing the assignment of a first record from a first state to a second state, wherein the first state is mapped to a first partition, wherein the second state is mapped to a second partition, wherein the first partition is not the second partition, and storing the first record in the second partition. The invention further relates to a computer system implementing the abovementioned method for dynamically and horizontally partitioning a table of a relational database.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention relates to a method for navigating within a database containing business objects. The method includes the steps of providing a preconfigured model comprising preconfigured business object types and preconfigured associations of the business object types, identifying a reference to a business object instance within a software object and determining a primary business object type corresponding to the business object instance, providing links to at least one secondary business object type associated with the primary business object type in accordance with the preconfigured business model, and retrieving from the database at least one attribute of at least one business object instance within the secondary business object type associated to the primary business object type in accordance with the preconfigured model. In this manner, a user may more easily navigate the database.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention includes a relational database management system component and a column-oriented data processing component. The relational database system component stores database information in a row format. The column-oriented data processing component stores the database information in a column format. In response to a database update request, the relational database management system component updates the database information stored in the row format; the relational database management system component notifies the column-oriented data processing component of the database update request; and the column-oriented data processing component updates the database information stored in said column format. In response to a query request, the column-oriented data processing component generates a query response based on the database information stored in said column format.

Abstract: A computer system having a visual display which displays data in an interactive split pie chart and permits a user to modify the input parameters of the pie chart to dynamically alter the configuration of the chart. The split pie chart can be split into two or more sections each corresponding to a different time period. Each section is divided into wedges corresponding to different variables and their corresponding values in two different time periods. Finally, the chart itself is geographically placed on a graphic image of a map. An interface between the computer system and a data storage system to transfer data to be transformed into the graphical representation of the pie chart is provided. The user modifies the input parameters of the pie chart through a user interface which translates the modifications into queries to the database storage system to retrieve the appropriate data.