Abstract: Techniques are presented for hierarchical report tool session management. A user interacts with a hierarchical reporting tool during a first session and reaches a specific nested level within the tool for a particular hierarchy being accessed by the user. At some point in time the user exits the tool (normally or abnormally). The specific nested level is maintained on behalf of the user. So, when the user initiates a second and subsequent session with the tool, the user is presented with the specific nested level when the tool is started for that subsequent session.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for managing fraud information. Metadata defines user profiles, security levels, fraud cases, and presentation information. One or more queries or reports are processed against disparate data store tables and the results are aggregated into a repository. The repository is also defined by the metadata. Furthermore, operations associated with sharing, viewing, and accessing the results from the repository is defined and controlled by the metadata. In an embodiment, portions of the metadata may be viewed and navigated in a hierarchical and graphical formatted presentation.

Abstract: A method of graphically displaying the path of a customer traversing a web site and related business data is described. The method includes receiving a user request for a visualization. The user request may include data filters and exclusions. Responsive to the user request, traffic data is selected for analysis. The selected traffic data is analyzed and displayed to the user. The display may be in the form of a visualization including a graph and related business data. The graph may be of an overview, referral, path, page-to-page path, and animation type. A system for visualizing traffic patterns and the path of a customer at a site is described in conjunction with the above method. The system includes a logical data model, a dimensional data model, a report specification, a graphical interface, metadata database and an analysis report. The graphical interface is used for viewing visualization information.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for managing fraud information. Metadata defines user profiles, security levels, fraud cases, and presentation information. One or more queries or reports are processed against disparate data store tables and the results are aggregated into a repository. The repository is also defined by the metadata. Furthermore, operations associated with sharing, viewing, and accessing the results from the repository is defined and controlled by the metadata. In an embodiment, portions of the metadata may be viewed and navigated in a hierarchical and graphical formatted presentation.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for managing fraud information. Metadata defines user profiles, security levels, fraud cases, and presentation information. One or more queries or reports are processed against disparate data store tables and the results are aggregated into a repository. The repository is also defined by the metadata. Furthermore, operations associated with sharing, viewing, and accessing the results from the repository is defined and controlled by the metadata. In an embodiment, portions of the metadata may be viewed and navigated in a hierarchical and graphical formatted presentation.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for hierarchical report tool session management. A user interacts with a hierarchical reporting tool during a first session and reaches a specific nested level within the tool for a particular hierarchy being accessed by the user. At some point in time the user exits the tool (normally or abnormally). The specific nested level is maintained on behalf of the user. So, when the user initiates a second and subsequent session with the tool, the user is presented with the specific nested level when the tool is started for that subsequent session.

Abstract: Methods and systems for locating related reports are provided. A report application identifies a first report to process along with preference selections associated with finding related reports to the first report being processed. A data preparation application performs an initial filter against a report data store using the first report and the preference selections. The data preparation application passes candidate reports and the first report to a data mining application. The data mining application uses the first report, the candidate reports, and a report usage data store to find relationships and associations with additional reports. In one embodiment, the additional reports are ranked and organized before being presented to the report application as related reports to the first report.

Abstract: Report specification generators, interfaces, and methods are provided. Existing specification objects are selected from a data store. New specification objects are created as shell specification objects. Moreover, computations are selected from the data store. The specification objects, the shell specification objects, and the computations are organized within a grid. In one embodiment, the grid is used to generate a template report schema. In another embodiment, a preview tool populates the grid with report data in order to present a preview.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and data structures are provided to construct, submit, and process multi-attributal searches. An item, which includes a plurality of attributes, is received. Each attribute includes an attribute value. One or more of the attribute values are modified, and the modified item is sent to a number of data stores or processing devices. If a substantial match on the number of data stores or the processing devices is detected then answer items are received representing the substantial matches that were found on the number of data stores or the processing devices. The answer items are ranked and presented.

Abstract: The present invention is called a document customizer. The document customizer captures and records changes made to an electronic and/or physical footprint of a data warehouse engagement by a knowledgeable field practitioner. The document customizer starts with a “system-of-record” document which defines the starting system parameters of the data warehouse, as initially delivered to the customer (i.e., Logical Data Model, Physical Data Model, Metadata and system configuration templates). The document customizer allows the practitioner to archive and document the modifications made to the system-of-record and creates an on-line environment to document and time-stamp the modifications made to the data warehouse. The document customizer then creates a “current” system-of-record document. Provisions are included to make additions and modifications to the (new) current document to allow text comments and notes to be input.

