Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining contextual objects related to web content. Web content may include one or more elements, which may be extracted from the web content and analyzed to identify any contextual objects. The web content elements may be hyperlink elements, and contextual objects may be identified based on the hyperlink elements. A dominant entity may be identified for the web content, and contextual objects relating to the dominant entity may be identified. When a request for web content is received, contextual objects may be provided with the requested content. Personalized contextual objects may be selected from the identified contextual objects based on data associated with the request for web content. Selection of a contextual object may result in navigation to a browsing environment associated with the selected contextual object.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for increasing user engagement using incentivized user task completion. In some embodiments, the incentivized user tasks relate to game related tasks in exchange for rewards, also referred to as “gamification”. Such gamification techniques entice user interaction by involving introducing user specific games, rewards, and prizes into the online shopping experience. As described herein, such functionality relates to identifying user specific features, identifying a list of prized products for the user, introducing games for the user to engage with, and rewarding the user for successfully completing a game. The games and rewards may be presented to the user in an interactive visual display incorporating the game modules and rewards throughout. The gamification process may be a collaborative endeavor between the online shopping platform and online sellers to develop games and rewards which market products directly to specific users.

Abstract: System and methods for presenting users with different App download options in response to certain search queries. In aspects, when a user enters a search query that does not explicitly request an App, systems and methods described herein analyze the results of the search and determine whether the request is an implicit request for Apps. As a result, relevant Apps are identified and presented for download. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to analyzing and identifying URLs of companies and developers of Apps. Once analyzed and identified, embodiments relate to associating the appropriate URLs with one or more Apps.

Abstract: A system and method of generating and using key-value clusters to classify and return app queries is provided. The system includes a computing device. The computing device includes: a processing device; and a computer readable data storage device storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processing device, the instructions are operative to provide: receiving a search query and retrieving a preliminary search result comprising at least n web results; and when the at least n web results matches the key cluster returning the key cluster and an associated value cluster as a result of the search.

Abstract: A market out of multiple available geographic markets can be inferred for each application in a first subset of computer applications. The inferring can include inferring each market from text in one or more metadata fields in application metadata from an online computerized store for the applications. Computer-readable market clusters can be generated, with each of the market clusters indicating a corresponding one of the markets, and with the clusters indicating an inferred market cluster of the computer-readable market clusters for each of the applications in the first subset. In response to a received application query, generating search results can include favoring inclusion of the one or more applications that are assigned to the identified market cluster relative to one or more applications that are not assigned to the identified market cluster.

Abstract: A plurality of category application queries can be processed, including identifying an associated list of results for each of the category application queries, with each list of results listing one or more applications. A cluster of the category application queries that each have a category in common in an application category stamp can be identified. A proximity graph for the category application queries in the cluster can be generated. The proximity graph can indicate similarity scores based at least in part on numbers of applications in common for lists of results associated with the category application queries in pairs of queries in the cluster. Lists each having one or more suggested alternative category application queries for category application queries in the cluster can be generated, with the generating of the lists of one or more suggested alternative category application queries being based at least in part on the similarity scores.

Abstract: Application metadata for computer applications can be retrieved, with the metadata corresponding to metadata for an online application store from which the applications are available. Computer-readable application clusters can be generated. Each of the application clusters can indicate that applications in the cluster are supported by an associated set of one or more platforms for the cluster. The generating of the clusters can include analyzing the application metadata, such as by performing pattern matching on natural language data. Results for application queries for applications supported by a specified computer platform can be limited to listings of applications in one or more of the clusters whose associated set of one or more platforms includes the specified platform.

Abstract: A limited first set of search engine results can be retrieved from running an application query, with the limited first set of results being limited to applications associated with a first set of application platform(s). Categories of applications referenced in the limited first set of results can be identified, and a category stamp can be generated for the query based on applications in the first set of results that are associated with each of multiple categories. A limited second set of search engine results can be retrieved from running the query. The limited second set of results can be limited to applications associated with a second set of application platform(s), with the second set of results being limited to applications in a category corresponding to the category stamp for the query. An application list for the query can be generated using the limited second set of results.

Abstract: A market out of multiple available geographic markets can be inferred for each application in a first subset of computer applications. The inferring can include inferring each market from text in one or more metadata fields in application metadata from an online computerized store for the applications. Computer-readable market clusters can be generated, with each of the market clusters indicating a corresponding one of the markets, and with the clusters indicating an inferred market cluster of the computer-readable market clusters for each of the applications in the first subset. In response to a received application query, generating search results can include favoring inclusion of the one or more applications that are assigned to the identified market cluster relative to one or more applications that are not assigned to the identified market cluster.

Abstract: A system and method of generating and using key-value clusters to classify and return app queries is provided. The system includes a computing device. The computing device includes: a processing device; and a computer readable data storage device storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processing device, the instructions are operative to provide: receiving a search query and retrieving a preliminary search result comprising at least n web results; and when the at least n web results matches the key cluster returning the key cluster and an associated value cluster as a result of the search.

