Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for composing XSL transformations with XML publishing views. XSL transformations are performed on XML documents defined as views of relational databases. A portion of a relational database can be exported to an XML document. An initial view query defines an XML view on the relational database and an XSLT stylesheet specifies at least one transformation. The initial view query is modified to account for an effect of the transformation and the modified view query is applied to the relational database to obtain the XML document. When the modified view query is evaluated on a relational database instance, the same XML document is obtained as would be obtained by evaluating the XSLT stylesheet on the original XML view.

Abstract: A payment system for accessing Internet content is located within an Internet service providers network. The system includes an access controller (106) and a payment authority (108). When an end-user makes a request for a URL, the access controller terminates the request and determines whether the requested URL is one for which a charge for accessing the content referenced by that URL is required. That determination is made by comparing the requested URL with a set of rules that are supplied by all the content providers for which the service provider supports payment. If no match is found, the request is forwarded to the content provider. If a rule is found that matches the requested URL, the end-user is identified and the request is forwarded to the payment authority where a payment policy associated with the matched rule is applied. If the end-user fulfills the requirements of this payment policy, then access to the content is granted.

Abstract: A method of fulfilling a request for information content with a user-selectable version of a file containing that information content. Selection of a hyperlink to information content results in generation of a menu of versions of files containing that information content. The menu displays options for versions which are derivable therefrom by a computer program for converting files from one version to another version. Selection of an option for a materialized version results in transmission of the materialized version. Selection of an option for a version which is not materialized results in derivation of the user-selected version from either a materialized version or any other version from which the user-selected version may be derived. Apparatuses for carrying out the inventive method are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating files over a communications network in which links to files, such as hyperlinks, comprise a multilink. A multilink is a hyperlink associated with a plurality of electronic addresses, each leading to a different physical file. Selection of a multilink results in the generation of a menu of options for all of the different files that can be returned to the client corresponding to the selected multilink. Selection of an option results in returning of the associated file to the client.

Abstract: A method of fulfilling a request for information content with a user-selectable version of a file containing that information content. Selection of a hyperlink to information content results in generation of a menu of versions of files containing that information content. The menu displays options for versions which are derivable therefrom by a computer program for converting files from one version to another version. Selection of an option for a materialized version results in transmission of the materialized version. Selection of an option for a version which is not materialized results in derivation of the user-selected version from either a materialized version or any other version from which the user-selected version may be derived. Apparatuses for carrying out the inventive method are also provided.

Abstract: A payment system for accessing Internet content is located within an Internet service providers network. The system includes an access controller (106) and a payment authority (108). When an end-user makes a request for a URL, the access controller terminates the request and determines whether the requested URL is one for which a charge for accessing the content referenced by that URL is required. That determination is made by comparing the requested URL with a set of rules that are supplied by all the content providers for which the service provider supports payment. If no match is found, the request is forwarded to the content provider. If a rule is found that matches the requested URL, the end-user is identified and the request is forwarded to the payment authority where a payment policy associated with the matched rule is applied. If the end-user fulfills the requirements of this payment policy, then access to the content is granted.

Abstract: A real-time event processing system (EPS) for processing a sequence of events generated by one or more applications. In an illustrative embodiment, the EPS includes a set of real-time analysis engines (RAEs) operating in parallel, e.g., a set of clusters each including one or more RAEs, and one or more mappers for mapping a given input event to a particular one of the clusters. A main-memory database system is coupled to the RAEs, and the RAEs process events associated with input streams from one or more data sources and deliver output streams to one or more data sinks. The data source and data sinks may be, e.g., network elements, clients, databases, etc. The events are processed in accordance with services implemented in the RAEs, and utilize data stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the RAEs. The data may include, e.g., a subscription table storing subscription information indicating the service or services that should be executed for a given event.

