Table Of ContentDatabase Reengineering
and Interoperability
Database Reengineering
and Interoperability
Edited by
To-yat Cheung, Joseph Fong,
and Brian Siu
City University of Hong Kong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Database reengineering and interoperability / edited by To-yat Cheung, Joseph Fong, and
Brian Siu.
p. cm.
"Proceedings of the Sixth International Hong Kong Computer Society Database Work
shop on Database Reengineering and Interoperability, held March 3-4, 1995, in Kowloon,
Hong Kong"—CIP verso t.p.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4613-5728-5 ISBN 978-1-4615-1803-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-1803-7
1. Database management—Congresses. 2. Management information systems—Congresses.
3. Reengineering (Management)—Congresses. I. Cheung, To-yat, 1939- . II. Fong,
Joseph. III. Siu, Brian. IV. International Hong Kong Computer Society Database Workshop
on Database Reengineering and Interoperability (6th: 1995: Kowloon, Hong Kong)
QA76.9.D3D35885 1996 95-53963
005.74—dc20 CIP
Proceedings of the Sixth International Hong Kong Computer Society Database Workshop on Database
Reengineering and Interoperability, held March 3-4, 1995, in Kowloon, Hong Kong
© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1996
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1996
All rights reserved
10 9 8 76 5 4 3 2 1
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher
PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
N. V. Balasubramanian City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
C. Bloor University of Sunderland, United Kingdom
S. Chakravarty University of Florida, United States
T. Y. Cheung City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
J. Clark Colorado State University, United States
S. Faris Oracle Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong
D. Hsiao Naval Postgraduate School, United States
S. L. Hung City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
L.Kan Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong
K. Karlapalem Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
E.Lam Hong Kong Baptitst College, Hong Kong
K.Y.Lam City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
K.Lau Sybase Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong
K. S. Leung Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Q.Li Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
D.Lo Informix Software(Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong
S. Navathe Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
D.Ng Borland(Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong
T.Ng Computer Associates International Limited, Hong Kong
C. Pu Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, United States
N. L. Sarda Indian Institute of Technology, India
P. Smith University of Sunderland, United Kingdom
S.Su University of Florida, United States
W. Sun Florida International University, United States
T. H. Tse University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
C. Yau Griffith University, Australia
X.Ye Inner Mongolia University, China
LIST OF REFEREES
N.V. Balasubramanian City University of Hong Kong
N. Bolloju City University of Hong Kong
S. Chakravarthy University of Florida
T.Y. Cheung City University of Hong Kong
F. Chin University of Hong Kong
J. Fong City University of Hong Kong
K Karlapalem Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
I. Kwan Hong Kong Polytechnic University
E.Lam Hong Kong Baptist University
K.Y.Lam City University of Hong Kong
J. Lee Hong Kong Polytechnic University
K. S. Leung and two anonymous colleagues Chinese University of Hong Kong
Q.Li Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
J. Ma City University of Hong Kong
N.L. Sarda Indian Institute of Technology
W. Sun Florida International University
T.H. Tse University of Hong Kong
H.Q. Wang City University of Hong Kong
C.Yau Griffith Univsersity
X.Ye Inner Mongolia University
PREFACE
Modern computing management systems and application programs are often de
signed as open systems. In an open environment, the users' application programs serving
similar purposes, though possibly implemented using different hardware or software tech
nologies, can interact easily and properly with one other. But, it is a big challenge in research
and development to provide the means for integrating these technologies and reengineering
the new or existing management systems so as to make all of the relevant components
interoperable.
In case of databases, because of the variety in data models and theory, the interoper
ability and reengineering issues become even more complex and crucial, especially for
companies heavily involved in data management. With the rapid advances in networking
and database modeling technology, old issues may have to be reinvestigated and new issues
come up constantly. It is our hope that this year's workshop, the sixth in a series of annual
events, can provide a timely forum for database researchers and practitioners to share their
recent experience and results in various aspects of this fast -developing field.
This series of workshops has been organized by the Hong Kong Computer Society
and financially supported by many local industrial and business companies. This year, the
Cooperative Research Centre for Open Systems Technology, located in the Department of
Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, has joined the organization team and the
list of financial sponsors.
The papers are roughly divided into three streams: Reengineering, Interoperability,
and Integration. Such a division is not very accurate because of the diversification of the
contents of the papers and the necessity of dividing them equally into three sessions.
To-yat Cheung
Program Committee Co-chairman
vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks are given to the following organizations for their financial support:
• Borland (HK) Ltd
• Computer Science Department, City University of Hong Kong
• Computer Associates International Ltd
• Cooperative Research Centre for Open Systems Technology, Department of
Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong
• Informix Software (HK) Ltd
• Microsoft Hong Kong Ltd
• Oracle Systems Hong Kong Ltd
• Sybase Hong Kong Ltd
We also appreciate the assistance of the following persons:
• Dr. N. V. Balasubramanian
• Paul Chitson
• Bennett Cheung
To-yat Cheung
Joseph Fong
Brian Siu
ix
CONTENTS
KEYNOTE SPEECHES
1. A Method for Reengineering Existing Relational Database Applications for the
Satisfaction of Multimedia Based Requirements ..................... .
