Perspects in astrophysical databases

Astrophysics has become a domain extremely rich of scientific data. Data mining tools are needed for information extraction from such large datasets. This asks for an approach to data management emphasizing the efficiency and simplicity of data access; efficiency is obtained using multidimensional access methods and simplicity is achieved by properly handling metadata. Moreover, clustering and classification techniques on large datasets pose additional requirements in terms of computation and memory scalability and interpretability of results. In this study we review some possible solutions

Building Confidential and Efficient Query Services in the Cloud with RASP Data Perturbation

With the wide deployment of public cloud computing infrastructures, using clouds to host data query services has become an appealing solution for the advantages on scalability and cost-saving. However, some data might be sensitive that the data owner does not want to move to the cloud unless the data confidentiality and query privacy are guaranteed. On the other hand, a secured query service should still provide efficient query processing and significantly reduce the in-house workload to fully realize the benefits of cloud computing. We propose the RASP data perturbation method to provide secure and efficient range query and kNN query services for protected data in the cloud. The RASP data perturbation method combines order preserving encryption, dimensionality expansion, random noise injection, and random projection, to provide strong resilience to attacks on the perturbed data and queries. It also preserves multidimensional ranges, which allows existing indexing techniques to be applied to speedup range query processing. The kNN-R algorithm is designed to work with the RASP range query algorithm to process the kNN queries. We have carefully analyzed the attacks on data and queries under a precisely defined threat model and realistic security assumptions. Extensive experiments have been conducted to show the advantages of this approach on efficiency and security.Comment: 18 pages, to appear in IEEE TKDE, accepted in December 201

Data Management and Mining in Astrophysical Databases

We analyse the issues involved in the management and mining of astrophysical data. The traditional approach to data management in the astrophysical field is not able to keep up with the increasing size of the data gathered by modern detectors. An essential role in the astrophysical research will be assumed by automatic tools for information extraction from large datasets, i.e. data mining techniques, such as clustering and classification algorithms. This asks for an approach to data management based on data warehousing, emphasizing the efficiency and simplicity of data access; efficiency is obtained using multidimensional access methods and simplicity is achieved by properly handling metadata. Clustering and classification techniques, on large datasets, pose additional requirements: computational and memory scalability with respect to the data size, interpretability and objectivity of clustering or classification results. In this study we address some possible solutions.Comment: 10 pages, Late

Radix-2 x 2 x 2 algorithm for the 3-D discrete hartley transform

The discrete Hartley transform (DHT) has proved to be a valuable tool in digital signal/image processing and communications and has also attracted research interests in many multidimensional applications. Although many fast algorithms have been developed for the calculation of one- and two-dimensional (1-D and 2-D) DHT, the development of multidimensional algorithms in three and more dimensions is still unexplored and has not been given similar attention; hence, the multidimensional Hartley transform is usually calculated through the row-column approach. However, proper multidimensional algorithms can be more efficient than the row-column method and need to be developed. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to introduce the concept and derivation of the three-dimensional (3-D) radix-2 2X 2X algorithm for fast calculation of the 3-D discrete Hartley transform. The proposed algorithm is based on the principles of the divide-and-conquer approach applied directly in 3-D. It has a simple butterfly structure and has been found to offer significant savings in arithmetic operations compared with the row-column approach based on similar algorithms