The Flexible Group Spatial Keyword Query

We present a new class of service for location based social networks, called the Flexible Group Spatial Keyword Query, which enables a group of users to collectively find a point of interest (POI) that optimizes an aggregate cost function combining both spatial distances and keyword similarities. In addition, our query service allows users to consider the tradeoffs between obtaining a sub-optimal solution for the entire group and obtaining an optimimized solution but only for a subgroup. We propose algorithms to process three variants of the query: (i) the group nearest neighbor with keywords query, which finds a POI that optimizes the aggregate cost function for the whole group of size n, (ii) the subgroup nearest neighbor with keywords query, which finds the optimal subgroup and a POI that optimizes the aggregate cost function for a given subgroup size m (m <= n), and (iii) the multiple subgroup nearest neighbor with keywords query, which finds optimal subgroups and corresponding POIs for each of the subgroup sizes in the range [m, n]. We design query processing algorithms based on branch-and-bound and best-first paradigms. Finally, we provide theoretical bounds and conduct extensive experiments with two real datasets which verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.Comment: 12 page

An Architecture for a Mobile and Dynamically Extensible Distributed DBMS

This report proposes an architectural framework for the design and implementation of a Distributed Database Management System which integrates Java and the Java Runtime Environment with the static set of operations found in a traditional database execution engine. With such a system, we intend to study the benefits of mobility of DBMS code (functionality shipping). This functionality shipping occurs at several levels, namely the query (i.e. predicates), executor (i.e. join operator) and access methods (i.e. index scan) levels

The Placement of File Sub-system Data Streams

An abstraction called Cues was implemented [1] for providing data streams over the file sub-system in the Unix kernel. The data stream of a Cue can be used for transfer of data as well as for control of the data stream by composing such structures. The algorithm for scheduling the compound Cue sequences read and write operations for data and control Cues in the kernel and retains other properties of user process driven read-write. This is possible for the data stream as this abstraction is over the file sub-system and the data stream is run in the context of the user process that created the Cue. This report reconsiders the architectural placement of the Cues, based on the experience with design and text of implementations. The underlying theme is to try to keep the control and flexibility as it is with user processes and keep from tying it in the kernel or user space unless specifically required, in effect re-evaluating the placement of the implementation in the kernel

Claw-free t-perfect graphs can be recognised in polynomial time

A graph is called t-perfect if its stable set polytope is defined by non-negativity, edge and odd-cycle inequalities. We show that it can be decided in polynomial time whether a given claw-free graph is t-perfect

Consistency and Performance of Concurrent Interactive Database Applications

In many modern database applications, there is an emerging need for interactive environments where users directly manipulate the contents of the database. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) display images of the database which must reflect a consistent up-to-date state of the data with minimum perceivable delay to the user. Moreover, the possibility of several applications concurrently displaying different views of the same database increases the overall system complexity. In this paper, we show how design, performance and concurrency issues can be addressed by adapting existing database techniques. We propose the use of suitable display schemas whose instances compose active views of the database, an extended client caching scheme which is expected to yield significant performance benefits and a locking mechanism that maintains consistency between the GUIs and the database. <BR

Cues: File Subsystem Data Streams

We present a system call which enable directing high performance data transfers with in-kernel streams. The streams are defined and run using abstract data types called Cues, formed over the Unix file subsystem. The system call, named cue() , returns a descriptor, which can be used to write requests to the newly created stream. These requests define the flow of the stream. The abstraction simplifies the design of applications that transfer large amounts of data from files or devices. It also enables high throughput when multiple transfers are in progress. Cue code is compact, modular, and portable. This model also results in a simple mechanism for remotely cueing data flow using standard connections with peer processes. The implementation and tests are also described in this paper

Simple Calls for Flexible Constructs Using the Traditional File API

We present the design for a remote qos control interface to the transport protocol based on existing work for similar applications. This puts together the read/write calls from the traditional file system API and an additional primitive. The addition amounts to programming an operating system data- streaming service which may be provided as a system call or otherwise using the standard techniques. Put together these allow much more than the traditional call based control interface. The resulting interface simplifies the mechanisms for distributed control. Parts of this interface have also been implemented in our ongoing experiments with file transfer

Distributed, end-to-end verifiable, and privacy-preserving internet voting systems

We present the D-DEMOS suite of distributed, privacy-preserving, and end-to-end verifiable e-voting systems; one completely asynchronous and one with minimal timing assumptions but better performance. Their distributed voting operation is human verifiable; a voter can vote over the web, using an unsafe web client stack, without sacrificing her privacy, and get recorded-as-cast assurance. Additionally, a voter can outsource election auditing to third parties, still without sacrificing privacy. We provide a model and security analysis of the systems, implement prototypes of the complete systems, measure their performance experimentally, demonstrate their ability to handle large-scale elections, and demonstrate the performance trade-offs between the two versions