optimizing xpath queries using composite axes

Master'sMASTER OF SCIENC

Level-based indexing for optimising XML queries

Many of the problems with native XML databases relate to query performance and subsequently, it can be difficult to convince traditional database users of the benefits of using semi- or unstructured databases. In particular, the ongoing development of the XQuery language requires that performance related issues are resolved. Presently, there still lacks an index structure providing efficient support for both navigational and structural queries and the traditional data-centric and content queries. This thesis presents a new extended index structure based on the preorder traversal rank and the level (or depth) rank of each node in a document tree. The extended index fully supports the navigation of all XPath axes while efficiently supporting data-centric queries. The ability to start path traversals from arbitrary nodes in a document tree also enables the extended index to support the evaluation of path traversals embedded in XQuery expressions. Furthermore, an encoding technique for this extended index structure is presented, whereby properties of a level ranking may be exploited to provide efficient and optimised path traversals and in certain cases, optimal solutions to path traversals

Optimal Enumeration: Efficient Top-k Tree Matching

Driven by many real applications, graph pattern matching has attracted a great deal of attention recently. Consider that a twigpattern matching may result in an extremely large number ofmatches in a graph; this may not only confuse users by providing too many results but also lead to high computational costs. In this paper, we study the problem of top-k tree pattern matching; that is, given a rooted tree T, compute its top-k matches in a directed graph G based on the twig-pattern matching semantics. We firstly present a novel and optimal enumeration paradigm based on the principle of Lawler's procedure. We show that our enumeration algorithm runs in O(nT + log k) time in each round where nT is the number of nodes in T. Considering that the time complexity to output a match of T is O(nT) and nT = log k in practice, our enumeration technique is optimal. Moreover, the cost of generating top-1 match of T in our algorithm is O(mR) where mR is the number of edges in the transitive closure of a data graph G involving all relevant nodes to T. O(mR) is also optimal in the worst case without preknowledge of G. Consequently, our algorithm is optimal with the running time O(mR +k(nT +log k)) in contrast to the time complexity O(mR log k+knT (log k+dT)) of the existing technique where dT is the maximal node degree in T. Secondly, a novel priority based access technique is proposed, which greatly reduces the number of edges accessed and results in a significant performance improvement. Finally, we apply our techniques to the general form of top-k graph pattern matching problem (i.e., query is a graph) to improve the existing techniques. Comprehensive empirical studies demonstrate that our techniques may improve the existing techniques by orders of magnitude

Efficient processing of multiple XML twig queries

Master'sMASTER OF SCIENC

Efficient processing of XML twig pattern matching

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Child Prime Label Approaches to Evaluate XML Structured Queries

The adoption of the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) as the standard format to store and exchange semi-structure data has been gaining momentum. The growing number of XML documents leads to the need for appropriate XML querying algorithms which are able to retrieve XML data efficiently. Due to the importance of twig pattern matching in XML retrieval systems, finding all matching occurrences of a tree pattern query in an XML document is often considered as a specific task for XML databases as well as a core operation in XML query processing. This thesis presents a design and implementation of a new indexing technique, called the Child Prime Label (CPL) which exploits the property of prime numbers to identify Parent-Child (P-C) edges in twig pattern queries (TPQs) during query evaluation. The CPL approach can be incorporated efficiently within the existing labelling schemes. The major contributions of this thesis can be seen as a set of novel twig matching algorithms which apply the CPL approach and focus on reducing the overhead of storing useless elements and performing unnecessary computations during the output enumeration. The research presented here is the first to provide an efficient and general solution for TPQs containing ordering constraints and positional predicates specified by the XML query languages. To evaluate the CPL approaches, the holistic model was implemented as an experimental prototype in which the approaches proposed are compared against state-of-the-art holistic twig algorithms. Extensive performance studies on various real-world and artificial datasets were conducted to demonstrate the significant improvement of the CPL approaches over the previous indexing and querying methods. The experimental results demonstrate the validity and improvements of the new algorithms over other related methods on common various subclasses of TPQs. Moreover, the scalability tests reveal that the new algorithms are more suitable for processing large XML datasets

Taming XPath Queries by Minimizing Wildcard Steps

This paper presents a novel and complementary technique to optimize an XPath query by minimizing its wildcard steps. Our approach is based on using a general composite axis called the layer axis, to rewrite a sequence of XPath steps (all of which are wildcard steps except for possibly the last) into a single layer-axis step. We describe an efficient implementation of the layer axis and present a novel and efficient rewriting algorithm to minimize both non-branching as well as branching wildcard steps in XPath queries. We also demonstrate the usefulness of wildcard-step elimination by proposing an optimized evaluation strategy for wildcard-free XPath queries that enables selective loading of only the relevant input XML data for query evaluation. Our experimental results not only validate the scalability and efficiency of our optimized evaluation strategy, but also demonstrate the effectiveness of our rewriting algorithm for minimizing wildcard steps in XPath queries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort that addresses this new optimization problem

Software-Defined Networking: A Comprehensive Survey

peer reviewedThe Internet has led to the creation of a digital society, where (almost) everything is connected and is accessible from anywhere. However, despite their widespread adoption, traditional IP networks are complex and very hard to manage. It is both difficult to configure the network according to predefined policies, and to reconfigure it to respond to faults, load, and changes. To make matters even more difficult, current networks are also vertically integrated: the control and data planes are bundled together. Software-defined networking (SDN) is an emerging paradigm that promises to change this state of affairs, by breaking vertical integration, separating the network's control logic from the underlying routers and switches, promoting (logical) centralization of network control, and introducing the ability to program the network. The separation of concerns, introduced between the definition of network policies, their implementation in switching hardware, and the forwarding of traffic, is key to the desired flexibility: by breaking the network control problem into tractable pieces, SDN makes it easier to create and introduce new abstractions in networking, simplifying network management and facilitating network evolution. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey on SDN. We start by introducing the motivation for SDN, explain its main concepts and how it differs from traditional networking, its roots, and the standardization activities regarding this novel paradigm. Next, we present the key building blocks of an SDN infrastructure using a bottom-up, layered approach. We provide an in-depth analysis of the hardware infrastructure, southbound and northbound application programming interfaces (APIs), network virtualization layers, network operating systems (SDN controllers), network programming languages, and network applications. We also look at cross-layer problems such as debugging and troubleshooting. In an effort to anticipate the future evolution of this - ew paradigm, we discuss the main ongoing research efforts and challenges of SDN. In particular, we address the design of switches and control platforms—with a focus on aspects such as resiliency, scalability, performance, security, and dependability—as well as new opportunities for carrier transport networks and cloud providers. Last but not least, we analyze the position of SDN as a key enabler of a software-defined environment

Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering, FASE 2021, which took place during March 27–April 1, 2021, and was held as part of the Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2021. The conference was planned to take place in Luxembourg but changed to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 16 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 52 submissions. The book also contains 4 Test-Comp contributions