Abstract: A real-time event processing system (EPS) for processing a sequence of events generated by one or more applications. In an illustrative embodiment, the EPS includes a set of real-time analysis engines (RAEs) operating in parallel, e.g., a set of clusters each including one or more RAEs, and one or more mappers for mapping a given input event to a particular one of the clusters. A main-memory database system is coupled to the RAEs, and the RAEs process events associated with input streams from one or more data sources and deliver output streams to one or more data sinks. The data source and data sinks may be, e.g., network elements, clients, databases, etc. The events are processed in accordance with services implemented in the RAEs, and utilize data stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the RAEs. The data may include, e.g., a subscription table storing subscription information indicating the service or services that should be executed for a given event.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and apparatus for enhancing access to a file and communicating a file over a communications network using an indirect link. An indirect link is a logical hyperlink identifying a file to be retrieved, not by its electronic address, but by a logical representation. The link may denote the server on which the file exists, but does not identify the file's full address. Rather, the server or a proxy machine uses a look-up table which relates a logical link to an actual electronic address. This system helps minimize broken links, since a file can still be located on the server and accessed even if it has been relocated on the server since the link was established.

Abstract: A method for improving the performance of a system having a main-memory database which has at least one database containing at least one data item, and having a permanent storage device. The system executes at least one update transaction for modifying the data item to produce update results, and at least one read transaction for reading the data item. The method includes the steps of requiring the update transaction to acquire a database mutex before the update transaction modifies the data item. A timestamp is assigned to the update transaction and to the data item to be updated by the update transaction. After the update transactions updates the data item and before it release the database mutex, the update transaction acquire a mutex associated with the timestamp. Before the update's results are stored to the permanent storage device, the update transaction releases the database mutex.

Abstract: The invention provides protocols for managing transactions operating on replicated data items at multiple physical sites in a distributed database system. The protocols make use of dynamically changing sets of data items referred to as "virtual sites" and a replication graph or other suitable globally consistent representation of the relationships between the transactions and the virtual sites. Illustrative embodiments of the invention include a static global serializability (SGS) protocol, a commit-oriented protocol (COP) and a multiversion optimistic protocol (MOP). The SGS protocol broadcasts the data access set of a given transaction to all physical sites, and applies the Thomas Write Rule (TWR) to write-write conflicts on secondary copies of data items. The COP protocol defers testing of the replication graph until a transaction is ready to commit, and each transaction is allowed to proceed at its origination site independently of other transactions that are executing at other sites.

Abstract: Method and system for managing transactions operating on replicated data items at multiple physical sites in a distributed database system. The transactions include local transactions each being processed at one of the physical sites and global transactions each being processed at multiple physical sites. Each transaction originates at one of the physical sites, and is permitted to read data items only at that physical site. In addition, only transactions originating at a physical site at which a primary copy of a data item is located are permitted to update that data item. A number of virtual sites are defined such that a given virtual site VS.sub.i.sup.j at a particular point in time includes a set S.sub.i.sup.j of all data items at a physical site s.sub.j that a given transaction T.sub.i has accessed from an initial operation up to that point in time. A replication graph is maintained to represent the relationships between the transactions and the virtual sites.

Abstract: A certificate, calculated on the text of a document to be reproduced, is included in the document in a form which is machine-readable. Upon optical character recognition scanning, or other digitizing reproduction, the certificate is also scanned and stored for comparison. A new certificate is calculated on the contents of the reproduced document and compared to the scanned certificate. If the two certificates are different, it is known that at least one error exists in the reproduced document. More than one certificate can be provided for a document in order to facilitate error location on the document and error correction therein.

Abstract: A certificate, calculated on the text of a document to be reproduced, is included in the document in a form which is machine-readable. Upon optical character recognition scanning, or other digitizing reproduction, the certificate is also scanned and stored for comparison. A new certificate is calculated on the contents of the reproduced document and compared to the scanned certificate. If the two certificates are different, it is known that at least one error exists in the reproduced document. More than one certificate can be provided for a document in order to facilitate error location on the document and error correction therein.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating an indexed database stored in a computer system. A database is established. The database includes a plurality of data objects. Each data object is defined by a respective tuple of attributes. The attributes include at least one attribute having a domain of values that includes handwritten objects. Each handwritten object includes a plurality of symbols ordered in an output sequence. An index is established, having a root node and a plurality of leaf nodes. Each leaf node is connected to the root node by a respective path, such that each path from the root node to one of the plurality of leaf nodes corresponds to a respective input sequence of symbols. The input sequence for the respective leaf node includes a set of pointers to a subset of the tuples. A respective Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is executed to analyze the output sequence of each handwritten object and to determine a respective probability that each input sequence matches the output sequence.