Abstract: System and methods for presenting users with different App download options in response to certain search queries. In aspects, when a user enters a search query that does not explicitly request an App, systems and methods described herein analyze the results of the search and determine whether the request is an implicit request for Apps. As a result, relevant Apps are identified and presented for download. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to analyzing and identifying URLs of companies and developers of Apps. Once analyzed and identified, embodiments relate to associating the appropriate URLs with one or more Apps.

Abstract: Application metadata for computer applications can be retrieved, with the metadata corresponding to metadata for an online application store from which the applications are available. Computer-readable application clusters can be generated. Each of the application clusters can indicate that applications in the cluster are supported by an associated set of one or more platforms for the cluster. The generating of the clusters can include analyzing the application metadata, such as by performing pattern matching on natural language data. Results for application queries for applications supported by a specified computer platform can be limited to listings of applications in one or more of the clusters whose associated set of one or more platforms includes the specified platform.

Abstract: A limited first set of search engine results can be retrieved from running an application query, with the limited first set of results being limited to applications associated with a first set of application platform(s). Categories of applications referenced in the limited first set of results can be identified, and a category stamp can be generated for the query based on applications in the first set of results that are associated with each of multiple categories. A limited second set of search engine results can be retrieved from running the query. The limited second set of results can be limited to applications associated with a second set of application platform(s), with the second set of results being limited to applications in a category corresponding to the category stamp for the query. An application list for the query can be generated using the limited second set of results.

Abstract: A plurality of category application queries can be processed, including identifying an associated list of results for each of the category application queries, with each list of results listing one or more applications. A cluster of the category application queries that each have a category in common in an application category stamp can be identified. A proximity graph for the category application queries in the cluster can be generated. The proximity graph can indicate similarity scores based at least in part on numbers of applications in common for lists of results associated with the category application queries in pairs of queries in the cluster. Lists each having one or more suggested alternative category application queries for category application queries in the cluster can be generated, with the generating of the lists of one or more suggested alternative category application queries being based at least in part on the similarity scores.

Abstract: A simulation may be performed to assess availability of a service in the event of various types of failures. A specification may describe a behavior to be induced on a machine, and a formula under which availability is to be measured. A controller processes the specification and dispatches a request to induce the behavior to a machine on which the behavior is to be induced. An agent on that machine may look up a routine in a simulation library and may use the routine to induce the behavior. Data, such as performance counter values, are collected before, during, and/or after occurrence of the behavior, and are transmitted back to the controller. A report generator applies the formula contained in the specification to the data received to calculate the availability metric, and produces a report containing that metric.

Abstract: A method and a processing device may be provided for creating a shadow database, having a size being approximately a desired percentage of a size of a relational database. Referential integrity of tables of the relational database may be preserved in the created shadow database. A representation of a connected graph may be created, based on a schema description of the relational database, and may be used to find driving tables and related tables of the relational database. Portions of driving tables of the relational database may be copied to corresponding tables of the shadow database and rows of tables of the relational database, related to the copied portions of the driving tables, may be copied to corresponding tables of the shadow database in a number of iterations until the size of the shadow database is approximately the desired percentage of the size of the relational database.

Abstract: A simulation may be performed to assess availability of a service in the event of various types of failures. A specification may describe a behavior to be induced on a machine, and a formula under which availability is to be measured. A controller processes the specification and dispatches a request to induce the behavior to a machine on which the behavior is to be induced. An agent on that machine may look up a routine in a simulation library and may use the routine to induce the behavior. Data, such as performance counter values, are collected before, during, and/or after occurrence of the behavior, and are transmitted back to the controller. A report generator applies the formula contained in the specification to the data received to calculate the availability metric, and produces a report containing that metric.

Abstract: A method and a processing device may be provided for creating a shadow database, having a size being approximately a desired percentage of a size of a relational database. Referential integrity of tables of the relational database may be preserved in the created shadow database. A representation of a connected graph may be created, based on a schema description of the relational database, and may be used to find driving tables and related tables of the relational database. Portions of driving tables of the relational database may be copied to corresponding tables of the shadow database and rows of tables of the relational database, related to the copied portions of the driving tables, may be copied to corresponding tables of the shadow database in a number of iterations until the size of the shadow database is approximately the desired percentage of the size of the relational database.

Abstract: Strategies are described for sanitizing a data set, having the effect of obscuring restricted data in the data set to maintain its secrecy. The strategies operate by providing a production data set to a sanitizer. The sanitizer applies a data directory table to identify the location of restricted data items in the data set and to identify the respective sanitization tools to be applied to the restricted data items. The sanitizer then applies the identified sanitization tools to the identified restricted data items to produce a sanitized data set. A test environment receives the sanitized data set and performs testing, data mining, or some other application on the basis of the sanitized data set. Performing sanitization on a sanitized version of the production data set is advantageous because it preserves the state of the production data set. The data directory table also provides a flexible mechanism for applying sanitization tools to the production data set.