Towards an Intelligent Database System Founded on the SP Theory of Computing and Cognition

The SP theory of computing and cognition, described in previous publications, is an attractive model for intelligent databases because it provides a simple but versatile format for different kinds of knowledge, it has capabilities in artificial intelligence, and it can also function like established database models when that is required. This paper describes how the SP model can emulate other models used in database applications and compares the SP model with those other models. The artificial intelligence capabilities of the SP model are reviewed and its relationship with other artificial intelligence systems is described. Also considered are ways in which current prototypes may be translated into an 'industrial strength' working system

An object query language for multimedia federations

The Fischlar system provides a large centralised repository of multimedia files. As expansion is difficult in centralised systems and as different user groups have a requirement to define their own schemas, the EGTV (Efficient Global Transactions for Video) project was established to examine how the distribution of this database could be managed. The federated database approach is advocated where global schema is designed in a top-down approach, while all multimedia and textual data is stored in object-oriented (O-O) and object-relational (0-R) compliant databases. This thesis investigates queries and updates on large multimedia collections organised in the database federation. The goal of this research is to provide a generic query language capable of interrogating global and local multimedia database schemas. Therefore, a new query language EQL is defined to facilitate the querying of object-oriented and objectrelational database schemas in a database and platform independent manner, and acts as a canonical language for database federations. A new canonical language was required as the existing query language standards (SQL: 1999 and OQL) axe generally incompatible and translation between them is not trivial. EQL is supported with a formally defined object algebra and specified semantics for query evaluation. The ability to capture and store metadata of multiple database schemas is essential when constructing and querying a federated schema. Therefore we also present a new platform independent metamodel for specifying multimedia schemas stored in both object-oriented and object-relational databases. This metadata information is later used for the construction of a global schemas, and during the evaluation of local and global queries. Another important feature of any federated system is the ability to unambiguously define database schemas. The schema definition language for an EGTV database federation must be capable of specifying both object-oriented and object-relational schemas in the database independent format. As XML represents a standard for encoding and distributing data across various platforms, a language based upon XML has been developed as a part of our research. The ODLx (Object Definition Language XML) language specifies a set of XMLbased structures for defining complex database schemas capable of representing different multimedia types. The language is fully integrated with the EGTV metamodel through which ODLx schemas can be mapped to 0-0 and 0-R databases

Making object-oriented databases more knowledgeable (From ADAM to ABEL)

Tesis leida en la Universidad de Aberdeen. 178 p.The salient points of this thesis are as follows: • Object-Oriented Databases can help in solving the impedance mismatch problem by introducing methods. However, methods have sometimes been overused in the sense th at the code encapsulated refers not only to how the operation is implemented but also to other kinds of knowledge that are implicit in the code. The disadvantages of this approach for modelling integrity constraints, user-defined relationships and active behaviour are pointed out. • The ADAM Object-Oriented Database has been extended to allow the designer to specify integrity constraints declaratively. A constraint equation approach is implemented th at supports the inheritance of constraints. • A need for semantic-rich user-defined relationships has been identified. In this thesis, relationships are represented as objects. An approach to enhance the semantics of relationships in both its structural and behavioural aspects is presented. The most novel idea of the approach presented is the support of the inferred properties and the operational semantics of relationships. • Active Databases have recently become an im portant area of research. This thesis shows how to extend an Object-Oriented Database with active capabilities. The principal contribution lies in representing as ‘first-class’ objects not only the active rules but also the rule manager itself. Hence, besides handling active rules as any other object in the system, future requirements can be supported just by specialising the current rule manager. • Active rules have been proposed for several purposes. Several examples, are given of the direct use of rules. However, higher level tools can be provided of which rule

Integrated information model for managing the product introduction process

The thesis proposes an integrated product introduction (PI) information model for managing the product introduction process in an efficient manner. Through the process of product introduction, ideas and needs are converted to the information from which technical systems and products can be made and sold. Two critical factors for its success are the management of the product introduction activities, and the quality and functionality of its output (i.e. the product) which itself depends on the quality of the PI process. The process is as effective as the decisions made within it, and as efficient as the speed with which the information required for each decision is made available. In order to improve the efficiency of the management of the project in meeting its diverse targets (project time, project cost, product cost and uparrow product functionality), a model that integrates the targets would be essential in relating the activities of the project to their outcomes. Existing information models in related areas such as design, product development, project management, computer aided design and manufacturing consider some of these targets, but not all of them simultaneously. Especially product functionality is not considered along with the other targets of the PI project. The project introduction information includes managerial and technical information and complex associations among these two categories. Its representation places a challenging and novel set of demands on database technology as it is evolving, distributed and heterogeneous. Existing information models do not address the link between the managerial and technical information, and their continual evolution. Based on a detailed analysis of its nature and content, the thesis presents a three dimensional model of the product introduction information from three related but different viewpoints:- (1) entity-relationship or objects, (2) intra-layer integration and (3) evolution, each capturing important aspects of the PI information, but all required for a complete description. The overall three dimensional information model includes the following layers:- from view 1 - product functionality, process or project, product introduction resources, product and information map; from view 2 - node, relationship, and organisation; from view 3 - meta-model, data model, and data. Each model describes one aspect of the product introduction information but contains references to the others. The building blocks of the information model are described using schema definitions

