A database management capability for Ada

The data requirements of mission critical defense systems have been increasing dramatically. Command and control, intelligence, logistics, and even weapons systems are being required to integrate, process, and share ever increasing volumes of information. To meet this need, systems are now being specified that incorporate data base management subsystems for handling storage and retrieval of information. It is expected that a large number of the next generation of mission critical systems will contain embedded data base management systems. Since the use of Ada has been mandated for most of these systems, it is important to address the issues of providing data base management capabilities that can be closely coupled with Ada. A comprehensive distributed data base management project has been investigated. The key deliverables of this project are three closely related prototype systems implemented in Ada. These three systems are discussed

Modeling views in the layered view model for XML using UML

In data engineering, view formalisms are used to provide flexibility to users and user applications by allowing them to extract and elaborate data from the stored data sources. Conversely, since the introduction of Extensible Markup Language (XML), it is fast emerging as the dominant standard for storing, describing, and interchanging data among various web and heterogeneous data sources. In combination with XML Schema, XML provides rich facilities for defining and constraining user-defined data semantics and properties, a feature that is unique to XML. In this context, it is interesting to investigate traditional database features, such as view models and view design techniques for XML. However, traditional view formalisms are strongly coupled to the data language and its syntax, thus it proves to be a difficult task to support views in the case of semi-structured data models. Therefore, in this paper we propose a Layered View Model (LVM) for XML with conceptual and schemata extensions. Here our work is three-fold; first we propose an approach to separate the implementation and conceptual aspects of the views that provides a clear separation of concerns, thus, allowing analysis and design of views to be separated from their implementation. Secondly, we define representations to express and construct these views at the conceptual level. Thirdly, we define a view transformation methodology for XML views in the LVM, which carries out automated transformation to a view schema and a view query expression in an appropriate query language. Also, to validate and apply the LVM concepts, methods and transformations developed, we propose a view-driven application development framework with the flexibility to develop web and database applications for XML, at varying levels of abstraction

Towards the realisation of an integratated decision support environment for organisational decision making

Traditional decision support systems are based on the paradigm of a single decision maker working at a stand‐alone computer or terminal who has a specific decision to make with a specific goal in mind. Organizational decision support systems aim to support decision makers at all levels of an organization (from executive, middle management managers to operators), who have a variety of decisions to make, with different priorities, often in a distributed and dynamic environment. Such systems need to be designed and developed with extra functionality to meet the challenges such as collaborative working. This paper proposes an Integrated Decision Support Environment (IDSE) for organizational decision making. The IDSE distinguishes itself from traditional decision support systems in that it can flexibly configure and re‐configure its functions to support various decision applications. IDSE is an open software platform which allows its users to define their own decision processes and choose their own exiting decision tools to be integrated into the platform. The IDSE is designed and developed based on distributed client/server networking, with a multi‐tier integration framework for consistent information exchange and sharing, seamless process co‐ordination and synchronisation, and quick access to packaged and legacy systems. The prototype of the IDSE demonstrates good performance in agile response to fast changing decision situations

A Java implementation of Coordination Rules as ECA Rules

This paper gives an insight in to the design and implementation of the coordination rules as ECA rules. The language specifications of the ECA rules were designed and the corresponding implementation of the same using JAVA as been partially done. The paper also hints about the future work in this area which deals with embedding this code in JXTA, thus enabling to form a P2P layer with JXTA as the back bone

Generic functional requirements for a NASA general-purpose data base management system

Generic functional requirements for a general-purpose, multi-mission data base management system (DBMS) for application to remotely sensed scientific data bases are detailed. The motivation for utilizing DBMS technology in this environment is explained. The major requirements include: (1) a DBMS for scientific observational data; (2) a multi-mission capability; (3) user-friendly; (4) extensive and integrated information about data; (5) robust languages for defining data structures and formats; (6) scientific data types and structures; (7) flexible physical access mechanisms; (8) ways of representing spatial relationships; (9) a high level nonprocedural interactive query and data manipulation language; (10) data base maintenance utilities; (11) high rate input/output and large data volume storage; and adaptability to a distributed data base and/or data base machine configuration. Detailed functions are specified in a top-down hierarchic fashion. Implementation, performance, and support requirements are also given

A SQL front-end semantic data model

SQLSDM is a front end semantic data model to a SQL relational database management system (RDBMS). SQLSDM provides a more semantically complete RDBMS through the implementation of a Domain and Relational Integrity scheme. SQLSDM provides integrity definition functions and a sub-system to interpret SQL commands . Integrity system tables are created through the use of SQLSDM \u27 s domain definition command and SQL \u27 s CREATE TABLE command. As SQL database update commands are interpreted, SQLSDM uses these integrity tables to enforce domain and referential integrity. SQLSDM operates virtually transparent to the user and provides for greater database consistency and semantic control. Furthermore, SQLSDM is designed and engineered to be a portable front-end that may be implemented on any SQL relational database management system

Component Approach to Software Development for Distributed Multi-Database System

The paper deals with a component based approach for software development in a distributed environment for the database retrieval operations. A Core Component for a distributed multi-database system has been proposed. The core Component is modeled using three interfaces User, Administrator and Databases Handler. The User Interface is the starting point of access for the Core Component. The Administrator interface deals with access control privileges for users and local databases. The Database Handler facilitates global schema management and site management.Assertion, Core Component, Component Based Software Development, Multi-Database, Schema

The necessity for check-on-commit in the protection of the integrity of a database

The value of the data in a database can be increased by specifying and enforcing integrity constraints on the data. There are several methods for the implementation of integrity constraints. The used method in a particular situation depends on the features offered by the used Database Management System (DBMS) However, not all these methods offer the same certainty that the constraints are really enforced. There are also important differences in the methods regarding programming effort and maintainability. In this article integrity constraints and their implementation will have our attention. It will be explained why it is necessary for the protection of the integrity of the data in the database to be able to check integrity on the commit time of a transaction. The report is partially based on an article of the author on transactions [van der Made-Potuijt 1989] and the contribution of the author to an article on constraints [de Brock, Gersteling, Krijger & van der Made-Potuijt 1989]. The different methods used by the vendors of DBMS's for implementing constraints have been investigated by a group of independent dutch database experts (IDT-Holland, which stands for Independent Database Team Holland) The author is the chairman of IDT-Holland. This article offers the theoretical framework for the understanding of the results of the investigation. Certain parts of this report are of tutorial nature