Abstract: A computer system that supports and analyzes Internet and/or electronic commerce data includes at least one user station transmitting a user request, and at least one Internet server, connectable to the user station, and providing the user station access to external data sources. The computer system also includes at least one data collection and analysis system. The data collection and analysis system includes at least one analysis module performing statistical and analytical analysis of the Internet and/or electronic commerce data for use by a user in performing one or more business decisions, and at least one Internet and/or electronic commerce data warehouse which is responsively connected to the analysis module and separated from external systems. The data warehouse receives the Internet and/or electronic commerce data, and provides access to the Internet and/or electronic commerce data by the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for using an optical disk as a primary server in a network in order to reduce network access time and network traffic. According to the method, at least one optical disk is placed in a device which is connected to the network. Appropriate information from a server on the network is copied onto the optical disk so that the information on the optical disk may be accessed without directly accessing the server. The device may include a read-only optical drive, or a rewritable optical drive. The device may function cooperatively with a standard web server in order to perform backup functions.

Abstract: A method of graphically displaying the path of a customer traversing a web site and related business data is described. The method includes receiving a user request for a visualization. The user request may include data filters and exclusions. Responsive to the user request, traffic data is selected for analysis. The selected traffic data is analyzed and displayed to the user. The display may be in the form of a visualization including a graph and related business data. The graph may be of an overview, referral, path, page-to-page path, and animation type. A system for visualizing traffic patterns and the path of a customer at a site is described in conjunction with the above method. The system includes a logical data model, a dimensional data model, a report specification, a graphical interface, metadata database and an analysis report. The graphical interface is used for viewing visualization information.

Abstract: Conventionally, a web site stores Internet data indicating file access status for the files that have been accessed in response to requests from web browsers. Unfortunately, the Internet data are kept as a set of separate and non-correlated data records that are chronologically arranged according to the times at which the requests have been received and processed. Consequently, the Internet data are not arranged meaningful to management and business operation. The present invention is able to correlate web page files (HTML, SHTML, DHTML, or CGI files) with individual users. The present invention is also able to correlate web page files with user sessions during which users perform their business transactions over the Internet.

Abstract: The present invention is a data warehouse portal for providing a client with an overall view of one or more data warehouses to aid in the analysis of data in the warehouse(s). The portal allows the client to gain an insight about the data to determine how the data is used, who uses the data, if additional data sources are required, and what impact a data change may have. The portal reads and/or searches metadata and/or XML schemas from the data warehouses and tools available for accessing data stored in the data warehouse, and display the data warehouse information through a browser in numerous ways, such as hierarchical, user and application views. Other views may include extraction, usage, historical and comparison.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and data structures are provided to generate and link reports. Requirements are received and associated with identified report processing objects used to generate report specifications defining a report. In one embodiment, new report processing objects are devised and associated with the requirements and also used in generating the report specifications. Furthermore, report specifications and a data store schema, describing a data store having data used to generate a report, are received. The report specifications and the data store schema are used to generate report metadata that can be linked to a specific report tool used to produce an instance of the report.

Abstract: A visual discovery tool for graph generation is described. The visual discovery tool has a database for storing a data set, rules, and graph types and a graph generator for selectively applying rules and graph types to the data set to generate graphs. In one embodiment, triggers and threshold values are stored in the database to determine the execution of the graph generator. In another embodiment, a user interface enables the customization of the rules and graph types.

Abstract: A web site visualization tool useful for business analytics is described. The visualization tool has a web server for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI), and a database for storing web pages and web page metrics. The web server includes a relationship engine for maintaining stored web page linkages and decision support tools for generating metrics related to the stored web pages. The web server displays a GUI to a user via a standard client web browser. In one embodiment, the GUI includes a standard report region with thumb-print size web page images located in the periphery surrounding the report region and connected to the corresponding entries in the report region. In another embodiment, the GUI includes a web page region and a web page information region having metrics and other information related to the web page displayed in the web page region.

Abstract: The present invention is a data warehouse portal for providing a client with an overall view of one or more data warehouses to aid in the analysis of data in the warehouse(s). The portal allows the client to gain an insight about the data to determine how the data is used, who uses the data, if additional data sources are required, and what impact a data change may have. The portal reads and/or searches metadata and/or XML schemas from the data warehouses and tools available for accessing data stored in the data warehouse, and display the data warehouse information through a browser in numerous ways, such as hierarchical, user and application views. Other views may include extraction, usage, historical and comparison.

Abstract: A computer system displays one or more multiple media variations of information presences with a substantially same view or different view(s) to different users. The computer system includes at least one storage storing one or more of the substantially same view, and at least one user computer transmitting a user request for receiving the view. The computer system also includes at least one server, connectable to the storage and the user's computer, assigning a user type to each user, initializing the view on at least one information source, establishing for each user at least one media variation, and transmitting to each user the view responsive to a user request, the user type, and the at least one media variation. A method and computer memory product are also provided.