Object Database Management Group Research Articles

Measuring and modelling the performance of a parallel ODMG compliant object database server

AbstractObject database management systems (ODBMSs) are now established as the database management technology of choice for a range of challenging data intensive applications. Furthermore, the applications associated with object databases typically have stringent performance requirements, and some are associated with very large data sets. An important feature for the performance of object databases is the speed at which relationships can be explored. In queries, this depends on the effectiveness of different join algorithms into which queries that follow relationships can be compiled. This paper presents a performance evaluation of the Polar parallel object database system, focusing in particular on the performance of parallel join algorithms. Polar is a parallel, shared‐nothing implementation of the Object Database Management Group (ODMG) standard for object databases. The paper presents an empirical evaluation of queries expressed in the ODMG Query Language (OQL), as well as a cost model for the parallel algebra that is used to evaluate OQL queries. The cost model is validated against the empirical results for a collection of queries using four different join algorithms, one that is value based and three that are pointer based. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Representation of spatial data in an OODB using roughand fuzzy set modeling

This paper introduces and formally defines a fuzzy rough object-oriented database (OODB) model based on a formal framework using an algebraic type system and formally defined constraints. This generalized model incorporates both rough set and fuzzy set uncertainty, while remaining compliant with object-oriented database standards set forth by the Object Database Management Group. Rough and fuzzy set uncertainty enhance the OODB model so that it can more accurately model real world applications. Spatial databases have a particular need for uncertainty management that can be achieved through rough and fuzzy techniques.

Research Article: An object model with parametric polymorphism for dynamic segmentation

Dynamic segmentation is commonly viewed as one of the most effective aspects of GIS for transportation applications. To date, much of this effort has focused on relational data models, with object data models receiving far less attention. This paper presents an object model that provides a natural representation of dynamically segmented features by extending the Object Database Management Group (ODMG) standard with a special mechanism, called parametric polymorphism. This mechanism supports the shifting of a conventional data type into a linear type to maintain knowledge about events (e.g. pavement condition, traffic volumes and traffic accidents) that change spatially along linear features. An associated object query language unavailable in current GIS packages is also provided for data analyses relevant to dynamic segmentation. The model and query language have been implemented using an object-oriented scripting language in a GIS environment.

Spatiotemporal Object Database Approach to Dynamic Segmentation

Dynamic segmentation is viewed as one of the most important functions of geographic information systems for transportation applications. Although the road network and associated events (e.g., pavement material, traffic volume, incidents) can be referenced to both space and time, the spatial and temporal dimensions have not been well integrated. Modeling space-varying, time-varying, and space-time-varying events in dynamic segmentation by using an object database approach that is in line with the Object Database Management Group standard is explored. A mechanism called parametric polymorphism is used to lift conventional data types to spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal types for maintaining knowledge about events that could change spatially, temporally, and spatiotemporally along linear features. An associated object query language, DS-OQL, was designed to support the formulation of spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal queries on the road and event information.

ROVER: flexible yet consistent evolution of relationships

Relationships have been repeatedly identified as an important object-oriented modeling construct. Most emerging modeling standards such as the object database management group (ODMG) object model and UML have some support for relationships. However object-oriented database (OODB) systems have largely ignored the existence of relationships during schema evolution. We are the first to propose comprehensive support for relationship evolution. A complete schema evolution facility for any OODB system must provide primitives to manipulate all object model constructs, and maintenance strategies for the structural and referential integrity of the database under such evolution. We propose a set of basic evolution primitives for relationships as well as a compound set of changes that can be applied to the same. However, given the myriad of possible change semantics a user may desire in the future, any pre-defined set is not sufficient. Rather we present a flexible schema evolution framework that allows the user to define new relationship transformations as well as to extend existing ones. Addressing the second problem, namely of updating schema evolution primitives to conform to the new set of invariants, can be a very expensive re-engineering effort. In this paper we present an approach that de-couples the constraints from the schema evolution code, thereby enabling their update without any re-coding effort. We also present an approach that can be used to verify the correctness of these complex evolution operations using the de-coupled constraints.

A new architecture for integration of CORBA and OODB

Object oriented database system (OODB) supports an object oriented data model with the functionality of persistency and transaction semantics. In order to facilitate the use of OODB, the Object Database Management Group (ODMG) defined a standard for object database management systems. On the other hand, the Object Management Group (OMG) defined the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), which is an emerging standard of distributed object technology providing the interconnection network between distributed objects. For the sake of matching these two object models, taking the advantages of merging both of them, and building a more sophisticated infrastructure, the integration of CORBA and OODB is currently an urgent and important issue in distributed object systems. Instead of using Object Database Adapter (ODA) suggested by the ODMG, we provide a novel way of reusing the Object Transaction Service (OTS) and wrapping techniques to introduce OODB into CORBA automatically. Through our design, CORBA clients or OODB object implementers do not need to learn any knowledge of each other. In addition, error recovery is also provided to guarantee the consistency of object states. The whole task for integrating CORBA and OODB is done transparently by our proposed preprocessor, which plays an important role in solving problems encountered by ORB and OODB vendors easily.