Emerging Database Technologies Emerging Database Technologies and Applicationsand Applications

Progression of Database TechnologyProgression of Database Technology

FutureFuture

Merging data models withknowledge representationHybrid modelsClient-server configurationParallel processingOptical memories

MultimediaNatural languagesSpeech inputFreehand textIntegrated database and programming languages

Generalized presentation managersDistributed, heterogeneous data and knowledge processing with multimedia informationParallel database management

1980s to Early 1990s1980s to Early 1990s

SemanticObject-orientedLogicFaster PCsWorkstationsDatabase machinesBack endsGraphicsMenusQuery-by-forms

Standardized SQL4GLLogic programming

Business graphicsImage output

Transaction processingKnowledge processing

1970s to Mid-1980s1970s to Mid-1980s

Relational

MainframesMinisPCs

Query languagesForms

Embedded query languages

Report generators

Information and transaction processing

1960s to Mid-1960s to Mid-1970s1970sNetworkHierarchical

Mainframes

None

Procedural

Reports

Processing data

Data ModelData Model

Database Database HardwareHardware

User User InterfaceInterface

Program Program InterfaceInterface

Presentation Presentation and Displayand Display

ProcessingProcessing

Current Trends in TechnologyCurrent Trends in Technology

• Distributed, heterogeneous environmentsDistributed, heterogeneous environments• Open systemsOpen systems• More functionalityMore functionality• Parallel database managementParallel database management

Next Generation of DBMSsNext Generation of DBMSs

• Active databasesActive databases– Applications such as process control, power Applications such as process control, power

distribution/generation, workflow control, program distribution/generation, workflow control, program trading, battle management, patient monitoring are not trading, battle management, patient monitoring are not well served by well served by passivepassive DBMSs DBMSs

– conditions defined on states of the database must be conditions defined on states of the database must be monitored and actions takenmonitored and actions taken

– active databases support condition monitoringactive databases support condition monitoring

Active DatabasesActive Databases

Active DBMSActive DBMS

Queries and updatesQueries and updates

External eventsExternal events

ActionsActions

Specification of events and Specification of events and conditions to be monitoredconditions to be monitored

Payoffs:Payoffs:• No changes to applicationsNo changes to applications• DBMS optimizes rulesDBMS optimizes rules• Enhances DBMS functionalityEnhances DBMS functionality• Meet the time-constrainedMeet the time-constrained requirements of applicationsrequirements of applications

Issues in Active DatabasesIssues in Active Databases

• EfficiencyEfficiency– a large set of rules need to be managed and evaluated a large set of rules need to be managed and evaluated

efficientlyefficiently

• Modes of rule executionModes of rule execution– rules can be fired in an immediate, deferred, or detached rules can be fired in an immediate, deferred, or detached

mode in regard to the original transactionmode in regard to the original transaction

• Data model extensionData model extension– specifying events, conditions, and actionsspecifying events, conditions, and actions

• events:events:

– database operations (insert, delete, modify)database operations (insert, delete, modify)

– temporal events (5 p.m. every day)temporal events (5 p.m. every day)

– user- or application-generated events (hardware failure)user- or application-generated events (hardware failure)

Issues in Active DatabasesIssues in Active Databases

• Management of rulesManagement of rules– ability to manipulate rules (add/delete/modify)ability to manipulate rules (add/delete/modify)– mechanisms for enabling and disabling rules or rule setsmechanisms for enabling and disabling rules or rule sets

• Supporting DBMS functionsSupporting DBMS functions– examples: constraint management, maintenance of examples: constraint management, maintenance of

derived data, rule-based inferencingderived data, rule-based inferencing

• Interaction with parts of DBMSInteraction with parts of DBMS– optimization of rules requires interaction with transaction optimization of rules requires interaction with transaction

manager, object manager, and schedulermanager, object manager, and scheduler

State of the Art in Active State of the Art in Active DatabasesDatabases

• HiPAC (High Performance ACtive database system) HiPAC (High Performance ACtive database system) research project at Xeroxresearch project at Xerox

• PROBE for battle management application (Computer PROBE for battle management application (Computer Corporation of America)Corporation of America)

• Event/Trigger Mechanism (Univ. of Karlsruhe)Event/Trigger Mechanism (Univ. of Karlsruhe)• POSTGRES (Stonebraker, UC Berkeley)POSTGRES (Stonebraker, UC Berkeley)• Starburst project at IBMStarburst project at IBM• Sybase supports simple triggersSybase supports simple triggers• InterBase does not impose most of the restrictions seen in InterBase does not impose most of the restrictions seen in

