Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and processor readable media are described for real-time prediction of an advertising audience volume through analysis of historical audience data, and tuning of the predicted audience volume. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query for audience volume prediction. Such a query may be a Boolean combination of various audience categories. A time range may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to make the audience volume prediction in real time. Employing the user-specified query, an audience volume prediction may be provided for a future time period, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time range. Embodiments may also enable a user to tune the predicted audience volume through modification of the query through one or more iterations.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and processor readable storage media are described for real-time computation of statistics between audiences including, but not limited to, correlations, comparative metrics, and/or other statistical analysis for the audiences. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query that defines a specific audience for analysis in real-time. A past time period may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to generate the statistical comparisons and/or correlations. Employing the user-specified query, statistical comparisons and/or correlation may be provided, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time period. Embodiments may also enable a user to generate new statistics in real-time through modification of the audience in one or more iterations. Embodiments may also enable a user to filter, sort, and search through audiences by setting desired statistical boundaries for the resulting audience set.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and storage medium for determining that a client device is enabled for persistent identification, and that may operate as a filter for user information based on whether the client is enabled for persistent identification. A first communication is received regarding a request by the client for a web page. At least one application level data structure is then provided for storage by the client, that persistently identifies at least one characteristic of the client. A second communication is then received that includes a representation of the application level data structures provided, and a comparison is made between the data structures provided and the representation received to determine whether the client is enabled for persistent identification. If persistent identification is enabled, the client may then be provided with advertisements or other content related to the client interests or characteristics.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and processor readable media are described for real-time prediction of an advertising audience volume through analysis of historical audience data, and tuning of the predicted audience volume. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query for audience volume prediction. Such a query may be a Boolean combination of various audience categories. A time range may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to make the audience volume prediction in real time. Employing the user-specified query, an audience volume prediction may be provided for a future time period, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time range. Embodiments may also enable a user to tune the predicted audience volume through modification of the query through one or more iterations.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and processor readable media are described for real-time prediction of an advertising audience volume through analysis of historical audience data, and tuning of the predicted audience volume. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query for audience volume prediction. Such a query may be a Boolean combination of various audience categories. A time range may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to make the audience volume prediction in real time. Employing the user-specified query, an audience volume prediction may be provided for a future time period, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time range. Embodiments may also enable a user to tune the predicted audience volume through modification of the query through one or more iterations.

Abstract: A method for scheduling advertising comprises the steps of: estimating a respective fraction of delivered advertisement impressions that result in a response from a user for each of a plurality of advertising contracts, estimating a value per impression for each of the advertising contracts, and scheduling an advertising line under the contract having the highest value per impression at a next available advertising window.

Abstract: A method for scheduling advertising comprises the steps of: estimating a respective fraction of delivered advertisement impressions that result in a response from a user for each of a plurality of advertising contracts, estimating a value per impression for each of the advertising contracts, and scheduling an advertising line under the contract having the highest value per impression at a next available advertising window.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards an advertising pricing system that uses striped aggressive discounting and shared audience auctions. A plurality of stripes is determined for an audience, where at least one stripe is assigned a different discount. Each user in the audience is associated with one of the stripes. All audience data can then be distributed to and shared between data buyers; thus, each data buyer can use the audience independent of other data buyers. In one embodiment, data buyers can provide content to individual users regardless of the stripe that is associated with the user. Data buyers can then be billed based on the stripe discount associated with each user that the data buyer provided content. In one embodiment, the number, size, and discount associated with each stripe may be modified to dynamically produce an optimum yield based on shared audience auction bidding volume using striped aggressive discounting.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and processor readable media are described for real-time prediction of an advertising audience volume through analysis of historical audience data, and tuning of the predicted audience volume. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query for audience volume prediction. Such a query may be a Boolean combination of various audience categories. A time range may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to make the audience volume prediction in real time. Employing the user-specified query, an audience volume prediction may be provided for a future time period, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time range. Embodiments may also enable a user to tune the predicted audience volume through modification of the query through one or more iterations.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and processor readable storage media are described for real-time computation of statistics between audiences including, but not limited to, correlations, comparative metrics, and/or other statistical analysis for the audiences. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query that defines a specific audience for analysis in real-time. A past time period may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to generate the statistical comparisons and/or correlations. Employing the user-specified query, statistical comparisons and/or correlation may be provided, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time period. Embodiments may also enable a user to generate new statistics in real-time through modification of the audience in one or more iterations. Embodiments may also enable a user to filter, sort, and search through audiences by setting desired statistical boundaries for the resulting audience set.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for dynamically reorganizing the data within a replicated database system. One method, for example, includes performing a split operation across a plurality of replicated databases with regard to an existing partition therein, wherein the existing partition comprises a plurality of data records and the two new partitions each include at least a portion of the plurality of data records, and allowing at least one type of access to the plurality of data records during the split operation.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and storage medium for determining that a client device is enabled for persistent identification, and that may operate as a filter for user information based on whether the client is enabled for persistent identification. A first communication is received regarding a request by the client for a web page. At least one application level data structure is then provided for storage by the client, that persistently identifies at least one characteristic of the client. A second communication is then received that includes a representation of the application level data structures provided, and a comparison is made between the data structures provided and the representation received to determine whether the client is enabled for persistent identification. If persistent identification is enabled, the client may then be provided with advertisements or other content related to the client interests or characteristics.

