Abstract: A method and system for allocating inventory in an Internet environment is provided. A method employed by the system may include generating an inventory pool that represents a number of impressions deliverable to all users, then determining, from multiple past orders for booking impressions, a hierarchy of parameters utilized to target users and a number of impressions deliverable to users characterized by the parameters. The inventory pool may then be partitioned into multiple inventory pools according to the hierarchy, where each inventory pool represents a number of impressions deliverable to users characterized by parameters associated with the inventory pool. The hierarchy of pools may then be stored to a database.

Abstract: In a database system, derived data (often called view data or view tables) depends on other data, often called base data (or base tables). When base data on which derived data depends is updated, including changes, additions, and/or deletions, those updates need to be propagated to derived data. Some types of updates, if repeated, result in an incorrect view data state; these updates are termed non-idempotent. To avoid repeating non-idempotent view data updates, signatures are computed that are repeatable, but yet unique to base data on which the view data is based, the view data being updated, and sequence information for updates to the base data (where applicable) and sequence data for multiple changes to the view being updated. The signatures allow detection of view updates that were committed prior to a failure, but which were not confirmed as having been committed to a process that computes the view updates.

Abstract: Aspects relate to maintaining, with a concurrent plurality of view managers, an aggregate view record that is derived from base data being updated. The aggregate view record is stored in a storage device. In a first example, a given base data update is propagated by one of the view managers reading a value from the aggregate view record and a sequence number, determining an updated value using the base data update, and submitting the updated value for writing, with the sequence number. The sequence number submitted with the writing is compared to a then-current sequence number stored in the storage device, and if there is a mismatch, then the view manager repeats the reading, determining, and submitting until there is no mismatch. A number of variations exist for different types of aggregates, which include counting, averaging, summing, and tracking minima and maxima.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for identifying compatible advertisement contracts to satisfy an advertisement opportunity. The systems and methods include receiving a number of attribute values associated with a user accessing a network-based location. The systems and methods include sorting an index of lists for a plurality of advertisement contracts on the basis of a number of contract term values. The systems and methods include traversing the index of lists to return a set advertisement contracts compatible with the number of attribute values associated with the user. The systems and methods include selecting a given advertisement contract from the set of advertisement contracts compatible with the number of attribute values associated with the user. The systems and methods include presenting an advertisement associated with the given advertisement contract on a display viewable by the user accessing the network-based location.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system for managing online resources, and in particular, to a system using an offline process to optimize the management of such online resources.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system for managing online advertising, and in particular, to pricing of advertising inventory and its allocation to advertising campaigns.

Abstract: Example embodiments described herein may relate to estimating inventory for a display advertising system utilized, for example, in Web-based advertising.

Abstract: Generally, embodiments of the present invention provide for methods, systems and computer program products for utilizing date constraints in an advertisement serving system. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a request for one or more advertisements that satisfy one or more constraints. A set of advertisement contracts is generated, wherein the set of advertisement contracts comprise one or more advertisement contracts that satisfy the one or more constraints. The contractual time period for a given advertisement contract in the set of advertisement contracts is then determined. A subset of advertisement contracts is then generated, wherein the subset of advertisement contracts comprises the advertisement contracts in the set of advertisement contracts that are active on a given date. The subset of advertisement contracts is then inputted into an optimization algorithm and one or more advertisement contracts are selected by the optimization algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for optimizing an advertisement plan for allocating advertisements to a contract in a network-based environment. The system and method includes determining a shadow price for an advertisement placement where the advertisement placement is associated with a user having defined characteristics. The system and method includes determining a contract price for the advertisement placement relative to a plurality of advertisement contracts for the user having the defined characteristics. The system and method includes determining an advertisement plan for allocating an advertisement to a given contract on the basis of the shadow price and the contract price. The system and method includes presenting a given advertisement associated with the given contract according to the advertisement plan on network-based output.

Abstract: Aspects include mechanisms for design and analysis of flows of information in a database system from updates to base table records, through one or more log segments, to a plurality of view managers that respectively execute operations to update view table records. Mechanisms allow any base table record to be used by any view manager, so long as the view managers are using that base table record to update different view table records. Mechanisms also allow any number of view table records to be updated by any number of view managers, based on respective base table records. Mechanisms prevent the same view record from being used as a basis for updating the same base table record by more than one view manager, thereby preventing a conflict where updated information from one base table record is used more than once for updating a single view table record.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to data management of multiple applications, and in particular, to fault tolerance for such management.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and mediums for improving system utilization and throughput. In some embodiments, application requests received at a primary site are routed to a secondary site for processing when the requests are found to be suitable for processing at the secondary site.

Abstract: In a large-scale transaction such as the bulk loading of new records into an ordered, distributed database, a transaction limit such as an insert limit may be chosen, partitions on overfull storage servers may be designated to be moved to underfull storage servers, and the move assignments may be based, at least in part on the degree to which a storage server is underfull and the move and insertion costs of the partitions to be moved.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing recommendations to users of a computer-based network of items of potential interest to the users. Items and people of potential interest to users may be determined using obtained word-based social behavior information, semantically-sensitive vocabulary taxonomies, and determined implied topic-specific social networks. The user may be presented with a graphical user interface including the recommendation, an explanation of the rationale relating to the recommendation, and an opportunity for the user to provide feedback relating to the recommendation or the rationale. The feedback may be used to improve future recommendations.

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: In one embodiment, there is provided a method, comprising: reading an Electronic Product Code (EPC) from a carrier associated with a product; accessing a policy associated with the product; and performing a policy enforcement operation based on the policy, wherein the policy is securely downloaded from a server on the Internet that is authoritative for an Internet domain of a legitimate provider of the product.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and mediums for improving system utilization and throughput. In some embodiments, application requests received at a primary site are routed to a secondary site for processing when the requests are found to be suitable for processing at the secondary site.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of Worker processes are allowed to perform any and all of the following tasks involving logged work items: (1) reading a subset of the work items from a log; (2) sequentially ordering work items for corresponding data objects; (3) applying a sequentially ordered set of work items to a corresponding data object; and (4) transmitting a subset of work items to a Worker process running on another database server in a cluster, if necessary. These tasks can be performed concurrently, at will, and as available, by the Worker processes. An improved checkpointing technique eliminates the need for the Worker processes to get to a synchronization point and stop. Instead, a Coordinator process examines the current state of progress of the Worker processes and computes a past point in the sequence of work items at which all work items before that point have been completely processed, and records this point as the checkpoint.

Abstract: In order to provide improved training and testing, a solution to a given problem is accepted from a user. The solution is tested to ensure that it is syntactically and semantically correct. If it is not, then information is displayed to the user regarding the problems. Evaluation cases are used to test semantic correctness. When an evaluation case indicates that a semantic problem has been encountered, the evaluation case is not presented to the user. Rather a similar training case is presented which is calculated to demonstrate the same semantic problem as the evaluation case. Thus, the user can be helped to understand the issue without being provided with the evaluation cases on which the solution is being tested.