SybaseSybase• ORACLE v. 7, INGRES, INFORMIX, etc. provide some ORACLE v. 7, INGRES, INFORMIX, etc. provide some

degree of rule and trigger supportdegree of rule and trigger support

Multimedia DatabasesMultimedia Databases

• Applications:Applications:– documents and records managementdocuments and records management– knowledge disseminationknowledge dissemination– education and trainingeducation and training– marketing, advertising, retailing, travelmarketing, advertising, retailing, travel– real-time control and monitoringreal-time control and monitoring

Multimedia DatabasesMultimedia Databases

• Multimedia IS are very complex; issues:Multimedia IS are very complex; issues:– modeling, dealing with complex objectsmodeling, dealing with complex objects– design (conceptual, logical, physical) not researched yetdesign (conceptual, logical, physical) not researched yet– storage on standard devices presents problemsstorage on standard devices presents problems– retrieval opens up many issuesretrieval opens up many issues– performance problem solving efforts are experimentalperformance problem solving efforts are experimental

• Databases (fixed data structure) versus Databases (fixed data structure) versus information retrieval (text) perspectivesinformation retrieval (text) perspectives

• Requirements of multimedia/hypermedia data Requirements of multimedia/hypermedia data modeling and retrievalmodeling and retrieval– query mechanism should have access to the links (?)query mechanism should have access to the links (?)

Multimedia DatabasesMultimedia Databases

• Indexing of imagesIndexing of images– automatic object identificationautomatic object identification– manual indexingmanual indexing

• Open problems in text retrievalOpen problems in text retrieval

Multimedia information systems promise to bring Multimedia information systems promise to bring about a marriage of the disciplines of information about a marriage of the disciplines of information retrieval and database managementretrieval and database management

Spatial Database ManagementSpatial Database Management

• The spatial semantics can be captured by three The spatial semantics can be captured by three common representations:common representations:– solid representationsolid representation

• the space is divided into piecesthe space is divided into pieces

– boundary representationboundary representation• the spatial characteristics are represented by line the spatial characteristics are represented by line

segments or boundariessegments or boundaries

– abstract representationabstract representation• relationships with spatial semantics, such as ABOVE, relationships with spatial semantics, such as ABOVE,

NEAR, IS NEXT TO, BEHIND, are used to associate entitiesNEAR, IS NEXT TO, BEHIND, are used to associate entities

• The PROBE project provided support for spatial The PROBE project provided support for spatial datadata

Temporal Database ManagementTemporal Database Management

• An one-dimensional case of spatial informationAn one-dimensional case of spatial information• Includes three types of support for time:Includes three types of support for time:

– time pointstime points– time intervalstime intervals– abstract relationships (before, after, during, abstract relationships (before, after, during,

simultaneously, concurrently, ...)simultaneously, concurrently, ...)

• The history aspect of databases is important for The history aspect of databases is important for project management, patient histories, project management, patient histories, maintenance histories, etc.maintenance histories, etc.

Temporal Database ManagementTemporal Database Management

• A range of businesses (ex. finance, medical, legal, A range of businesses (ex. finance, medical, legal, manufacturing) can benefit from quick access to manufacturing) can benefit from quick access to historical and current datahistorical and current data

• Limitations of current databases:Limitations of current databases:– data become valid at the time they are recorded; no data become valid at the time they are recorded; no

provision for distinguishing between transaction time and provision for distinguishing between transaction time and valid timevalid time

– no capability to preserve historical informationno capability to preserve historical information

• Until recently, inefficient storage capabilities made Until recently, inefficient storage capabilities made the temporal database concept not practicalthe temporal database concept not practical

• WORM and compression technology made it possible WORM and compression technology made it possible

Tuple Time StampingTuple Time Stamping

EmpNo

33

33

45

45

Salary

20K

25K

27K

30K

Position

Typist

Secretary

Jr. Engineer

Sr. Engineer

Start time

12

25

28

38

End time

24

35

37

42

One proposed model is the Temporal Relational One proposed model is the Temporal Relational ModelModel– Attributes, relations are divided into time-varying and Attributes, relations are divided into time-varying and

non-time-varyingnon-time-varying– For time-varying relations, two timestamp attributes are For time-varying relations, two timestamp attributes are

appendedappended– SQL is extended into Temporal SQL (TSQL)SQL is extended into Temporal SQL (TSQL)

