A platform to support object database research

Databases play a key role in an increasingly diverse range of applications and settings. New requirements are continually emerging and may differ substantially from one domain to another, sometimes even to the point of conflict. To address these challenges, database systems are evolving to cater for new application domains. Yet little attention has been given to the process of researching and developing database concepts in response to new requirements. We present a platform designed to support database research in terms of experimentation with different aspects of database systems ranging from the data model to the distribution architecture. Our platform is based on the notion of metamodel extension modules, inspired by proposals for adaptive and configurable database management systems. However, rather than building a tailored system from existing components, we focus on the process of designing new components. To qualitatively evaluate our platform, we present a series of case studies where our approach was used successfully to experiment with concepts designed to support a variety of novel application domains

Technology responsiveness for digital preservation: a model

Digital preservation may be defined as the cumulative actions undertaken by an organisation or individual to ensure that digital content is usable across generations of information technology. As technological change occurs, the digital preservation community must detect relevant technology developments, determine their implications for preserving digital content, and develop timely and appropriate responses to take full advantage of progress and minimize obsolescence. This thesis discusses the results of an investigation of technology responsiveness for digital preservation. The research produced a technology response model that defines the roles, functions, and content component for technology responsiveness. The model built on the results of an exploration of the nature and meaning of technological change and an evaluation of existing technology responses that might be adapted for digital preservation. The development of the model followed the six-step process defined by constructive research methodology, an approach that is most commonly used in information technology research and that is extensible to digital preservation research. This thesis defines the term technology responsiveness as the ability to develop continually effective responses to ongoing technological change through iterative monitoring, assessment, and response using the technology response model for digital preservation

Linked Data para la generación de conocimiento financiero a partir de la extracción de información semiestructurada

En la actualidad, la información es generada por datos ubicados en un entorno distribuido pero vinculado. Con relación a esta premisa, las tecnologías semánticas y Linked Data, proporcionan un paradigma en el que no sólo los documentos, sino que también los datos son recursos de primera clase en la Web, permitiendo su extensión y la compartición de conocimientos hacia un espacio global de datos basado en estándares abiertos, mejor conocido como Web de datos. En este trabajo de tesis, se presenta un modelo semántico inspirado en los principios de Linked Data que ofrece una alternativa de solución a los problemas de integración de datos que se manifiestan en los Estados financieros publicados por las empresas bajo el estándar XBRL a través de la Web. En este sentido, mediante el modelo semántico se identifican y subsanan ciertas limitaciones existentes en las Hojas de Balance, Cuentas de resultados y Estados de flujos de efectivo. Entre estas limitaciones destacan la falta de una semántica que permita la integración de sus datos para hacerlos navegables, la dificultad para el acceso a los mismos a través de protocolos asociados a Internet como el HTTP para la navegación e interconexión con otras fuentes de información, y la carente capacidad para la búsqueda de ratios financieros, así como el procesamiento de cálculos permitan un análisis fundamental o clásico que sirva de apoyo a la toma de decisiones. El modelo semántico, se integra de taxonomías financieras basadas en la norma US-GAAP, y es el soporte fundamental de una base de conocimientos financieros reutilizable inspirada en Linked Data. En relación con lo anterior, la investigación que se realiza en este trabajo de tesis se sintetiza a través de la solución que se proporciona a las hipótesis que en ella se plantean, y mediante la que se busca demostrar que el modelo semántico tiene la capacidad para poblar una base de conocimientos financieros a partir de la integración de fuentes de datos externas, facilitar la reutilización de sus datos con terceros a través de Linked Data, ayudar a mejorar la calidad estructural de los datos financieros y comprobar que este modelo también facilita el análisis fundamental financiero para apoyar la toma de decisiones tanto automatizada como por parte de las personas.At present, the information is generated by data located in a distributed environment but linked. In relation to this premise, semantic and Linked Data technologies provide a paradigm in which not only documents but also the data are first-class resources on the Web, allowing its extension and sharing of knowledge towards a global space data based on open standards, better known as Web of data. In this thesis, a semantic model based on the principles of Linked Data that provides an alternative solution to the problems presented data integration that are manifested in the financial statements published by the company under the XBRL standard through Web. In this sense, using the semantic model are identified and remedied certain limitations in Balance Sheets, Income Statements and Cash Flow Statements. These limitations include the lack of a semantics that allow the integration of their data to make it navigable, difficulty accessing them through associated Internet protocols like HTTP for navigation and interconnection with other sources of information and lacking ability for search of financial ratios, as well as processing calculations that allow a fundamental or classical financial analysis that supports the decision making. The semantic model integrated financial taxonomies based on US-GAAP standard, and is the main support base of reusable financial knowledge inspired Linked Data. In connection with this, the research conducted in this thesis is synthesized through the solution provided to the hypothesis raised therein, and by which seeks to demonstrate that the semantic model has the ability to financial populate a knowledge base from the integration of external data sources, facilitating the reuse of data with third parties via Linked data, help improve the structural quality of financial data and verify that this model also facilitates analysis financial crucial to support decision-making both automated and by the people.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: Juan Bautista Llorens Morillo.- Secretario: Carlos Ángel Iglesias Fernández.- Vocal: Manuel Fernández-Utrilla Migue