Abstract: A technique is described that reduces the complexity and resource consumption associated with performing record expiry in a distributed database system. In accordance with the technique, a record is checked to see if it has expired only when it has been accessed for a read or a write. If at the time of a read a record is determined to have expired, then it is not served. If at the time of a write a record is determined to have expired, then the write is treated as an insertion of a new record, and steps are taken to treat the insertion consistently with regard to the previous expired version. A background process is used to delete records that have not been written to or actively deleted by a client after expiration.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to managing an exchange of user profile data through an auction that controls distribution to one or more top bidders. Visiting users of a data seller's website are tagged based on the visiting user's interactions with the data seller's website. The data seller or a network provider may tag the visiting users. The data sellers submit user data and user profile identifiers to an exchange service. Data buyers submit corresponding categories of user data for a campaign, and submit bids for profile data or user data of each user. A bid is generally specified for a specific user, where the bid may be per user, per category. The exchange service associates user data provided by a data seller with categories of data requested by a data buyer, and ranks bids. The highest bidder may receive access to user data for a predefined period.

Abstract: An improved system and method for parallel retrieval of data from a distributed database is provided. A parallel interface may be provided for use by a cluster of client machine for parallel retrieval of partial results from parallel execution of a database query by a cluster of database servers storing a distributed database. A query interface may be augmented for inputting a database query and specifying the number of instances of parallel retrieval of results from query execution. To do so, a commercial query language may be augmented for sending a query request that may include a parameter specifying the database query and an additional parameter specifying the desired retrieval parallelism. The augmented query interface may return a list of retrieval point addresses for retrieving the partial results assigned to each of the retrieval point addresses from parallel execution of the database query.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for dynamically reorganizing the data within a replicated database system. One method, for example, includes performing a split operation across a plurality of replicated databases with regard to an existing partition therein, wherein the existing partition comprises a plurality of data records and the two new partitions each include at least a portion of the plurality of data records, and allowing at least one type of access to the plurality of data records during the split operation.

Abstract: A system for maintaining a database. The system includes a storage unit for storing many tablets each tablet including multiple records. The tablet controller is configured to maintain the relationship between the tablet and the storage unit. The tablet controller tracks failures to access the storage unit and designates a new storage unit for each tablet based on a storage unit failure. A router is in communication with the tablet controller and configured to distribute messages from clients to the storage units thereby serving as a layer of indirection.

Abstract: A system for storing a distributed hash table. The system includes a storage unit, a tablet controller, a router, and a transaction bank. The storage unit has a plurality of tablets forming a hash table and each of the tablets includes multiple records. The tablet controller maintains a relationship between each tablet and the storage unit. The router hashes a record's key to determine the tablet associated with each record. Further, the router distributes messages from clients to the storage units based on the tablet-storage unit relationship thereby serving as a layer of indirection. The transaction bank propagates updates made in one record to all other replicas of the record.

Abstract: A system for a distributed database implementing a dynamic mastership strategy. The system includes a multiple data centers, each having a storage unit to store a set of records. Each data center stores its own replica of the set of records and each record includes a field that indicates which data center is assigned to be the master for that record. Since each of the data centers can he geographically distributed, one record may be more efficiently edited with the master being one geographic region while another record, possibly belonging to a different user, may be more efficiently edited with the master being located in another geographic region.

Abstract: A technique is described that reduces the complexity and resource consumption associated with performing record expiry in a distributed database system. In accordance with the technique, a record is checked to see if it has expired only when it has been accessed for a read or a write. If at the time of a read a record is determined to have expired, then it is not served. If at the time of a write a record is determined to have expired, then the write is treated as an insertion of a new record, and steps are taken to treat the insertion consistently with regard to the previous expired version. A background process is used to delete records that have not been written to or actively deleted by a client after expiration.