Abstract: A method for verifying a target attribute of a company profile record for a procurement application. It is ascertained that a database stores the company profile record including the target attribute and a validity attribute associated with the target attribute. The validity attribute has a VALID or INVALID value respectively indicating that the target attribute in the company profile record has a valid or invalid value within the database. It is insured that the database stores a first and second user profile record, that a first user of a requisition transaction corresponds to the first user profile record, that the first user profile record includes the target attribute having a value identical to a value of the target attribute of a first company profile record associated with a first company represented by the first user, and that the validity attribute of the first company profile record has the VALID value.

Abstract: A method for verifying a target attribute of a company profile record for a procurement application. It is ascertained that a database stores the company profile record including the target attribute and a validity attribute associated with the target attribute. The validity attribute has a VALID or INVALID value respectively indicating that the target attribute in the company profile record has a valid or invalid value within the database. It is insured that the database stores a first and second user profile record, that a first user of a requisition transaction corresponds to the first user profile record, that the first user profile record includes the target attribute having a value identical to a value of the target attribute of a first company profile record associated with a first company represented by the first user, and that the validity attribute of the first company profile record has the VALID value.

Abstract: A system and associated method for verifying an attribute in records for a procurement application. The procurement application employs a database having a company profile record, a user profile record, and a requisition object record, among which share a company_code attribute as a target attribute that is desired to be valid. The company profile record has a validity attribute, and the requisition object record has a validity flag, to indicate validities of the value for the target attribute in respective record. A company profile configuration module configures the company profile record. A user profile verification module prohibits a user without a valid user profile from accessing the procurement application. A user profile cleanup program removes invalid user profile records from the database. A requisition object verification module checks out valid values for the company_code attribute from the company profile records and blocks modification to invalid requisition objects.

Abstract: A purchasing method and system. The method includes purchasing method comprising generating by said computing system a database table. The database table comprises catalog purchase types for items available for purchase. An entity profile associated with an entity is generated. The entity profile is associated with entity allowable catalog purchase types selected from the available catalog purchase types in the database table. A catalog profile is generated. The catalog profile is associated with the entity profile. A user profile associated with the entity profile is generated. The user profile is associated with the entity allowable catalog purchase types. Specified catalogs are identified and presented to a user. The user profile is comprised of a default purchase type and additional user related details. The specified catalogs are associated with the default purchase type, the user profile, the entity profile, and the catalog profile.

Abstract: A file transfer system including a client and a server capable of updating portions of the file stored on the server. The system is capable of uploading portions of a file before the file has been specified at the client side. The files are stored in raw at the client and the server, which preserves the block list mapping. The file transfer protocol is capable of compressing and encrypting transferred data. As a result, the partial file writes are possible while maintaining current bandwidth usage. The write request data structure is provided with additional features in the form of flags and fields to provide reliable transmission of partial file data.

Abstract: A file transfer system including a client and a server capable of updating portions of the file stored on the server. The system is capable of uploading portions of a file before the file has been specified at the client side. The files are stored in raw at the client and the server, which preserves the block list mapping. The file transfer protocol is capable of compressing and encrypting transferred data. As a result, the partial file writes are possible while maintaining current bandwidth usage. The write request data structure is provided with additional features in the form of flags and fields to provide reliable transmission of partial file data.

Abstract: A system and method for keeping ledger accounts in synchronization between a back-end procurement system and a front-end requisition and catalog system. An extract utility extracts a file of general ledger (G/L) accounts, including account code, description, and company code, from a chart of accounts in the back-end and transfers it to the front-end, where it is updated by an update utility to include company group code from a company group table and then loaded into a data store of valid general ledger accounts. Maintenance of the front end data store of valid accounts includes pushing to all companies in a company group ledger code entered with respect to any one of the companies in that group.

Abstract: File systems which provide several different and improved locking capabilities. An application on a client workstation communicates through a client driver to a server which interfaces with a metadata database, which contains locking information about the files. Applications perform as normal. The client driver provides lock and unlock requests to the server when a write lock or a read with intent to write lock is required. If only a read lock is considered appropriate, the client driver does not provide a lock request. The server transparently performs read operations and read locking using the metadata database without specific requests from the client driver. When a read with intent to write or write lock is required, the lock ownership is placed with a given expiration time. When the time expires the lock is not automatically released but remains with the particular requesting client driver until another client driver requests it.

Abstract: File systems which provide several different and improved locking capabilities. An application on a client workstation communicates through a client driver to a server which interfaces with a metadata database, which contains locking information about the files. Applications perform as normal. The client driver provides lock and unlock requests to the server when a write lock or a read with intent to write lock is required. If only a read lock is considered appropriate, the client driver does not provide a lock request. The server transparently performs read operations and read locking using the metadata database without specific requests from the client driver. When a read with intent to write or write lock is required, the lock ownership is placed with a given expiration time. When the time expires the lock is not automatically released but remains with the particular requesting client driver until another client driver requests it.

Abstract: A file transfer system including a client and a server capable of updating portions of the file stored on the server. The system is capable of uploading portions of a file before the file has been specified at the client side. The files are stored in raw at the client and the server, which preserves the block list mapping. The file transfer protocol is capable of compressing and encrypting transferred data. As a result, the partial file writes are possible while maintaining current bandwidth usage. The write request data structure is provided with additional features in the form of flags and fields to provide reliable transmission of partial file data.