Management of object-oriented action-based distributed programs

Phd ThesisThis thesis addresses the problem of managing the runtime behaviour of distributed programs. The thesis of this work is that management is fundamentally an information processing activity and that the object model, as applied to actionbased distributed systems and database systems, is an appropriate representation of the management information. In this approach, the basic concepts of classes, objects, relationships, and atomic transition systems are used to form object models of distributed programs. Distributed programs are collections of objects whose methods are structured using atomic actions, i.e., atomic transactions. Object models are formed of two submodels, each representing a fundamental aspect of a distributed program. The structural submodel represents a static perspective of the distributed program, and the control submodel represents a dynamic perspective of it. Structural models represent the program's objects, classes and their relationships. Control models represent the program's object states, events, guards and actions-a transition system. Resolution of queries on the distributed program's object model enable the management system to control certain activities of distributed programs. At a different level of abstraction, the distributed program can be seen as a reactive system where two subprograms interact: an application program and a management program; they interact only through sensors and actuators. Sensors are methods used to probe an object's state and actuators are methods used to change an object's state. The management program is capable to prod the application program into action by activating sensors and actuators available at the interface of the application program. Actions are determined by management policies that are encoded in the management program. This way of structuring the management system encourages a clear modularization of application and management distributed programs, allowing better separation of concerns. Managemental concerns can be dealt with by the management program, functional concerns can be assigned to the application program. The object-oriented action-based computational model adopted by the management system provides a natural framework for the implementation of faulttolerant distributed programs. Object orientation provides modularity and extensibility through object encapsulation. Atomic actions guarantee the consistency of the objects of the distributed program despite concurrency and failures. Replication of the distributed program provides increased fault-tolerance by guaranteeing the consistent progress of the computation, even though some of the replicated objects can fail. A prototype management system based on the management theory proposed above has been implemented atop Arjuna; an object-oriented programming system which provides a set of tools for constructing fault-tolerant distributed programs. The management system is composed of two subsystems: Stabilis, a management system for structural information, and Vigil, a management system for control information. Example applications have been implemented to illustrate the use of the management system and gather experimental evidence to give support to the thesis.CNPq (Consellho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnol6gico, Brazil): BROADCAST (Basic Research On Advanced Distributed Computing: from Algorithms to SysTems)

Model-based Semantic Conflict Analysis for Software- and Data-Integration Scenarios

The semantic conflict analysis, which is the focus of this technical report, is an approach to automate various design-time verification activities which can be applied during software- or data-integration processes. Specifically, the aspects of semantic matching of business processes and the underlying IT infrastructure as well as of technical aspects of the composite heterogeneous systems will be investigated. The report is part of the BIZYCLE project, which examines applicability of model-based methods, technologies and tools to the large-scale industrial software and data integration scenarios. The semantic conflict analysis is thus part of the overall BIZYCLE conflict analysis process, comprising of semantic, structural, communication, behavior and property analysis, aiming at facilitating and improving standard integration practice. Therefore, the project framework will be briefly introduced first, followed by the detailed semantic annotation and conflict analysis descriptions, and further backed up with the semantic conflict analysis motivation/illustration scenario

CAViT: a Consistency Maintenance Framework based on Transformation Contracts

Design by contract is a software correctness methodology for procedural and object-oriented software. It relies on logical assertions to detect implementation mistakes at run-time or to proof the absence thereof at compile-time. Design by contract has found a new application in model driven engineering, a methodology that aims to manage the complexity of frameworks by relying on models and transformations. A ``transformation contract\u27\u27 is a pair of constraints that together describe the effect of a transformation rule on the set of models contained in its transformation definition: the postcondition describes the model consistency state that the rule can establish provided that its precondition is satisfied. A transformation contract of a rule can be maintained automatically by calling the rule (1) as soon as the invariant corresponding to its postcondition is violated and (2) provided that its precondition is satisfied. Domain specific visual languages can facilitate the implementation of the actual transformation rules since they hide the complexity of graph transformation algorithms and standards for tool interoperability. In this talk, we describe CAViT: a framework that integrates a visual model transformation tool with a design by contract tool by relying on OMG standards such as UML, OCL and MOF