John Ayre, Donald McFall, John G. Hughes, and Claude Delobel
2. The Need for Reengineering when Integrating Expert System and Database
System Technology .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
Peter Smith, Chris Bloor, Shi-Ming Huang, and Alan Gillies
REENGINEERING
3. An Object Oriented Model for Data, Knowledge, and System Reengineering ... 25
Shi-Ming Huang, Peter Smith, and John Tait
4. The Management Perspective of Database Reengineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 41
ChukYau
5. Reengineering VSAM, IMS, and DLiI Applications into Relational Database. .. 55
Rob England
6. Reengineering Library Data: The Long Way from ADABAS to UNIMARC .... 69
Daniel Aebi and Reto Largo
7. Reverse Engineering in a Client-Server Environment: Case Studies on
Relational Database Design ...................................... 81
Brian Siu and Joseph Fong
8. Eliminating the Impedance Mismatch between Relational and Object-Oriented
Systems ...................................................... 89
Jian Chen and Qiming Huang
9. Generalization without Reorganization in a Simple Object Oriented DBMS .... 103
Tarik Beldjilali
xi
xii Contents
10. Semantic Query Transformation: An Approach to Achieve Semantic
Interoperability in Homogeneous Application Domains ................ 117
Narasimha Bolloju
11. On Interoperability Verification and Testing of Object-Oriented Databases ..... 125
T. Y. Kuo and T. Y. Cheung
12. An Object-Oriented Approach to Query Interoperability .................... 141
Jibin Zhan, W. S. Luk, and Carlos Wong
13. Using Parameterized Canonical Representations to Resolve Conflicts and
Achieve Interoperability between Relational and Object Databases ....... ISS
Ya-hui Chang and Louiqa Raschid
14. Flexible Transaction Management in an Interoperable Database Environment ... 187
W. Yu and F. Eliassen
15. A Pilot Survey of Database Reengineering and Intercperability .............. 199
Irene S. Y. Kwan
16. Designing Client-Server Applications for Enterprise Database Connectivity .... 215
Christopher Moffatt
17. Handling Terabyte Databases on Open Systems ........................... 235
Tony Banham
INTEGRATION
18. Schema Integration Methodology Including Structural Conflict Resolution and
Checking Conceptual Similarity: Conceptual Graphs Approach .......... 247
Gengo Suzuki and Masashi Yamamuro
19. Extensional Issues in Schema Integration ................................ 261
M. Garcia-Solaco, F. Saltor, and M. Castellanos
20. Towards Intelligent Integration of Heterogeneous Information Sources ........ 275
Shamkant B. Navathe and Michael J. Donahoo
21. A Business Process Driven Multidatabase Integration Methodology ........... 283
Ralf M. Mlihlberger and Maria E. Orlowska
22. A Database Integration System and an Example of Its Application ............ 297
Anne E. James
23. DEE: A Data Exchange Environment ................................... 309
G. N. Benadjaoud and B. T. David
24. Database Replica Management Strategies in Multidatabase Systems with
Mobile Hosts .................................................. 323
M. Faiz and A. Zaslavsky
Contents xiii
25. Providing Multidatabase Access: An Association Approach ................. 337
Paolo Missier, Marek Rusinkiewicz, and Avi Silberschatz
Index ................................................................. 349
1
A METHOD FOR REENGINEERING
EXISTING RELATIONAL DATABASE
APPLICATIONS FOR THE SATISFACTION OF
MULTIMEDIA BASED REQUIREMENTS
John Ayre,1 Donald McFall,! John G. Hughes,1 and Claude Delobel2
I University of Ulster
Shore Road, Whiteabbey, BT37 OQB, Northern Ireland
202 Technology
Rue du Parc de Clagny, Versailles Cedex, 78035 France
ABSTRACT
SYNDAMMA (Synthesis of Database and Multimedia Applications) is an ESPRIT
III project established to support the reengineering of existing relational database applica
tions into an object-oriented form, thereby facilitating the incorporation of multimedia
requirements. This paper provides an overview of the seven stages of SYNDAMMA which
encompass both reverse and forward engineering. The inputs, outputs, and purpose of each
stage are presented.
1. INTRODUCTION
The SYNDAMMA (Synthesis of Database and Multimedia Applications) project is
an ESPRIT III project for developing an integrated technology base enabling multimedia
applications to be designed for existing business and administration systems. In particular,
SYNDAMMA will develop a migration path, from relational database applications, which
is well suited for business applications, to object-oriented systems that are specially suitable
for multimedia objects.
Many new database applications have to manipulate existing data in addition to new
data types, such as multimedia data (image, audio, video, text). The business or administra
tive data already exists in earlier generation database systems and file systems. It is
recognised that the relational data model is inadequate for manipulating multimedia data
whilst the object database model is more appropriate for such data. Multimedia data obey
more and more specific standards which can be implemented directly in the lower layer of
the object database system or can be provided as an encapsulated service in the object
Database Reengineering and Interoperability, Edited by To-yat Cheung et al.
Plenum Press, New York, !996 1
