Abstract: Various embodiments enable visual representations associated with one or more emotions to be associated with content, such as videos or photos. A visual representation serves as a reference point to a particular content segment and conveys an emotion associated with the content segment. The visual representations can be created and associated with content by a number of different entities including, by way of example and not limitation, content producers and content consumers.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products for using a front-end server to access content stored on one or more back-end servers. The front-end server receives requests for content from client systems. Back-end servers store the content, but to the client system, it appears as if the front-end server is the content's source. Upon receiving the request, the front-end server checks the validity of the request and examines a global catalog that dynamically maps client system requests to the back-end server or servers that store the requested content. In some circumstances, the content will be stored at a single back-end server and the front-end server directs the request to that server. Alternatively, a list of back-end servers storing the requested content may be generated. If so, the front-end then uses an authentication token as a key to a hash operation that is performed on the list and a single server that is capable of satisfying the request for content is identified.

Abstract: Markup-language documents are converted into compacted markup-language form by using a number of parameterized macros. A parameterized macro takes at least one parameter. When compacting markup-language documents, a sequence of elements is replaced by references to a macro and to parameter(s), where the macro, when used with the parameters, yields the sequence of elements. The macros used may either be predetermined, from a static dictionary, may be generated on the fly, or mix of both. The definitions of macros may be included in the compacted markup-language information in order to allow a recipient of the compacted markup-language information to expand the macro reference and parameter(s) into the sequence of elements which had been replaced.

Abstract: Removal of white space from XML data retrieved from a database may amount to data corruption. Yet such removal is required in XML data normalization by XML parsers, and is also frequently carried out via one or more optional parser features. Safeguards provided herein protect XML data from such normalization and white space removal when formulating a response in a database. When delivering an XML fragment in response to a client request, an XML document's white space handling rules may be ascertained. Any ignorable white space in the XML document may be discarded, and any remaining white space may be preserved.

Abstract: XML Schema Designs for environment-specific types based on XML base types are disclosed. The invention provides a series of “base types” in the XML Schema. Each base type is in an environment-specific XML Schema namespace that disambiguates the environment's types from all other types defined by any other environment. The XML Schema Design then defines the final type as an anonymous type, derived from the environment-specific base type. The base type is defined with any XML Schema type facets that apply to all derivatives of the base type, and the anonymous final type is defined with additional XML Schema type facets to fully describe the type.

Abstract: Methods for generating WSDL (“Web Services Description Language”) documents to describe types and function entry points based on database metadata are disclosed. Such a method may include resolving the endpoint metadata by querying based on parameters about the request collected by the HTTP stack. From the endpoint metadata, the list of entry points which have been mapped may be collected. For each entry point, attributes about the entry point may be collected, and metadata for the types of parameters to the entry point may be looked up. A first collection of unique XML schema namespaces may be created, with one entry corresponding to each unique XML schema namespace for any arbitrary user-defined XML Schema definitions required by a parameter to an entry point. A second collection of unique XML schema namespaces may be created, with one entry corresponding to each unique XML schema namespace for an entry point. The wrapper elements for the WSDL document and any global XML schema definitions may be emitted.

Abstract: A Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC) for a database server is provided that allows a user with administrator privileges to connect to the database server when a connection by standard means fails. By allowing an administrator to connect to the server through the DAC, the administrator can resolve the issue despite the failure and bring back the server to a responsive state without requiring the server to be shut down and restarted. Additionally, support engineers, developers, etc. can use the DAC to diagnose a range of problems without the use of a debugger or requesting a repro while monitoring for issues.

Abstract: A method for efficiently sending notifications over a network. A client system requests to be notified when an event occurs. A server system receives the requests and monitors for the occurrence of the event. When the event occurs a single packet using a connectionless protocol (such as User Datagram Protocol) is sent to the client to notify the client of the occurrence of the event. Using a connectionless protocol to send notification reduces the overall amount of data on the network and thus reduces network congestion and the processing capacity of the server and client. When the client system receives notification an attempt to establish a connection using as connection-oriented protocol is executed. Additional data associated with the occurrence of the event is transferred over the connection. The server may repeatedly send notification using a connectionless protocol until a connection using a connection-oriented protocol is established.