E-CARe (une méthode d'ingénierie des systèmes d'information ubiquitaires)

L'apparition des Systèmes d'Information ubiquitaires ou pervasifs est issue de l'émergence de nouvelles technologies fournissant au système une vision de son environnement, de l'environnement de ses utilisateurs ainsi que de leurs profils. Grâce à ces données formant le contexte de l'application, il est possible de fournir des services personnalisés, pertinents et ciblés. Mais, le problème qui se pose à ce niveau concerne le degré d'adaptation, de prise de décision à la place de l'utilisateur et de l'identification des données contextuelles nécessaires et suffisantes pour ces services. Ceci est dû à un déséquilibre entre les avancées des technologies et de leurs applications (qui reçoivent un grand intérêt de la part de la recherche et de l'industrie) et les méthodes et démarches de développement et d'ingénierie spécifiques aux systèmes ubiquitaires. Notre objectif dans ce travail de thèse est de proposer une méthode d'ingénierie des SI ubiquitaires en considérant les différentes exigences reliées à la nature mobile et grande échelle de ces systèmes. Cette méthode est basée sur une démarche de développement qui fait usage d'un ensemble de métamodèles et de langages génériques favorisant la spécification complète de ces systèmes. Cette démarche sépare les spécifications fonctionnelles, techniques et ubiquitaires. Les spécifications ubiquitaires permettent de définir des modèles structurels et événementiels du contexte respectant les exigences des utilisateurs et les contraintes de sécurité et supportant les fonctionnalités d'adaptation et de sensibilité au contexte. Cette approche orientée évènements est consolidée par l'adoption d'une architecture de traitement des évènements. Notre démarche E-CARe est une intégration des spécifications ubiquitaires dans une démarche classique de conception des SI pour garantir la couverture des spécifications fonctionnelles et techniques. Les applications d'assistance représentent un cas d'étude idéal pour cette démarche qui s'intéresse au domaine des transports, fortement dépendant de l'environnement et des évènements ambiants.Ubiquitous Information Systems appeared as a consequence to emerging and evolving communication and mobile technologies providing the system with information on its environment, the environment of its users and their profiles. These data constitute the application context and are used to provide personalized, targeted and relevant services. However, ubiquitous services face some difficulties and challenges concerning specially needed contextual data, adaptation degree and computerized decision making. This is due to the gap between advanced ubiquitous services and their applications, and methods and processes for developing and engineering ubiquitous systems. Our goal in this thesis is to propose an engineering method for ubiquitous Information Systems considering different requirements resulting from the mobile and high scalable nature of these systems. The proposed method is based on a development process and a set of generic metamodels and languages facilitating a complete system specification and implementation. The proposed process separates functional, technical and ubiquitous specifications. Ubiquitous specifications enable the structural and event based context models definition while considering user requirements and security requirements. Adaptation and context awareness functionalities are supported by structural and dynamic context models. The proposed event oriented approach is enhanced by the adoption of an event processing architecture. Ubiquitous specifications are integrated into a classical information systems engineering process to constitute the E-CARe process including functional and technical specifications. Our propositions are used to design a user assistance application in the transport domain, highly dependent on the ambient environment and events.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Managing complex taxonomic data in an object-oriented database.

This thesis addresses the problem of multiple overlapping classifications in object-oriented databases through the example of plant taxonomy. These multiple overlapping classifications are independent simple classifications that share information (nodes and leaves), therefore overlap. Plant taxonomy was chosen as the motivational application domain because taxonomic classifications are especially complex and have changed over long periods of time, therefore overlap in a significant manner. This work extracts basic requirements for the support of multiple overlapping classifications in general, and in the context of plant taxonomy in particular. These requirements form the basis on which a prototype is defmed and built. The prototype, an extended object-oriented database, is extended from an object-oriented model based on ODMG through the provision of a relationship management mechanism. These relationships form the main feature used to build classifications. This emphasis on relationships allows the description of classifications orthogonal to the classified data (for reuse and integration of the mechanism with existing databases and for classification of non co-operating data), and allows an easier and more powerful management of semantic data (both within and without a classification). Additional mechanisms such as integrity constraints are investigated and implemented. Finally, the implementation of the prototype is presented and is evaluated, from the point of view of both usability and expressiveness (using plant taxonomy as an application), and its performance as a database system. This evaluation shows that the prototype meets the needs of taxonomists