| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090182746 | READ MOSTLY DATABASE TABLES - Described is a technology by which a database management system more efficiently processes read requests than write requests for a read-mostly database table, which is a database table that is generally read far more often than written. A lock partitioning mechanism may be implemented to provide a read lock for each CPU of a plurality of CPUs, in which only one read lock is acquired to process a read request. A database table state changing mechanism may be implemented that more efficiently processes read requests relative to write requests by maintaining the database table in a read-only state until a write request is processed. When a write request is received, the database table is changed to a read-write state to process the write request. The database table is then reset back to a read-only state, such as by running a background thread. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090300013 | Optimized Reverse Key Indexes - Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to optimized reverse key indexes. In aspects, a dispersion function disperses index values such that they are distributed across multiple pages of an index. The dispersion function utilizes a dispersion factor that indicates to what extent the index values are dispersed. Because the index values are dispersed, contention regarding inserts may be reduced or eliminated and other advantages realized. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100287203 | PARTITIONING OF CONTENDED SYNCHRONIZATION OBJECTS - Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for partitioning contended synchronization objects. A particular method determines a contention-free value of a performance metric associated with a synchronization object of a data structure. A contended value of the performance metric is measured, and the synchronization object is partitioned when the contended value of the performance metric exceeds a multiple of the contention-free value of the performance metric. | 11-11-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100316987 | EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND CONTRACTS - Described is a technology in which an educational service provides contracts (an interface set) for calling functions that allow management of educational-related data. The interface set may be divided as interfaces to various services; roles associated with users of the educational service determine which interfaces/functions each user can call. The interfaces may include interfaces for calling course-related functions (e.g., of a course service), profile-related functions (e.g., of a profile service), membership-related functions (e.g., of a membership service) and task-related functions (e.g., of a task service). Other interfaces may include interfaces for calling plan-related functions, group-related functions, content-related functions, notification-related functions, provisioning-related functions, institution-related functions, department-related functions, utilities-related functions, standards-related functions, degree program-related functions, contextual communication-related functions and/or scoring related functions. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100318589 | EDUCATIONAL ENTITY ARCHITECTURE AND OBJECT MODEL - Described is a technology in which a set of objects represent educational entities of an educational model, with relationships between objects. For example, a course object instance may have a relationship with a task instance and a user instance (such as representing a student). Other objects may include user credentials objects, group objects, degree program objects, course plan objects, institution objects, school objects, and/or department objects. The set of objects may be pre-defined and maintained in a persistent storage; this pre-defined set may be extended with an extended object that has relationships with pre-defined objects. The educational entities of an object model may be maintained in rows of a table, with each row having a field that identifies which entity is represented by that row. The table is accessed to determine relationships between an instantiated object for an entity and at least one other instantiated object for another entity. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100318657 | Educational Adaptive Provider Architecture - The educational adaptive provider architecture described herein provides a way for an educational services framework to be built on varying underlying existing technologies without any changes in the object model and services. The provider framework supports the ability to have multiple types of providers for various services, such as, for example, for authorization, authentication, communication, grouping, scoring, social-networking, storage and user functions. The educational adaptive provider architecture provides easy integration of existing institutional and educational service deployments. | 12-16-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090109995 | AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORKING - A software architecture providing ad hoc wireless networking capabilities. The software architecture may be compatible with wireless devices, such as UWB devices operating according to the WLP communication protocol. The software architecture may include user mode and kernel mode modules, and may include a multiplexing driver framework to enable system connection to multiple ad hoc networks. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090265720 | EXTENSIBLE PRIVATE DRIVER INTERFACE - A computer with an extensible framework for facilitating communication between a software component installed on the computer and a device driver that executes functions in response to vendor-specific command objects (e.g., OIDs). The framework defines data structures and a standardized format for defining and implementing private interfaces. After selecting a private interface that is commonly supported by a software component and a driver, a private communication path may be established by an operating system component to facilitate the transfer of command information from the software component to the driver. The private communication path allows commands packaged as OIDs to be routed from software components to intended drivers. By defining private interfaces which route commands from software components to intended drivers, the extensible framework mitigates potential incompatibilities that may arise when drivers created by different vendors include OIDs with the same OID value. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090271518 | ETHERNET EXTENSIBILITY - A networked computer with a networking framework that can operate in accordance with a standard protocol or may be configured to perform one or more functions that alter or extend processing according to the standard. The framework includes extensibility points and a mechanism to receive plug-ins that may perform extensibility functions. Network profile information indicates configuration of the extensibility points, including specific extensibility functions to be executed at the extensibility points. This information may be used to configure the extensibility points so that, as the computer operates, the extensibility functions are selectively executed instead of or in addition to standard functions. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20110134799 | AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORKING - A software architecture providing ad hoc wireless networking capabilities. The software architecture may be compatible with wireless devices, such as UWB devices operating according to the WLP communication protocol. The software architecture may include user mode and kernel mode modules, and may include a multiplexing driver framework to enable system connection to multiple ad hoc networks. | 06-09-2011 |