Abstract: Methods and structures for parsing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) data stream are described. In the described embodiment, one or more schema modules are defined and are associated with HTTP requests that are received from a client. The schema module(s) has a function that determines whether an XML data stream conforms to a given schema that is associated with the HTTP request. If a portion of the XML data stream does not conform to the given schema, then the schema module disregards that XML data stream portion. In the described embodiment, each schema module has a plurality of states associated therewith. Each state is associated with one or more schema requirements that relate to a particular element that is evaluated by the schema module. Each state is different from the other states and the number of states is a function of the number of layers or elements that are contained within a particular XML data stream.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating and sending an XML document are described. In a specific implementation, methods and systems for responding to an XML client request utilize an XML response generator that includes one or more request method objects. There is one object for each particular type of client request that might be received. Each request method object knows and gathers the data that is needed to respond to its particular associated client request. An emitter object receives calls from the request method object and translates the data that it receives into response portions that are in proper XML syntactic form.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating and sending an XML document are described. In a specific implementation, methods and systems for responding to an XML client request are described. In the described embodiment, an XML response generator is provided. The XML response generator responds to a client request without having to first build and save a hierarchical tree structure in memory that represents the response. The response generator includes one or more request method objects. There is one object for each particular type of client request that might be received. Each request method object knows and gathers the data that is needed to respond to its particular associated client request. In addition, the request method object knows a particular order that the information must be provided. An emitter object is provided and receives calls from the request method object. The calls include the data that is gathered by the request method object.

Abstract: Methods and structures for parsing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) data stream are described. In the described embodiment, one or more schema modules are defined and are associated with HTTP requests that are received from a client. The schema module(s) has a function that determines whether an XML data stream conforms to a given schema that is associated with the HTTP request. If a portion of the XML data stream does not conform to the given schema, then the schema module disregards that XML data stream portion. In the described embodiment, each schema module has a plurality of states associated therewith. Each state is associated with one or more schema requirements that relate to a particular element that is evaluated by the schema module. Each state is different from the other states and the number of states is a function of the number of layers or elements that are contained within a particular XML data stream.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are provided as part of a computing environment that implements an enhanced tabular data stream (TDS) protocol. Such enhanced TDS protocol can mitigate synchronization inconsistencies between client and servers, improve robustness of the data transfer, facilitate password specification as part of login procedures, and reduce administration overhead. Various headers are provided as part of the data stream protocol, and a versioning scheme is established that facilitates proper communication between servers and clients having different release dates and versions of the TDS protocol.

Abstract: Systems and methods for directing client requests and for selecting a back end server to service client requests. A front end server receives client requests and based on the URI of the requests, directs the request to a back end server. The client request can be for a private or a public folder and each back end server typically stores both private and public folders. If the request is for a private folder, then the front end server determines which server stores that user's private folder and directs the client request to that folder. If the request is for a home public folder, the front end server directs the client request to the server that is associated with the private folders of the users. If the request is for an application public folder, then the front end server selects one of the back end servers to service the client request. Advantageously, the front end server always directs the client request to the same server.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products for using a front-end server to access content stored on one or more back-end servers. The front-end server receives requests for content from client systems. Back-end servers store the content, but to the client system, it appears as if the front-end server is the content's source. Upon receiving the request, the front-end server checks the validity of the request and examines a global catalog that dynamically maps client system requests to the back-end server or servers that store the requested content. In some circumstances, the content will be stored at a single back-end server and the front-end server directs the request to that server. Alternatively, a list of back-end servers storing the requested content may be generated. If so, the front-end then uses an authentication token as a key to a hash operation that is performed on the list and a single server that is capable of satisfying the request for content is identified.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention are directed to closely integrating functionality between an internet server and a WebDAV tool. Areas of specific focus in this document include delegation of duties between the internet server and the WebDAV tool, efficient management of a resource's content-type, support for segregation of a namespace into separate virtual roots, and determinations of whether to invoke certain processing extensions to handle requests for a given HTTP verb.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products for transparently redirecting a request for content such that a client system is unaware of the redirection. A client requests content through a front-end server that provides a single point of access for content stored on one or more back-end servers. The single point of access makes it so the client does not know and does not care which particular back-end server stores the requested content. When a back-end server provides a redirect response for content that the back-end server does not store, the front-end server receives the redirect response and reissues the request to a server identified in the redirect response. A front-end server indicator is added to requests so that the back-end server knows the request is from a front-end server.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products for using a front-end server to access content stored on one or more back-end servers. The front-end server receives requests for content from client systems. Back-end servers store the content, but to the client system, it appears as if the front-end server is the content's source. Upon receiving the request, the front-end server checks the validity of the request and examines a global catalog that dynamically maps client system requests to the back-end server or servers that store the requested content. In some circumstances, the content will be stored at a single back-end server and the front-end server directs the request to that server. Alternatively, a list of back-end servers storing the requested content may be generated. If so, the front-end then uses an authentication token as a key to a hash operation that is performed on the list and a single server that is capable of satisfying the request for content is identified.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for minimizing increases in memory usage when updating an inheritance tree that follows “first one wins” inheritance semantics for property or “metadata” information. The inheritance tree is updated by writing new files to the inheritance tree, each new file potentially having property information or “metadata” associated therewith. The method examines the ancestral line of each new file that is written to the inheritance tree (and any property value in a global location if necessary) to determine whether existing property values that would be applied to the new file match the property value of the new file. If the existing property value does not match the property value of the new file, the property information is set in the ancestral line of the new file at the level of the new file itself.