This mode of the system sending events to the user while the user is in the midst of a query modulation session is what we call mixed-initiative exploration. Since these reports are on-line, Genre can support visualizations that are interactive and exploratory in nature. Additionally, Genre also supports interactive exploration by using performance-oriented query modulation techniques. Genre supports the deployment of distributed servers in an opportunistic and incremental fashion. Genre servers can incrementally incorporate new data sources and hence grow to support the needs of individuals, groups, or large organizations.
Individuals can access, organize, and perform interactive analysis on the organized information.
Furthermore, a set of users can federate their information space using an appointed information center. Using the same learning approach described above, Genre will assist the users in creating parameterized scripts that can be executed on the user s behalf. Genre uses an opportunistic strategy for improving performance of distributed queries. First, query modulation is based on statistical information collected about distributed query performance over the network. Second, views are materialized in the federating information centers so that queries created within an exploration session can be answered based on these views rather than having to return to the sources.