Abstract: A system and associated method for verifying an attribute in records for a procurement application. The procurement application employs a database having a company profile record, a user profile record, and a requisition object record, among which share a company_code attribute as a target attribute that is desired to be valid. The company profile record has a validity attribute, and the requisition object record has a validity flag, to indicate validities of the value for the target attribute in respective record. A company profile configuration module configures the company profile record. A user profile verification module prohibits a user without a valid user profile from accessing the procurement application. A user profile cleanup program removes invalid user profile records from the database. A requisition object verification module checks out valid values for the company_code attribute from the company profile records and blocks modification to invalid requisition objects.

Abstract: A purchasing method and system. The method includes purchasing method comprising generating by said computing system a database table. The database table comprises catalog purchase types for items available for purchase. An entity profile associated with an entity is generated. The entity profile is associated with entity allowable catalog purchase types selected from the available catalog purchase types in the database table. A catalog profile is generated. The catalog profile is associated with the entity profile. A user profile associated with the entity profile is generated. The user profile is associated with the entity allowable catalog purchase types. Specified catalogs are identified and presented to a user. The user profile is comprised of a default purchase type and additional user related details. The specified catalogs are associated with the default purchase type, the user profile, the entity profile, and the catalog profile.

Abstract: A system and method for keeping ledger accounts in synchronization between a back-end procurement system and a front-end requisition and catalog system. An extract utility extracts a file of general ledger (G/L) accounts, including account code, description, and company code, from a chart of accounts in the back-end and transfers it to the front-end, where it is updated by an update utility to include company group code from a company group table and then loaded into a data store of valid general ledger accounts. Maintenance of the front end data store of valid accounts includes pushing to all companies in a company group ledger code entered with respect to any one of the companies in that group.

Abstract: A system and method for client/server communications, the method including the steps of loading to a client browser a frame set including a function frame and a content frame; loading application code to the function frame; and responsive to user interaction with the content frame, executing the application code. The frame set may also include navigation frame and a data accumulation frame. By using the frame set to store executable application code, collect and store data, and interact with a user, an application may be executed at a client browser substantially without client/server interaction beyond initializing the frames and communicating the end results.

Abstract: A system and method for organizing program code and database objects implemented within an enterprise server in support of the accounting and/or procurement systems of a plurality of customer companies. The customer companies are organized into groups of companies having the same accounting rules, and a company grouping code assigned to each company group. Responsive to input through a browser of a requisition request and user ID including a password, a user profile database is accessed to determine the user's company grouping code. Responsive to the company grouping code, a URL or other type of program call to company specific accounting rules is generated to apply appropriate accounting procedures and program logic. Responsive to the program logic and accounting rules accessed by, for example, that URL, the requisition request is applied and validated against company specific data in a common database.

Abstract: A system and method for sharing data from separate servers between browser frames. A first server opens a client browser frame set and loads data to a first frame. A second server is called from the first frame to open a window. Responsive to post command issued from the window, environment variables are passed from the second server to the first server and loaded data from the environment variables by the first server to a second frame of the frame set. Thereafter, data obtained from a second server, which is loaded in the second frame of the frame set, is available to the first frame.

Abstract: A non-contaminating radiant heater for analytical laboratory use with a controller providing a closed-loop, precise regulation of sequencing patterns of energy emission delivered to a sample at a programmed rate preventing hotspots until a preselected temperature is reached for a preselected time interval all. within a programmed schedule. The radiant heater includes a supporting base functioning as a sample platform, a vertical support member secured to the base and sample platform, and an electrically powered radiant heating element is enclosed by a sealed surrounding and supporting fixture fastened to the vertical supporting member providing a uniform radiation footprint.

Abstract: An environmental evaporation chamber for preparing analytical samples is constructed of a plurality of separable, preferably glass, components especially designed for ease of use and low-cost manufacture. The chamber comprises an open-ended cylindrical body portion with a plurality of legs on one end thereof, a bottom tray on which the body portion is placed with the legs resting thereon to provide a gap for the exhaust of a purge gas, and a top cover which fits snugly on the upper edge of the body portion. A purge gas is introduced via a gas inlet adjacent the upper edge of the body portion and flows therethrough and exits through the gap at the lower edge of the body portion. A sample support may be provided in the body portion to raise the height of the sample into closer proximity to a heating element disposed above the top cover. A method of using the evaporation chamber involves removal and replacement of only the top cover component without the need to move the other components.

Abstract: A method for making a printed circuit board with a flush surface land begins by forming a multi-layer printed circuit board with a recess in a surface dielectric layer. Then, a hole is drilled into or through the printed circuit board; the hole communicates with the recess. After the recess is formed, a conductive material is provided in the recess to form a surface land and provided on an inner surface of the hole to form a plated hole which is electrically connected to the surface land. The conductive material in the recess has a thickness substantially equal to a depth of the recess such that the surface land is flush with an adjacent surface of the dielectric surface layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cleaning unit for power driven pumps which are required to pump fluids containing significant quantities of particulate material of greater spcific gravity than the fluid. A portion of the pressured fluid output of the pump is utilized to drive a fluid motor which in turn rotatably drives a centrifugal separator. The separator has its inlet connected to the source of particulate containing fluid and effects the centrifugal separation of such fluid into two streams, respectively a clean fluid stream and a particulate containing stream. Means are provided for discharging the particulate containing stream and a diffuser means is provided for converting the rotational energy in the clean fluid stream into a pressure head which is employed to transfer the clean fluid to the inlet of the pump.