Relational Database Applications Research Articles

Connecting to a relational database application from Interleaf 5 using Lisp

The Interleaf 5 (15) desktop publishing software provides a powerful customization environment based on Lisp. A small development team, including the author, used this environment to build a tightly integrated 15 user interface (UI) for Interleaf's Relational Document Manager (RDM). This paper describes the part of this program that implements the connection between 15 Lisp and the RDM Application Program Interface (API).

The automated production control documentation system

A prototype software system was developed for the U.S. Naval Underwater Systems Center(NUSC) as a demonstration of the Cleanroom Software Engineering methodology. The Cleanroom method is a team approach to the incremental development of software under statistical quality control. Cleanroom's formal methods of Box Structure specification and design, functional verification, and statistical testing were used by a four-person team to develop the Automated Production Control Documentation(APCODOC) system, a relational database application. As is typical in Cleanroom developments, correctness of design and code were ensured through team reviews. Eighteen errors were found during functional verification of the design, and nineteen errors were found during walkthrough of the 1820 lines of FOXBASE code. The software was not executed by developers prior to independent testing (i.e., there was no debugging). There were no errors in compilation, no failures during statistical certification testing, and the software was certified at the target levels of reliability and confidence. Team members attribute the ultimate error-free compilation and failure-free execution of the software to the rigor of the methodology and the intellectual control afforded by the team approach.

Computer Applications in Archaeology: Graphics, Database, and Image Processing in a Multimedia Field-to-Publication Data Management System

The Archaeological Computing Laboratory (ACL), a subdivision of the Graphics and Imaging Laboratory (GRAIL) in the Computer Science Department at Montana State University, specializes in archaeological applications of computer technology. Four areas of research and development will be discussed (1) an integrated multimedia field-to-publication data management system, (2) a relational database, (3) image processing, and (4) graphics applications Keywords database, graphics, image processing, archaeology computerized map generation, multimedia, visualization.

Performance of an OLTP application on symmetry multiprocessor system

Sequent's Symmetry Series is a bus-based shared-memory multiprocessor. System performance in an OLTP relational database application was investigated using the TP1 benchmark. System performance was tested with fully-cached benchmarks and with scaled benchmarks. In fully-cached tests, the entire database fits inside main memory. In scaled tests, the database is larger than available memory. In the fully-cached benchmark, performance was initially limited by bus saturation. The cause was the transfer of process context from processor to processor. This was eliminated by assigning each process to a processor. Processor affinity was combined with reductions in message-passing within the database. Throughput was dramatically improved. The scaled tests were I/O bound. This bottleneck can be eliminated by connecting more disk drives, or by increasing the main memory size.

Relational database design using the NIAM Conceptual Schema

In this paper we will describe a fact based Conceptual Schema or Semantic Data Model using elementary sentences as the only information-bearing construct. As natural language concepts are used, the end-user can be intimately involved in the analysis and design of relational database applications. The well-formed Conceptual Schema is input to an algorithm which results in a set of optimal normal form tables. The last part of the paper describes a computerized information system which assists in managing Conceptual Schemas and the generation of optimal normal form tables.

A comparative feature-analysis of microcomputer prolog implementations

In recent years, no programming language has received the international attention of PROLOG. Currently the Japanese Fifth Generation computing Systems Project (ICOT) is attempting to build an entire series of computers around this language in order to implement a new generation of computers based on symbolic inferencing techniques. In the United States and Europe, PROLOG is being used in relational database applications, natural language processing, theorem proving and automated reasoning, and a variety of other artificial intelligence applications.In this article, we compare several of the newer PROLOG interpreters and compilers with regard to their functionality. This information is useful to researchers in selecting the product which will be the most relevant to their applications.

Transposition of large tabular data structures with applications to physical database organization

Tabular data structures of a relational database, placed in a paged virtual space or in some two-level storage, are discussed. To rearrange, or transpose, those data stored attributewise to those stored tuplewise, and vice versa, an algorithm is devised that causes a minimal amount of page fetches. The algorithm is near best possible, since it is a generalization of Floyd's algorithm on matrix transposition, shown as the best possible for the case of idealized two-level storage. With a view to practical applications in relational databases, a class of algorithms are specified in detail, so that the exact evaluations of the number of required page fetches can be done. Partial transposition that is important in actual database manipulations is also discussed. Finally the transposition algorithm is extended to cover the case that data lengths may differ between distinct attributes.

Major-minor loop chips adapted for associative search in relational data base

Unique features of bubble devices are exploited for data base applications. Columnized storage and retrieval ensure minimum input/output data traffic. Dynamic indexing loops in synchronization with data storage loops allow convenient indexing during data qualification and eliminate redundant traversing of disqualified data. Such hardware features are unavailable in disk files, but prove particularly advantageous for associative search. A bubble chip design based on slight modification of conventional major/minor loops is described, which is suitable for relational data base applications.

The design of a rotating associative memory for relational database applications

The design and motivation for a rotating associative relational store (RARES) is described. RARES is designed to enhance the performance of an optimizing relational query interface by supporting important high level optimization techniques. In particular, it can perform tuple selection operations at the storage device and also can provide a mechanism for efficient sorting. Like other designs for rotating associative stores, RARES contains search logic which is attached to the heads of a rotating head-per-track storage device. RARES is distinct from other designs in that it utilizes a novel “orthogonal” storage layout. This layout allows a high output rate of selected tuples even when a sort order in the stored relation must be preserved. As in certain other designs, RARES can usually output a tuple as soon as it is found to satisfy the selection criteria. However, relative to these designs, the orthogonal layout allows an order of magnitude reduction in the capacity of storage local to the search logic.