Abstract: The invention relates to using a universally unique identifier in a database to uniquely identify, both within and outside of the database system, a user. A storage system, according to the invention, includes a first storage area having an object stored therein; and a second storage area having stored therein an object identifier that identifies the object. The object identifier is unique within and outside of the storage system, and can be a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID). The invention also relates methods for storing and retrieving objects identified based on the unique identifier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and data structure for digital document interchange and preservation whereby document originators, their agents, librarians, and archivists can make documents trustworthy and reliably meaningful to their recipients, no matter how far the recipients are in time, space, and organization from the aforesaid document sources. This invention works for all kinds of documents, independently of their purposes, independently of the kinds of information they convey, and independently of how this information is represented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and data structure for digital document interchange and preservation whereby document producers, their agents, librarians, and archivists can make documents trustworthy and reliably meaningful to their recipients, no matter how far the recipients are in time, space, and organization from the aforesaid document sources. This extension of a prior invention works for all kinds of documents, independently of their purposes, independently of the kinds of information they convey, and independently of how this information is represented.

Abstract: In a distributed processing system network in which at least one node operates as a source location having access to data objects of a database, and at least one other node operates as a replica location storing replicas of data objects from the source location, managing obsolescence of the replicas is performed by having the replica locations submitting requests to the source location for ascertaining obsolescence of data objects. The source location, responsive to a request from a requesting replica location, extracts identifiers of a set of obsolete objects and communicates them to the requesting replica location. Upon receiving the identifiers, the requesting location renders inaccessible those data objects corresponding to the identifiers received. The source location then removes those identifiers that have been communicated to the requesting replica location.

Abstract: In a distributed processing system having a source node accessing data objects from a database and a replica node storing replicas of requested source data objects received from the source location, the impact to replicas caused by a change in a source data object is calculated by assigning a version number to the change. An identifier of the portion of the source database affected by the change is generated, as well as a list of replicas containing objects from the affected portion of the database. For a replica location communicating with the source location, a table of the replicas from the list is then recorded along with the version number for communicating to the replica location.

Abstract: A method for transferring control between hierarchically related cooperating sequential processes P and Q executable in a multi-processing CPU environment. The method uses pointers to identify active and suspended processes. The method steps comprise generating and memory storing activation records; transferring control from process P to process Q, and updating the process pointers to record the suspension of process P and the activation of process Q; and resuming execution in the most recently executing subprocesses of Q by reference to the process pointers.There is stored in memory one activation record per process. The record includes a pointer to the activation that is the parent of the process, a pointer to the most recently executing subprocess of the process, and information defining the current execution state of the process. These pointers are further constrained such that the set of activation records form the nodes of a tree whose arcs are defined by the parent pointers.