27566577
Requirements for XML functionality in relational database management systems
The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is an evolving data format standard designed to simplify the exchange of data between disparate information systems. As Informix is in the business of information management, we need to provide mechanisms whereby our customers can take advantage of XML as it evolves. The authors present some of the XML specific features that are available in various Informix products.
209399498
The BUCKY Object-Relational Benchmark (Experience Paper).
42563615
Object-Relational DBMSs, Second Edition
2984369
BigSur: A System For the Management of Earth Science Data
In this paper we present a prototype system for the management of earth science data which is novel in that it takes a DBMS centric view of the the task. Our prototype -called "BigSur" -is shown in the context of its use by two geographically distributed scientific groups with demanding data storage and processing requirements. BigSur currently stores 1 Terabyte of data, about one thousandth of the volume EOSDIS must store. We claim that the design principles embodied in BigSur provide sufficient flexibility to achieve the difficult scientific and technical objectives of Mission to Planet Earth.
12789110
Interoperability, Distributed Applications and Distributed Databases: The Virtual Table Interface
Users of distributed databases and of distributed application frameworks require interoperation of heterogeneous data and components, respectively. In this paper, we examine how an extensible, objectrelational database system can integrate both modes of interoperability. We describe the Virtual Table Interface, a facility of the INFORMIX-Dynamic Server Universal Data Option, that provides simplified access to heterogeneous components and discuss the benefits of integrating data with application components.
7758508
Implementing the spirit of SQL-99
This paper describes the current INFORMIX IDS/UD release (9.2 or Centaur) and compares and contrasts its functionality with the features of the SQL-99 language standard. INFORMIX and Illustra have been shipping DBMSs implementing the spirit of the SQL-99 standard for five years. In this paper, we review our experience working with ORDBMS technology, and argue that while SQL-99 is a huge improvement over SQL-92, substantial further work is necessary to make object-relational DBMSs truly useful. Specifically, we describe several interesting pieces of functionality unique to IDS/UD, and several dilemmas our customers have encountered that the standard does not address.
16124888
GORDIAN: efficient and scalable discovery of composite keys
Identification of (composite) key attributes is of fundamental importance for many different data management tasks such as data modeling, data integration, anomaly detection, query formulation, query optimization, and indexing. However, information about keys is often missing or incomplete in many real-world database scenarios. Surprisingly, the fundamental problem of automatic key discovery has received little attention in the existing literature. Existing solutions ignore composite keys, due to the complexity associated with their discovery. Even for simple keys, current algorithms take a brute-force approach; the resulting exponential CPU and memory requirements limit the applicability of these methods to small datasets. In this paper, we describe GORDIAN, a scalable algorithm for automatic discovery of keys in large datasets, including composite keys. GORDIAN can provide exact results very efficiently for both real-world and synthetic datasets. GORDIAN can be used to find (composite) key attributes in any collection of entities, e.g., key column-groups in relational data, or key leaf-node sets in a collection of XML documents with a common schema. We show empirically that GORDIAN can be combined with sampling to efficiently obtain high quality sets of approximate keys even in very large datasets.
107670826
Stepping stones in the mist
Publisher Summary This chapter provides an idiosyncratic and nonrigorous account of the author's work as an artist who has been involved in the field now known as artificial life for over 30 years. The title is a metaphor for the author's view as an artist, and individual. A long time ago the author stepped off the bank of a misty river or lake and onto a line of stepping stones. Now, many years later, the stepping stones are shrouded in the mist. Those behind him are dimmed by the mists of memory, and those in front are hidden by the mists of uncertainty. The one in front of him is quite clear, but then they quickly fade as they progress. The author has no idea what lies on the further bank, or indeed if such a shore even exists! Memories of the bank he left are now long eroded. The author only really knows where he is at this moment or, perhaps, where he has just been.
5310188
My gasket
2503385
Fix my street or else: using the internet to voice local public service concerns
UK local governments have invested heavily in ICT in recent years to improve public service delivery. Most local governments now operate contact centres and websites to exchange information and transactions with citizens. But the aspirations of central government go much further - to service "transformation" - and the expectation that citizens and communities will be actively engaged in service design and delivery. In parallel with this new political agenda, technological developments are enabling users to create their own online fora, and to generate their own content. These fora often address public service areas, such as healthcare, crime and education. This paper presents an evaluation of one of the first citizen-driven systems for local public service improvement in the UK: FixMyStreet.com (FMS). The system enables citizens to report, view or discuss local problems such as graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs or street lighting, and to track their resolution by the local government concerned. The system went live in February 2007. FMS has attracted over 3000 problem reports and updates in its first six months, and is viewed very favourably by the citizens surveyed here. But many problems reported to the site remain "unfixed" with status "unknown". Local government officers voice a number of concerns: the site duplicates their own websites; they cannot report fixes directly to ensure the information is up-to-date; nor can they manage user expectations regarding service performance. And the site has no "sense of virtual community" (SOVC) [1], with individuals posting in isolation without the support of fellow citizens to amplify their voices or to contribute to problem resolution. The paper concludes by combining the concept of SOVC, factors identified as encouraging growth in online communities, and the example of a successful London community website, BRAIN, to suggest possible future developments for FMS and for public service fora in general.
17228561
DAMIA - A Data Mashup Fabric for Intranet Applications
Damia is a lightweight enterprise data integration service where line of business users can create and catalog high value data feeds for consumption by situational applications. Damia is inspired by the Web 2.0 mashup phenomenon. It consists of (1) a browser-based user-interface that allows for the specification of data mashups as data flowfgraphs using a set of operators, (2) a server with an execution engine, as well as (3) APIs for searching, debugging, executing and managing mashups. Damia offers a framework and functionality for dynamic entity resolution, streaming and other higher value features particularly important in the enterprise domain. Damia is currently in perpetual beta in the IBM Intranet. 
 
In this demonstration, we showcase the creation and execution of several enterprise data mashups, thereby illustrating the architecture and features of the overall Damia system.