Open ProblemsOpen Problems

• Reasoning with temporal informationReasoning with temporal information• Processing information over valid-time and Processing information over valid-time and

transaction-time databasestransaction-time databases• Mixing temporal processing with active and Mixing temporal processing with active and

deductive databasesdeductive databases• Integrating temporal information over Integrating temporal information over

heterogeneous environmentsheterogeneous environments

Update on Temporal DB ResearchUpdate on Temporal DB ResearchRecent Advances in Temporal Databases,Recent Advances in Temporal Databases, J. Clifford and A. Tuzhilin, J. Clifford and A. Tuzhilin, (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Workshop on Temporal (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Workshop on Temporal Databases, Zurich, Switzerland, 17-18 September 1995, Springer, 1995. Databases, Zurich, Switzerland, 17-18 September 1995, Springer, 1995. X, 362 pp. 80 figs. Softcover $79.00 ISBN 3-540-19945-4X, 362 pp. 80 figs. Softcover $79.00 ISBN 3-540-19945-4

• Papers cover a wide range of topics from the highly theoretical Papers cover a wide range of topics from the highly theoretical through to reports on how temporal data bases can be used to solve through to reports on how temporal data bases can be used to solve real problemsreal problems

• In addition to the technical papers, there are also summaries of two In addition to the technical papers, there are also summaries of two panel discussions which assess the recently-completed TSQL2 panel discussions which assess the recently-completed TSQL2 Language Design, and examine the need for additional research into Language Design, and examine the need for additional research into the development of TSQL3the development of TSQL3

• Together these papers provide a comprehensive overview of the latest Together these papers provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research work into the area of temporal databasesresearch work into the area of temporal databases

Also see URL: http://www.jcc.com/sql_tmpr.htmlAlso see URL: http://www.jcc.com/sql_tmpr.html

Extensible Database ManagementExtensible Database Management

• Building DBMSs out of “DBMS parts”Building DBMSs out of “DBMS parts”• Assembling prewritten modules has advantages:Assembling prewritten modules has advantages:

– rapid and economical developmentrapid and economical development– technological improvements can quickly be technological improvements can quickly be

incorporatedincorporated– proposed new algorithms can first be evaluatedproposed new algorithms can first be evaluated

• Project GENESIS at the University of TexasProject GENESIS at the University of Texas– components of DBMS and interfaces among them are components of DBMS and interfaces among them are

defineddefined– new DBMS can be configured within minutesnew DBMS can be configured within minutes– plug-compatible modules are defined for access plug-compatible modules are defined for access

methods, query optimization, concurrency control, methods, query optimization, concurrency control, recovery, ... recovery, ...

Extensible Database ManagementExtensible Database Management

Project EXODUS at University of Wisconsin provides certain kernel Project EXODUS at University of Wisconsin provides certain kernel facilities including storage manager and type managerfacilities including storage manager and type manager– type manager permits definition of hierarchies with multiple type manager permits definition of hierarchies with multiple

inheritanceinheritance– the storage object is a byte sequence of arbitrary sizethe storage object is a byte sequence of arbitrary size– buffer management, concurrency control, recovery mechanisms buffer management, concurrency control, recovery mechanisms

are provided and can be modifiedare provided and can be modified– type-independent index structures can be selectedtype-independent index structures can be selected– the language E, an C extension, adds the notion of persistent the language E, an C extension, adds the notion of persistent

objectsobjects– query processing includes query optimization and evaluationquery processing includes query optimization and evaluation– the DBI supplies the description of operators and methods to the DBI supplies the description of operators and methods to

implement themimplement them– the rule-based optimizer generates C source codethe rule-based optimizer generates C source code– the EXODUS storage manager was used by several vendors (incl. the EXODUS storage manager was used by several vendors (incl.

OO22))

Full-Functionality ApproachFull-Functionality Approach

• Building DBMS with extensive functionalityBuilding DBMS with extensive functionality• Providing a wide set of featuresProviding a wide set of features• Projects PROBE and StarburstProjects PROBE and Starburst

– active databasesactive databases– PROBE provides spatial query processingPROBE provides spatial query processing

• POSTGRES also combines OO and active POSTGRES also combines OO and active database capabilities with the relational modeldatabase capabilities with the relational model

Unified Database ManagementUnified Database Management

Example of systems in this category is UniSQLExample of systems in this category is UniSQL– combinescombines

• power and ease of popular development toolspower and ease of popular development tools

• OO developmentOO development

• multimedia database integrationmultimedia database integration

– organization:organization:• UniSQL/X provides C/S DBMS platformUniSQL/X provides C/S DBMS platform

• UniSQL/M allows access to relational and prerelational DBsUniSQL/M allows access to relational and prerelational DBs

• UniSQL/4GE Tools for dynamically generating applicationsUniSQL/4GE Tools for dynamically generating applications

• Visual Editor and Media Master allow for viewing and editing Visual Editor and Media Master allow for viewing and editing of schemas and for sophisticated report generationof schemas and for sophisticated report generation

– the next generation of DBMSs is likely to be patterned the next generation of DBMSs is likely to be patterned after the UniSQL after the UniSQL