International Business Machines Corporation

Virginia Walbridge Hughes, Jr

Terry Michael Bleizeffer

Joseph Davis Lea, Iii

Tanya Couch

Theresa Hsing Lai

Barbara Jean Kilburn

David Harold Oberstadt

Kathryn Willbrandt Devine

Catherine Elizabeth Wuebker Drummond

David Edward Shough

Nathan Daniel Church

Letitia K Lee

A method and apparatus for compensating for deficiencies existing in programs to assist a user through installing a program. Polling the status of jobs requested by the user of a workstation is done so that the user may eventually be provided with status reports regarding the jobs being executed. The user can set parameters during loading of System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update procedures for the program. An indication is provided to a user of a workstation as steps of a task have been completed by the user. The health of catalog and directory databases may be verified before a migrate procedure is performed. The user of the program can be informed regarding parameters whose default values have changed, which parameters are of particular concern to the specific user.

Method and apparatus for setting parameters in a system

An apparatus for filtering a plurality of groups of query statements according to identification data associated therewith includes a processor for executing instructions and a memory device having thereon modules of operational data and executable code for execution by the processor. The modules include at least one filtering module configured to receive one or more user-specified filtering criteria directed to a subset of the identification data and apply the filtering criteria to selectively exclude those of the plurality of groups not satisfying the filtering criteria. The modules also include a group listing module configured to display to a user those of the plurality of groups not excluded by the at least one filtering module.

System and method for filtering query statements from multiple plans and packages according to user-defined filters of query explain data

An apparatus for filtering an explain table according to at least one user-defined filter includes a memory device having thereon modules of operational data and executable code for execution by the processor. The modules include a filter generation module configured to receive user-specified filtering criteria directed to data within a selected column of the explain table and generate in response a user-defined filter. The modules also include a table filtering module configured to apply the user-defined filter to the explain table to selectively exclude rows of the explain table not satisfying the filtering criteria of the user-defined filter.

System and method for filtering explain tables

A program installation system comprises an installation planning window displayed for a user prior to the installation of a computer program. The installation planning window may be an adjunct to an installation window and may also be accessible through the program once the program is installed. A series of controls within the installation planning window are linked to installation planning functions. The installation planning functions in given examples provide information regarding product migration, system requirements, and installation program usage. Additionally, a product and tools tour may be provided, as well as a link to product update information at a manufacturer's Internet site. In an illustrated example, the controls are implemented as graphical buttons and each button is accompanied with a brief description of the installation information accessed through the button, as well as a graphic suggesting the nature of the installation information.

Installation planning window

An apparatus for integrally referencing a user-generated copy of a catalog in a database system includes a memory device having thereon modules of code for execution by a processor. The modules include a database system component module configured to refer to a catalog generated by the database system; and a catalog qualifier designation module communicating with the database system component module and configured to receive a user designation of a user-specified name for a user-generated copy of the catalog generated by the database system to be referenced in place of the catalog generated by the database system.

System and method for referencing a user-generated copy of a catalog

An apparatus for dynamically generating query explain data includes a processor for executing instructions and a memory device having thereon modules of operational data and executable code for execution by the processor. The modules include a query explain program operating on a workstation. The query explain program communicates over a network with a server hosting a database system and is configured to temporarily store the query explain data received across the network from the database system in a data cache. The query explain program may be configured to automatically clear a selected portion of the data cache when the data cache reaches a user-selectable size. The user is thus allowed to determine when to clear the data cache and how much of the data cache to clear.

Apparatus and method for locally caching query explain data

The present invention automatically formats input data compatible for use with a workstation application into formatted input data compatible with a host application. The input data is in one example updated to include customized settings, such as setup options. After the update, a format module, incorporated within the application, confirms completion of the update and automatically creates a formatted input data file which is compatible with the host application. A user interface is provided to allow selection of file identification and delivery options for the formatted input data. The formatted input data may be stored in a single location, such as on a host, where it can be used with both a workstation and the host. Formatting of the input data may be automatic and transparent to the user. User implementation of file identification and delivery options allows for convenient manipulation of the formatted input data.

Formatting input data file compatible with workstation application into formatted input data file compatible with second application utilizing user-customized settings

An apparatus for filtering a set of query statements according to query explain data associated therewith includes a processor for executing instructions and a memory device having thereon modules of operational data and executable code for execution by the processor. The modules include a filter generation module configured to receive user-specified filtering criteria directed to a subset of the query explain data for at least one query statement and generate in response at least one user-defined filter. The modules also include a statement filtering module configured to apply the user-defined filter to the set of query statements to selectively exclude query statements not satisfying the filtering criteria of the at least one filter.

System and method for filtering query statements according to user-defined filters of query explain data

A system and method for specifying custom qualifiers for explain tables allows a user to designate selected explain tables for which the user wishes to view statements. A query explain program is provided and configured with an explain table qualifier designation module for receiving a user designation of a query explain table to reference. The user selects a function of the query explain program to perform and then designates the qualifier of the query explain table to be referenced. The function is then performed in conjunction with the contents of the selected query explain table.

System and method for specifying custom qualifiers for explain tables

A user-generated documentation integration system operates in conjunction with a software application created by a manufacturer and executable on a computer processor for the benefit of a user. A documentation repository or group of documentation repositories may be provided for storing user-generated documentation relating to the software application. The software application may also include a linker module that maintains a link to a documentation repository so a user may access the user-generated documentation from within the software application. The user-generated documentation may comprise user help files pertaining to the software application. The user help files may be accessed through a window available within the software application, which is adapted to display a listing of available user help files that are individually selectable from the listing by a user for presentation on a display device. In an illustrated example, the window is implemented as a program dialog box having a frame in which a listing of user help files is displayed, each of which may be selectively opened and viewed on a computer screen. Access to the user-generated documentation may be selectively filtered.

Shared, dynamically customizable user documentation

A method for selectively preparing customized reports of query explain data comprises selectively retrieving from the database subsets of the query explain data for the at least one query statement; formatting the subsets for display to a user; displaying within a report customization window one or more controls for selectively designating subsets of the query explain data for the at least one query statement to be included in the report; and in response to selection of the one or more controls, generating a report that includes the designated subsets of the query explain data for the at least one query statement.

System and method for selectively preparing customized reports of query explain data

A method and apparatus for compensating for deficiencies existing in programs to assist a user through installing a program. Polling the status of jobs requested by the user of a workstation is done so that the user may eventually be provided with status reports regarding the jobs being executed. The user can set parameters during loading of SMPE libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update procedures for the program. An indication is provided to a user of a workstation as steps of a task have been completed by the user. The health of catalog and directory databases may be verified before a migrate procedure is performed. The user of the program can be informed regarding parameters whose default values have changed, which parameters are of particular concern to the specific user.

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Hollister, CA, United States of America

Virginia Walbridge Hughes, Jr