Abstract: A computer-implemented method for managing virtual machine backups may include (1) identifying a maximum recovery point objective for a virtual machine with a virtual machine disk file on a storage device with snapshot capabilities, (2) identifying an available snapshot of the storage device that contains the virtual machine disk file, (3) determining that the snapshot's timestamp is within the maximum recovery point objective, and (4) constructing a backup of the virtual machine using the snapshot, instead of creating the backup from the virtual machine disk file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing incremental backups may include 1) identifying a volume of data previously subjected to a backup, 2) determining a time to perform an incremental backup of the volume, the incremental backup being incremental with respect to the backup, and, at the time of the incremental backup, 3) identifying a list of files changed on the volume since the backup, 4) identifying a map of blocks changed on the volume since the backup, and 5) including, in the incremental backup, each block within at least one file that is indicated as changed in the map of blocks. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the data that should be backed up by a plurality of backup policies are described. A global file change log that lists which files have been changed may be maintained. The global file change log may be processed to distribute the file change information into policy-specific file change logs. A global block change bitmap may also be maintained. The global block change bitmap may indicate which data blocks of the files have been changed. Performing a respective backup operation for a respective backup policy may include backing up only the data blocks that have changed in the files listed in the respective policy-specific file change log since a previous backup operation for the respective backup policy was performed. The data blocks that have changed may be specified in a respective policy-specific block change bitmap for the respective backup policy.

Abstract: A data model models a social network. The data model can be embodied as a person profile schema and a connector profile schema. The person profile schema defines properties of persons in the social network. The connector profile schema defines connectivity properties of persons that connect a searcher to the persons in social network that the searcher desires to find. Query languages can be based on the data model and can be used to express queries of social networks. Queries can be for persons, for connecting persons, or for both.

Abstract: A data model models a social network. The data model can be embodied as a person profile schema and a connector profile schema. The person profile schema defines properties of persons in the social network. The connector profile schema defines connectivity properties of persons that connect a searcher to the persons in social network that the searcher desires to find. Query languages can be based on the data model and can be used to express queries of social networks. Queries can be for persons, for connecting persons, or for both.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to systems and methods of data item synchronization. More specifically, the invention concerns synchronization of data entities utilizing an intermediary or shared storage system and associated data store. Each client sync device can include or be associated with an interface that facilitates communication between client synchronization devices and the intermediary storage system. The interface can send change information to the shared store utilizing change data packets including a data change attribute, a prerequisite knowledge attribute and a learned knowledge attribute. The data change attribute can specify changes to be made to certain data, while the attribute can include a complete copy or reference to a complete copy or single instance of data.

Abstract: A system and method for determining calendric association rules are provided. The method uses calendars to describe the variation of association rules over time, where a specific calendar is defined as a collection of time intervals describing some phenomenon. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method for identifying calendric association rules in transactional data with time stamped data items. In one exemplary embodiment, the method identifies large itemsets in each time unit, where a large itemset is an itemset that occurs in the transactions more than a given threshold. The method then identifies association rules of the form X—Y from the large itemsets by determining if a requisite support for the itemset XY and a given confidence threshold (ratio of (support of XY)/(support of X)) has been satisfied. Calendric association rules are then generated by examining identified association rules to determine which ones exhibit the temporal patterns specified by given calendars.